Built In Outlet behind TV (1 Viewer)

[wheresthewires.com]

If any of you have or seen a flat screen model that has a built in auxillary outlet built into the back of the set. Kinda got into it with Leo Laporte yesterday regarding this topic. He says most tvs have it, I say none of them have it.

The outlet would be used to power up media player or sound bars. I have built one and it looks like this.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

[Type A]

As long as its competitively priced (a three outlet extension cord is $1.29) it might come in handy for some folks. As Sam mentioned in your other thread a three prong outlet should be standard, something not always found in a $1.29 extension cord. Usually theres lots of realestate on the back of a flat panel to hide and secure excess cable, your invention just makes that a little easier. I would take it one step further and offer short (say 1', 1.5', 2') versions of power cords featuring the most common plugs:

 

[wheresthewires.com]

I guess I see a problem cause I've had it. Here is the scenario. You have a 200lb plasma mounted on the wall. The TV is powered by 1 outlet and you cannot get to the oulet without moving the TV. You want to add a soundbar or a Roku and not have either the HDMI wire, audio wires or the power wire visible.

My options seemed limited. The adapter I've created does not exist anywhere. How much time and energy have I saved by using it versus finding friends to help me move the TV and install another outlet?

 

[Mr645]

I can think of dozens of uses for something like that.

As a photographer. I use AC to power lighting equipment, and then a radio control unit for remote control of the light. The radio can use AA batteries, but those can die and leave the radio not working, so I use an AC power source which means running another AC cord or extension.

 

[schan1269]

I'll chime in, again.Pidgeonholing this with the tagline "outlet behind your TV" is going nowhere. If you are short sighted enough to mount a TV to your wall and not include enough extra power outlets back there, then you totally don't need to ever install anything.Everybody I've mentioned this to gives me a totally blank "who cares" or worse...a quick chuckle.I can see this being useful for people who buy soundbars. Problem is...how long is that cord?The soundbars I have in my house, I couldn't use your invention anyway...1. Three prong2. Almost 6ft, non-removable, power cable.(as in sure, buy your "solution" and hide 6ft of power cable...)

 

[schan1269]

By the way...If you'd produce long ones, like 15ft, with the "Panasonic infinity connector"(for ac cords to boom boxes...Panny style fits everything).You can go to Kmart, Target, Walmart etc and buy $35-$70 boom boxes with 1/8th inputs to connect ipods/phones to it.I'd buy an extra one for the boombox to charge the ipod/phone during use.Problem you have there? How many of them would you sell...

 

[Type A]

A "200lb plasma" and "install another outlet" is a scenario, and a solution, that only a salesman could come up with. In order to be of any credibility you kinda have to start at reality and work up from there. Jus sayin.

 

[wheresthewires.com]

Up until the creation of streaming media players and soundbars there was no need for this adapter. Now when you look at a tv on a wall, up in corner of a bar in an airport or anywhere do you think that adding that media player with all cords hidden is just a snap? I thought so until I had to do it. Nearly everyone that bought and installed a apple tv or a roku that has seen the product wishes they would have had it before they went through all of the work of installing it and figuring out how to hide the power cord or the HDMI cord. Sure they could put it in the cabinet where the cable box is but now they have to buy a significantly longer HDMI cord and fish it through the walls. Are you foresighted enough to have an extra HDMI cord installed just waiting for something that wasn't even invented at the time you put your tv on the wall?

I've also attached a pic of the most common kit that is used for mounting a tv against the wall. I only see one outlet!!

In regards to HTF expert saying he couldn't use this because of 3 prong and hiding 6 feet of cord behind the TV. The Roku wire you see in the pic was 8ft long and it was easily hidden behind the tv. And yes the outlet created is a 3 prong outlet. Imagine how much cord you could hide if you snugged up the power bar directly under the TV? Really?

 

[schan1269]

I didn't blow the picture up. You must have changed it from the last time you brought it here.

 

[wheresthewires.com]

Actually I would like to know the model of the soundbar that has a 3 prong outlet. We discovered none during the research of this product. We couldn't even find ones that used polarized 2 prong plugs. All were either wall warts just non-polarized 2 prong.