Acquired a brand new TV for entertaining in the course of the holidays? Is it loads greater than your final TV? Earlier than you dive into all of the enjoyable stuff, you should take into account an important query: The place are you going to place it?
This story is a part of 12 Days of Suggestions, serving to you take advantage of your tech, dwelling and well being in the course of the vacation season.
Whether or not you wall-mount or use a TV stand, there are some vital, and sometimes unintuitive, features to contemplate. As an illustration, do you know that unhealthy TV placement can cut back a TV’s obvious image high quality, trigger neck ache and extra? You positively do not wish to mount your TV too excessive, too distant or at a bizarre angle.
Points created by unhealthy TV placement won’t be obvious instantly, however over weeks and months they could possibly be noticeable, annoying and presumably even painful. The time hole could possibly be sufficient that you simply won’t even notice it is the TV’s placement inflicting the problems.
Is that this hyperbole? Probably not. Take into account that the Occupational Security and Well being Administration has requirements in how your work surroundings is setup to reduce the prospect of repetitive stress accidents. Should you’re watching 4 to 6 hours of TV at night time, it is potential you might be vulnerable to lots of the similar points. Additionally, most TVs look far worse “off axis,” as in too far above, beneath or to the facet of the middle of the display. So all that cash you spent on a brand new TV could possibly be wasted by not taking a look at it from the angle it seems finest.
Mounting a TV above a fire can be a nasty concept, as is the toilet. A slight seating shuffle, or adjusting your most popular pedestal placements, might yield higher image high quality or enable for a bigger TV. So earlier than you mount a TV or purchase an costly TV stand, take into account these dos and don’ts for TV placement.
Do these 5 issues earlier than you arrange a brand new TV
Do examine TV peak
Whereas there isn’t any set peak for TV placement, ideally you do not need the TV to be too excessive. Staring up at a TV is like sitting within the entrance row of a movie show. It isn’t perfect, not comfy and never conducive to lengthy viewing classes. Typically talking, you need the middle of the TV to be about eye degree, and even barely decrease. That is true whether or not you are mounting the TV or placing it on a stand.
For extra on this, take a look at my information on how excessive it’s best to put your TV.
Good couches make a reasonably good TV placement look even higher.
Westend61/Getty ImagesDo examine the gap out of your sofa to your TV
It is unlikely anybody studying that is going to be sitting too near their TV. Sitting nearer to your TV has two advantages: It fills extra of your area of view (so it is extra immersive), and you may see extra decision (the picture is extra detailed). If you cannot or do not wish to sit nearer, you’ll be able to alternatively get a bigger TV. Try this text on how huge a TV you can purchase for more information.
Do look out for sources of TV glare
Room lighting and reflections are the No. 1 killer of TV photographs in line with a research I simply made up. The very fact is sort of each fashionable TV has a reflective display, and I do not care how superior your lamps are, they are not as fascinating as what’s on TV. Certain, you’ll be able to simply flip off the lights (or shut the blinds), however generally that is not straightforward or potential. If it is not, take a look at our piece on the way to rid your HDTV of reflections.
It is good when your view can outdo your TV.
Ibrahim Akcengiz/Getty Photographs
Should you’re considering of wall mounting, take into account all of the Do’s talked about to date. Plus, for those who’re considering of getting an LCD, be sure to get a wall mount that is capable of pivot or regulate. With few exceptions, LCDs have worse efficiency for those who’re not sitting immediately in entrance of them. Having the ability to pivot or transfer a wall-mounted TV so it is aimed immediately at your eyeballs will probably be an enormous enchancment in image high quality (in comparison with the identical TV not geared toward you). It is price mentioning at this level that TV weight isn’t a limiting issue on the subject of mounting.
All the time take into account glare.
OJO Photographs/Getty ImagesDo take into account greater than model
In relation to TV stands, there are numerous choices. Take into account the TV peak along with no matter model you want. Most stands are pretty uniform in peak, and some inches above or beneath perfect is not going to matter, however a big TV on a tall stand is not an important concept.
Do take into account security, particularly in case you have younger youngsters
Seems that falling TVs injure lots of youngsters yearly. Learn how to maintain your TV from falling over for those who’ve acquired youngsters or vigorous pets.
