I just installed this wall mount for use with a 42" Philips plasma screen TV. As you can see from the picture, the mount basically consists of two plates connected by an articulating arm, which provides the swivel action. The TV is secured to the larger of the two plates via the supplied brackets, which provide the tilt action. The mount itself comes pre-assembled and thus requires only installation onto the wall; similarly, the brackets are also pre-assembled (with the exception of a pair of adjustment knobs for the tilt mechanism which for some reason are not mentioned at all in the installation instructions), and need only be screwed into the back of the TV.
Despite some headaches presented by the construction of my wall (I rent an apartment in an old building in Brooklyn where there is apparently an inch-and-a-half of plaster overlying drywall and studs), I was able to install the smaller plate into the wall using some cheap-but-sturdy toggler anchors from the local hardware store, without a problem.
Where I did run into a problem was when I mounted the TV to the larger of the two plates. Basically, though the mount seems solidly constructed and holds up just fine, it seems as though the articulating arm isn't strong enough at the joint, which causes a distinct and noticeable (about 3-5 degrees or so) right-sided droop to the TV; this despite the fact that the smaller plate affixed to the wall is perfectly level. Now, given that the mount is rated for TVs up to 55", I don't think my 42" TV is outside of its reported weight range. So, given that the wall plate is level, and eliminating the weight of the TV as the source of the problem, I can only chalk it up to a design or manufacturing defect.
Now, the droop makes the whole thing look kind of sloppy, though in truth it doesn't really affect the viewing experience all that much; it's slight enough so that you don't notice it at all once you're engrossed in whatever it is you're watching. And this is definitely the cheapest tilt-and-swivel mount I've been able to find, which offsets a little bit of my disappointment. In sum, I'd say I'm satisfied enough that I won't bother to go through the hassle of trying to return it, but if I were to do it all over again I might have saved up for a slightly more expensive model from a different manufacturer. cheetah Mounts 32"-55" LCD TV Wall Mount Bracket with Full Motion Swing Out Tilt & Swivel Articulating Arm for Flat Screen Flat Panel LCD LED Plasma TV and Monitor Displays APSAMB
I just finished installing this mount and my 50" Panasonic plasma. I bought the articulating mount so I could position the TV in the corner. This means I mounted it towards the corner of one wall and used the articulation to move it to a diagonal position where the edges are flush against adjacent walls.
This mount was very easy to install. Instructions were great. I really liked the built-in level. It was easy to get the plasma on the mount with two people.
The one issue I had was with the tv actually being level. The tv is level when it's flat against the wall. When I articulate it out a bit and to the right, the right edge dips. It's obvious enough to bother me. What I did was adjust one of the brackets that bolt to the tv. I purposely had one bracket one position different (higher) than the other. This resulted in leveling the tv when articulated. However, when I put the tv back against one wall, it's grossly off level. That's ok for me because the permanent spot is in the corner which is level. I think the problem is due to the weight pressing down on the arm. Not much you can do about it.
This mount is sturdy and well built. It was easy to install into my traditional TV cabinet.
The mount adjusts in several different ways, allowing for easy mounting of my Panasonic Viera, which I was told would not be easy to find a mount for as it does not have standard mount holes.
The only trouble I have has was my error, where I did not attach the mount to the cabinet perfectly vertical. Now when the arm is completely extended and the TV is turned its not level. Not really a big deal as I only have it in that position when fiddling with cables.
Overall I'm very happy.
TV: Panasonic Viera 42" 720p plasma (52.9 lbs. without stand)
This was my first TV wall mount that I've purchased. Upon my initial search, I was shocked by the prices of wall mounts, especially ones that not only pivot up and down but swivel out and side-to-side. When I came across this model by Cheetah Mounts, I thought this had to be cheap and I'd be regretting my purchase. I read the reviews and even though many had issues with the TV drooping to one side slightly when extended, I basically just had to bite the bullet and accept that if I want to save money, this product was my best option. Boy, was I wrong.
I unpacked the box and immediately could tell by the weight of the product that this was not cheaply made. The components were tight/solid and the design was simple. There was nothing cheap-feeling about the mount, including the supplied nuts, bolts, washers, etc.
I will admit that the directions were not exactly clear, but if you just take your time and read through completely (a few times) before actually performing a step, it will all come together.
In my particular setup, I was installing onto 2x4 studs 16" on center (standard wall stud configuration). I can't imagine installing into a concrete wall as described in the directions, if you needed to. This seemed much more complicated.
The one place for improvement I could see in the instructions was the placement on the wall and how to decide how high to hang the mount and how to go about making sure your 4 holes you pre-drilled in the wall line up properly to keep the wall mount level once hung. If you have a stud-finder, a level (supplied with the mount) and common sense, you will have no trouble. If you get this part right, the rest will fall into place.
As described in the directions, it's recommended that you use two people to hang the TV once you've attached the part of the mount that goes on the TV. The wife and I had no troubles getting the TV up and mounted together. We've been known to bicker back and forth on projects and I think the only thing we bickered about was how high the mount should be hung! Amazing!
After installation was complete, we gave the unit some test runs by swinging out the arm in different directions and angles. The mount maintained it's center level through-out the complete range of motion... even fully extended. Again, I owe this to patience in the beginning to ensure the lag bolts that were screwed into the 2x4 studs were level. I experienced zero-droop fully extended and turned to either side. I was very impressed. I'm still not sure what other product reviewers had trouble with.
I am VERY pleased with this product and will buy it again when ever I get my next TV that I want to mount.
I know usually you get what you pay for. In this case, I feel like I got a great deal for the money. Maybe if I could compare this product to a higher priced product that can perform the same motion, I'd have more negative comments, but I don't plan on ever looking for a different product/model again. - Tv Wall Mount - Lcd Wall Mount - Flat Screen Wall Mount - Wall Mount'
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