Anyone know what height the TV should be from the floor?

[jayzBH]

Hello,
Well not sure where to post this question...

I own a 42” plasma TV and I am in the process of designing and building my own TV stand since I don’t like the ones out there.

I have reads somewhere that from eye level center of the TV is should be 48” from the floor is that right? To me I think its a little high and 42” would be better!

Thank you,
JayzBH

[captainobvious]

Theres no set location. Put it where its comfortable for you to watch it. Some like it higher on the wall, some lower. Its your call.

[Kevin P]

I've heard somewhere that eye level when seated should be even with an imaginary line 1/3 down from the top of the screen.

Basically you want to be able to look straight when watching, instead of having to look up or down. We've done installs where the customer wanted their TV over the fireplace and then they get a sore neck. Well, that's what happens when you mount the TV too high!

[Silver1omo]

It will depend on your sitting height. The best would be to test a couple of positions before building.
This is what THX recommends.

http://www.thx.com/consumer/home-entertainment/home-theater/hdtv-set-up/

[Bear]

I've heard somewhere that eye level when seated should be even with an imaginary line 1/3 down from the top of the screen.

Basically you want to be able to look straight when watching, instead of having to look up or down. We've done installs where the customer wanted their TV over the fireplace and then they get a sore neck. Well, that's what happens when you mount the TV too high!

Bottom, actually. You want 1/2 - 1/3 of the screen to be below eye level (bias slightly upwards). If you are building a stadium seating arrangement, then the reference location is dead-center. However, few people in the home can have a TV that low and still accommodate furniture, speakers, etc. People who put their flat panel above a fireplace are just asking for neck and eye strain.

The SMPTE regs are much more comprehensive than the THX "guide" linked above, and THX even has more extensive guidelines for ideal viewing conditions for commercial display. There is actually quite a bit of testing and rigor that goes into the guidelines.

[jayzBH]

center channel height?

Thank you everyone with all the tips!

Here is another question I just thought of: I am going to build the states center channel does it matter on the height of how high/low it can be?

JayzBH

[madmac]

Center channel speaker position is always going to be a challenge, especially for the 'TV above the fireplace people'! (Which however I will never approve of!!). However, since the center channel speaker is essentially the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT speaker in home theater, If you can't do ear level (Which is really rare since the TV is usually there! I would do lower rather than higher. Mine is below my monitor about 1 1/2 feet from the floor. The reason why I say this is that a speaker lower rather than higher will produce of course, more bass and be somewhat louder than a speaker that is high. As with most home theater setups, if you find the center speaker too 'chesty or bassy' because of that lower setup (Not the case with me), then you can probably adjust it's tone and/or the subwoofer crossover frequency for that particular driver via your Receiver/processor. :T

[AdelaaR]

We've done installs where the customer wanted their TV over the fireplace and then they get a sore neck. Well, that's what happens when you mount the TV too high!

Yeah ... I see people do that a lot lately. It appears to be the latest fashion.
I'm a digital TV install and repair technician and so I come in a lot of houses ... for the last 6 years maybe 4 a working day on average so that's maybe close to 5000 TV rooms I've seen lately.
It is obvious to me that most people have a very bad TV room with the sofa often in an awkward angle to the screen and the screen mostly too high ... this is ofcourse very bad when watching lengthy films ... I have a double hernia in my neck so I know what neckpain is too ... I have it about every single day.
Another typical thing people do is mount their flatscreen TV to the wall but forget about where the cables will go ... allways funny to see their faces with all the dangling cables
The audio is also mostly very bad with the room being asymetrical and the speakers being mounted too high ... most people also have those extremely small Bose speakers probably because of the immense WAF of them but they always sound crappy.

Of those 5000 TV rooms only a handfull were nice enough home theaters with decent audio equipment.

[jayzBH]

Center channel speaker position is always going to be a challenge, especially for the 'TV above the fireplace people'! (Which however I will never approve of!!). However, since the center channel speaker is essentially the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT speaker in home theater, If you can't do ear level (Which is really rare since the TV is usually there! I would do lower rather than higher. Mine is below my monitor about 1 1/2 feet from the floor.

