Prices on LCD televisions are coming down again. I got my Samsung 40″ LCD a year ago and now a friend of mine got a 46″ Samsung with a faster refresh rate for the same price. That’s a lot more screen for the same amount of money – nice. There are a lot of different brands out there and I favor Samsung because of the picture, which is hands down the best looking out there but you’ll want to do your homework to find out which LCD TV works best for you in your price range. Remember that the quality of the picture is in the contrast ratio – the higher, the better. The Samsung LN52B750 52-Inch 1080p 240Hz LCD HDTV looks like an amazing TV.

Once you’ve picked out your new, LCD TV it’s time to wall mount it. Wall mounting provides you with the best viewing angle. Another advantage is that it frees up floor space while keeping that expensive TV out of reach of children and pets. The last thing you want to see is that fragile TV laying on the floor in pieces. And using a wall mount just makes your living room, den or family room look nicer. You’ll enjoy having friends over to watch a movie or the big game.

So What Should You Look for in a Wall Mount?

First, you’ll want to decide if you want one that’s in a fixed postiion, one that tilts, on that swivels or one that does all of those things. Look at the room where the TV will be mounted. What is the viewing angle like? Where is the couch, recliner or where are other seats? Are they spread apart or fairly close together? In most cases, a fixed position TV wall mount will do just fine because the viewing angle in most TVs made now are greater than 170 degrees, which is great.

Sometimes, in a bedroom or den, you may want the TV to move a little since there are multiple places in the room where the TV can be viewed from. If that’s the case, then you may want an arm TV wall mount which lets you pull the TV out from the wall and position it where you like. For obvious reasons, you can’t do this with very large LCD TVs, but you can with the smaller ones and having the swivel arm really makes a huge difference – you won’t believe it.

Are They One Size Fits All?

For the most part, yes – in terms of where the mounting holes are positioned. Pretty much every TV wall mount made now is VESA compatible, which just means the holes are positioned according to a standard – versus everyone manufacturer coming up with their own hole placement. You’ll just need to match up the VESA FPMPMI numbers on your TV specifications to the wall mount specifications. There will be a number like “100×100″ or “75×75″ or the like. Do that and then make sure it can handle the weight of the TV and mount along with the size of the TV and then you’re set to get to work installing it!

Also check out: Simply TV Wall Mounts.

I noticed that a popular item in our LCD TV Wall Mounts Store is the Retraact-It 9800 Universal 3-In-1 LCD TV Mount, so I thought I’d write a little about this fine TV mount.

This LCD TV wall mount is for units with screens from 12″-31″ wide, so it’s perfect for the TV in the kitchen, den or bedroom – we prefer the den. You can mount it to the wall and get it out of the way while getting a better viewing angle. The Retraact-It TV bracket features multiple articulating positions from fixed, 5 or 10 degree tilt positions as well as 150-degree swivel and tilt. Wow. So you can easily put it in a variety of positions, making this a very versatile TV wall mount.

It’s Vesa compliant 50mm, 75mm and 100mm which is just tech speak for it’ll fit virtually any LCD TV made in the last few years since nearly every LCD TV manufacturer sets their mount points to the Vesa standard. You’ll want to check this for sure when purchasing your TV and / or wall mount because it’s important to know which wall mounts are compatible.

Also keep in mind that the maximum weight these Retraact-It 9800 Universal 3-In-1 LCD Television Mounts can hold is 70 pounds. Your 12 to 31 inch LCD TV will most likely not exceed this weight limit. This is just a friendly reminder for you to double check that so that your fragile, LCD screen doesn’t end up on the floor in the middle of the night scaring the dog, making your children cry and causing you to run into the den with a flashlight and your 45. It’s always best to just avoid that situation altogether – trust us, we know what we’re talking about and so do our wives.

When doing this kind of project, it’s good to know how to hide power cords when using a TV wall mount. It’s really best to not run power cords through the wall as you may be tempted to do. Don’t give in to that temptation. That kind of cord is not meant for the inside of your wall and is not rated for safe in-wall use nor is it compliant with local electrical codes, Sparky. Your best bet with power cords is to have an electrician run a separate electrical outlet up near where the TV is mounted. It’s actually not a difficult job for them if there’s another outlet near by. Remember that if you’re planning on mounting the TV on an exterior wall of your house, this project may become more difficult and require more beer drinking. Interior walls are easier.

If you’d rather run your wires on the outside of your wall but still have it look nice and neat, you’re in luck, Chuck! You’ll want to get some cable management raceways / conduits. They’re paintable and they hide your TV’s audio, video and power cables neatly between your set and an A/V cabinet.

So you’ve got your LCD TV, wall mounts, conduit and beer for the electrician. Don’t forget to make sure you’ve got enough A/V wires to reach everywhere and also plan out where you’ll be sitting when you’re watching the game in your den. Cheers!

Don’t forget to order that Retraact-It 9800 Universal 3-In-1 LCD Television Mount!