Posted on 25, March, 2015
Last Modified on 28, February, 2023
Ready to hang your brand new 55" television but unsure about what size mount you'll need? Well, besides knowing your TV’s size and weight, you will need to know its VESA size. But what does VESA even mean? Why is this important to you? Why do so many manufacturers list those strange numbers - 100x100 - in their specs? Read on to learn why VESA standards are so important when finding a compatible bracket for your TV!
Already Know Your VESA Size? Shop These Mounts:
VESA-Makin’-Me-Crazy!
While browsing for the perfect TV mount for your flat panel display, you may see specifications listed that look something like VESA MIS-F or 200x200 - 600x400.
Gibberish. You skip over it not giving it a second thought because, really, who has time to figure that out? It’s a fast-paced world and you’re a fast-paced consumer, so you go home with your new TV mount without a second thought. But when you start assembling, you find that those holes on the back of your flat panel don’t quite match those on the mount. Now you might begin to panic thinking, "Well, maybe those numbers on the box did matter..."
Those holes on the back of your flat panel display follow standards created by the Video Electronics Standards Association (hence the term VESA) and that gibberish you saw on your TV mount box has everything to do with it. Sometimes called FDMI (Flat Display Mounting Interface) or MIS (Mounting Interface Standard), these hole patterns correspond to measurements that all of the major TV manufacturers such as Sony, Panasonic, and LG use in order to ensure your flat panel screen correctly attaches to a mounting bracket. TV accessories are more common than ever, and engineers know that there needs to be a standard for devices to work with one another. VESA pattern measurements are a guideline to guarantee that your flat panel display matches the majority of brackets on the market. There are even VESA mount adapters that are necessary before mounting a television, so understanding this terminology is crucial. Let’s break those measurements down into layman’s terms because not everyone is an engineer.
VESA FDMI Standards
Most often, VESA FDMI specifications are represented by numbers and will be listed on the box or the website you purchased from. Common VESA sizes include 75x75, 100x100, 100x200, and 200x200, but they can go as high as 800x800. The FDMI figures are the literal measurement in millimeters vertically and horizontally between the holes.
These measurements are directly associated with the size of your screen. The smaller the screen, the smaller the numbers will typically be. The holes are spread out so that they disperse the weight evenly.
With a ruler on the back of your flat panel, measure the distance between the top left hole and the top right hole (horizontally): That’s the first number you’ll see listed. Next, measure the distance between the top left hole and the bottom left hole (vertically): That’s the second number you’ll see listed. Be sure to measure to the center of each hole for the most accurate measurement.
Some flat panel displays will have more than four holes, making more than one square, which gives you more VESA mounting measurements and therefore more options for matching with a TV mount.
VESA MIS Standards
Rather than directly telling you what the measurement is, some manufacturers make you work a little harder. In some instances, you’ll see the VESA-MIS standards listed in letters, like MIS-D, MIS-E, or MIS-F.
- MIS-D patterned flat panels (12" - 23.9" screen size) are equipped with either a 75x75 mm/3” hole pattern, or a 100x100mm/4” hole pattern.
- MIS-E compliant displays (24" - 30.9" screen size) have a 200x100mm rectangular hole pattern.
- MIS-F TV’s (greater than or equal to 31" screen size) are spaced in 200mm increments including 200x200mm, 400x200mm and 600x400mm.
More details on this type of uncommon profiling can be found with a quick search.
Get to It!
VESA Size
Now that you’re well-versed in VESA mounting standards, you can return that incorrect mount and find an adapter that will actually fit your flat panel display! VESA guidelines are developed for computers, tablets, notebooks, monitors, and TVs.
Speaking of which...we sell tons of VESA compliant TV mounts! Check out our entire selection, then sort by the VESA size that fits your TV! We have a huge selection of wall and ceiling mounts, floor standing units, and even media centers with shelves!