TV over fireplace

[kmk]

We just got started on remodeling our fireplace in the family room. Our plan is to add some cabinets around the fireplace (60" of space left on both sides, drywall backing) and install a new mantel. Right now, I am reinforcing the box so that I can place the TV safely.

The thing is the mantel top will be about 50" inches tall once the mantel shelf is done. Is it too high for placing a TV (LCD ?

Any suggestions?

[dlminehart]

I believe the usual recommendation is that the top of the TV not be much higher than eye level, to avoid neck pain from bending backwards. That said, I imagine it depends on the seating. If you have comfortable head rests, in seating that you can lean back in comfortably, it shouldn't matter how high the TV is. You could lie on your back and watch it on the ceiling.

[Lee4847]

TV over Fireplace

I was thinking of doing the same thing. However, we use the fireplace in the winter and I haven't seen any info about how the heat would effect eather a plasma or LCD flat TV. Has anyone seen info or specs about heat on these TV's??

Lee

[Kristofor]

My aunt and uncle did this in their house. My personal take is that it's fine for when there's a football game on or casual viewing. I don't particularly like it for watching movies though as it feels like sitting too close to the screen at the theater. This was sitting ~12 feet back from the screen, I imagine the further back you are the less of an issue it is.

Kristofor.

[kmk]

Few comments..

1. We would be sitting atleast 8 feet away. We have regular sofa not one of those black leather reclining chairs..

2. I don't have a TV yet.. but I'm thinking LCD and plan to tilt it downwords when watching... Not sure that will do any good.

3. We have gas fireplace and the heat vent goes straight through the drywall to outside. (not upwords to the roof) So, less likely that the heat will dissipiate through baltic birch wood panel I plan to use below the mantel shelf. The mantel shelf itself would be 3/4" cherry. There is about an 12" space between the top of unit inside the mantel and the shelf and about 16" space between the shelf and the heat vent. I thought of filling up this space with insulation material but this might be bad idea.

[newbie2wood]

Eight feet sounds too close if your TV is 50 inches off the floor.
________
VAPORIZERINFO.COM

[Kristofor]

I tend to agree... On normal height furniture your head would be probably 25-45" off the floor depending if you're sitting or sprawling on the couch. The top of the screen would be at something like 75" so that's a fairly steep incline.

Easy to test if you like it though. Raise your current TV a similar amount relative to your viewing position (or maybe lower your viewing position if you happen to be dealing with a big/heavy tube right now). Then watch Lord of the Rings, Lawrence of Arabia or some other long movie and see if your neck/eyes are okay when you're done. If you look like this -> it's not a good solution for you!

Kristofor.

[dlminehart]

Again, I think the issue is having your neck straight relative to your torso when your eyes are looking straight forward at the top of the screen. You can get an idea of how this would work by doing a scale diagram, viewed from the side, showing screen on one side, seating on the other and assumed head elevation on the other, and drawing a line from top of screen to eye position. Draw a perpendicular to that line and you have the angle needed for the seating (with head support in a non-vertical situation like this).

[parnelli]

My wife's boss has a huge plasma over a custom built fireplace/bookshelf wall. I would have thought that it was too high to watch comfortably but it's not.

It too is about 50 up (never measured it) and the sofa is only 8 ft away as well. It's the main tv in the house and they have no problem with it.

I second the suggestion to put a regular tv that high and see what you think first.

[kmk]

We tried to do that (imagining TV over the fireplace and watch) before but only for few mins. I didn't like it. I have a concern with TV being that high but my wife says its not bad... So, I'm trying to convince her to remove the slate decor that surrounds the fireplace unit for reducing the mantel height. no luck yet. We do have couple of chairs around the kitchen island. From there it was confortable to watch...

I re-measured the distance between the fireplace and one of the sofa. Actually, it is about ~15' distance. We have another long sofa that
is positioned along the side wall. One end of it is at ~4' and the other end at ~11'.

The box that will be housing the TV would be 18" deep flush with mantel shelf. The TV should be around 6" thick. I'm hoping I can find an arm (telescopic?) that extends beyond 18" so that I can bring the TV down and tilt it? Too much imagination?

[JimD]

I have a 32 inch TV mounted above the fireplace on the Villanova/Conneticut game right now. When we built this house, I put a box big enough for a 36 inch TV over the ventless gas fireplace (I do not recommend the ventless fireplace). The only position in the room where the TV is uncomfortably high is the end of the large sofa closest to the TV that is within 4 feet of the TV. From my recliner, it is great. From the loveseat that faces the TV, it is great. From the other end of the big sofa, it is great. Having the TV up in the air a bit takes other stuff out of the line of sight (plants, clutter, etc.). Others might not like it but we do.

Our setup is the end of the family room is about 14 foot across. The fireplace and TV box are in a portion that sticks out 27 inches into the room. There are built-ins that I made on either side just over 4 feet wide. Bookshelves on the top and closed cabinets on the bottom. There is a large electrical conduit from the TV box to the cabinet on the right side of the fireplace. That cabinet houses the receiver, DVD, VCR, and tape deck plus some drawers for storage of media. Wires in the walls go to the 6 speakers (including a 12 inch ported sub in the floor between the floor trusses).

If I was doing this today, I would have probably arrange things for a wide screen HDTV something. When the 32 inch quits or we quit on it, I am not sure what we will do. We have great sound for movies but could use a bigger screen. One setup I really like is a projector for movies and a regular TV for more casual viewing. That would take some modifications but might be the way we go eventually. Really nice is to drop the projector out of the ceiling on a moving panel when you turn it on and the screen also coming out of the ceiling when needed. This would take a bunch of effort at the moment. Far easier would be to hang the biggest LCD or something on the wall over the fireplace.

Jim

[kmk]

JimD: Can you please post a pic of your fireplace/built-in setup if possible?

[ivwshane]

JimD: Can you please post a pic of your fireplace/built-in setup if possible?

Seriously! Too much typing and not enough pics!!

[parnelli]

One important thing not to forget is to think how you'll conceal the wiring to the tv.

[kmk]

One important thing not to forget is to think how you'll conceal the wiring to the tv.

That would be behind the cabinets. If you use any wall mounts, they come with conduit to hide the wires (visible part). You run the rest through cabinet behind...