You've finally purchased that sleek new flat-screen TV, or maybe you were the first in your neighbourhood to get one—now what? Mount it on the wall.

With declining retail prices and the benefits of placing your TV on the wall (mounting a flat screen may improve its picture quality, and it's safer than setting it on top of furniture where it can easily tip), there's no reason not to invest in a mount.

New wall mounts are incredibly easy to install and use. Here are some trendy options that will help you enjoy the full potential of your TV.

Loco motion

For the most flexibility, full-motion mounts are the way to go. Offering an incredible range of motion, these mounts allow you to extend, retract, tilt and swivel your TV in all directions, so you always have the best view from any seat in the room. Sanus Systems manufactures a full-motion wall mount that fits 37- to 58-inch flat screens and extends nearly 28 inches from the wall. It also hides cables within the arm for a clean look.

Tilt-a-whirl

Lesser-priced tilting mounts are a great solution for positioning the TV down to your viewing angle, especially if you put it high on the wall and intend to watch from a recliner or the floor. Tilting mounts also help reduce glare on the screen from lights and windows.

Remote operated

Wish you could move your flat screen without getting up from the couch? Now you can, thanks to new motorized mounts that let you adjust the TV with a remote. Changing the viewing angle is as easy as changing the channel.

Bring the Louvre to your living room

Once your TV is perfectly mounted on the wall, turn it into a masterpiece you'll really love by adding a custom framed piece of artwork. VisionArt prints, available at www.sanus.com, conceal your TV when it's not in use with a motorized canvas that rolls up and down. Your guests will think they just walked into a museum.

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With their amazing picture quality and brilliant colour displays, HDTVs are the hottest trend in home theater. 3D TVs are making a stand, too, with images that literally pop out of the screen.

But beware—you might not be getting all that you paid for in an expensive display. And it has nothing to do with the TV itself; it's all on where you sit.

Recent studies have shown sitting as little as 10 degrees from the center of the screen can seriously degrade the picture quality, especially with lesser-expensive LCD TVs. So if the TV is facing straight ahead and you're seated in a chair off to the right, the colours and crispness appear to fade.

Proper viewing angle becomes even more vital when enjoying a 3D picture, where off-axis viewing results in lightened images and a loss of depth in the picture.

A simple solution is to always sit directly in front of the TV. This may be unrealistic, however, depending on how your furniture is arranged in the room and where you like to sit.

Experts advise investing in a moveable wall mount that lets you position the TV toward your seat so you always have the best view.

There are many options of moveable wall mounts out there.

Full-motion mounts can extend, tilt and swivel the TV in all directions and are, by far, the most versatile mount option. With a full-motion mount, you could even place the TV inside a cabinet or in another room, then extend and swivel the display when you want to watch from a connecting room.

Tilting mounts can tilt up or down, allowing you to adjust the vertical angle of the TV—a great option if your TV is mounted high on the wall in front of a couch or recliner. Tilting the display down to your viewing angle reduces neck and eye strain and helps eliminate glare on the screen from lights and windows.

Motorized mounts are another option and make moving the screen as easy as changing the channel. A built-in motor quietly moves the mount with the simple touch of a remote control.

A wide variety of moveable mounts are available from Sanus Systems. You can find more information online at www.sanus.com.

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