Who knew TV wall mounts were going to be so complicated! Dave and I did lots of research and discussing before buying our Sony Google TV in November. We never thought hanging it was going to be the bigger issue. We could have hired someone to do it for about $140. It seemed like a simple enough project so we tackled it ourselves. We also realized you can spend more on all the accessories and labor than on the TV itself.
First, we needed a "tilt and swivel" mount. They cost more than just the tilt. Because of our ceiling-height Mid Century windows we need to be able to move the TV in an many directions as possible. Glare hits it from different places at different times of the day and different times of the year. The sun moves!
Second, the wall mounts come in different VESA compliance standards. You have to read the instructions of your TV to know what wall mount to buy. The VESA numbers tell you the width and height of the screw holes in your set. I read our instructions over and over and still wasn't quite sure what we were. Or, I knew what we were but couldn't find the exact numbers for the mount that went with our TV.
Third. It's best to anchor into the studs for this project. You don't want your expensive TV to end up on the ground during an earthquake. Our 1950's Mid Century home has studs at 24" on center instead of the now standard 16". That meant we needed a mount with one one "arm" to anchor not two.
So, after all these requirements and considerations we went to Fry's, Walmart, Best Buy and Costco. The wall mounts we needed for our set were ranging from $150-$300! So, now we're looking at the $150 for wall mount plus $140 for installation! I'm telling you, it's the accessories that kill you with the electronics these days. We bought two different mounts at Fry's but they were missing parts or had the wrong screws and no one had answers or was helpful. They were quite helpful in offering their installation services though. That just made me more determined to do it myself.
I decided to go to the web. I love the web! I found a site, Monoprice . They had the wall mount I needed for $55 including shipping! I thought it was too good to be true but the mount fit and was it perfect! It definitely took both Dave and me to mount the TV but we did it! And I'm still doing a Snoopy dance that it cost us only $55!!! I almost considered having it installed but I figured we had made it this far. We could finish the whole thing!
The location of the TV may seem a little odd. It blocks a window. But, it was this window that gave us the worst glare no matter where we placed the TV. I'm still trying to hide all the damn wires. I hate wires! But I'm also still trying to configure all the other devices like Apple TV, Blu-ray player, surround sound, etc. I thought we were going to be able to use my surround sound system I bought 9 years ago. I love it's sleek, simple design. But now all devices connect with an HDMI cable not the Component cables or S-video Cables. (plugs with the yellow, red, blue, green or black and red cables).
Anyway, electronics is not my forte nor an area I'm interested in becoming an expert in. I have a theory that the economic downfall of this generation has to do with the constant changing of technology. It causes us to spend money on "being compatible" every single year. My mom still listens to her music on a tape player/boom box she bought when we were in high school. We spend more on electronics in one year than my parents spent in 10!
Labels: electronics, etc, living room, shopping
