On 30 Jan 2007 09:24:11 -0800, wrote:

Hello,
I recently spent all of my hard earned coin to buy a new place. It's
very nice, but small and I'm looking to save space where possible.
I'm also looking for an excuse to replace my old tube TV. First, a
picture of where I plan to set up the new LCD.

http://www.alpine9.net/v/scott/house/wall.jpg.html

The TV would go about where the painting is. If you look at the
bottom of the picture, you can see the power outlet as well as the
cable outlet. Also, there is a closet behind the wall in case I want
to get creative and start punching holes through walls.

So, I'm looking for the best setup to save space. Wall mounting a TV
would be a good way to go. Althought I would like to hide the cords
behind the TV, I know there are cable covers that I could run from the
outlets up to the TV and paint the same color as the wall to disguise
the cables. The main problem is what to do with the cable box and DVD
player. I think those are the only two pieces of equipment I'm
looking to have set up along with the TV. Maybe some sort of
shelving? They would still stick out at least the depth of the
equipment. Maybe a hole through the wall to run wire and set them up
in the closet behind the wall? Not sure how keen I am on that, but if
easy and able to patch, I would consider it. Then would have to
figure out how to get remotes to work with the DVD player and cable
box since they would be behind the wall.

This area connects the the rest of the house to kitchen and living
room so will be a high traffic area. I would like to opt for a small,
shallow TV stand but that would impede the walkway.

Just looking for some suggestions.
Thanks!

Is this the bottom floor or the top floor? If the bottom and you have
a basement, or the top and you have an attic, I would put the cable
box and player near the chair I would be sitting in, and run the
cables through the floor (or back to a wall, into the wall and down or
up to the unfinished floor), over to below or above the wall that you
are showing, and arrange for the wires to come out right behind the
tv. That's the advantage of owning your own home.

It also means you don't have to get up to change the DVD and you don't
have to rely on a remote to; control whatever devices you are using.
I have my vcr next to my bed and the tv that it feeds on the far side
of the bed 10 feet away. Why people always put the vcr/dvd/cable box
right by the tv, I have no idea.

Also it appears that behind that wall is a closet or something. You
could without too much trouble put an added electrical outlet 3 feet
above the first one, so you wouldn't see that either. You'd have to
look at the back of the tv carefully before doing this, or the first
part above, but there is probably plenty of room, because I'm not the
first person to think of this.

I would probably do it in violation of code, but I don't recommend
that. Other people he I know you won't like running plain lamp
cord or even heavier through a little hole in the wall, but if a 1 or
2 inch diameter hole was cut in the wall behind the tv -- the
circumference could be plastered -- could the cord be run through that
to an outlet somewhere else, or a new outlet put in back to back with
the current one near the floor? That way the pretty wall wouldn't be
obstructed.

I agree that the tv should be right against the wall but I don't think
you should have to make your own plate. Don't they sell them for each
tv?