Newbie "Home Theater" project prior to repainting... (1 Viewer)

[tedo77]

New to the forum as well as to home theater projects. I currently have an older Samsung TV hung above a fireplace with several devices (3 HDMI, 1 optional HDMI, 1 Component, 1 Composite) plugged directly into it. Currently no external sound equipment (receiver or sound bar). We are currently in the process of painting the room and wanted to run the cables behind walls prior to doing so. I can run the electrical for the TV and a channel for video/audio, but I am struggling with how to connect all the devices. The channel behind the wall is not a straight shot up so I can't take the easy way out. I have looked into running longer cables for all devices (probably too many cables to manage), connecting through a wireless device (don't know much about but fear some kind of lag for video game systems), using HDMI splitters (but daisy chaining them sounds iffy and I also have non-HDMI components), or connecting to a receiver so I only have to run the one output cable (but I was unsure if I would need to buy a bunch of audio equipment or if I could still use the TV speakers or maybe a future sound bar).

Basically I am looking for the best way (cheap is good, but not necessarily the biggest factor) to take my existing system and just hide the cables behind the walls.

Thanks,
tedo77

 

[John Dirk]

New to the forum as well as to home theater projects. I currently have an older Samsung TV hung above a fireplace with several devices (3 HDMI, 1 optional HDMI, 1 Component, 1 Composite) plugged directly into it. Currently no external sound equipment (receiver or sound bar). We are currently in the process of painting the room and wanted to run the cables behind walls prior to doing so. I can run the electrical for the TV and a channel for video/audio, but I am struggling with how to connect all the devices. The channel behind the wall is not a straight shot up so I can't take the easy way out. I have looked into running longer cables for all devices (probably too many cables to manage), connecting through a wireless device (don't know much about but fear some kind of lag for video game systems), using HDMI splitters (but daisy chaining them sounds iffy and I also have non-HDMI components), or connecting to a receiver so I only have to run the one output cable (but I was unsure if I would need to buy a bunch of audio equipment or if I could still use the TV speakers or maybe a future sound bar).

Basically I am looking for the best way (cheap is good, but not necessarily the biggest factor) to take my existing system and just hide the cables behind the walls.

Thanks,
tedo77

You mention that you TV is an older Samsung. Some of the newer Samsung models basically solve this problem with the use of an external I/O box that only requires a single cable run to the actual TV. I don't know if a replacement TV is potentially in your plans but it is probably an option worth considering.

 

[tedo77]

John thanks for the reply. I had not planned on spending that much on a new TV, but depending upon how much it is it might be as cheap to buy as a decent receiver (or however is the best way). I will keep it in mind and look around for that option.

Any more options?