Help me mount my TV on a wall - which holes?
May 17, 2017 2:37 PM Subscribe
I have a pretty old Sony Bravia KDL-40XBR2 TV that I'd like to mount on a wall instead of using the tabletop base. The back of the TV has an entire herd of threaded holes, the brochure is glib, the manual is cagey -- which are the right set of holes?
- Per the brochure[pdf, page 2] for this model, it is VESA compliant with hole pitches 200x400. By convention, I think that's supposed to be horizontal x vertical hole pitch.
- The manual patronizingly insists on asking a qualified professional to mount the TV, and refuses to specify which holes. It does have this cryptic illustration [pdf, go to page 19]. They show removing 6 screws to unmount the base, but only the bottom four are actually involved in the base?!
I surveyed the distances between the holes (with a metric ruler, so there is measurement error but not conversion error) and I think that suggests hole pairs B and D are the right ones with a 400x200 pattern. But the three-way inconsistency is troubling to me, so please help!
- Per the brochure[pdf, page 2] for this model, it is VESA compliant with hole pitches 200x400. By convention, I think that's supposed to be horizontal x vertical hole pitch.
- The manual patronizingly insists on asking a qualified professional to mount the TV, and refuses to specify which holes. It does have this cryptic illustration [pdf, go to page 19]. They show removing 6 screws to unmount the base, but only the bottom four are actually involved in the base?!
I surveyed the distances between the holes (with a metric ruler, so there is measurement error but not conversion error) and I think that suggests hole pairs B and D are the right ones with a 400x200 pattern. But the three-way inconsistency is troubling to me, so please help!
Best answer: It's B & D. I think the 2mm difference is negligible in this case - the 198mm reading is basically the 200mm dimension. The main thing is that a mounting screw in those holes should hold firmly and have a full metal female sheath.
posted by GuyZero at 2:52 PM on May 17, 2017
posted by GuyZero at 2:52 PM on May 17, 2017
Best answer: I think you've got it. Those are the rows that aren't involved in holding the base on (C, F, and G), or the weird larger counter-sunk holes (A & E). (Just looking at the diagram and not the distances, I would have guessed rows A and E because they look slightly different.)
The mount you get will come with a few different sizes of machine screw; I think that as long as B and D are one of those thread patterns you're good to go.
posted by supercres at 2:55 PM on May 17, 2017
The mount you get will come with a few different sizes of machine screw; I think that as long as B and D are one of those thread patterns you're good to go.
posted by supercres at 2:55 PM on May 17, 2017
Also B and D look like larger diameter machine screw holes, which has been my experience in mounting TVs with less complicated hole patterns.
posted by supercres at 2:57 PM on May 17, 2017
posted by supercres at 2:57 PM on May 17, 2017
I just did this. The Vesa mount appears to be A and E. It is not B F and G which are likely for screwing the frame together to support the base. Here is the instructions for the Sony mount which have a diagram of your device (B) on page 8 (note the extra pair of hole below) which lines up with the four extra/empty holes pictured on page 18 of your instructions.
Use Sony's instructions to ensure you have the right location, but do not use it's size of screw (too long) and the VESA kit I had came with a variety of screws that are relatively short to ensure you don't screw into the back of your screen. All you need to worry about is getting a VESA mount with the bolt pattern of 200x400 AND can handle the weight - which is around 30-36 KG!
posted by zenon at 3:11 PM on May 17, 2017
Use Sony's instructions to ensure you have the right location, but do not use it's size of screw (too long) and the VESA kit I had came with a variety of screws that are relatively short to ensure you don't screw into the back of your screen. All you need to worry about is getting a VESA mount with the bolt pattern of 200x400 AND can handle the weight - which is around 30-36 KG!
posted by zenon at 3:11 PM on May 17, 2017
The VESA measurements are relative to each other, the first number is horizontal and second is vertical. Left A to Right A should be 200 mm and E to A is the 400 mm (ergo VESA 200x400) They are designed around supporting the weight of the device and usually built around it's center of gravity, and so may not be exactly in the middle vertically.
posted by zenon at 3:19 PM on May 17, 2017
posted by zenon at 3:19 PM on May 17, 2017
Response by poster: The manual zenon links to does not match up to my actual TV model or appearance.
posted by janell at 3:44 PM on May 17, 2017
posted by janell at 3:44 PM on May 17, 2017
Best answer: Great job, Sony, for making this much harder than it ought to be. Even the manual for the Sony SU-WL51 bracket was kind-of useless.
I'd have to agree that A & E would be the apparent holes at first glance, but if this is supposed to be a 200x400, then it's gotta be B & D. The thing that sells that is that it implies someone tried really hard to avoid blocking the connection panel - row D is right above it. That expands on a point mentioned above: the function of the VESA hole mount is about practical issues such as supporting the weight, not necessarily about being in the middle. It would be lousy to have your jacks sitting behind a bracket, which is a strong argument against A & E.
The screws I'd expect to use for this would be M4 (4mm) metric screws. If you have some that came with your wall mount bracket, try them. When mounted, make sure that they are not bottoming out in the hole, but that they are long enough to support the weight of the TV. You should be able to screw them all the way in with only your hand, and then use a screwdriver for a last quarter turn tightening twist.
posted by jgreco at 11:39 PM on May 17, 2017
I'd have to agree that A & E would be the apparent holes at first glance, but if this is supposed to be a 200x400, then it's gotta be B & D. The thing that sells that is that it implies someone tried really hard to avoid blocking the connection panel - row D is right above it. That expands on a point mentioned above: the function of the VESA hole mount is about practical issues such as supporting the weight, not necessarily about being in the middle. It would be lousy to have your jacks sitting behind a bracket, which is a strong argument against A & E.
The screws I'd expect to use for this would be M4 (4mm) metric screws. If you have some that came with your wall mount bracket, try them. When mounted, make sure that they are not bottoming out in the hole, but that they are long enough to support the weight of the TV. You should be able to screw them all the way in with only your hand, and then use a screwdriver for a last quarter turn tightening twist.
posted by jgreco at 11:39 PM on May 17, 2017
The VESA standard actually says M4, M6 or M8 screws but for TVs in the 200mm x 400mm spacing it's M6 or M8. For this 30kg TV it's probably M6 with a hole depth of 9 to 12mm.
posted by GuyZero at 9:41 AM on May 18, 2017
posted by GuyZero at 9:41 AM on May 18, 2017
Response by poster: B and D are definitely M6 threaded. The universal mount would probably have let me use whichever of the holes I chose (it has slots to accept many hole patterns), but thanks to your responses, I feel more confident that these particular holes are actually intended to support the very heavy TV. Thanks all!
posted by janell at 5:30 PM on May 18, 2017
posted by janell at 5:30 PM on May 18, 2017
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I would approach it by placing the wall mount fixture atop the TV. The TV should be face down on a protective surface. Hold the mount fixture and move it to where the bracket holes line up with the threaded holes on the TV. I am sorry if I do not "get the picture."
posted by JayRwv at 2:52 PM on May 17, 2017 [1 favorite]