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At our new home the TV area is not in the middle of the room but the fire place is (hate it). I want to put a flat screen TV above the fire place but hubby is against and is saying that it will be to high up + he doesn't like the cost. What do you think, too high? Also, does anybody know much it will cost to have my idea done?
Yeah, I have seen flatscreens put over the fireplace, and frankly, that's too high for me (and I have large rooms). Don't like craning my neck up to see - also the sound is best when the speakers are at your seated level.
I see it advertised for $200-$300, not sure if it includes mounting hardware or moving utilities.
I agree with him - I think over the fireplace is a terrible spot for a flat panel tv. It's too high and often the tv is pointed downward awkwardly to reduce glare or make the color come in correctly. I briefly had one on a shelf above a corner fireplace and there was always glare you couldn't get rid of during the daytime on top of that.
There's also the problem of resale or future technology later. The holes I've seen aren't exactly inconspicuous, and power and a cable jack has to be relocated to the area as well.
You don't have to mount it - you can simply put your flat screen on a stand and place it on your mantle. My husband built a low wood box (about 4 to 5 inches high) that he painted black - the box has an opening just large enough for the black DVR player - it slides snugly right into the opening and the television sits on top of the black box (on a black stand that came with the television). The television is flanked with very large blue and white Chinese urns. The wires are hidden by stacks of old books. Built-in book cases flank the fireplace so the wires run down into one of the bookcases where there is a plug and cable outlet. The cable box is low and sits nestled amid books on a shelf in the bookcase.
We really didn't want to drill into the brick to mount the television. Our solution works beautifully for us. Our couch sits back quite a ways from the fireplace so it isn't a strain on the next to watch telelvision.
If you do not plan on using the fireplace, you can just mount it right on the wall where the fireplace is at whatever height you are comfortable with. Before installing our TV, I cut out a TV-sized rectangle out of cardboard and placed it above the fireplace (and other places I'd consider mounting the TV). There was no good place to watch the cardboard...err.. TV when it was above the fireplace.
I recently moved to a new apartment with a fire place. I thought about wall mounting. But when I moved in my big sideboard near the fireplace, I decided to put the tv on the sideboard instead. It is either 36 or 38 inches high and perfect viewing height from my furniture. My fireplace isnt large, but Id have to go up at least another foot above that to mount and thats just too high. I also am not sure I would be comfortable with electronics over a heat source. I have a few feet at least between the sideboard and fireplace.
It is too high over a fireplace. Sitting on a couch and your eyes should be in the "look down" mode, looking up is a strain on the eyes, and also neck.
This trend of the flat screen over the fireplace, not only is it too high, it looks ugly. When people had console televisions they always had a place for it, why can't they find a place for a flatscreen instead of over the fireplace.....or does every room have a fireplace where we didn't years ago???
........I think it is just an ugly trend and takes away from the focal point of the room which would be the fireplace....Like another poster said, artwork over it looks much better.
I have seen this done a couple of times on HGTV and I think it looks ridiculous to have a TV over the fireplace! For one, I hate it when a TV is the whole "focal point" of a room. For another, it's ruining the look of a fireplace altogether. I would certainly come up with an alternative plan. I still like the armoires where you can shut the doors and not see the TV at all!
I like my tvs at eye level when I'm stitting on the couch. I don't like them mounted very high on the wall or above a fireplace.
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