Basic Flat Panel Mounting Information

Never mounted a flat screen before? Start here. This guide covers the basics of choosing a mount for your flat-panel TV or monitor.

Step 1: Find out what fits — measure the mounting holes

Most flat panels have threaded mounting holes on the back, arranged in a square or rectangular pattern. To know what mount will fit, measure the distance between those holes — center to center — both top-to-bottom and left-to-right. If your panel has no holes (or you can’t find them), contact us at 1-800-585-8795; it may need a mount from the panel’s manufacturer.

Above: a 17" Dell LCD. Below: a 37" Panasonic LCD.

Why “standards” aren’t always standard

• Some manufacturers don’t follow the standards.
• Even those that do often can’t tell you which pattern a given panel uses — it’s rarely in the manual.
• Panels 20" and smaller have mostly standardized on VESA 75 or 100. Above ~23" it gets inconsistent — two 26" panels can have completely different hole patterns.

That’s why we recommend physically measuring your panel’s holes when you can. Can’t measure them? Call us at 1-800-585-8795 — we can often look it up or identify the pattern from a photo of the back.

VESA standard mounting patterns

VESA (Video Electronics Standards Association) patterns are listed in millimeters — to convert inches to mm, multiply by 25.4. LCDs 32" and under often use one of the common patterns (20" and under are usually VESA 75 or 100). VESA specifies 200 mm increments for displays roughly 31–90", but not every panel complies, so verify. For a deeper dive, see our VESA Standards guide.

For reference: the Dell above uses VESA 100; the 37" Panasonic follows no VESA standard at all (its holes are 660 mm × 320 mm) and needs a universal-style mount.

Universal (adjustable-rail) mounts

Universal mounts use rails that attach to the panel and adjust in width to line up with almost any hole pattern, then hook onto a wall plate. On our site, VESA-specific mounts list the VESA patterns they fit; universal mounts list both the VESA patterns and the hole-spacing dimensions they accommodate.

Other factors to check

1. Weight rating — is it rated to hold your panel’s weight?
2. Recommended screen size — even if the weight is fine, the mount (especially its tilt mechanism) must be rated for your screen size. Thicker panels shift the center of gravity. We list a recommended screen size on every mount we sell.

Reference: VESA — Video Electronics Standards Association.