TV Mounted above fireplace mantel - neck strain?

center is a phantom created by l/r in 2 channel system, and when using home theater in 2 channel stereo mode.

however, using dolby 5.1, other surround ...., the center channel is given to the center channel, it is not the same, you want a properly located/blended center speaker, and it must be close enough to anchor it's output to the screen.

if using a sub in a home theater, when using only 2 channel mode, you want all the bass to go to the front, that is why it is important to get good, 'fuller' range mains, and understand your av receiver/sub/spkr hookup yourself, or have a friend nearby.

No more neck strain from watching TV 

https://mantelmount.ca

MantelMount not only offers tilt and swivel, but also allows you to easily pull the TV down off the wall and position it at eye level in front of a fireplace. And you can just as easily push it right back up. - patented technology and full range motion

Mantelmount reviews are not stellar. Problematic.

i think I may just position tv in front of unused fireplace.  It may look fine.  I hate having to pull it down all the time and often it will be left lowerEd and look like crap when not I use.  When lowered you see the bracket mechanism which sucks.

center speaker will be close to floor level and angled upward. Stupid stupid fireplace, which really can’t be removed. 
All this to get a larger room to improve overall sound where dens can be too damn small for high end speakers.  

I have found, directly below the monitor works best for center.

Yes, but if possible, tilt it towards the listeners.  This can improve intelligibility by reducing floor bounce and putting the listener in line with the tweets.  If your main speakers are on axis but center isn't, the center will sound dull by comparison.

In the early days of the ARPA net I developed a strange neck problem.  Some of the diagnostic procedures were quite unpleasant and all unproductive.  Then I read a Bell Labs study of monitor placement, lowered my monitor from a shelf above my desk, and never experienced the neck problem again.  Needless to say that experience has guided the placement of our TV and projection screens -- line-of-sight slightly down.

db