Ideal height for a telly?!

[QualityChimp]

Howdy,

I'm about to buy my first big telly but I'll probably have to have a TV cabinet made becuase all the ready-made ones are a couple of centimetres too big - gutted!

This means I get to decide how tall it should be.

Is there a guide or rule of thumb I should follow? Plasmas over the fireplace look nice, but you get a crick in your neck after a bit but I don't want it too low either!

Basically, it needs to be higher than the arm on the armchair (so I can see it!), but is there some kind of guide like monitors are supposed to be set so the top is level with your eyes.

Sorry if this is covered elsewhere, but I couldn't see it after a quick search and it's quite an important factor which is often overlooked!

Cheers team!

[charlesr]

From my personal experience, if the middle of the screen is anywhere between 32" and 52" off the ground (for a normal sofa) then it's fine. You are then either looking slightly down or slightly up or straight ahead.

My plasma is above the fireplace, but it's not at painting height. It's just above the mantlepiece (with room for the center speaker in between), although the mantlepiece isn't too high at 34". If you had one of those big victorian ones, it would be far too high.

[Ian(not Ian)]

The Elf 'n' Safely Police recommend the centre of the screen is set at eye level when you're sat bolt upright in a back-pleasing position. This position hurts my neck though.
Myself I prefer the centre of the screen to be slighty below eye level when I'm slightly lounging.

[Baseley09]

I lmao when i see on cribs or peoples cinema set ups when they have flat panels wall mounted high up like over a fireplace or in some neck cracking position, real quality. You want it level with your eyes deffo.

[QualityChimp]

Cheers boys!

Looks like I'm aiming for the right height, if sliiiightly higher than eye-level.

I caught "best of cribs" a few weeks ago. The sight of Missy Elliot's giant MISSY! fountain in her lounge and Scary Spice's massive mansion looking like it's been decorated by her children (because it was) was enough to make me resolve to buy no more of their albums to fund their tasteless excesses.

I mean never buy one of their albums. Never...


Missy Elliot had a huuuuge (100"+) telly in her bedroom and next to it was a little portable one for her videogames. Eh?!

EDIT: Chaz, I read elsewhere on here you'd mounted your plasma above the fire giving you loads more lounge space. I wasn't dissing you, I was talking about Victorian fireplaces about neck-height!

[Crisp_Rapper]

plasmas above fireplaces is a very american thing, mainly as these fireplaces don't get used.

anyway, ideal height according to the bods at the b&o school of lazing about watching tv is to have the top of the screen at eye level. but anywhere between this and 'eye level half up the screen' will be spot on.

[RLench]

I lmao when i see on cribs or peoples cinema set ups when they have flat panels wall mounted high up like over a fireplace or in some neck cracking position, real quality. You want it level with your eyes deffo.

Reclining chairs FTW

I've just put my TV up on the wall and it's about 6" above eye level when I'm sat down. Any higher and I would have to put my head back to see it but, as it is, I can have my neck straight and still see it perfectly fine. Personally I'd experiment with height by sitting down and focusing on a point on a wall that doesn't strain your neck. Look for any identifying marks (chipped paint, scratches, dirt etc) and draw a line through it - that should be the centre point of your TV. Then measure it from there (divide the height of your TV by two, then go down by that much). Subtract the height of the TV bracket/casing/stand and that's how high your stand should be (ideally). Basically, don't follow any pre-set guidelines or rules - do whatever feels comfortable to whoever will be watching the TV!

[Salsa Party Animal]

I think slightly over eye level will be ideal. That how I do it for my bedroom. I have one below eye level in living room (My folks) and it is not good enough for me.