When the TV Is Bigger Than Most People's Walls
Ninety-eight inches. That's not a TV, that's a statement. When the customer in Rancho Cordova reached out about mounting their new TCL 98-inch, I knew this wasn't going to be a standard afternoon job. These big panels are a completely different animal — heavier, wider, and far less forgiving if anything's off.
They had a beautiful room for it: vaulted ceilings, a round porthole window above the TV, clean white drywall, and a Persian rug that anchored the space. When you've got architecture like that, you need the install to be perfect. Nothing ruins a room like a slightly crooked 98-inch TV.
Dan with 98-inch TCL TV on Sanus advanced tilt mount in Rancho Cordova, CA
Why the Sanus Advanced Tilt
For a TV this size, the mount selection matters as much as anything else. I used the Sanus Advanced Tilt Preferred — and here's why it was the right call.
It's built for big, heavy panels. The Sanus Advanced Tilt is rated for TVs up to 130 lbs at this size class. A 98-inch TCL comes in around 100 lbs. You want real headroom there, not a bracket barely rated for the TV hanging off it.
Post-install tilt adjustment. Once a 98-inch TV is on the wall, you don't want to lift it again. The Sanus Advanced Tilt lets you dial in the exact tilt angle after mounting — a few degrees down to cut glare from windows or overhead lighting makes a noticeable difference in picture quality.
Bubble-level built in. For a TV this wide, getting it dead level is critical. Even a quarter-bubble off shows. The built-in level on the Sanus bracket is a real help for a panel this size.
98-inch TCL on Sanus advanced tilt mount in Rancho Cordova vaulted living room
The Install: What Actually Makes a 98" Job Hard
Weight and handling. You cannot solo this. A 98-inch TCL needs two people minimum — one to hold, one to set the mounting hooks. Rushing a one-person lift on a TV like this is how you crack a screen or put a hole in the wall.
Stud span. The wall bracket on a big tilt mount is wide. You're spanning four studs on a job like this, not two. Every bolt point has to hit solid wood. I locate all four studs first and verify with a probe before drilling anything.
Leveling at scale. The wider the TV, the more visible any tilt is from across the room. I level the wall bracket first, then verify the TV itself with a separate level after it's hung. Two checks beats one.
Height. With a 98-inch panel on drywall, the center of the screen is right where your eyes land from the seating position — that's the goal. Too high strains necks; too low looks awkward against the wall. In this room, the height landed perfectly under the porthole window, which also framed the whole setup beautifully.
Rancho Cordova — Newer Construction, Great Rooms
Rancho Cordova's newer communities are well-suited for big TV installs. The homes in Anatolia, Sunridge, and Kavala Ranch have open floor plans, tall ceilings, and clean drywall with predictable stud layouts. This home had a gorgeous great room — the kind of space that was clearly built for a setup like this.
After 1,100+ TV mounts across the Sacramento region, the jumbo installs are some of my favorites. When everything lines up — the room, the TV, the mount, the height — it genuinely looks impressive. This one nailed it.
Thinking About a Large TV Mount?
If you're in Rancho Cordova, Sacramento, or anywhere in the surrounding area and you've got a big TV that needs to go on the wall, give me a call or text at (916) 234-5202. I handle everything from standard 55-inch mounts to these monster installs — and I bring a helper on the jobs that need it.