The most basic and usually the least expensive TV wall mount style is a flat mount. Also referred to as flush mount, or fixed mount, this style is known for having a low profile look, meaning, it's very thin and will have a minimal gap between the wall and the back of the TV. This mount is great for applications where people may enter a room and see the side profile of a mounted TV. These mounts generally will have no more than a 2" gap between the wall and back of the TV which might appeal to your situation or budget! Keep in mind, most can slide freely from left to right, but have no other movement/adjustments available. Also be sure to plug in cables to the TV before hanging it on the brackets if your self installing, as the profile is too close to the wall to view the proper plug-in ports after its on the bracket (Pro-Tip).
Tilting mounts offer some additional flexibility. Like flat mounts, they can slide left to right freely, but can also tilt between 5 and 20 degrees. Now, titling does not mean vertical movement up and down. Yes, it will drop slightly as you tilt it down but do not confuse that to think it moves up and down any substantial distance. The tilting feature is great for viewing applications from seated positions while looking upward comfortably to a screen pointed down AT you, matching your viewing angle up for an optimal viewing experience. The tilting feature can also come in handy in rooms with lighting glare, as tilting the TV can improve the glare on the screen when you change the viewing angle. Beware, the cheapest mounts of this style have very poor tension adjustments on the tilting arms and will either not stay in the tilted position you desire, slips or droops and requires frequent adjustment, or have to be so tight to hold in only one position that you cant adjust the TV without adjusting the tension arms. Read reviews before purchasing any mounts (Pro-Tip).
Single Stud full motion mounts have a minimal wall profile, just like the name, its meant to mount to ONE stud. This mount works great if you have a smaller TV that needs to hang in a corner at an angle or if you want the ability to access the back plugs of the TV easily or to view from multiple possible viewing angles. Pay attention to the length of extension on the mount you choose, this will dictate how much it pulls away from the wall and therefore how much you can turn it left or right. These can generally support TV's 55" and under, always check the weight capacity of the mount to make sure its capacity exceeds the weight of the TV by at least 10-20%. Why? Because the cheapest versions of this mount have very poor joint construction and the weight on the joints will eventually start to bend and warp out of level. Think about it, I know we all want to save money and think the cheap mount will be fine, but you get what you pay for when it comes to mounts. (Pro-Tip) If you are self installing, keep in mind that if the wall surface and wall mount are not perfectly level, both vertically and horizontally, the TV will only be level in one position, meaning, if you level a TV on an unlevel surface, when you pull the TV out away from the wall, the TV will be crooked, especially as you angle the TV. Now, go the extra mile and use the TV wall mount hardware kit, use the provided spacers on the wall or you can also use paper wall shims behind the wall mount to make sure its level in all directions. Most installers are not taught to shim the mounts to make them perfect, so appreciate this secret tip most installers don't even do.
Dual Stud Full Motion TV wall mounts vary in style quite a bit. To start dual stud, means it is supposed to mount to two wood studs. Now, the cheapest will only support studs that are spread apart 16" and other will support 24" or more. This is important when you have an exact position on the wall to mount the TV. If there are not studs exactly where you need it you may only be able to hit one stud and possibly not hit any if you are mounting to an interior wall that may have 24" apart studs. (Pro-tip) You can easily check for studs with only a magnet! A magnet will find the screws holding the drywall TO THE STUDS! Beware, some cheap mounts of this style (like the one pictured) only have mounting holes 16" apart and no where in between, even further limiting where you can anchor the mount. These also vary greatly in extension length, sometimes 9" and some up t0 40" or slightly more. Also pay attention to the profile it takes up on the wall, many times the wall profile of these types of mounts can interfere with the wall outlet locations. If the wall piece has an open inner frame like the picture above, this is a great place for your power or audio/video outlets. Some of these mount types have a solid wall bracket and will require outlet locations to be in the upper third height of the TV to avoid being and obstruction.
Pull down style mounts are great for high mounting applications such as over a fireplace. It looks great above the fireplace but its too high to be viewed comfortably from a seated position nearby. Some of these style mounts offer 30" of downward travel and most can be adjusted to stop at any interval in between for the perfect viewing height. Additional accessories are also available for handles that sense heat from your fireplace or sound bar/speaker mounts that attach to this mount for the speaker to move with the TV! Beware, this is an advanced style mount and will require more steps for proper installation, such as to make sure your height of the mount is appropriate so that you don't bump your mantle (Pro-Tip).