Wanting a flat panel television above the fireplace

[johnfrwhipple]

As far as a perfect viewing angle the TV above the fireplace is less than ideal like Jim mentions but does make for a single feature point in a room. I have never had a TV fail on one of my projects but we take a lot of care planning this out. Often we incorporate a heat escape of sorts within the design to allow heat to exit the recessed niche. Often we use safe and sound insulation and cement board to further block the heat.

Fireplaces are hottest about 8-20" above the unit. This can change the colour of stone and wreck havoc on electronics. A mantle acts as a heat deflector sending the heat further away from the wall. No mantle and a surface mount TV is a failure in the making I think.

Your manual for that fireplace unit will give you all the answers your looking for and these will help narrow in your design. I like the look of a TV recessed and framed but this often requires shooting out the back of a gas unit or rolling the vent like I did in the fireplace above. With a 'A' vent like shown I do not believe this is allowed nor would you have room to pull it off. These pipes get very hot so heed this stand off warnings and ensure you use a non combustible backer board like cement board, hardi board or Green EBoard around the combustible areas. If possible recessing the mount and getting one that tilts down will make viewing better.

I have tried stirring people away from this look in years past but have come to realize that this is one on the few "Stands" the man of the house can make. So..... I usually push for the new TV and a bigger one, unless of course his wife is signing my cheques.....

We are looking at a new feature wall reno on Howe Street this summer that will feature a two way framed mirror to hide the fact that a TV sits behind it. This is a great look but the quality of the TV picture goes down. I'll post some info on the mirror and the mount once the designer sends it my way. If I have to make it from scratch you can be sure I'll document it here.

JW

[Abouthadit]

Thanks for the reply's /help/suggestions !
I had it all figured out how I wanted it done.
I bought a new Panasonic 55GT50 plasma, I was going to remove the rock , frame out 8 inch's recess the TV in, recess in the center channel speaker then have the mantel come in just below the recessed center speaker...
BUT
The Tv took a dump after only having it 3 weeks , sent it to the Panasonic repair place ,after waiting 2 weeks and no calls from them I called them and was told two different stories from them. I called Panasonic customer service and got the runaround from them too. Called where I bought the TV from and the salesman talked to his manager , then told me to come on down and pick out another one.
Coarse they didn't have the 55GT50 so settled for the 65ST30.
So now that the 65inch is WAY to BIG to recess in , change of plans , just dry-wall over, have a mantel installed and just wall mount the 65in above that and figure out what to do with the center channel speaker ?

Love the 65in but shot a big hole in my plans...

[Cookie]

Jad is right about looking up all the time to watch the tv. It is a pain in the neck, similar to sitting too close to the screen at the cinema's. Plus, I thought your fireplace looked great, just looked like the stone needed to be cleaned. Also, some houses I show with the tv above the fireplace, becomes a sore spot with some buyers, the same with built-in fishtanks acting as a divider.

[Abouthadit]

Right now the TV is setting approx 3-4 inchs lower than when it will be mounted on the wall.
Will be a distance of 15 ft away for viewing it..

I don't know, I just didn't like the rock wall , just too plain. And yes it was dirty !!
Figured when we sell , I would just hang a picture/mirror in the spot?

I'm too impatient
I felt like I wasn't being kept in the loop about the TV being repaired , so after 2 weeks of nothing , I called the TV repair place , a gal answers the phone tells me they are waiting on parts, when I asked her what kind of time frame? , she puts me on hold then comes back on saying they are working on it now , Great ! I asked when will it be done ? Then again on hold this time when she came back on she said part was damaged when it showed up , had to order another one and it is on back order and has no idea when the other one will show up. I interpreted it as she wasn't being fully truthful or they didn't know what H%$# they were doing.
I called Panasonic customer service got the runaround from them , they gave me some order # and transfered me to their parts dept, When I finally got on line with somebody they told me the part had shipped 3 days earlier but for some reason she can't come up with a tracking # ??
So thats when I called the place where we bought the TV in the first place.

Sooo !! We go down to the place where we bought the TV Saturday afternoon (yesterday) (4 days after going through all the above) looking for a AVR guess what there's our TV setting on the floor even had the note on back saying panel had been replaced... ???

I really like the look of the TV it was the TC-P55GT30 which meant a thinner over all and I believe a better TV....
I can still return the 65inch and get the TV I had in the first place.
If I did that I could go back to my original plan..

BUT
I just felt I got the runaround with everybody except the place where I got the TV and am still upset over the whole ordeal .
I felt like (probably more my own fault?) I was pressured into getting the 65in TC-P65ST30 because it listed for $2999.95 but for the Memorial weekend only it was on sale for $1599.99 So I felt like I had to jump on it...
I like the picture but don't like the fact that the overall housing of the TV is wider/taller because of the outer edges being thicker, that is a major difference from a ST verses GT model (ya have to google both TV's to see what I'm talking about), also the 55GT has a outer trim that makes it look nicer too...

