Sanus Systems VMPL50A-B1

Experts and users agree that the Sanus Systems VMPL50A-B1 is a pretty terrific way to get that flat-screen TV mounted on a wall. Though more expensive than some tilting TV wall mounts, such as the Cheetah Mounts APTMM2B (*Est. $30), the VMPL50A-B1 draws kudos for its rugged build and ease of installation and use. The VMPL50A-B1 is designed to accommodate screen sizes between 32 and 70 inches, and sets weighing up to 150 pounds. The tilt range isn't huge (8.5 degrees up, 10 degrees down), but that should handle nearly any typical situation, and you can tilt a mounted TV set with just a fingertip.

Installation draws plenty of compliments. For example, with most competing mounts, once they are attached to the wall, that's it. If you discover something is slightly off, your only alternative is to take down the mount and start over. Not so with the VMPL50A-B1. A feature called ProSet lets you tinker with the mount's height and leveling slightly to ensure accurate orientation after it is installed. There's also a bit of adjustment along the mount's rails so that you can center the TV on your viewing location if your wall studs are a bit left or right of center.

The VMPL50A-B1's brackets (mounted on the back of the TV) attach to the wall rails using a push-button snap system that Andrew Robinson at HomeTheaterReview.com judges to be more secure and convenient than what others use. "My old tilting wall mount had a bar with a small lock affixed to the end of it which secured my HDTV to the mount and to the wall itself, problem was when it came time to move the display and the small key was nowhere to be found -- doh!," he writes. If you own an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch but not a level, Sanus Systems offers a free app with a host of installation aids, including a virtual level that Robinson says "actually works."