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Installing a Plasma Television Set (1)

Where to Place and How to Hang
your Plasma TV

Once you have considered your plasma Television set options, it is time to look at where you plan to display your new flat-panel plasma HDTV .

In this first part of our plasma television installation guide, we show you how to select an optimal place for your new TV. We also discuss related mounting considerations and cabling issues to complement your plasma television.

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One of the greatest features of plasma HDTVs - like LCDs - is their slim footprint. Most are no more than 4-inches deep - while the latest ultra-slim designs from Panasonic and Samsung come at 2.4" and 1.2" thin respectively.

It is this peculiarity that opens new mounting options - through the use of appropriate plasma TV mounts - otherwise impossible with bulkier CRT and rear projection TVs. You can literally hang your plasma TV set on the wall or above the fireplace, just like a picture; you can opt for a standard table-stand, or even go for a ceiling mount in the case of a bedroom installation.

Of course, a plasma display is not just a picture; hence all these mounting options are accompanied by a number of constraints that one has to be aware of when placing and mounting a plasma television set.

Plasma Television Set Installation: Issues worth considering

It is true that the many different plasma TV mounts available on the market, make mounting a plasma television set a relatively easy process that can be handled by end users under most circumstances.

Still, the whole process should not be underestimated; it is not as easy as it seems, and the person handling the job should still have an average level of DIY skills.

In particular, if you are going to wall mount your plasma, you need to know how to operate a drill and use a spirit level to level off the TV panel. Fixing the mount perfectly level is critical. Later, it would be hard to fix a poorly done job.

Installing a ceiling mount is even more difficult; unless you really know what you are doing, we advise that a ceiling installation is best left for the professional installer.

You would also need at least a good pair of extra hands. Plasmas are relatively heavy beasts - substantially heavier than their LCD counterparts; a 50-inch plasma television set can easily weigh over 80 pounds with the stand removed and close to 100 pounds when boxed. This has to be taken into account when handling and mounting your new screen.

And... Do make it a point to read the installation instructions that come with both your flat panel television and the plasma TV mount. This may seem too obvious, yet many fail to do so. Keep in mind that this is essential since you will have to plan your work accordingly.

Furthermore, there is also the need of some planning to go into the process to:

Note: Though this discussion focuses on the installation of plasma television sets, the steps detailed in this guide apply to LCD TVs as well. There are a few minor differences though - in view that plasmas are generally heavier and generate more heat.

For a detailed discussion on the installation of LCD TVs, please check our LCD TV Installation Guide.

Where to Place and How to Hang Your Plasma Television

Placement Issues

Before deciding on your mounting options, you first need to consider where in the room you are going to place your plasma television set.

While plasma television sets are generally viewable even in a brightly lit room, yet for best results, you still need to avoid setting up the plasma TV facing large windows or doors - or any other place in the room - where sunlight will fall directly across the screen.

The best way to decide is to make a note of how sunlight travels across the room you plan to use; in particular, this is especially important if you have large windows with no curtains.

Place your seating along the wall where the light hits, and the plasma television set on the opposite wall. That way, the light never interferes with your ability to see the picture.

Special care should also be taken with artificial lights in the room. The rather shinny glass surface makes plasma television sets more susceptible to glare and reflections than most LCDs. We are saying most LCDs because some top LCD brands - Samsung in particular - also come with a shinny screen as this seems to help improve the perceived contrast and black levels.

The next consideration is available wall space, or floor area in case you will be making use of a pedestal-type plasma TV stand. Try to find enough clearance to allow for the proper placement of the left and right channel speakers. Typically, you need a minimum of twice the screen width.

How close is too close for Your Screen Size?

Once you decide on where you want to place your plasma television set, it is time to take a few measurements - it is all a matter of viewing distance. For a detailed discussion on this subject, check our TV Viewing Distance article appearing under the Home Theater Design section of the site.

For those who do not have the time to go through our viewing distance guide, it is important to ensure that you go for the right screen size for your room. It is quite tempting to buy the biggest screen you can afford, especially with the latest new low prices for plasma television sets. Yet a bigger TV does not always equate to a better viewing experience.

As a rule-of-thumb, you need between two to three times the screen width as your minimum viewing distance for screen sizes 42-inch and above. However, this depends on the signal quality; viewing high definition 720p or 1080i/p content over an HDTV set would allow for a closer viewing distance than standard definition material.

This means that you need around 9 feet viewing distance for a standard 42-inch plasma television set. This can be reduced when watching high definition content to an absolute minimum of 5 feet. Similarly, 6 feet is the recommended minimum viewing distance for high definition content in the case of 50-inch plasma HDTV sets; this will have to be increased to around 11 feet when watching standard definition TV.

Surely you can sit closer but in practice, you need these minimum distances - as measured from your eyes to the screen surface - so don't just measure wall-to-wall.

