Vesa in an acronym for Video Electronic Standards Association, a consortium of manufacturers that was formed to establish and maintain industry wide standards for video cards and monitors.

The most common use of the term VESA on this site is in connection with mounting brackets for LCD and plasma screens. VESA have defined a series of standard mounting arrangements that most TV and monitor manufacturers have adopted. This standard set of mounting points allows end users to purchase brackets and stands from manufacturers such and Vogels and OmniMount knowing that the brackets are manufactured to fit the equipment with standard VESA mounting points.

For more information about VESA visit http://www.vesa.org.

In the past a standard CRT television was a large bulky item, condemned to the corner of the living room, taking up a lot of space. With todays modern Plasma and LCD screens with their larger picture sizes and thinner, lighter, construction you are no longer restricted to old style TV stands or cabinets; instead you can display your screen on the wall like a prized piece of art and at the same time make your room appear bigger and more spacious.

When selecting a bracket to mount a screen, there are several things to consider - the most important of which is position. Unlike regular TVs a plasma screen is viewable in a brightly lit room, but for optimum picture quality you should avoid positioning the screen in direct sunlight such as opposite large windows or doors. As a general rule you should be able to position your seating so that the minimum viewing distance is 2 - 3 times the width of the screen.

Screen size	Optimal Distance
30" (75cm)	1.5 - 2m
34" (90cm)	1.5 - 2.5m
42" (1.0m)	1.6 - 2.7m
50" (1.2m)	2 - 3.2m
56" (1.4m)	2.4 - 4m
62" (1.5m)	2.4 - 4m
70" (1.7m)	2.7 - 4.5m

A HDTV picture would allow for closer viewing distance. In smaller rooms with larger screens you can increase the viewing distance by arranging the room on a diagonal - TV screen in one corner with seating in the opposite corner.

The optimal height to position a screen is such that the centre of the screen is at eye level when seated which provides a comfortable sitting position when viewing with a minimum of neck and eye movement. Typically this would be such that the centre of the screen is positioned around 1m from the floor.

However, in many homes there are structural obstructions such as fireplaces at this level, plus many people find it more aesthetically pleasing to mount the screen at a higher level - such as at mirror or picture frame height.

To facilitate this you should consider an adjustable tilting bracket which will help position the screen at an angle for comfortable viewing.

VESA	Hole spacing	Typical screen
MIS-D 75	75 x 75mm	15 - 20"
MIS-D 100	100 x 100mm	> 20"
MIS-E	200 x 100mm	> 30"
MIS-F	200mm x 200mm	> 40"  (multiple holes so that mounts can be attached to any of the points)
	400mm x 400mm
	600mm x 200mm
	600mm x 400mm
	800mm x 400mm
	280mm x 150mm

Most plasmas and LCD screens have at least 4 mounting holes on the back for attaching a wall mount. They vary in position and dimensions but they are usually in a rectangular pattern centred on the back of the display. VESA standards cover the hole placement to help you match your screen to a bracket. Screens 30" and larger typically use either VESA 200 x 100 or VESA 200 x 200.

There are several VESA standards for plasma and LCD screens with most large plasma screens being compatible with VESA MIS-F:

For best results you should consider how the cables will be run to the screen, ideally these should be completely hidden in the wall. For stud partition walls this can be as simple as cutting a pair of holes through the plasterboard to run the cables down the wall. For brick or stone walls this is much harder and you may need to consider some sort of conduit.

It is relatively easy to mount your bracket to the wall, however you should ensure that both the wall fixings used use are up to the job. The majority of brackets have multiple holes allowing for an infinite number of mounting options for fixing to most surfaces or structures. Installation is a relatively simple process that can be handled by someone with average DIY skills, however you should remember that the screen will be heavy and awkward to lift - so you will need an extra pair of hands for the final lifting and mounting.

Before fastening the bracket to the back of your screen you should ensure that the bolts used are long enough to pass through the thickness of the bracket and a reasonable length into the thread - but still short enough that they don't touch or damage the electronics inside the screen.

You can usually find advice on the desired length of bolt to use in your screens installation guide or if not you can test the depth by:

1. Inserting a toothpick (or drinking straw) into the hole until you meet an obstruction - being careful not to apply any force.
2. Mark the toothpick at the point where it emerges from the hole.
3. Compare this length to the bolt - remembering to leave a few millimeters for error.