Your TV Might Be Mounted Way Too High - Here's Why

Part of the puzzle that comes with getting a new TV for your living room, bedroom, or any other room in your home is figuring out where, exactly, to put it. Whether you mount it on the wall or place it on a stand, determining the best TV position isn't just a matter of aesthetics. You want your TV to be at an ideal position for comfortable viewing, one that won't require you to crane your neck just to watch, with the sweet spot varying depending on the TV's actual size.

While that exciting new smart TV can be something of a centerpiece for the room it's in, if you mount it up too high on your wall, the first thing visitors will likely think is, "Why is that TV mounted so high?" In fact, there is an entire subreddit, r/TVTooHigh, where people post pictures of TVs mounted overly high and joke about them. Mounting or standing your TV at a reasonable elevation not only looks a little better from an aesthetic perspective, it also serves the TV's actual purpose: Delivering entertainment that you can comfortably watch and enjoy, with a high-resolution display, from a couch or chair.

The height at which you place your TV can directly impact the quality of your viewing experience. If the TV isn't properly filling your field of view, you won't be able to appreciate the picture quality. Similarly, if you have to crane your neck up to see the screen, you won't get the full scope of its resolution, and the picture may seem blurry or out of focus. The last thing you want to do is spend time considering all the specs for buying a new TV that you can't fully enjoy.

Your ideal setup will depend on both the size and resolution of the TV, and where you'll typically be sitting to watch it. Firstly, you'll want the TV to be centered in your line of sight. Assuming an average eye level of 42 inches off the ground, the center of your TV should sit roughly the same distance from the floor. With a larger TV, you should sit further away to have the whole picture in your field of vision. For example, with a 55-inch TV, generally aim to have it mounted directly across from your usual seat at a distance of about 7.5 feet.

While not exactly authoritative, the users of r/TVTooHigh have shared and agreed upon a set of generally-accepted TV-placement procedures. In short, if a TV is mounted above a fireplace, mounted in such a way that it needs to be angled down, mounted at your eye level while you're standing up, or mounted high enough above a stand to fit a PlayStation 5 underneath vertically, it's mounted too high.