Do not make these seven widespread TV placement errors
Reflections could be an issue right here.
Robert Daly/Getty ImagesDon’t mount your TV too excessive
A TV on the right peak goes to look actually low once you’re standing. Which is ok, since more often than not you will not be standing once you’re watching it. Mounting a TV too excessive can actually be a ache within the neck. If you need a superb giggle, there is a vigorous subreddit dedicated to footage of people that have mounted their TVs too excessive.
Do not mount a TV above the hearth
Significantly. Do not mount a TV above a fire. For the above cause and extra — not the least of which is that warmth is the enemy of all electronics. Even for those who by no means use your fire, mounting a TV above it’s virtually all the time too excessive to observe from a sofa.
Although clear wanting, a bookshelf or different cupboard can cut back sound high quality and restrict the scale of a TV you may get sooner or later.
Tetra Photographs/Getty ImagesDon’t really feel restricted by a cupboard, bookcase or leisure heart
When you have a cupboard, bookcase or leisure heart the place your TV has all the time been, it is price contemplating shedding it. That is a giant ask, particularly for a brand new TV, however take into account two issues. First, it not solely limits the scale of the TV you may get, however the high quality. In case your cupboard can solely match a 42-inch TV, know that the higher TV tech like native dimming, OLED and Mini-LED are virtually completely obtainable in bigger sizes. If they are often present in smaller sizes, there are normally just one or two fashions. Second, relying the place the TV’s audio system are positioned, a cupboard might severely cut back the TV’s sound high quality and quantity. (When you have a 5.1-speaker system or soundbar, this may not be a difficulty.)
Do not put your indoor TV outdoors
Do not mount a “common” TV outdoors. There are TVs made for simply that. Or, for those who do not wish to spend the cash on a TV designed for open air, simply know that any TV you permit on the market is not more likely to final lengthy (even when it is beneath an awning). Finest to deliver it in once you’re not utilizing it.
Do not feel you want a ‘actual’ TV
For kitchens and loos, a sensible show like a Google Nest Hub or Amazon Echo Present may get you every thing you want with out the scale and problem of a full-size TV.
Do not sit too distant out of your TV
Nevertheless, you may get a bigger TV to compensate. At 10 toes away, you might get the most important TV in the marketplace and nonetheless not see pixels.
Do not put your TV at a bizarre angle
If it’s a must to flip your head to see the display, it is simply going to result in sore necks. Twisting your head a bit might not appear to be a giant deal, however retaining it that manner for hours at a time could be a ache — actually.
I might suggest a subwoofer.
PhotoAltoMilenaBoniek/Getty Photographs
Backside line
Let’s take two rooms as examples. First room: You’ve gotten an important TV, mounted excessive on a wall close to the nook, with the couch and adjoining lamps, on the opposite facet of the room within the different nook. These poor people have a small-seeming TV, plenty of reflections, and stiff necks from turning and looking out up on the TV. Second room: The TV is mounted at eye degree, the couch is 8 to 9 toes away and there are not any lamps to mirror on the display. Through which room would you wish to watch a marathon of Andor?
Correct placement can decide a good portion of the general enjoyment of a brand new TV. It is price contemplating adjusting your room to be extra conducive to comfy TV viewing. Not solely will you achieve potential image and luxury enhancements, however within the course of, you may unlock extra space for different issues. Like a rug that basically ties the room collectively.
As soon as you have acquired the location discovered, this is the way to arrange your new TV. Should you’ve already acquired it arrange, listed below are some vital image high quality settings to regulate, together with turning down the sharpness management. Should you’re having hassle listening to dialogue, there are some settings you’ll be able to regulate which may assist.
In addition to overlaying TV and different show tech, Geoff does picture excursions of cool museums and areas world wide, together with nuclear submarines, huge plane carriers, medieval castles, epic 10,000 mile highway journeys, and extra. Try Tech Treks for all his excursions and adventures.
He wrote a bestselling sci-fi novel about city-size submarines, together with a sequel. You possibly can comply with his adventures on Instagram and his YouTube channel.