Wiring From & To The Flat Panel TV
If you mount your flat panel LCD or Plasma TV on the wall you have to consider how you will get the wires to and from the TV. At a minimum there is a power cord from the TV to an electrical wall outlet and a coaxial signal cable. There may also be additional cables from DVD players, digital tuners, sound systems, etc.
There are 3 alternatives:
- Allow the wires to be visible, as shown in Figure 4.
- Use a molding to conceal the wires, as shown in Figure 5.
- Method 1 - Use a fabricated molding (raceway) that is designed to conceal wires as shown in Figure 6,
- Method 2 - Notch the drywall (create a channel) and use a ready made molding to hide the notch, as shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10. This method will allow you to use a thinner piece of molding than would be required in the first method. A channel 2" wide should be sufficient in 99% of the cases.
Figure 4 - Wall mounted TV with exposed wiring.
Figure 5 - Wall mounted TV with wires concealed by a molding
There are basically 2 ways to use a molding to conceal the wiring.
Figure 6 - Flat Screen Television Cord Cover Kit
or you can use a 1' x 4" and create a dado on the back and rounding the front edges as shown in Figure 7.
Figure 7 - Wood molding for concealing wires
Figure 8 - Cut channel in drywall from above bottom of TV to 1" above floor
Figure 9 - Run cables in the channel
Figure 10 - Conceal the channel with a piece of molding.
- Fish the wires through the wall, as shown in Figure 11.
Figure 11 - Wall mount flat screen TV with no wires showing.
This of course is the most complex and time consuming methods of running the wires between electronic devices, however it provides the neatest result.
There are new electrical and cable connections boxes specifically designed for wall mount flat panel televisions being made by a few manufacturer's, see Figure 11a.
Figure 11a - Flat panel TV cable and electrical connection boxes
These new style electrical provide a neat method of terminating all of the power and signal connections for wall mount flat panel television sets.
Additional information on installing flat panel electrical boxes (the same method as if installing an "old work electrical box).
Additional information on installing an electrical outlet
Additional information on fishing electrical wires
If you do not want to use a bracket system to wall mount your flat screen television, there are alternatives that can provide very pleasing aesthetics and are easy to install.
Figures 11, 12 and 13 provide a few of the many flat screen TV mounting alternatives that are currently available.
Figure 11 - Flat panel TV 3 shelf wall mounting
Figure 12 - This 3 shelf flat panel TV wall mounting system has a built in cable raceway
