by Jeff Fisher

A/V Equipment keeps changing as standards and technology move ahead. Currently, HDMI is the leading method of connecting flat-screen televisions to the equipment that drives them. (Although we've heard many good arguments for the continued use of component video.)

So we now tell our customers to run the following between their flat-screen and their equipment:

Wire	For	Terminate With
HDMI	HD Video & Audio	Pre-Terminated
3 RG6 Quad Coaxial cables	Component Video (if desired)	Terminate the coax cables with an F connector & put F to RCA adapters on the ends.
2 RG6 Quad Coaxial cables	Cable TV, off-air TV, baseband video, analog audio, etc.	Terminate the coax cables with an F connector & put F to RCA adapters on the ends.
2 Cat5e or better cables	Many possibilities: Infrared distribution, computer network, other signals via baluns.	Terminate into modular jacks.

We also urge people to run a 1.5" flexible conduit in addition to the above to cover future possibilities or even a failed cable. All of these solutions make the assumption that you want to mount the flatscreen on the wall while hiding the wires in the wall.

As far as trimming out this installation, We offer 3 & 4 gang new construction mud-rings that offer conduit openings that would be a perfect solution at the cabinet or theater location. At the flatscreen location you could use a double gang version of the mud-rings and install the double gang "Nose" wall plate to let the cables just spill out of the wall directly to the TV. Or terminate using an HDMI or component wall plate.

We sell a 8 gang low voltage wall plate that many HT customers fill with there component, HDMI, s-video, whole house audio and structured wire wall plates. Many new high end AV receivers are offering HDMI switching & up-converting that may minimize some of the cable runs we recommend, however better safe that sorry.

Another thing that is popular is to provide surge protection and/or common grounding from the home theater location or rack were the equipment is. There is a company out there that provides this link and surge protection units however they tend to be expensive. HomeTech has figured out a few ways of providing this surge protection for a lot less. Our solution includes a few Leviton inlet/outlets.

Update: HomeTech now offers several methods to power flat-screen TVs remotely.

Jeff

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