12 Mistakes to Avoid When Setting Up a New TV for the Holidays

Acquired a new TV for entertaining in the course of the holidays? Is it a lot bigger than your final TV? Earlier than you dive into all of the enjoyable stuff, it is advisable to think about a vital query: The place are you going to place it?

Whether or not you wall-mount or use a TV stand, there are some essential, and sometimes unintuitive, features to contemplate. For example, 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 high, 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 probably even painful. The time hole could possibly be sufficient that you just won’t even notice it is the TV’s placement inflicting the problems.

Is that this hyperbole? Not likely. Contemplate that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has requirements in how your work setting is setup to attenuate the prospect of repetitive stress accidents. In case you’re watching 4 to 6 hours of TV at night time, it is doable you can be prone to most of the identical points. Additionally, most TVs look far worse “off axis,” as in too far above, under or to the facet of the middle of the display screen. So all that cash you spent on a brand new TV could possibly be wasted by not it from the angle it seems to be greatest.

Mounting a TV above a fireplace can be a foul thought, as is the bathroom. 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, think about these dos and don’ts for TV placement.

Do these 5 issues earlier than you arrange a brand new TV

Do verify TV top

Whereas there is not any set top for TV placement, ideally you don’t need the TV to be too excessive. Staring up at a TV is like sitting within the entrance row of a movie show. It is not best, not comfy and never conducive to lengthy viewing periods. Typically talking, you need the middle of the TV to be about eye stage, 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, try my information on how high you should put your TV.

Do verify 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 discipline 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 may alternatively get a bigger TV. Try this text on how big a TV you should buy for more information.

Do look out for sources of TV glare

Room lighting and reflections are the No. 1 killer of TV pictures in response to a research I simply made up. The very fact is almost each fashionable TV has a reflective display screen, and I do not care how superior your lamps are, they are not as attention-grabbing as what’s on TV. Certain, you may simply flip off the lights (or shut the blinds), however generally that is not straightforward or doable. If it is not, try our piece on how to rid your HDTV of reflections.

In case you’re considering of wall mounting, bear in mind all of the Do’s talked about to this point. Plus, should you’re considering of getting an LCD, be sure to get a wall mount that is in a position to pivot or alter. With few exceptions, LCDs have worse efficiency should you’re not sitting instantly in entrance of them. Having the ability to pivot or transfer a wall-mounted TV so it is aimed instantly at your eyeballs can be an enormous enchancment in image high quality (in comparison with the identical TV not aimed toward you). It is value mentioning at this level that TV weight is not a limiting factor when it comes to mounting.

Do think about greater than fashion

With regards to TV stands, there are numerous choices. Contemplate the TV top along with no matter fashion you want. Most stands are pretty uniform in top, and some inches above or under best is not going to matter, however a big TV on a tall stand is not an awesome thought.

Do think about security, particularly when you have younger children

Seems that falling TVs injure a variety of children yearly. Discover out how to keep your TV from falling over should you’ve acquired children or vigorous pets.

Do not make these seven widespread TV placement errors

Do not mount your TV too excessive

A TV on the appropriate top goes to look actually low while you’re standing. Which is ok, since more often than not you will not be standing while you’re watching it. Mounting a TV too high can actually be a ache within the neck. If you’d like a superb giggle, there is a vigorous subreddit dedicated to footage of people that have mounted their TVs too high.

Do not mount a TV above the hearth

Critically. Don’t mount a TV above a fireplace. For the above cause and extra — not the least of which is that warmth is the enemy of all electronics. Even should you by no means use your fire, mounting a TV above it’s nearly at all times too excessive to observe from a sofa.

Do not feel restricted by a cupboard, bookcase or leisure middle

In case you have a cupboard, bookcase or leisure middle the place your TV has at all times been, it is value contemplating shedding it. That is an enormous ask, particularly for a brand new TV, however think about 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 nearly completely accessible 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. (In case you have a 5.1-speaker system or soundbar, this may not be a problem.)

Do not put your indoor TV outdoors

Do not mount a “regular” TV outside. There are TVs made for simply that. Or, should you 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 convey it in while you’re not utilizing it.

Do not feel you want a ‘actual’ TV

For kitchens and loos, a wise show like a Google Nest Hub or Amazon Echo Show may get you the whole lot 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 can get the biggest TV in the marketplace and nonetheless not see pixels. 

Do not put your TV at a bizarre angle

If you need to flip your head to see the display screen, it is simply going to result in sore necks. Twisting your head a bit could not look like an enormous deal, however protecting it that means for hours at a time generally is a ache — actually.

Backside line

Let’s take two rooms as examples. First room: You may have an awesome 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 of us have a small-seeming TV, numerous reflections, and stiff necks from turning and searching up on the TV. Second room: The TV is mounted at eye stage, the couch is 8 to 9 toes away and there are not any lamps to mirror on the display screen. By 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 value contemplating adjusting your room to be extra conducive to comfy TV viewing. Not solely will you acquire potential image and luxury enhancements, however within the course of, you may release more room for different issues. Like a rug that basically ties the room collectively. 

As soon as you have acquired the position found out, this is the way to set up your new TV. In case you’ve already acquired it arrange, listed here are some essential picture quality settings to adjust, together with turning down the sharpness control. In case you’re having hassle listening to dialogue, there are some settings you can adjust that might help.

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In addition to protecting TV and different show tech, Geoff does photograph excursions of cool museums and locations around the world, together with nuclear submarines, massive aircraft carriers, medieval castles, epic 10,000 mile road trips, 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 may observe his adventures on Instagram and his YouTube channel.