Great information to know my original plain with the center channel was going to be approximately 29” from the floor however by taking your advice I have arranged the center channel 17” high from the center to the floor.

Thanks!

[acacia987]

I've heard somewhere that eye level when seated should be even with an imaginary line 1/3 down from the top of the screen.

Basically you want to be able to look straight when watching, instead of having to look up or down. We've done installs where the customer wanted their TV over the fireplace and then they get a sore neck. Well, that's what happens when you mount the TV too high!

I am currently being faced with the decision of where to put a tv in a room with a fireplace. Its hard to have 2 focal points in a room (unless its gigantic) so if we decide to put a tv in the new living room it will most likely be going over the fire place. haven't worked out the dimensions yet but i think we will be sitting 12' from it, so that should help the issue.

[Bear]

I am currently being faced with the decision of where to put a tv in a room with a fireplace. Its hard to have 2 focal points in a room (unless its gigantic) so if we decide to put a tv in the new living room it will most likely be going over the fire place. haven't worked out the dimensions yet but i think we will be sitting 12' from it, so that should help the issue.

You may not want to bother with a 1080p set, then. Your eyesight isn't magic, so sitting further back, while reducing angles, also reduces how much resolution you can actually see/use and the amount of immersion you get from the experience. You may want to consider a small, "everyday" TV for casual viewing where you put it in the desired location, and then get a front projector and drop-down screen for "event" viewing (movies, sports you really care about, etc.).

All of the above are before considering the placement of the center channel and its geometry/limitations.

A rule to live by: if you are designing your A/V around significant aesthetic considerations, you probably don't want to waste your money on anything good, because you aren't going to be able to notice the difference between good and mediocre to bad.

[PMazz]

My rule of thumb is mount the TV high enough so that you can't see your feet in front of the screen when reclined.

[707kevin]

I like that!

I'm waiting for my monoprice wall mount myself. I used to have the tv sitting on the cabinet. I always thought it was a tiny little bit too low. Last few weeks it's been sitting on top of the new center, and now it's too height. 8" makes a big difference in comfort looking at the tv. I can not imagine staring at a TV above a fireplace! :E

[acacia987]

You may not want to bother with a 1080p set, then. Your eyesight isn't magic, so sitting further back, while reducing angles, also reduces how much resolution you can actually see/use and the amount of immersion you get from the experience. You may want to consider a small, "everyday" TV for casual viewing where you put it in the desired location, and then get a front projector and drop-down screen for "event" viewing (movies, sports you really care about, etc.).

All of the above are before considering the placement of the center channel and its geometry/limitations.

A rule to live by: if you are designing your A/V around significant aesthetic considerations, you probably don't want to waste your money on anything good, because you aren't going to be able to notice the difference between good and mediocre to bad.

Obviously 1080p will not be required, (probably wont even get a 1080p signal). Nor will i put a surround system in this room. i will eventually have a dedicated theater in the basement for serious movie watching. i foresee this to be casual tv watching/movies for kids/stuff like that. I cant have an ideal audio/video setup in any room, so sacrifices have to be made.

[Shawn Solar]

I mounted my TV rather high. I sit about 15ft away and its not been a problem. It was a compromise as my son seems to like to goober up the tv when it was 2-3ft of the floor. I have a projector for movies though and have that set to eye level= just a bit lower than centre.

[jayzBH]

Here is a quick sketch I came up with the size is a little bigger than I expected.
Updated: 4/4/11

JayzBH

[Bear]

Here is a quick sketch I came up with the size is a little bigger than I expected.

JayzBH

I would move the center channel closer to the TV itself, unless you are also going to have a projection system in the future. Depending upon the weight of the amplifiers in question, you may also want to move them closer to the bottom. My 7 channel amp weighs close to 100 pounds, and center of gravity issues aside, I only wanted to dead lift something that bulky as little as possible.

