The consumer electronics industry is one of variety: that’s what makes it so great. You have nearly unlimited options when it comes to size, portability, features, style… but one thing you don’t want to choose between is mounting options. It’s an unnecessary headache. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a standard set of guidelines that could be followed so you could confidently purchase your TV, knowing you could mount it with stuff you bought at the hardware store?

As it stands, many HDTV companies require that you purchase their mount along with their TVs. If you buy a X-Brand TV, you know you’ve got to buy that matching X-Brand mount. And this can be quite costly. The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) was created to tackle just these types of problems: problems of universal compatibility. They set standards that manufacturers can choose to follow in order to maintain stability and compatibility in the video electronics industry.

In order to set a standard for mounting HDTVs, VESA created guidelines known as the Flat Display Mounting Interface (FDMI). This interface is a hardware setup that manufacturers of both TVs and mounting options can follow in order to make life easier on the consumer, and give them the peace of mind that comes with standardized components.

The VESA FDMI outlines the placement of screws on the back of flat panel TVs. There are several varieties of screw patterns and distances between screws that TV manufacturers can choose from in order to best fit their particular TV. Along with this are standard guidelines for cable exits.

As the major players in the LCD HDTV industry step up their production and increase their competition, more and more will be choosing to go with VESA-approved FDMI arrangements. They will want to appeal to the consumer by offering standardized mounting options, and gain the edge up on, or keep up with, their competition. They can let consumers know they are VESA-compliant by adding a hexagonal logo to their compatible TV displays.

So, now that you know what to look for in a VESA-compatible TV, what about the mounts themselves? You need the two pieces of the puzzle in order to get the TV up on the wall and looking fabulous. In this market, only one manufacturer that makes TV wall frames for your flat panel TVs that comply with VESA standards. And that company is, of course, HD Envy.

HD Envy has patent pending designs in all of their custom and pre-fabricated TV screen frames that comply with VESA mounting standards. Other companies use straps and Velcro and shims, completely disregarding the industry’s standards. Not to mention adding to your headache when mounting your brand new HDTV.

You don’t want to be fumbling with all the mounting parts, your TV, articulating wall mount, TV wall frame, and realize that they don’t fit together when you get them up on the wall. HD Envy has used their innovative engineering to ensure that life is not only stylish, sophisticated and unique after you’ve installed one of their LCD TV frames, but it is also hassle-free.

Lauren is a contributor to the HD Envy blog. HD Envy is dedicated to providing customers with a unique and fashionable TV wall frame for their flat panel TVs. Using designs that have been seen in casinos, hotels and corporate lobbies worldwide, the TV wall frames at HD Envy are high-quality and original. Whether you get a custom design or choose from the selection of popular TV wall frames online, HD Envy is your one-stop source for your flat panel TV framing needs.

Imagine slipping into your hot tub with a group of friends and clicking on a beautiful, flat-panel HDTV to watch the latest action flick. Or having a bunch of the guys over to your outdoor patio bar and huddling around the game on that big screen you installed behind the counter. A TV outdoors can be a great way to entertain guests and give yourself a nice relaxing evening while being closer to nature, but there are many things that need to be considered before you go ahead and run those cables through your walls and out to the patio.

First, know your weather. Think hard about the environmental factors that will affect the area you want to install your TV in. Are there high winds? Lots of rain or humidity? How hot does it get? How cold? Ask yourself these questions to make sure you have a good grasp of what you have to protect your TV from when you start the installation process.

The main factor that will make or break your TV placement is location. Ideally, you want to put the TV somewhere that is sheltered as best as possible. Having a roof above your TV location is great, but be sure to observe wind patterns – if there’s high wind and some rain, will this get in under the roof through the front of the patio and potentially ruin your TV? If so, make note of it in order to create the right cabinet for your needs.

Speaking of cabinets, this should be a crucial part of your plan for an outdoor TV, especially those not designed for outdoor use. A TV needs to be sheltered from the elements. There are cabinets on the market that you can buy, or if you’re a real “do-it-yourself-er” you can get some supplies at the local hardware store and get cracking. The cabinet that you choose should be constructed with your particular situation in mind. Including a fan, to reduce the chance of overheating and dust particles in your TV is usually a good idea. And some people prefer a plexiglass front so they can leave the cabinet doors closed while watching TV to protect it even more – but be sure that all edges of the cabinet are water-proof tight.