If you have less than this minimum distance to play with, go for a smaller plasma television set or opt for an LCD. Admittedly, with plasma TVs, you do not have a choice for anything smaller than 42-inch. While during 2008, we have seen a few 37-inch and even 32-inch plasma TVs, with 2009, plasma TV makers returned to the 42-inch as the minimum screen size for a plasma HDTV.

Layout Tip: You do not have enough of viewing distance in your room for your desired screen size? Well, you may also gain some extra viewing distance by rearranging your room layout on a diagonal line. This may yield enough extra feet to your viewing distance to allow you to go for a larger screen size.

Mounting Considerations: Do not mount it too high!

Directly related to this placement issue is whether you will make use of a floor-type TV stand or a plasma TV wall mount. If you opt to hang your flat-panel TV on a wall, then you also need to determine the optimum height at which you will fix the plasma TV mount.

It is tempting here to mount your plasma television set at the typical picture height. Remember that a plasma TV is more than just a picture - it is also a television you will be watching for hours on end. Hence it should be placed at a height that would enable relaxed viewing when seated.

There are a number of considerations that come into play when setting the screen height. The idea is to come at a level that proves comfortable on your neck. Again, more information on this issue is available in our TV Viewing Distance article. Ideally, the center of the screen should be at eye level when seated. Typically, this would correspond to having the center of the display panel set at 40 to 45 inches off the floor. This is the position that will result in a minimum of eye and neck movement during TV viewing.

Placement Too Low? Many would consider that aesthetically, this will result in a too low placement for a wall-mounted display. The alternative is to place the TV wall mount such that the bottom part of the screen is no higher than eye level when seated, while the top of the display is no higher that eye level when standing.  Anything between these limits would normally lead to a comfortable viewing experience.

Running and Hiding Connecting Cables

Plasma television sets look at their best when all connecting cables are completely hidden. The solution is either to run your connecting cables through the wall, or hide cables by camouflaging them behind suitable surface mounted channels such as the 'wiring solutions' featured on our site.

Running cables through a wall is the best approach as aesthetically it yields a better result. Running cables through drywall is relatively easy. It requires cutting two holes - one behind your TV, and the other where you want them to come out; once these holes are completed, just fish the cables through the wall.

Running cable through a brick wall can be a little bit trickier - you may need to hire an electrician though you can do it yourself if you are handy with that kind of construction work.

'Future-Proofing' your installation

While running cables through walls has a visual advantage, yet it has a disadvantage when it comes to adding cables later. The only way to tackle this issue is to future-proof your installation by looking at the inputs available on your plasma television set; then try to identify the inputs you will most likely be using in the future. For example, include a third or even a fourth HDMI cable if your set has three or more HDMI inputs - even if for the time being you will only be using one.

This may appear as an unnecessary expense, but it is easier to put in an extra cable while the respective holes are still open than to fish extra cables later. Furthermore, with the rapid advancement in AV technology, there is a big chance that it would not take long before you put those extra cables to use.

Tip: Keep in mind that while the use of good quality AV cables is always essential, yet this is even more so when it comes to running cables through walls. Buy only quality cables that will prevent interference from power wires and other wiring in the walls. Once you get this mounted, you do not want to find out that you have a problem.

Note that quality does not necessarily equate to an expensive price tag. For more information on AV cables, check our Home Theater Cable Guide.

Mounting Options for Plasma Television Sets

The fact that plasma television sets are pretty slim gives rise to various mounting options otherwise impossible with bulkier TV sets.

Let's see what you can do...

Floor Stand:

You can invest in a column styled plasma TV floor stand for an ultra-modern look, such as the Sanus PFFP2-B Universal flat-panel TV floor stand featured here.

Plasma TV Wall Mounts:

These vary from the standard flat wall mount to tilting mounts and articulated swivel-arm mounts. The use of a tilting wall mount is ideal for hanging the plasma television set above eye level - say, if you are going to watch TV while lying in bed. An articulated swivel-arm mount lets you swing your plasma TV either side for better viewing from different angles.

Ceiling Mounts: Finally, you can also go for a ceiling mount - another good bedroom option. Note however that this is the most difficult to do it yourself. Unless you are a professional, we do not recommend that you try installing a ceiling mount on your own, as you need to take the structural integrity of the ceiling into account

Additional Plasma TV Installation Guides available under this section:

Featured Reviews and Product Guides 

2009 Samsung plasma TV Reviews:

Samsung Plasma Lineup:
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2009 Panasonic Plasma TV Reviews:

2009 Panasonic Plasma TV Line-up - full product guide.

Review: X1 entry-level 720p HDTVs - covering also the X14 and the C1

Review: S1 entry-level 1080p HDTVs - covering also the S14 and the U1

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The Panasonic V10 in detail - Reviewing the best-rated Panasonic plasma TV for 2009

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TV Viewing Distance
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Check out for the latest offers on Plasma TVs at amazon

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Refer to our LG Plasma TV review here.

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Wall Mounts and Media Cabinets

Next: Installing a Plasma TV Wall Mount

...back to: Plasma Television Set Installation - Introduction

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