We are looking to install a Plasma / LCD TV in a property refurbishment and wish for all of the cabling to sit within the wall cavity. As we need to complete all of the wiring install within the next 10 days, we need to ensure we install sufficient and appropriate wiring for any new LCD TV / Plasma TV application. This should accomodate linking the TV to a DVD player, a video recorder, a cable box and a PC. Do wiring kits exist? If not, could anyone advise the simplist wiring setup to cover the above at the minimum cost. Any help would be greatly appreciated and is quite urgent. We need to ensure that all wiring is accomodated for a neatly installed. We will not be able to add additional wiring after completion of the build next week.

it depends on the screen.

some come with media boxes, some don't.

Run 2" conduit.

Best thing to do is to know what display you're using, run every wire that can be connected to it plus a cat5 and some tubing for future.

Jason and Miketech are good ideas. One word of caution; when running conduit, make sure you use radius 90's or 45's, not tight 90's. While this may seem obvious, I've ran into it a couple times when the owner or somebody else that didn't know used all tight 90's. I would also prefer 2-1/2" I.D. if it will fit in your walls.

Use Flex tubing by Carlon, NOT pvc type pipe.
Mike

Thanks for all of your help so far. The screen we are looking at is a Philips 37PF9946 if this helps? I am a little concerned re: simply installing trunking as I would prefer to aviod any problems running cable through.

The builder is already putting CAT 5 cabling throughout as well as Coax.

Current cabling used with CRT TV:

- Scart to component lead for Video player (or scart to AV)
- AV to AV lead for the DVD (or component / S-video lead)
- Scart to scart lead for the set top box

Any advice on whether the above cabling options are best and how best to connect a PC to plasma screen would be welcomed.


CAT 5 options:

I am assuming the CAT 5 cabling could be used?

Could CAT 5 also be used to connect to DVD, etc.? I have seen details of S-video to Cat 5 convertors and from a cable space point of view this could be an ideal - i.e. run 5 / 6 cat 5 cables through in wall trunking and tap-off at the ends using the convertor. Details of the convertor and type can be found at:[Link: smarthome.com] - please let me know if this has been done previously and if there are any adverse implications to picture and sound quality?

Other options:

If there are any other options that could be used - especially using some type of switching device so that only one cable would be required to run to the plasma screen would be the ideal situation. That way we could add / remove components and connect them should the switching box.

Fitting on wall:
Ideally I would like to have a power socket located behind the screen on the wall. Ideally I would like to add a second standard size wall plate with the additional connectors to wire to the plasma screen - for neatness. That way if at any point the screen is removed we will simply have a power socket and a wall plate to cover.

As you can tell, I am new to flat screen technology and indeed set up of visual systems. I have come to the custom-install forum to see what a best solution would look like and to ensure that we do not complete the rennovation only to find we can't link the screen with the cabling installed - i.e. make sure we have all of the right cables to cover each option.

Thanks again for any assistance you are able to provide.

This message was edited by Bernard Smith on 11/14/04 08:57 ET.

All of the proper suggestions have already been made, but let me summarize them for you...

1) Look at the back of the plasma and determine how many connectors of what type there are, and simply run one of each ... costly, but thorough. In this case add one Cat 5 in case you might need it later for control.

2) Don't run anything until later, and use a 2.5-3 inch flex-tube. If you can make the run straight enough, you won't have any trouble pulling through it. Make sure to run a string through it first, to make it easier later.

3) Buy a different plasma screen with a Media Center - Then there is only one wire to the plasma location (an expensive proprietary one), but you don't have to make any decisions about component hook-up until later, because all of the connections are on the box, and the 'umbilical' cable does all of the work between the plasma and the MC.

As far as power, you either need to have in your hand the plasma mount today, and figure out EXACTLY where you want to mount it, and then mark out a spot on the wall where the outlet will have to go (EXACTLY- no fudge room for the electrician) or you need to run electric by way of some sort of extension cord up with the rest of your cabling. This has the added benefit of allowing you to hook up the plasma to the same power conditioner/surge protector you are using for the rest of your system, and has the added detriment of being perhaps illegal (or at least not up to code...)

In short, we professionals have all had to deal with this list, and I'm sure most of us have decided pretty much on one solution or the other and are using it all the time (for consistency's sake), but no one solution fits every situation, and you have to pick one that will work for you.

Or, you could (perish the thought) call a professional...

Norm