What to Consider When Hanging a TV over a Fireplace

By now, you’ve probably seen TVs hanging over fireplaces a thousand times, yet one of the most common questions asked in our stores is “Can I hang a TV over my fireplace?”

YES! YES YOU CAN! We have installed thousands of TVs over fireplaces. The fireplace is usually the focal point of the living room. Your seating is probably facing the fireplace right now. If it isn’t, it’s probably because it is facing your older TV and you wish that you could make the fireplace the focal point and fill that blank space above it or replace that family portrait with a nice big TV.

Alright, so now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about what to consider when hanging a TV over a fireplace.

The first consideration is screen size. Screen size is based on viewing distance and the standard recommendation is 1.5x the size of the screen from your eyes to the screen. So, if you are looking at a 65” TV, you should be sitting approximately 97” away (65 x 1.5). Or, working backwards, if your seating is 9’, or 108”, from the fireplace then you should consider something in the neighborhood of 70” (108/1.5). Of course sometimes this will also be limited by what looks appropriate over your mantle and/or firebox or by the location of windows or light fixtures.

The second consideration is how high to mount it. You don’t want to have to strain your neck to look up at your television. The further away your seating is from the fireplace, the less of an issue this is. Eye level is always the best height for viewing comfort, but that goes out the window when hanging a TV over a fireplace. Your best bet is to mount it as low as possible where it is still aesthetically pleasing relative to your firebox and mantle.

Third, think about what type of bracket would be best. If you walk into the room and see the side of the TV, you’ll probably want a bracket that holds the TV tight to the wall so that you can’t see the wires behind it. A flat slim mount bracket should work well for this. Better yet, get a Samsung Frame TV or the Samsung Q90 or Q900 series. All of these TVs can be hung with a “zero gap” bracket where the bracket is recessed into the back of the TV and the TV sits totally flush to the wall. If the TV is mounted up higher and you will be looking up at it, you might want to go with a tilt mount where the top of the TV can be angled away from the wall a bit. Just keep in mind that, if the side of the TV is visible, you will see behind it with a tilt mount.

Next, we need to determine how to get power and sources to the television. Unless you live in a newer home that was pre-wired for a TV to be hung there, in which case you’re probably not still reading this article, you’ll either need to have an electrician or a professional installer run electric and HDMI cables up to the TV. Depending on the material that the wall is made out of, this could be very easy or very difficult.

If your wall is stone or brick, hiding the wires could be difficult, if not impossible. In this case, or to simplify any over-the-fireplace installation, we would once again recommend a Samsung Frame TV or the Samsung Q90 or Q900 series. These models offer a separate box, called a one connect box, that can be located up to 45’ away from the TV. There is a single, virtually invisible cable, that runs from the box to the TV screen, which carries both the video signal and power. This eliminates the need for running power and HDMI cables through the wall and can significantly cut down on installation costs.

That’s pretty much it! Now you just need to rearrange your furniture and wait for winter so that you can cozy up in front of your fireplace and enjoy a good movie.

If you would like more information about hanging a TV over your fireplace, visit or call any of our 12 Baltimore and Washington area Big Screen Store locations. Our TV consultants and professional installers are the best in the business and we always guarantee low prices. For more complicated installations, we can always schedule a visit to your home prior to purchase to determine exactly what needs to be done to turn your dream into reality.