I have read several questions on here regarding this topic but my situation is slightly unique.
I have a TV mount that is about 20" wide. The studs in my wall are 24" apart. I am mounting a 55" tv. The tv weighs 53 lbs and the mount is at most 20 lbs. The mount does swivel so it might be pulled on to swivel the tv.
The way I see it I have 2 options. First, put a piece of 3/4" ply wood into the studs and mount the tv on the ply wood. Or the second is a little easier, I can mount the TV into 1 stud and use heavy duty anchors on the other side of the mount. The anchors I have say they will hold up to 110 lbs. So 2 screws into the anchors and 2 screws into the stud. It seems like this will work, but I don't want to take chances with the TV.
Please advise.
EDIT***
It is a steel stud. So I bought drywall toggles rated to 110 lbs. I am going to propose the following and ask what people think. There are 8 holes in the mount. What if I use the drywall toggles to mount the TV in the 2 holes nearest the center of the mount, then use Drywall anchors with a high weight rating in the other 6 holes. Between 8 anchors/toggles totaling almost 900 lbs with 2 of them mounted into a steel beam seems to me that it would be sufficient. I'd also comment that I have no intention of using the swivel feature.
Best Answer
Do not use drywall anchors to hang a TV that large on a swivel mount. If it was a mount that didn't have motion, I might say that's acceptable, but not with a swivel mount.
You will need to use wood in some form to add the necessary strength.
Plywood can be attached to the wall studs using 3-1/2" lag bolts with fender washers. To provide a clean finish, the drywall can be cutout and the opening filled with the plywood. Then tape and mud the joints. Sand the surface smooth, prime, and paint. The plywood will be barely noticeable if done right. Be sure to match the plywood thickness to the drywall thickness.
If you do not want to remove any drywall, the plywood can be mounted directly over the drywall. You will need to use at least a 4" lag bolt in this case to account for the extra depth of the drywall. The plywood can be finished with a routed edge, sanded, primed, and painted for a finished look, if desired.
A final option for a truly hidden mount would be to open the wall by removing the drywall. Then install 2"x4" crossbracing between the studs at the correct locations for your TV mount. Replace the drywall, tape and mud the joints, sand, prime, and paint. The bracing is now hidden in the wall and you can attach the mount to the bracing.