As an owner of a flat screen TV, I know the frustration of wondering whether or not you can turn it upside down. I had to do some research to find out the answer and the tips to keep it from being damaged. In this blog post, I’m going to share what I discovered through my research and the solutions I found. So if you’re wondering if you can turn your TV upside down and worried about potential damage, you’ll find all the answers and tips you need here.
TVs should always be in an upright position, otherwise, they may sustain some damage because of displaced weight and pressure.
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| TV Orientation | TVs should be in an upright position to prevent damage |
| Risks of Upside-Down TV | – Displaced weight could crack the screen |
| – Vibrations from a moving vehicle can cause damage | |
| – Things might accidentally fall on it | |
| CRT TV Transportation | Keep the TV upright with the screen touching a cushioned seat |
| Safely Transport Flat TVs | – Place the TV in a box or wrap it with a moving blanket |
| – Keep the TV in an upright position | |
| Storing TVs Securely | – Keep the TV in an upright position |
| – Clean the TV before storing | |
| – Store in a moisture-free room | |
| Vertical TV Use | Commercial display TVs can be used in both horizontal and vertical positions, but consumer TVs may not be designed for vertical orientation |
| Conclusion | Keep TVs in an upright position for safety and to prevent damage |
Table of Contents
Why Would the TV Get Damaged When Laid Upside Down?
Many won’t lay their TV flat or upside down because they worry that doing so could damage the device. While it may not harm your TV’s internal components like wires and motherboards, it sure can cause serious external damage to it. Here are the reasons why:
Displaced Weight Could Crack the TV’s Screen
Modern TVs like LCDs, LEDs, and Plasmas have screens that aren’t designed to bear excessive pressure. Laying the TV flat will make its weight shift from the edges towards the center. The displaced weight and the tension it produces could crack the screen’s surface.
Vibrations of a Moving Vehicle Can Cause Damage
Laying your TV upside down when transporting it can also cause some significant physical damage to it. It’s because, in that position, the screen might not be able to bear the vibrations and impact it gets from a moving vehicle.
Things Might Accidentally Fall on It
Having your TV in an upside-down position may also lead you to unintentionally place things on it. It also exposes the TV to stuff that might accidentally fall on it.
Can You Lay a CRT TV Upside Down?
It’s good practice to transport a CRT or Cathode-ray tube TV in an upright position with its screen touching the car’s cushioned seat. While its screen is way sturdier than flat TVs, having its tube facing the seat adds protection to it.
You see, transporting CRT TVs facing down could damage the buttons which are usually located in the front. In other words, the weight of the TV could push the buttons hard.
How to Transport Flat TVs Safely
Now that you learned the importance of keeping your TV in an upright position, it’s time to look at how to transport them safely. Let’s get going.
Keep Your TV Safe by Putting It in a Box
Putting your TV in a box before loading it into your car and transporting it makes it more protected against damage. It’ll be better if you still have its original box but it’ll be perfect if you kept the styrofoam that came with it. Both the box and the foam will prevent your TV from shaking inside.
However, if you no longer have the original box, you can have your flat-screen TV wrapped with a moving blanket. This fabric will cushion your TV against damage.
Have Your TV Sit in an Upright Position
We have seen so far that flat-screen televisions are so sensitive. That said, make sure that your TV is in an upright position when you load it onto your car. That way, the weight stays equally distributed on its edges. Also, doing that will greatly lessen the impact the screen could get from bumps and jolts.
How to Store TV Securely
If you are to store your TV for a long period make sure that you keep it in its natural position. Also, it will be safer to clean it first to prevent dust from going inside the TV. Lastly, putting the TV in a box and tucking it away in a room free from moisture will preserve it greatly.
Is It Safe to Use TVs While in a Vertical Position?
If you love watching the evening news, chances are you see news anchors using vertically-positioned TVs as visual aids. You might be asking if you can do the same to your flat screen.
You see, the news program can do that because what they have are TVs with commercial display screens. In other words, their TVs are designed to be used both in horizontal and vertical positions.
That said, it might be unsafe for you to try that on your TV because it’s very likely that yours is designed only for landscape orientation. So before doing it, check the TV’s manual or contact the maker to confirm.
Final Thoughts
Preventing our TVs from getting harmed requires extra attention and care. They have limitations that we have to observe. We’ve seen so far that putting our TVs upside down could cause some damage to them. That said, making sure they stay in an upright position is the safest route to take.
The bottom line is, whether we have the latest flat screen TV in the market or an old-fashioned CRT TV we inherited from our grandpa, these TVs have to be handled with utmost care. That way, we can enjoy it for a long time.
Read more: Can you use a dongle on a smart TV?