There are plenty of outdoor TV manufacturers out there that have created TVs designed specifically for use on a patio or by a body of water. SunBright.com offers LCD TVs that can withstand extreme temperatures, dirt, rain, humidity, insects… you name it. These TVs may cost a pretty penny, but the comfort of knowing that your new TV won’t even be phased if the kids do a cannonball into the pool and get a little back spray on that 52-inch LCD, might be worth the investment.

On the other end of the spectrum, you can always get the wires and cables all ready to go, but only bring the TV outdoors when you or your guests are going to be watching it. Rather than having it permanently reside in a cabinet, you just carry the TV out (perhaps with the help of some strong friends) when you want to watch, and bring it back indoors when the evening is done. This saves money, and although it might be a hassle, it is an option for those who don’t think they’ll want to use their TV outdoors too often.

Ultimately, there are many options designed for different purposes when considering installing a TV outdoors. The most important thing is surveying your location realistically and understanding the risks involved with setting up a TV outside – and how to best avoid them.

Lauren Dugan is a contributor to the HD Envy blog. HD Envy is a manufacturer of TV picture frame mount solutions for your home and business. Taking inspiration from picture frame TV mount products found in hotels, casinos and corporate lobbies, HD Envy has crafted a product that is stylish, sophisticated and unique. Your HDTV will look simply stunning when mounted with a picture frame TV mount, and your entire home theater experience will improve. The experts at HD Envy can help you custom design your picture frame TV mount, so visit HDEnvy.com today to get started.

You’re home from the electronics store, twitching in anticipation of opening that slim box and pulling out an even slimmer, brand-spanking-new flat panel TV. It’s high definition. All the bells and whistles. You pull it out of the box and figure it will take you about an hour to get it mounted in perfect picture frame TV mount splendor… an hour later and it’s up, but when you sit back on your couch all you see is a blinding glare from the window and a distorted image.

So what went wrong? You were promised a crisp, clear, high-definition image and all you got was distortion or glare. Even the picture frame TV mount you bought to frame it with looks a little out of place… but why?

There are so many considerations when hanging your flat panel TV that it’s best to get the lay of the land before you even pull it out of the box. Where are your couches and seats in the room? What’s the optimal viewing angle for your particular TV, and how can you achieve it? Where are your windows located?

First: location. The be-all-and-end-all of flat screen mounting. You’ll want to mount your TV so that the center is just about eye level with you when you’re sitting where you’ll spend the most time watching the TV. Although it might look great placed artistically up above the mantle, that’s not going to let you get the most out of your image. And if, for décor or practical reasons, you simply cannot place the center at eye level, always opt for placing it higher rather than lower. Try the bottom of the screen at eye level and you should be able to view comfortably with only having to look up slightly.

Now onto the second culprit of sinister wall mounting errors: glare. The last thing you want to do is settle in for a nice Sunday afternoon movie only to have the setting sun in your eyes rather than the show itself. Take a minute to sit in the couch you’ll be using to watch TV, and check the wall. Is there light reflecting back at you? If so, is it something you can change? If it’s a lamp that could be moved, or even a window with curtains, that’s fine. If it’s something unavoidable, you’ve got two options: either reconfigure your arrangement so your TV is placed somewhere else, or get a wall mount that swivels and/or tilts to move it when the light is affecting picture quality.

The size of your TV will also determine placement. For instance, if you have a 46-inch TV, you should place it anywhere between 5.75 and 9.5 feet away from your couch. If you have a 70-inch TV, it should be mounted about 8.75 to 14.75 feet from your couch. This will ensure that you get the best all-round image, and that you’re not sitting so close that you can pick out the pixels, but not too far that you can’t tell if the main character is a person or a large dog. For TVs with higher definition, the closer distances should be used as a guideline, and for TVs with standard definition, try sitting a little further away so you avoid looking too closely at the sometimes blurry image.

Getting that new TV is a wonderful experience, and you want to maximize on that. By calculating how you place your picture frame TV mount before you jump in, you’ll be able to enjoy the sights, the sounds and the entire package worry-free.