Sorry for the rant I'm just in that state of mind right now on what to do ?????

[Cookie]

Two weeks, lol, everything takes 2 weeks. If you paid by credit card you might have some leverage.

Ballvalve had posted some pictures of his work, you could get an idea maybe. John here has nice work for sure, but, Ballvalve has redone so much on his property, and, it to me, seems flawless both in workmanship and taste. You should see what he did, it is beautiful.

[Abouthadit]

I know takes 2 weeks for everything (O Brother Movie ) LOL
But I had called a week and a half earlier to Pana Customer Service and after getting transferred to tech support and went through the 20+ questions and then the tech had me do some trial and error diagnoses to the TV he said he knew exactly what the problem was and they would be in contact with the Authorized repair place to have the parts on hand so they had me set up an appointment the following week to allow time for the parts to be shipped there.
A week + later for my appointment I'm expecting either a service tech repairing my TV in Home or a day turn around and have it back the next day or the following day.
NOPE
Some older gentleman (to be nice) shows up looks at the TV and says "WOW haven't seen that in a few years", he said the "panel is dead , needs a new one "
Then went on to say he'll call Panasonic in the morning and get one ordered and that somebody will be out the next day to pick my TV up ???

I explained to him that I was under the impression by my phone conversation with the Pana tech over a week before that the parts (panel) would be at their place and would be a 1 or 2 day turnaround . He just had the deer in the head light look...
Now the tech didn't come out and say what the part was BUT did say he knew what the problem was and parts would be on hand at time of appointment..

There's more but I'm sure I'm boring everybody ! lol


"""Ballvalve had posted some pictures of his work, you could get an idea maybe. John here has nice work for sure, but, Ballvalve has redone so much on his property, and, it to me, seems flawless both in workmanship and taste. You should see what he did, it is beautiful.""""

Would like to see some of his work !!

[Cookie]

Just do a search and his photos should come up. It is really very nice. Are your 2 weeks up, yet?

[Abouthadit]

Just do a search and his photos should come up. It is really very nice. Are your 2 weeks up, yet?

That went over my head "Are my two weeks up" LOL
Unless you mean I have 14 days to return the 65in TV.

Nope I'm keeping it , and just going to do a simple drywall around the fireplace outer edges , tile in around it put up the TV then get a mantel to fit ...
I'll have the wires up high where they won't interfere or even come close to anything....

[Cookie]

I was joking about the " 2 weeks"... but, it sounds good what you are planning to do.

[DonL]

I would not build in a plasma tv.

Because it will need to be removed for repair.

[johnfrwhipple]

We are working on a clients home in Whistler that has a nice huge TV above the fireplace. After an hour my neck was killing me. I would think a TV that can tilt forward might be useful as well a couch that has a head rest for more comfy viewing.

LOL I just read my post and I sound like a slacker. We worked all day until 8:00 PM and then spend the night here at their place. I did do some work before enjoying TV and Pizza!

JW

[DonL]

We are working on a clients home in Whistler that has a nice huge TV above the fireplace. After an hour my neck was killing me. I would think a TV that can tilt forward might be useful as well a couch that has a head rest for more comfy viewing.

LOL I just read my post and I sound like a slacker. We worked all day until 8:00 PM and then spend the night here at their place. I did do some work before enjoying TV and Pizza!

JW

That is funny.

Anyone that mounts a TV above a Real Fireplace is asking for trouble.

People do it and like too "Show what I got" until the TV is out for repair.

Then they have to use the TV in the Bedroom that is on the dresser.

Most Fireplaces around here are fake. We have them in Houston just for looks.

Some People have more money than sense, and take TV watching to serious.

200 + channels and nothing worth watching.

Pizza is always good.

[BobL43]

We are working on a clients home in Whistler that has a nice huge TV above the fireplace. After an hour my neck was killing me. I would think a TV that can tilt forward might be useful as well a couch that has a head rest for more comfy viewing.

LOL I just read my post and I sound like a slacker. We worked all day until 8:00 PM and then spend the night here at their place. I did do some work before enjoying TV and Pizza!

JW

Yup, John, that's what it sounded like!

[BobL43]

That is funny.

Anyone that mounts a TV above a Real Fireplace is asking for trouble.

People do it and like too "Show what I got" until the TV is out for repair.

Then they have to use the TV in the Bedroom that is on the dresser.

Most Fireplaces around here are fake. We have them in Houston just for looks.

Some People have more money than sense, and take TV watching to serious.

200 + channels and nothing worth watching.

Pizza is always good.

Don, I have more sense than money, so please send some (money) my way, lol!

[Gary Swart]

When I was ready to go to a large flat screen, I thought over the fireplace would be ideal. However, I was advised by several folks that looking up was not a comfortable way to watch TV. I heeded the advice and got a table for it. Since then, I've had the opportunity to visit homes that had their flat screen over the fireplace and I know I made the right decision. I know it seems like a great idea to save floor space and put the TV so it will be viewable from everywhere in the room, but it really isn't a good idea.