A Quick Guide to Plasma Mounts

If you've spent your hard-earned cash on a plasma TV, you want it to look its best. Plasma mounts lets you attach your screen to the wall, which is by far the coolest way to store it.

With a plasma mount, there's no need to worry about finding a suitable cabinet to stand your TV on. And no longer will you be frustrated because the best place in the room to sit your screen is out of the question thanks to a fireplace. Most plasma mounts let you tilt or swivel the screen, meaning you can easily get it in exactly the right position for best viewing, and even move it easily if you get sunlight shining on your screen at particular times during the day. If you're on a budget, you can get a fixed mounting, but this can be a pain if you need to get to the back of your screen to change cables.

If you're mounting on a wall, be sure you attach the screen to a wall stud. That's the more solid part of the wall, which usually alternates with less sturdy wallboards. These sections are not really safe for attaching a heavy item like a plasma screen. Bear in mind that the distance between wall studs can vary from home to home, so double-check yours will fit your screen. Some plasma mounts even hang from the ceiling, which can look amazing, But you'll need to be sure you attach it to a sturdy ceiling joist to avoid the costly and dangerous disaster of an unsecure mounting, There's a bit more planning with a ceiling mount as you'll need to find the best height for the screen, but it can mean the screen is visible across a wider angle, which is great if you have a large family. However, with a ceiling mount you'll usually need a set-up where a single cable runs to the screen, and all the connections are in a separate box.

One of the biggest mistakes people make with plasma mounts is siting them too high up. It's tempting to put them on a wall in the same place as you'd put a picture or photograph, but most people only glance at pictures. And you may think you should hang your screen high in the same way as you see in a bar or gym, but most people in such venues are standing up. When you are sat down at home watching a screen for a long time, you'll probably want the centre of the screen somewhere between three and four feet off the ground for the most comfortable viewing. When installing plasma mounts, take the time to do a proper job and use a reliable spirit level to make sure the screen isn't off balance. This can be incredibly distracting when watching TV, but is quite tricky to put right once you've already attached it to the wall. It may even be worth investing in a laser level to be sure.