Why do so many people put their flatscreens above the fireplace?

It may sound simplisitic: it is a large flat area in a room where the sofa/couch/chairs are already facing.

My nephew did this, but he’s a dope. Plus, if you rung your fireplace, how good is all that radiating heat for the plastic case and components of the TV?

@TW does make a good point though.

I don’t like it there either. It’s uncomfortably high and hurts my neck to watch it up there, and it’s not safe for the cabling or the screen because it gets too hot.

We have a lovely triangular TV stand that fits in the corner, and the screen then sits at eye level when you are seated.

But it’s perfect when you’re laying back in the recliner

In the ‘40s, there were no TVs, no Internet, no social media; radio was the medium of choice. Every home had at least one. During the war years, FDR—a real president, not a fake one like we have now—broadcast what he called fireside chats to keep people abreast of the latest news.

Maybe TVs over fireplaces are a kind of homage to that custom.

Or… maybe folks just like the show off their humongous TVs in one of a home’s most prominent spots.

Because it’s the focus of the living room.

Lack of imagination.

I wouldn’t recommend Doing It

This was one thing that really annoyed us when we moved to TN. Practically every house, especially ones that were less than 5 years old (now that would be 15 years) had that set up.

It looked nice when the TV was off, or you were standing walking through the house, but sitting in the sofa it was too high, especially in what they called the hearth room. Instead of having a large family room off the kitchen, it was often a small to medium sized room so your head was even more tilted than if you were farther back away from the screen.

The problem was the furor ace was pretty and adds value to the house, but practically, if you like to watch tv in your “family room” it didn’t make much sense.

Then we moved to the Tampa Bay area, and I was shocked to find new houses with fireplaces! Same situation again. We built our house without one and had our TV at the height I like it.

So, basically, it has a lot to do with wanting the fireplace and the TV in the same visual space where the seating is facing that one focal wall as people said above. Plus, it’s the trend. It’s what builders have been showing.

In modern homes with low sleek fireplaces it works better. Then the TV is at a reasonable height.

There isn’t a whole lot to put up there. It isn’t the best place for a TV, which is better at eye level. No need to put the ol’ flintlock and powder horn up there to keep the powder dry and the gun ready to shoot. I wouldn’t hang a picture up there. My grandmother’s house had a HUGE mirror up there, and it looked great. So I really don’t have anything to add to what others here have said. Good question!

I’ve never known anyone to do that.

I think all the HGTV shows do that so people follow suit. I have a big mirror over mine and the TV is at the other end of the living room. I don’t need to watch the fireplace.? I just need to feel it.

That sounds like a really bad idea.