Types

With the rising popularity of flat panel plasma and LCD televisions, mounting them on walls rather than placing them on TV stands has become an accepted practice. The mounts themselves are fairly simple, straightforward devices. They are traditionally solid, heavy pieces of metal that screw into both the wall and the back of your television. There are two kinds of television wall mounts on the market. There are ones that simply "hang" your television on the wall like a picture frame, and there are ones that swivel from side to side like you would see in a hospital room.

Logistics

How the television wall mount "works" is actually a simple concept. It is actually very similar to the process one would go through to hang a picture in a fame that is heavier than average. The mount itself firmly nails into the studs of your wall. A television is a large, heavy (and most importantly expensive) object, and it will need the stud to support its weight. Studs in general are designed to be load-bearing, which makes them ideal for the hanging of heavy objects. When the mount is on the wall, a series of screws and brackets attach to the back of the television to secure and lock it into place. This ensures that the television will not move from the mount. The mount is securely attached to the wall with a similar series of screws. The weight of the television is now supported by the mount. This is secured to the stud of the wall.

Swivel Mounts

Swivel mounts are ones that operate exactly how they sound. Instead of being in a fixed position, the user can "swivel" them from side to side, changing their direction at will. A swivel mount installs and operates essentially the exact same way as a regular mount. The only difference is the addition of a mechanical "arm." They screw into the wall stud. The mount has the arm that juts off of it. The arm is what attaches to the television, and it is also what allows you to change the direction.