[Hdale85]

I just wall mounted a TV and put the center line around 45" from the floor I believe it was. I measured it off an older floor standing RPTV.

[jayzBH]

I would move the center channel closer to the TV itself, unless you are also going to have a projection system in the future. Depending upon the weight of the amplifiers in question, you may also want to move them closer to the bottom. My 7 channel amp weighs close to 100 pounds, and center of gravity issues aside, I only wanted to dead lift something that bulky as little as possible.

I don’t think I will have a projection screen down the road; my original plan was to have the center channel under the TV it would make it 30.5” high from the center to the floor and the TV would be 50” center from the floor. Even though everyone’s points of views are different I should go with my instinct.

My amps are 25 LBS each plus the weight of the center channel I was going to use up leftover MDF but to make it more reinforced I could build the entire cabinet out of OAK. I prefer not to have the amps close the floor (2.5”) for down the road I may have kids and was thinking to have everything above BUT I can arrange components if needed.

Thanks,
JayzBH

[numberoneoppa]

Bottom, actually. You want 1/2 - 1/3 of the screen to be below eye level (bias slightly upwards). If you are building a stadium seating arrangement, then the reference location is dead-center. However, few people in the home can have a TV that low and still accommodate furniture, speakers, etc. People who put their flat panel above a fireplace are just asking for neck and eye strain.

The SMPTE regs are much more comprehensive than the THX "guide" linked above, and THX even has more extensive guidelines for ideal viewing conditions for commercial display. There is actually quite a bit of testing and rigor that goes into the guidelines.

Bingo. 1/3 from the bottom of the screen. =)

[BobEllis]

...
My amps are 25 LBS each plus the weight of the center channel I was going to use up leftover MDF but to make it more reinforced I could build the entire cabinet out of OAK...

Thanks,
JayzBH

If you build the shelves of MDF, at least have solid wood facing with a bit of depth to it to act as an I-beam. MDF will sag over time if not supported properly. Surprisingly quickly due to its lack of tensile strength. I've had issues with 20" spans of 3/4" MDF sagging under normal weight components.

A thin laminate of hardwood ply top and bottom does a good job of stiffening up the shelf while making it visually more substantial. If you want thin shelves, go with a good grade of plywood. Formica or similar laminate would probably work, too.

[jayzBH]

A thin laminate of hardwood ply top and bottom does a good job of stiffening up the shelf while making it visually more substantial. If you want thin shelves, go with a good grade of plywood. Formica or similar laminate would probably work, too.

To insure better bracing for all joints I was going to use the ¾” OAK for the complete project and my Dado blades for a tong n grove fit I think that should suffice right?

JayzBH

[BobEllis]

Yes, 3/4" oak will be strong and stiff enough. I made a similar unit years ago. Is your back up to moving it? Casters highly recommended

BTW, a tapered sliding dovetail will be a lot easier to assemble than a 20" wide dado. It also will be a bit stronger than a shelf in a dado that is loose enough to assemble easily. It takes some jig making, but as many shelves as you're making it makes more sense.

[jayzBH]

Yes, 3/4" oak will be strong and stiff enough. I made a similar unit years ago. Is your back up to moving it? Casters highly recommended

BTW, a tapered sliding dovetail will be a lot easier to assemble than a 20" wide dado. It also will be a bit stronger than a shelf in a dado that is loose enough to assemble easily. It takes some jig making, but as many shelves as you're making it makes more sense.

I can see your point about the tapered sliding dovetail to be easier during assembly where dado will require more time, the only problem is I don’t own the dovetail equipment bit, table jig etc.. I would buy if the price is right but I think I may not use it again.

I built a similar cabinet using dados about 10 yrs ago it has 5 shelves roughly H44” W18” D15” And it worked out fairly well.

Casters are a great recommendation
Thanks!

[nikbrewer]

most mounts have some up and down travel, so you will have some room for adjustment