Where you place your TV can have an unexpected effect on the picture and on your eyes

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Mounting a TV on the wall is not that difficult. If it’s a small model, you probably won’t even need a hand to lift it onto the stand. As long as you have a drill, a stud finder, and a few drywall anchors, it shouldn’t take long to float your TV, but did you know Or you install a television could affect both the quality of the image and your physical comfort? Many TVs are prone to image degradation when you are not seated in the center of the screen.

If you’re trying to maximize the picture quality of a wall-mounted TV, most professionals will tell you to place the bottom third of the screen below eye level. If your TV is mounted higher, such as above a fireplace, you could strain your neck, head and eyes. Picture quality can also suffer, as watching a TV mounted too high can cause degradation (the same goes for watching a screen mounted too low).

While vertical alignment (VA) panels are more susceptible to color and contrast loss, in-plane switching (IPS) displays are not immune to degradation. They simply do a better job of retaining brightness and colors when they are off-center. Another variable to consider is the brightness of the room where your wall-mounted TV will be located. The afternoon sun is nice to see, but you might not feel so rosy if it starts to affect your image quality.

Today’s leading LED and OLED packages handle glare and reflections much better than in years past, but they’re not perfect. If you’re installing your TV in a well-lit room with lighting that’s difficult to dim, you’ll want to invest in a TV that’s bright enough to overcome the ambient lighting. Fortunately, anti-glare coatings are standard on most modern panel types, but they are not guaranteed to eliminate all glare and reflections.

If you can’t avoid a super-bright viewing space, we suggest stocking up on blackout curtains; They come in many lengths and colors (not just black) and are easy to find on Amazon and in stores like Walmart and Target. You can also invest in biased lighting to naturally boost the ambiance of your home theater. These lighting kits often include peel-and-stick LED strips for the back of your TV; More advanced offerings may even include table lamps or a camera that automatically adjusts the lighting in the room based on the movie you’re watching or game you’re playing.

One final point to address: don’t buy a TV that’s too big or too small for your viewing area. Sitting too close to a giant screen can reveal image artifacts like noise and color banding, artifacts you probably wouldn’t see if you sat far enough away. That said, a screen that’s too small for a remote couch or chair could also make it difficult to locate details. Think twice about where you are going to install your TV; this will save you from undue stress down the line.