Choosing a flat panel TV wall mount can be a difficult decision because there are many different sizes, brands, and types of mounts. Choosing the wrong mount can cause you hours of frustration as you try to get it to work properly or just end up returning it and starting over. This guide breaks down the three most common types of mounts, full-motion/articulating, tilting, and low-profile, and then provides a few tips on what to look for in a good wall mount.
Full-Motion / Articulating
Full-motion wall mounts give you the ability to pull your TV out from the wall and swivel it any direction. They can also tilt up or down, and push back flat against the wall when you want. Full-motion mounts are great for corner installations. T
hey also worked well for mounting a TV in old cabinets that were made for a deep CRT television. The mount can attach to the back of the cabinet and the arm will bring the TV flush to the front, making it look like the TV is floating. These mounts are typically more expensive and slightly more difficult to install than tilting or low-profile options. Some dual arm full-motion mounts can pull out from the wall up to 30” or more, while the less expensive single arm options typically come out about 10”. we recommend about a 20+” arm for corner installations of large TVs. Keep in mind that you will need longer cords with a full-motion mount. We recommend a minimum of 8’, but 12’ is optimal in most situations. You will likely use up about 4’ of cable by routing it in such a way that the mount can move without pinching cables. Another consideration is that even when pushed flat against the wall the TV will not be as close to the wall as with a tilting or low-profile mount.
hey also worked well for mounting a TV in old cabinets that were made for a deep CRT television. The mount can attach to the back of the cabinet and the arm will bring the TV flush to the front, making it look like the TV is floating. These mounts are typically more expensive and slightly more difficult to install than tilting or low-profile options. Some dual arm full-motion mounts can pull out from the wall up to 30” or more, while the less expensive single arm options typically come out about 10”. we recommend about a 20+” arm for corner installations of large TVs. Keep in mind that you will need longer cords with a full-motion mount. We recommend a minimum of 8’, but 12’ is optimal in most situations. You will likely use up about 4’ of cable by routing it in such a way that the mount can move without pinching cables. Another consideration is that even when pushed flat against the wall the TV will not be as close to the wall as with a tilting or low-profile mount.
