Where to place a cable box for a wall mounted Flat Panel tv?

by Fire Places on May 20, 2010

I have just installed & mounted a new 42" flat panel tv above my fireplace. Since it is a High Definition tv my cable company requires me to use a cable box in order to receive the HD signal. However, now I can’t figure a good place to put the cable box. Where could I put the cable box without it looking out of place or awkward? I thought of putting the cable box in another location within the room but the only outlet for the cable wire is behind where the tv hangs now. (it s a brand new home and the cable was wired to this location specifically for a flat panel.) The fireplace does not have a mantle either.

Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.


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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }

mrknositall May 20, 2010 at 12:05 am

Your TV should have an HD cable tuner built into it. You can tell if it does by looking on the back for a slot marked "cable card". You should be able to get a card from your cable company that will allow you to receive HD programming without a box. Going this route will save you money also because whether you know it or not, your cable company is charging you monthly to "rent" their box. In fact, the difference in price paid for my HD package.

Larry W May 20, 2010 at 12:05 am

The cables that used do not lose signal due to length..so wherever you want to put it…go for it..it’s the types of cables that are important..You’re tv has the ability to show you 10.8 million colors,,but only if you use the correct cables which are HDMI.. your screen is now made up of 1,080 scan lines which gives the screen 2 million color dots..each color dot can now be lit individually for perfect clarity..but only with that cable..and they run around $150 depending on where you get it. Holla if ya need anything Larry dont_no_til_u_try@yahoo.com

bbyhtguy May 20, 2010 at 12:05 am

You can put the box in a stand inside the room or in a different location and run the cable to the tv. This is also a good solution for DVD players and audio receivers.

HDMI will start to lose signal strength after about 50 feet, so try to keep it near by. Some newer audio receiver have hdmi switching which will make installing it a little easier if you have multiple sources.

If the box is out of sight, keep in mind that you will need to use an IR repeater in order to control it.

If all of this seems like too much, you may want to have a home theater installer come and look at it for you and give you some ideas that are tailored to your room. Most will do it for a small cost (under $100)

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