Full Motion Wall Mount

I have a corner that is made shallow on one side by a wall extending out for my fireplace (see red arrow in pictures). My challenge was to put a 55" flat screen here with the wall mount faceplate deep enough into the corner that it could be hidden by the tv. The price was a drawback, but this was exactly what I needed and was hard to find, so I hoped it was worth it. I also liked the fact that it came with covers for the faceplate. First off, I thought the installation video on the manufacturer's website was great. It was clear, not over-simplified, and thorough. I'm a fairly handy woman and can do most things myself if I have good instructions, so I felt I could do everything but the final heavy lifting of the television without assistance. This came with remarkably few parts (in my opinion), and I liked that each set of mounting hardware was packaged separately and clearly identified. I mounted mine on wooden studs, without the optional adapter plates. Below are some tips that may help others that aren't very experienced. The hardest part was making sure I found the center of the studs since my walls are heavily textured and a stud finder doesn't move across them smoothly. I double-checked by driving a tiny nail on the outside of each of my stud lines and again on the inside, just to confirm where they started and stopped. The mounting arm is heavy. Not so heavy that I couldn't hold it up, but too heavy to hold it still with one hand at the height I was hanging the television (61") and also mark the pilot holes, as they did in the video. It would've been so much more convenient if the arm could be detached from the wall plate until the plate was secured. Once I enlisted help, I got the holes marked. Instructions called for using a 3mm drill bit, but all mine were marked in fractions, so I had to look that up and found that it was 1/8. You have to know the VESA size of your television. I had to look this up as well, and it's nothing more than the vertical and horizontal distance (in cm) of the holes on the back. Mine was 200x200, so according to the instructions I didn't need the adapter plates. The instructions then say "install two (2) of the appropriately sized mounting screws into the top two mounting holes on the back of your tv". This was another puzzle...there were 4 pkgs of hardware marked A through D. Each contained 4 screws of two different lengths. Without opening all packages, I didn't know which one to use, but fortunately there was a sticker on the back of my television that said "mounting screws must be M6 (package C). Then I had to figure out whether to use the 4 shorter ones or the 4 longer ones. (It was the shorter ones...maybe the longer ones were if you used the adapter plates??) Then you just hang the television onto the faceplate with those top screws (this is where you must have another person help), insert the bottom screws and tighten. There were instructions for post-installation leveling, but I couldn't figure out which 3 screws on the back they were referring to...fortunately, I didn't need it. What I DID need was instructions for securing the tilt angle. After hanging, my television was tilted too far down, but when I lifted it up, it immediately drifted back down. After about 30 minutes of trying to tighten every screw on the back I could find, I accidentally discovered that the two rubber-like "feet" that press up against the back of the plate and hold it in place could be tightened with a combination of pulling out and turning. Eventually I got it just right. The cable management feature is another nice touch, but using it caused me to also need an extension cord. I'd still rather do that than have the cord dangling down underneath the television. So overall, it was an easy install (maybe a little hard to understand, but still mechanically easy). The manufacturer could tweak the instructions to cover the issues I've addressed, in my opinion. I like that it came with hardware for whatever size VESA the tv has, but I think the adapter plates should be sold separately. It's a shame to throw them away, and I know it would reduce the cost if I could've purchased the unit without them. I won't be moving this television, but it does move smoothly, pulls a long way out, and pushes nicely up against the wall. Also, the tilt angle is sufficient for most needs. Now that I know how to install, I'd definitely recommend and purchase again! Hope this helps!!