How to mount a TV without making a mess.

It's one thing to obsess over the aesthet
ics of your flat-screen TV the beveled
corners, the screen size, the color tem-
perature. But without thoughtful instal
lation, you can wind up with a beautiful
rectangular display surrounded by a
rat's nest of cords, or worse, 40 pounds
of glass and electronics that might fall
off the wall at any moment
Todd Anthony Puma, the chief execu-
tive of The Source Home Theater in New
York, sees poorly installed televisions
all the time equipment not mounted
on the studs or barely held in place with
just a couple of screws or anchors.
"What would happen after a period of
time is that the TV would slowly but
surely come off the wall, and sooner or
later you have a television that's on your
floor and possibly could injure some-
body in the home, which is the worst-
case scenario," he said.
Here's what to consider if you want to
mount yor TV securely without sacri-
ficing the room to a tangle of cords.

MAKE A PLAN
Think about al of the devices you'll need
such as
to connect - nat just the
speaker cr
that you have enough cables and wire
far every device you plan to connect,
and that they're all long enough
At%
dation site owned by The New York
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than you think you'll need, just in case
is set up. It's easier to install that cord
now than you think you'll need, just in case you a device later, after everything is is set up.its easier to install that cord now than to do so once everything is in
place. "When you know how many wires
you're going to have, then you'll know
how to hide them," Mr. Puma said.
For gaming or for a household with a
lot of internet use, you may want to con-
sider wiring an Ethernet cable to your
TV and console from your modem in-
stead of relying on Wi-Fi. You'll get the
best speed with a direct line for the ma
chines that gobble up the most band
width. Also, consider light, wall support
and height when you choose a place for
the TV. If you're mounting it on the wall,
make sure you're mounting it to wall
studs or solid masonry, and choose a TV
mount rated to hold the weight of your
set. Wirecutter recommends the Sanus
VMPL50A-B1 Tilting Wall Mount, which
can tilt up and down and works for TVs
from 32 inches to 70 inches in size. For a
TV in a cabinet or nook, choose a full-
motion mount so you can pull the TV out
for viewing.
Christine Lin, principal for Form &
Field, an interior design firm in San
Francisco, suggests you avoid placing
your TV opposite a window in order to
avoid glare. When considering height
placement, she said, "I always recom-
mend that the center of the TV should be
at eye level when you're seated. Often
TVs are placed too high up on the.wall
which can cause a lot of neck strain."
Keep in mind that some AV sources
don't have cords at all, so they're much
easier to hide.
Stick-style streaming media players
like the Roku Streaming Stick or
Chromecast aren't much bigger than a
thumb and can draw power from your
TV's USB ports.
Flat indoor antennas (Wirecutter rec-
ommends the Antennas Direct
ClearStream Eclipse), can sometimes
stay hidden behind a wall-mounted TVif
reception is good enough.
USE THE RIGHT ELECTRICAL CORDS
We don't recommend hiding regular TV
power cords behind the wall. It's a fire
l against the National Electri
cal Code. A regular power cord behind a
wall can overheat or get damaged
where you can't see it.
Mr. Puma explained, "If cords are not
insulated or sealed, like the Romex ca
bles or BX cable that is permitted in oun
area, when you're pulling through the
wall, a nail or screw can hit it a certain
way One thing leads to another, you turn
on the TV after a few hundred times, it
lights up and then puts your house on
There is a code-compliant way to pass
cords and cables behind drywall,
though. Chris Heinonen, Wirecutter's
resident TV expert, recommends a kit
that costs about $70 and you can install
it on your own. For a TV I use some-
thing like the PowerBridge TWO-CK
Dual Outlet Recessed In-Wall Cable
Management System since that's O.K
with fire code and lets you run the cables
inside the wall
If you live in Chicago and Cook
County, II, or New York City, Power-
Bridge offers a compliant metal junction
box and metal-clad wire version. (Check
your local building code to make sure
you're getting the right version if you
plan to do this, though.) Cables should
also be rated CL-which you can find on
the packaging or in the product descrip
tion online-for wall insulation
If you mount your TV on a brick wall
and install a power bridge, you can use
paintable cord covers to keep them all
bundled. Mr. Heinonen recommends
cord housing like the Legrand CMK10
Cable Management System, which has
double-sided adhesive so you can run it
along a window frame or art and then
paint it to match the wall color
VENTILATE YOUR GEAR PROPERLY
All of the devices you connect to your en-
tertainment system produce plenty of
heat, which can shorten their lives or
damage other electronics without
ventilation.
The one thing I always recommend
is to keep your equipment properly ven-
tilated, Mr. Puma said
Don't put a TV in the perfect fitted
box; make sure there's a little space, so
if you wanted to, you could get your fin-
gers in there to take the TV down, or if
the service guy has to come in from one
of the TV manufacturers, they'll be able
to easily maintenance it as well."
Give everything enough clearance,
and make sure any cabinetry you use
has ventilation holes for heat. You may
even prefer to install a cabinet cooling
fan to circulate air.
KNOW WHEN TO CALL A PRO
If you find that the power outlet isn't
near enough to your setup, avoid using
an extension cord.
Hire an electrician to add an outlet
where you need it if you're not abso-
lutely confident doing it yourself. Ac-
cording to research from the National
Fire Protection Association, electrical
distribution and lighting equipment (in
cluding cords) were the leading causes
of fires in the living room and bedroom
from 2012 to 2016, with extension cords
being the most common cause of fire
among cords and plugs.
You should also call a pro if you're
dealing with challenging wall materials
like brick, which is naturally inconsistent-
or walls with plumbing on the other
side

Sources
The New York times
TECHNOLOGY
Tuesday, April 16,2019
Written by. GANDA SUTHVARAROM
Brought you by .. Satyarthi Vivek Kushwaha