How do you deal with all the cables that a home theater brings?
06-18-08, 02:42 AM
#1
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
How do you deal with all the cables that a home theater brings?
I'm being drowned by cables. I made a quick count:
TV - power (1)
DVR - power, ethernet, HDMI, two coaxial cables for the dual tuner (5)
XBOX 360 - power, ethernet, HDMI (3)
PS3 - power, HDMI (2)
Apple TV - power, ethernet, HDMI (3)
Roku Netflix box - power, HDMI (2)
PS2 - power, component (2) (wireless controller)
XBOX - power, composite (2) (wireless controller)
Router - power, ethernet cable going to modem (2)
Modem - power (1)
Wii - power, component (2)
XBOX 360 HD-DVD attachment - power, USB (2)
That's 27 cables (12 of those being power cables... the 360 has a huge power brick, and the PS2 has a little power brick... a few more also have power bricks).
How do you deal with your cables? This is what my home theater looks like now and I haven't even added the original XBOX, the Wii, and the ethernet and most of the HDMI cables (I just ordered an 8X1 switcher and ethernet and HDMI cables). That thing between the PS3 and the XBOX 360 is the Apple TV and behind the Apple TV is a little black box that's the Roku Netflix box.
I haven't done much with the cables because I don't know what to do with them. There's only so much physical space I can squeeze them into. Using another TV is not an option... that's the only HDTV in the house and I'm the only gamer and the only one that uses the Roku box and the Apple TV.
Adding to the problem is that cables are now pretty long and the stand is next to the wall. Space in the room is at a premium and what you see right there is all I have to work with. Can't shift it left or right because as you can see it's sandwiched between two stands.
TV - power (1)
DVR - power, ethernet, HDMI, two coaxial cables for the dual tuner (5)
XBOX 360 - power, ethernet, HDMI (3)
PS3 - power, HDMI (2)
Apple TV - power, ethernet, HDMI (3)
Roku Netflix box - power, HDMI (2)
PS2 - power, component (2) (wireless controller)
XBOX - power, composite (2) (wireless controller)
Router - power, ethernet cable going to modem (2)
Modem - power (1)
Wii - power, component (2)
XBOX 360 HD-DVD attachment - power, USB (2)
That's 27 cables (12 of those being power cables... the 360 has a huge power brick, and the PS2 has a little power brick... a few more also have power bricks).
How do you deal with your cables? This is what my home theater looks like now and I haven't even added the original XBOX, the Wii, and the ethernet and most of the HDMI cables (I just ordered an 8X1 switcher and ethernet and HDMI cables). That thing between the PS3 and the XBOX 360 is the Apple TV and behind the Apple TV is a little black box that's the Roku Netflix box.
I haven't done much with the cables because I don't know what to do with them. There's only so much physical space I can squeeze them into. Using another TV is not an option... that's the only HDTV in the house and I'm the only gamer and the only one that uses the Roku box and the Apple TV.
Adding to the problem is that cables are now pretty long and the stand is next to the wall. Space in the room is at a premium and what you see right there is all I have to work with. Can't shift it left or right because as you can see it's sandwiched between two stands.
Last edited by GatorDeb; 06-18-08 at 01:02 PM.
06-18-08, 06:54 AM
#3
DVD Talk Hero
To me the simple solution is to add a back to the stand, cut holes in the back directly behind each component to push the wires thru. You will still have a ton of wire, but no one would see them because of the back. You could mount a power strip (or two) on the back (either in the cabinet or on the backside where no one will see. or both).
Paint the back black and is should blend right in.
Paint the back black and is should blend right in.
06-18-08, 08:44 AM
#4
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
^^^ I was thinking the same thing, Sdallnct. The back of my TV stand is an absolute mess as well, and that's even after I tried to reorganize it all this past weekend! But my stand has a back to it so you can't see just how messy it is back there. I also have three power strips around there to plug everything into. It's great having every, including my computer, hooked into one TV, but it certainly causes a lot of clutter.
Oh, and maybe if you got a wireless router it would save at least a tiny bit of space.
Oh, and maybe if you got a wireless router it would save at least a tiny bit of space.
06-18-08, 03:11 PM
#11
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Originally Posted by SexualPudding
Yeah, but you have to listen to everything you watch/play through your tv's speakers. Blech.
GatorDeb, we don't mean to pick on you, but if you invested in a receiver and some speakers you would be amazed.
It's hard now for me to go to someone's house who doesn't have at least a very basic speaker system going. Just so strange for those noises to be coming out of the TV!
Of course, once you get that receiver you're likely to have even more wires to worry about ...
06-18-08, 03:22 PM
#12
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Well, in my mind a decent receiver will be $400 or so and now I don't have that money to spend 
I did get a 5.1 speaker system from Philips, so I'll be installing that.
http://www.outlet.philips.com/b2c_re...og&shop=OUTLET
(Philips couldn't fulfill a 46" $750 TV order so they gave me a coupon and I got that, an CD alarm clock, and a portable DVD player for $21.XX shipped).
I did get a 5.1 speaker system from Philips, so I'll be installing that.http://www.outlet.philips.com/b2c_re...og&shop=OUTLET
(Philips couldn't fulfill a 46" $750 TV order so they gave me a coupon and I got that, an CD alarm clock, and a portable DVD player for $21.XX shipped).
Last edited by GatorDeb; 06-18-08 at 03:29 PM.
06-18-08, 04:15 PM
#13
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
I would do two things:
1) Use the setup in your stand to organize the cables. Yes that post with the hole. I know it's small, but it will help to streamline and minimize all the cables.
2) Either at the component end (probably best so the stand is there for support) tie off the slack from the cables. A lot of your clutter appears to be from excess cable-length rather than sheer quantity (although that's an issue too).
1) Use the setup in your stand to organize the cables. Yes that post with the hole. I know it's small, but it will help to streamline and minimize all the cables.
2) Either at the component end (probably best so the stand is there for support) tie off the slack from the cables. A lot of your clutter appears to be from excess cable-length rather than sheer quantity (although that's an issue too).
06-19-08, 12:26 AM
#14
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Mpls, MN
Posts: 6,830
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I came up with 40 just going in/out of my sources. I didn't count power, video games, speaker cables, stuff running to the TV, and input devices on the computer. Probably close to 100.
Anyway, not bragging, just commiserating. I've used wire loom, cable ties, careful routing planning, DIY wires cut to precise lengths to limit bulk, and a 2.5" PVC electrical pole as a wire run since the products designed for that are all tiny. It is no small task and should definitely be an early consideration in making even a living room home theater. Ooh, forgot to mention electrical tape, plastic wrap (it's like invisible tape), screw-in wall clips, and an outdoor outlet box that closes to make sure nobody can accidentally unplug the power.
Anyway, not bragging, just commiserating. I've used wire loom, cable ties, careful routing planning, DIY wires cut to precise lengths to limit bulk, and a 2.5" PVC electrical pole as a wire run since the products designed for that are all tiny. It is no small task and should definitely be an early consideration in making even a living room home theater. Ooh, forgot to mention electrical tape, plastic wrap (it's like invisible tape), screw-in wall clips, and an outdoor outlet box that closes to make sure nobody can accidentally unplug the power.
