Mounting a TV above the fire

[leedspokerguru]

Evening guys, Looking for some input.

I'm looking at moving my tv out of the corner and putting it on the main wall. All this in order to get a proper surround set up out of my kit thats currently in a none optimal way.

WISE TO MOUNT THE TV??
General rule of thumb is no if possible. However having said that, it from all my readings I've yet to see one case of somone reporting a damage from mouting a tv above the fire.

Plasmas are more effected when it comes to heat than LCD's but again, not heard any issues. Heres a quote from a computer tech on LCD's

Heat (LCD monitor): LCD screens will run even in the most extreme heat because they don’t produce that much heat to begin with. What to watch out for is the warping of the screen enclosure. But this is rare and basically never happens unless the environment is so hot that is starts to warp molded plastic.

I’ll put it to you this way: If you’re in an environment hot enough to warp plastic, you shouldn’t even be there let alone a computer.

If anyone has personally had problems can you let me know.

DIY - THE FIRE

As you can see from the pic "as it stands", which is to scale, with the current gas fire set up once the tv is mounted it will be way to high even for the 3.5m viewing distance. So I'm looking at a new fire and mantle. Aiming for a fire no greater than 1m tall (nearly 0.5m shorter than the current set up).

Any ideas if a gas or electric fire is best in relation to the "TV heat" issue?
How far have, those of you who mounted, above the fire given it?

The second picture, again to scale, is how it will look with a new fire at 1m tall. Looking ok? Or should I try get an lower fireplace?

Any ideas, warnings or suggestions would be a great help in helping me make my final plans.

[saintstephen]

I have the tv above a coal buring fireplace for a year now ...no problem

Attachment 88474

[martincwday]

Originally Posted by saintstephen

I have the tv above a coal buring fireplace for a year now ...no problem

Attachment 88474

Is it me, or does that attachment not work?

Anyway, a Pioneer dealer told me that he's mounted plasmas above working fireplaces, and - as long as they're working efficiently (i.e. not chucking out huge amounts of soot, and are throwing heat into the room rather than up the chimney, etc.) it should be fine. The usual advice seems to be to get a roaring fire going/stick your gas fire on maximum (daft idea in summer, I know) and check the temperature of the brickwork (or whatever) in the area where the TV will hang. If it's not really hot, you should be OK. Apparently a really thick/wide mantlepiece is helpful as well.

I should point out, I haven't followed this advice myself yet - still making doing with a Toshiba CRT in front of the bay window, but am saving my pennies for a Pio plasma which is going to have to hang on the chimney breast over an (occasionally) working (open) fire. In my living room there's nowhere else for it to go!

Let me know how you get on, leedspokerguru!

Best wishes

Martin