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The simple answer to how high should you be placing your new plasma or LCD display is -- hang it as high as you'd like. Everyone has a personal preference to how they want to view television. Some like it way up high; others watch it down near the floor.

Here are some things to consider about TV placement. With the lighter, thinner plasma and LCD displays, it's possible to install them on the wall or set them on a mantle over the fireplace.

They can be inside cabinets or entertainment centers. And many people watch TV for long periods of time or they play video games for hours. If you spend a good length of time looking up from your seated position, or even looking down, even if it's just a matter of a few degrees of tilt, you can put a lot of strain on your neck muscles.

The head tends to want to stay level. Look up or looking down requires muscles and tendons to push and pull the neck to move it to that position and keep it there. It's important to consider how far away you'll be sitting from the display. A set that is up high, on the fireplace, might not work if you're only 7 to 8 feet away. If you're back 12 to 13 feet, it might be less difficult to view for longer periods.

If you're unsure as to your personal preference, start out with the center of the screen at eye level from where you'll be sitting. Watch the display for a while and determine what works best. Adjust higher or lower to test it out before finally settling on a more permanent location (especially if this involves wall hanging or any invasive mounting plans.)

No matter what height you decide on, make sure you TV mounting system comes with some sort of tilt mechanism. This way, if you go high, you'll be able to tilt the screen down so the display is perpendicular to your line of sight.

If you'd like to talk to an expert plasma or LCD installer for more advice and help putting it up, you can post your project on the ConstructionDeal.com site. It's a free service to find a local TV installation pro. We've got a network of companies in your area and it's much easier than searching for someone at random from the yellow pages.

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Labels: HDTV, plasma tv, Plasma TV Installation, tv installation

Everyone has been joining the plasma and LCD TV craze and updating to the latest technology as the prices continue to drop down to Earth. The biggest problem that many homeowners have is they can purchase the new TV monitor on their own, but don't know how to install it on their own.

Do you need professional tv installation? The short answer - no. It depends on many factors. If you buy a TV stand, it's simply a matter of lining up the holes on the TV and placing it on the stand. If you've got reasonable carpentry skills, you may be able to wall mount your TV on your own. This will mean that you have the ability to find the wall studs and attach the wall mount with the appropriate hardware for your studs (whether they are made of wood or metal.)

Where most people need the help of a professional is when they are mounting their new plasma television and need extras or attributes that most people cannot handle themselves.

If you don't want to have your power cord hanging down the wall from your TV, you may need to hire a local electrician to install an outlet behind your monitor. It is not advisable and is, more than likely, against electrical codes for you to run the power cord through the wall and down to an outlet closer to the floor. You may also try to have the electrician make the outlet recessed so that you have plenty of room for the cord and plug to fit. Try to find a surge protector that be placed on a single power cord plug - if you cannot find protection at that outlet, it would be a good idea to have a whole house surge protector installed at your main electrical box.

If you're looking for a movable or adjustable LCD or plasma display, it would be a good idea to have an installer put in an articulating arm for your monitor - it allows you to pull the TV out and turn it in various directions to be able to view it from different parts of the room or house.

If you're looking to hide most of your cables and wire, hiring a home theater installer would be a good idea. They know how to run cables and have the right tools to make sure the fewest amount of holes need to be made in your walls and ceilings. They can help make sure you use the right cables for your system and make sure you have the correct lengths of cables and wires for ultimate performance.

If you're installing your plasma TV over the fireplace, many do not have the ability to install directly to the fireplace stone or brickwork around the area. A professional installer can help get the monitor up on your fireplace and can make sure it stays there. You're spending a lot of money for a plasma display and you want to make sure nothing happens to it.

To find a quality A/V installer or home theater professional, you can use ConstructionDeal.com -- all you need to do is post your request on our website and it will go out to our network of experts in your area. For a small investment in your system, you'll be rewarded with years of quality plasma TV viewing. And it's a free service to find an installer in your area.

If you only go with the installers where you bought your TV, you won't have any other bids to choose from. This means you could end up paying more for the installation. Save time and money and choose ConstructionDeal.com!


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Labels: home theater, plasma tv, tv installation