Flat mounts are the simplest and probably the least expensive of the flat screen wall mounts that are most popular. They tend to be very secure. You won’t have to worry about your beautiful new TV crashing to the ground. Ideally, you would want to shop around for a wall bracket with a very thin profile which will enable you to mount your television flush to the wall. This option is the ultimate in space-saving convenience. It’s also quite attractive aesthetics-wise, and makes your screen look like a dynamic picture frame.

Tilting flat panel tv mounts give you a little bit more flexibility than flat mounts. It basically has the same advantages of a flat mount, since you can adjust it so that your TV is flat against the wall, or you can adjust the tilt angle as well. Tilting mounts are however, a bit thicker than pure flat mounts, so your TV will have some space behind it. Typically, you can adjust the tilt angle up to around 15°. This can come in handy if you prefer your flat screen mounted higher up on the wall in relation to the viewing area. Also, the ability to adjust the screen angle may help to eliminate any glare caused by light coming from a window.

The tilt & swivel wall mount adds even more flexibility. These types of flat screen tv mounts allow you to pivot the screen from left to right, as well as tilting the angle up-and-down, which gives you the ability to watch your TV from our lot of different seating positions. Again, this type of wall mount will create a bigger space between your television and the wall, but you may prefer having the flexibility of movement. Usually this type of mount is used for smaller LCD or plasma TV’s, perhaps up to 32 inches in size.

Cantilever mounts provide the most flexibility for positioning your flat panel TV. These brackets allow you to swing your TV away from the wall on an articulating arm. This allows you to move your whole television to different left and right positions. In addition, cantilever mounts also tilt up-and-down, as well as pivot left and right. You can adjust the viewing angle of your TV to practically any desired position. You even have the ability to swing the TV around so that you can position the viewing angle so that it can be seen in two different, adjacent rooms. Very handy indeed.

These plasma TV wall mounts represent the most common types available. The decision on which one to ultimately buy really depends upon the functionality required. This is usually mandated by the style and size of your viewing room. Whichever one you do choose, will greatly enhance your TV viewing experience.

The five most popular types of flat screen wall mounts are:

1] full motion
2] articulating
3] swivel
4] tilting
5] fixed

Full Motion Wall Mounts

Full motion wall mounts are very functional and provide the most flexibility in flat screen tv mounts. They allow you to change the tilt angle as well as allowing you to swivel the television a full 360° depending on where it is installed. This setup comes in handy if you want to be able to watch TV in adjacent rooms of your house. It’s possible to have it set up in your living room while being able to swivel your TV so that you can watch it in the kitchen, for example. Another useful installation of a full motion wall mount would be in a hospital waiting room, where multiple viewing angles may be beneficial. One disadvantage is that full motion mounts will extend your TV away from the wall, depending on the placement. They are also generally more expensive than the other types.

Articulating Wall Mounts

An articulating wall mount will allow you to tilt the TV upward down as well as pivot it left and right. It’s not as flexible as a full motion wall mount, but maybe more functional for your particular viewing environment. Articulating mounts are useful when you want to be able to change the viewing angle of your TV in your viewing room. Again, they require a bit of space behind the TV in order to function properly. These will typically cost a little bit less than full motion wall mounts.

Swivel Wall Mounts

Swivel wall mounts allow you to pivot your TV to change the viewing angle from left to right. These wall mounts will cause your TV to sit somewhat far from the wall as well. They are handy if you just need to be able to change your viewing angle left and right and have your TV mounted at a fixed height. The swivel wall mounts are usually in the midrange of prices for flat panel tv mounts.

Tilting Wall Mounts

Tilting wall mounts are fairly simple and just allow you to tilt your flat screen TV up or down. In some people’s homes, that’s all that you need. You may desire to tilt the TV screen up-and-down depending on whether you’re sitting in a chair or lying on the floor. A tilting wall mount works perfectly fine, especially in smaller rooms. Sometimes a slight tilt of the TV screen is all that’s needed to eliminate glare, for example.

Fixed Wall Mounts

Fixed wall mounts are the most basic type mount. They merely allow you to attach your TV in a fixed position on your wall. Even though fixed wall mounts aren’t as flexible as the other types, they may be in fact a perfect choice for your particular viewing room. Sometimes it’s desirable to have your TV flat on the wall, much like a picture frame. It can be an attractive part of the decor. Fixed wall mounts are also ideal if you have very limited space in your room and you want your LCD or plasma TV to be out of the way as much as possible. Of course fixed flat screen wall mounts are usually the cheapest option.

In conclusion, your final decision when purchasing a flat screen wall mount will depend largely upon the flexibility that you need as well as the price that you can afford. You have to take into consideration the size of your viewing space and the different seating arrangements in the room. You also have to consider that maybe LCD or plasma TV wall mounts are not a good choice for your home. Flat screen TV stands or ceiling mounts may even work better for you. Shopping online for different options is an easy way to check out a lot of choices to help you make the best decision.