The most important consideration is SAFETY FIRST!
Before you start making holes in the wall, give careful consideration to the place where you are considering mounting the TV. Many people think mounting the TV directly over the fireplace mantel is the ideal location. If this is the position you have selected, call a professional installer, and do not attempt it yourself. Things you should consider before mounting your television to the wall are:
1) Is there an AC wall outlet located nearby?
2) Will you have room to position speakers in their correct placement, if you so desire?
3) Is there the potential for bright glare reflecting on the TV screen that would emanate from a room window at any point during the day or night?
4) Will the TV be positioned in a place that will allow for optimum viewing? You don’t want to end up with a stiff neck after watching your favorite movie. You also don’t want to be sitting so close to the TV that you have to move your head from left to right to follow the action of a tennis match.
5) How are you going to connect your signal source devices (cable box, DVD player, etc..) to the TV?
6) Would you like the wires between the signal source devices to be hidden? If so that may mean feeding the wires through the interior of the wall, which can be quite changeling
If you are going to attempt to mount this TV to the wall (some are quite heavy), make sure you have help and you know what you are doing. The TV must be anchored securely to the wall, which entails locating and fastening it to the studs which are hidden in the interior of the wall. You will need to purchase a “wall mount bracket” which is sized correctly for the size of the TV you own. Read the manufacturers instructions that come with the wall mount bracket and follow their recommendations very closely. In lieu of having the original manufacturers instructions and recommendation, here are some general guidelines. The fastening of the bracket to the wall should be accomplished by using the largest diameter “lag” bolt that the appropriate wall mount bracket will accommodate. The length of the lag bolt should be no less than 2-1/2 inches, assuming you have ½ inch drywall as the finish surface of the wall and it is attached directly to the wood framing with no sub layer between the drywall and the wood framing.
Remember, not all wall mount brackets are created equally. Invest in one that will support the weight of your TV and that is well constructed. Also make sure that the wall mount bracket has plenty of holes for securing the bracket to the wall and will allow you to secure to a minimum of two adjacent studs, which are spaced at sixteen inches on center. Larger TV’s may require you to fasten the bracket to more studs. I do not advise the average homeowner to attempt to mount a TV to the wall utilizing an articulating wall mount bracket. There is a lot of physics involved in this type of mounting and it requires the assistance of a professional installer.
Finally once the bracket is mounted to the wall, put weight on it and take a firm grasp of it to see if it moves. The final mounting should feel rock solid, if it doesn’t, do not mount the TV on the bracket, call in the professionals.
After the bracket is securely fastened to the wall and before you mount the TV to the bracket, write down the exact model number and serial number listed on the brand / model identification label on the back of the TV. You should also record any chassis or version number that also may be listed on this label. Having this information in a handy place could help you and perhaps save you money if you ever need service or if you need to purchase model specific accessories. In addition, you may want to save the wall mounting bracket instructions, just in case you ever want to move the TV, or if your TV has a unique locking mechanism. Remember that most TV repair companies charge extra for removing a TV from the wall, so whatever you can do to help will reduce the cost of the removal.