# In-Wall cables (power, hdmi, component, etc)



## Cody (Mar 19, 2010)

I have my lcd wall mounted and i would prefer to have the cables hidden, If i were to run cables through the wall, first off what special cables do i need (in-wall safe/compliant?) and also how would i provide surge protection for the power outlet that will be hidden behind the tv on the wall? i dont think ill have room for a surge protector behind there..?

thanks in advance,
Cody


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## Anthony (Oct 5, 2006)

Anything listed as CL-2 or CL-3 is rated for in-wall home use.

Some will go further and list as Riser-rated or plenum-rated. These are more important for buildings where wires go through multiple floors and are in spaces that draw air for the HVAC system.

For residential use, CL2/3 is fine. Parts Express, Monoprice, even Home Depot sell wire that is rated for in-wall use.

For surge protection, you can install a Powerbridge (google it). It's a product that puts a receptacle up by the TV and a recessed plug in a wall plate at the bottom. Then you can plug into the same surge protector that the rest of the gear is on. They are a bit pricey, but cheaper than buying a separate surge protector for the TV.

Good luck.


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## RBTO (Jan 27, 2010)

Leviton makes surge protector that fits in a standard outlet box replacing the regular outlet. 

http://www.fruitridgetools.com/storefrontprofiles/processfeed.aspx?sfid=136763&i=15682981&mpid=8171&dfid=1

It might take a larger than normal outlet box (deeper) so if you're installing that sort of thing a bit of pre-planning might be needed. The Powerbridge is a good idea, but you still have some in-the-wall work to install it. Siemens, Square-D, and others make surge protection _breakers_ that can be installed in your breaker box and they provide protection to the whole circuit they're connected to. That's another option.

Another thought, depending on how long your HDMI needs to be - you might consider HDMI over CAT6. This lets you send the HDMI signal over two CAT6 cables and works well. Advantages - you can achieve longer distances than with HDMI; cheaper cable than HDMI cable; you can get the CAT6 cable through holes that HDMI won't fit through; you can cut the CAT6 cable to whatever length you want and achieve non-standard lengths for your runs. Downside - system powered by HDMI source and in some cases you need a separate power inserter to get good operation; HDMI over CAT wallplates aren't the greatest looking in the world and you need one at the input end and one at the output end (CAT in between); you might need to install CAT connectors on your CAT cables (not too hard but you need the tool for crimping). Check with Monoprice if you're interested.

Good Luck on your install!


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