TV location advice needed
Discussion
Before I go out and purchase a new TV, I need to ask whether it is ok to locate a TV (most probably LED) above a radiator. The wall in question is plasterboard with a honeycombe structure (which can be ripped out) between it and the next layer of plasterboard in the kitchen. SO I was thinking of making a recess in the wall to house the TV in to make it flush/recessed to miss most of the heat from the rad, and a glass shelf just below it to deflect as much heat as poss. Living room is 3.6 x 3.9 metres, and the viewing distance would be approx 3 metres.
Here is the wall in question (please excuse the mess. I'm putting in a new kitchen..):
Also, for this size living room, and a 3 metre viewing distance, is a 32 inch about right? Or can I go larger (40 inch)?
Cheers
Cad
Here is the wall in question (please excuse the mess. I'm putting in a new kitchen..):
Also, for this size living room, and a 3 metre viewing distance, is a 32 inch about right? Or can I go larger (40 inch)?
Cheers
Cad
42" will be fine, I watch one at 2.5m with no issues.
Re the rad underneath. Not ideal, but if you do recess the TV and put in a shelf you should be okay. Maybe you can experiment before you recess the wall?
Re recessing the TV. There will likely be some stud uprights in the wall which you will need to cut out, you will probably make some holes in the kitchen PB doing this because of screws. You will need to back the recess with some plywood or similar to give you a fixing for the bracket, can you fix/bolt through from the kitchen?
Don't forget to leave enough space in the recess to lift the TV on and off the bracket.
What about cables? How are you getting these to the TV? Sky? DVD? Power?
Re the rad underneath. Not ideal, but if you do recess the TV and put in a shelf you should be okay. Maybe you can experiment before you recess the wall?
Re recessing the TV. There will likely be some stud uprights in the wall which you will need to cut out, you will probably make some holes in the kitchen PB doing this because of screws. You will need to back the recess with some plywood or similar to give you a fixing for the bracket, can you fix/bolt through from the kitchen?
Don't forget to leave enough space in the recess to lift the TV on and off the bracket.
What about cables? How are you getting these to the TV? Sky? DVD? Power?
If you recess the panel you might run the risk of trapping the heat it produces in the recess, especially if it's a close fit. I'd agree it would look better recessed but personally I'd either fit the shelf as you describe & mount the panel on the wall or make the recess considerably (100-150mm) bigger than the panel. You might be able to get the speakers in the recess as well if you size it right?
as has been said, where is the receiver(s) going to live?
Another potential issue is that if you do recess the panel it may become harder to replace or upgrade as the new panel may not be the same size. I'd think a 42" panel would be a minimum from 3m & you could easily go bigger, especially if it's the main screen in the living room.
Check the vertical height as well: are you going to be happy looking up at the screen all the time? It might get tiring after a while. Most comfortable eyelines are just below the horizontal from your seated position.
as has been said, where is the receiver(s) going to live?
Another potential issue is that if you do recess the panel it may become harder to replace or upgrade as the new panel may not be the same size. I'd think a 42" panel would be a minimum from 3m & you could easily go bigger, especially if it's the main screen in the living room.
Check the vertical height as well: are you going to be happy looking up at the screen all the time? It might get tiring after a while. Most comfortable eyelines are just below the horizontal from your seated position.
cjs said:
can you fix/bolt through from the kitchen? ?
Its half and half. One half of the rear falls in the kitchen. The other falls in a cupboard where all the central heating stuff/airing cupboard is...cjs said:
What about cables? How are you getting these to the TV? Sky? DVD? Power?
Ahhh, this is another question. Power should be ok, spur from kitchen. No sky/virgin. But I will be installing a new arial on the roof eves and running the coax down into the kitchen (and using freeview HD). Current one is in upstairss' loft which I share with(probably why I have a crap picture at the moment). DVD is the biggest issue though. I am considering making another hole straight through into the airing cupboard and making a sealed shelve that will be recessed the same way as the TV. Oh god, I just remembered.... Xbox too
Mr Pointy said:
Check the vertical height as well: are you going to be happy looking up at the screen all the time? It might get tiring after a while. Most comfortable eyelines are just below the horizontal from your seated position.
Going to work in a minute so havn't got time to reply to all of your post MrP. But you are right about the vertical horizon level. At present its just right, but its location kind of defeats the object of having a flat screen sitting on a tv cabinet:Again, please excuse the mess. And yes, that IS a fridge...
caduceus said:
Mr Pointy said:
where is the receiver(s) going to live?
No receiver/s. Will only be using the sound from the tv I think. I live in a maisonette, not a detatched/semi, and respect my neighbours too much.caduceus said:
The wall in question is plasterboard with a honeycombe structure (which can be ripped out) between it and the next layer of plasterboard in the kitchen. SO I was thinking of making a recess in the wall to house the TV Cheers
Cad
You are going to have to rethink that plan ,Cad
imagine standing a single skin of plasterboard against a wall and then hanging your tv from it , that is what you will effectively have if you continue with plan A.
You need to search for, or insert some vertical full height studs , and with that form of partition , you don't get many. Can.t think of a solution for you with that set up.
You could build a rad case with a housing above it for the tv , to stand tight against , but independant from the wall , think along the lines of a joinery item.
caduceus said:
Oh I thought the tv's came with Freeview HD built in.... 
Many do (just be sure to pick one that does) - but you'll still need cables to your wii, dvd player, ps3, whatever else you may have/use. If none of those things - lovely jubbly!!! Of course you need power cable and aerial to it of course.At 3m, 42" is on the lower end of size you should be looking at (from memory). You might even be able to look at 46", especially in that large gap.
Craig, Fastra et all, many thanks for the suggestions 
I guess the recess in the wall is a non starter, so a shelf of some sort above the rad to deflect the heat is the way to go. But I didn't want one pertruding too much out on that wall (ie- the depth of a dvd player). Which makes me wonder where the DVD and XBox are going to go. Obviously the xbox can stand up, but a DVD player...? The only alternative I can see at the moment is a PS3, which has a blue ray player..? But I can't see it doing the posh new tv any justice
I'm beginning to think I'm making too much work for myself
I guess the recess in the wall is a non starter, so a shelf of some sort above the rad to deflect the heat is the way to go. But I didn't want one pertruding too much out on that wall (ie- the depth of a dvd player). Which makes me wonder where the DVD and XBox are going to go. Obviously the xbox can stand up, but a DVD player...? The only alternative I can see at the moment is a PS3, which has a blue ray player..? But I can't see it doing the posh new tv any justice
I'm beginning to think I'm making too much work for myself
caduceus said:
The only alternative I can see at the moment is a PS3, which has a blue ray player..? But I can't see it doing the posh new tv any justice
The PS3 is a great blue ray player... it'll do your TV justice just fine...can access the net, stream from your PC and for £35 extra it'll give you a freeview recorder, ... fab bit of AV kit, aside from soem excelelnt gaming too...
I run mine through a Panasonic 42G20B, amazing picture via DVD or Blue Ray...
there are no microbore waterpipes running vertically upwards to an upstairs room radiator BEFORE you start drilling.Gassing Station | Home Cinema & Hi-Fi | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff