Why Cables

[steve.noyes]

Hi All

Been checking out some of the installs people have, First thing first well done have'nt seen a bad one yet. But one thing vexex me, most of the installs i see have so many of them cables on view.

Why spend so much on equiment and not hide all the cables ?

Or are cables just not so inportant ?

Its just that im getting a cinema room ready to go and maybe there is a good reason.

Thanks.

[BruceH]

I imagine the answer is cost.
Hiding the cables in the back of your cabinet is the first problem.
It needs a closed cabinet but that has cooling problems.
Hiding the cables to the speakers is the next problem.
This involves chasing the walls, or putting them under the floor, but is generally difficult.

it was about the 4th incarnation of my cinema before I got all the cables hidden in the walls and the ceiling.

it involved chopping all the walls up and replastering them.
Then chopping up the ceiling and replastering that.

Take a look at My gallery page and tell me if you think I pulled it off!!

[mhuk05]

I agree- hide the cables. Do it properly and channel out the plaster, hide them behind the skirting or under the floor. Visible plastic trunking is a poor substitute

[APatel]

Generally not too much hassle if you've just moved into somewhere or better yet just had it built... or its a complete tip to begin with as the mess wont really make a difference and the final result will be worth it.

[steve.noyes]

Hi Bruce


Thats what im talking about great install, looking for somthing like that myself.

Was that your own work or did you source a custom install company in?

[BruceH]

My own work.........

Well with help.

A friend of mine is an electrical designer, so I told him what I wanted where and he did the drawings for the electricians.

A guy from work built the box that encloses the screen.

The equipment cabinet, I designed and a local carpenter made.

The electrcians channeled the walls and put the cables in the ceiling.
Also installed all the lighting of course.

The plasterer filled the walls and smoothed the artexed ceiling.

So I designed and managed it, but I didn't get my hands very dirty!!

Glad you like it.

[Nickiniquity]

I've almost finished my setup in our Victorian house front room (might get some images on here someday soon). Everything except speakers and projector had to be concealed when not in use by 'order' of SWMBO. (the powered screen is inside the ceiling void, and vanishes nicely, which is neat)

Old houses are cool, as they have suspended wooden floors over a void which can be used to hide loads of cables. This almost makes up for the less than ideal acoustics of all that wood moving when the LFE is in action! All my cables for 5.1 speakers are hidden, just a socket in the floor near each speaker on show (and hidden behind the speakers anyway) All the amps and sources are installed in the house understairs cupboard and controlled remotely, cabling from these to the projector is again in the floor void, and then up a channel in the wall to reach the projector. This worked for me because the cupboard is close to the room. Its a total cable-fest mess under the stairs, but it doesn't matter because no one sees it. I also have a small patchbay within the front room concealed behind skirting which can be used to connect extra things easily.

If I had a new build cinema, I would seriously consider some sort of accessible channel in the concrete floor to use as a cable duct.

Nick