You’ve ordered the plasma screen, hooked yourself up with a DVD recorder and have gathered some comfy chairs for your theater. Now the question comes of how do you manage all of the home theater wiring? There are black cables everywhere, jarring what would otherwise be an elegant room with great sound and a massive screen. How does the self-installer handle the problem of wiring everything correctly and still having an elegant room?
One of the keys to a successful install is using the correct wire length and gauge for your installation. This is something you should think through before you begin the process of your home theater wiring project so that you don’t end up in a jam with too-short wires or the wrong gauge. This is can be a simple task, but one that a rushed homeowner might overlook in the rush to get their theater up and running.
Getting the proper layout is essential. Try a trial run of your home theater wiring before you actually hook up anything. Place the equipment – speakers, TV, DVD player, etc – roughly in place throughout the room, unplugged. Determine what sort of wiring you will need by this layout. Take into consideration where each piece will be placed or hung before you cut the wires. Think about the outlets you have and whether it would be worth it to have a professional add in another outlet. You don’t want cords pulled throughout the room haphazardly.
Hiding the wires is essential, and fairly easy if you spend the time and brainpower to think through how you can conceal those ugly black wires. An easy way to hide many of the cords is to place the equipment in a storage cabinet. The outlet can be placed inside the cabinet itself, so that all of the cords can be kept inside. Another outlet can be added directly behind the television, so that you can easily hide the cord behind the unit.
As for speakers, there are wireless systems, but the name can be deceiving. There are still wires involved, but less than the traditional speaker sets. If your room does not have in-wall wiring, adding that capability can be expensive. At the same time, that is the only way to effectively hide all of the wires. That alone is a great case for hiring professional installers to handle the task of making your theater look fantastic.
