I test TVs for a living, and this is the one spot in my living room I would never put my TV
It sounds ridiculous, but where you put your TV matters when it comes to the performance and longevity of your brand-new display.
Putting one across from a window will have it sitting in a sunbeam during the day, creating glare on the screen. Setting a TV up too far away from the main seating area will leave you squinting to see the action.
But of all the ill-advised spots for a TV to spend its days, none are more egregious than the wall-mounted position above a fireplace. It’s my least favorite type of TV to stumble across in the wild, narrowly beating out the infamous “hotel TV with far too much motion smoothing enabled.”
It’s not just a matter of aesthetics, either — mounting a TV above a fireplace can have serious long-term consequences. Let’s talk about them.
The fireplace can damage your TV
The number-one reason not to wall-mount a TV above a fireplace is to avoid damaging its hardware.
The number-one reason not to wall-mount a TV above a fireplace is to avoid damaging its hardware. It’s true: Both the heat of a fireplace and the associated smoke can damage your TV’s internals over time.
Yes, there are different types of fireplaces and different styles of mantles, but that shouldn’t change the calculus. Even if — in your estimation — your fireplace doesn’t get very hot, and even if you believe your mantle to be thick enough to block heat, it’s just not worth the risk.
As is the case with many electronics, it’s important that the temperature of your TV’s hardware (the backlight, the circuitry, etc.) is kept relatively cool. This is why it’s recommended that there be plenty of room around the TV for air circulation. It’s also why Panasonic recently debuted an airflow system for its flagship OLED called ThermalFlow.
Soot and smoke is also a serious concern, as it can degrade delicate TV hardware over time.
Protecting your purchase ought to be the goal of every TV-owner, but it’s especially important if you’ve spent a hefty amount on one of the best TVs available.
Your TV will be too high up
In addition to the hardware hazards associated with wall-mounting a TV above a regularly used fireplace, there’s also your viewing experience to consider.
In most homes, positioning a TV above a fireplace is too high a placement for comfortable viewing. Keeping a TV at eye level is ideal, which is why some folks bust out the measuring tape to measure eye level height prior to wall-mounting their TV. If your TV is too high, you run the risk of straining your neck.
Lastly, while your interior design philosophies may vary, I almost always find that above-the-fireplace TVs disrupt the flow of whichever room they reside. It creates a situation where the fireplace and TV are competing to be the central focus of the room.
Making the most of a TV above a fireplace
In some homes, there may be a lack of viable alternatives for TV placement, either based on the layout of the room, the size of the room or some combination of both.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: When it comes to where we live, sometimes we have to make the most of what we’re working with.
First, consider eye level. If you have no choice but to stick your TV above a fireplace, there are brands among the best wall mounts that offer safe ways to tilt and extend your TV. This won’t solve the potential heat and smoke issues, but you might find the viewing experience a more comfortable one.
If you’re shopping for a new TV and its placement above your fireplace is a foregone conclusion, why not look into a TV that can camouflage itself as a work of art so as not to disrupt the vibes of your living room? Samsung’s The Frame TV — with its fancy-looking bezels and matte screen — plays the role of both a television and a framed portrait. You can even set it to display artwork when you’re not watching TV.
Ultimately, you may decide that putting a TV above your fireplace is the way to go, either because you have no other place to put it or because you just dig the way it looks.
As long as you understand the associated risks for your TV, you are certainly free to decorate your home as you see fit. Me? I’ll stick with a classic credenza.
