You’re finally getting that home theater system you’ve always wanted. Flat-panel TV, 5.1 surround sound, multi-room audio speaker system – the works.
You un-box, set everything up, configure the settings, and after all that finally step back to admire your new work of art – but what do you really see?
Do you see wires and cables running across the floor? Cables dangling down from your beautiful flat-screen TV? Unsightly, unconcealed speaker cables?
With the help of this post and a little extra work, we’ll help you set up a home theater system that not only performs well but looks great too!
Here are our top five home theater cable management tips for AV integrators and home owners:
Cable Management Tip #1: Separate Power Cables from AV Cables
Most pro AV integrators know that separating different types of cable into different runs is a good idea. Especially if you are bundling power cables for instance, which can cause electromagnetic interference with surrounding cables . What we recommend for setting up a home theater system, is use cable hangers or cable managers to structure your cables so that power cables run on one side and audio and video cables run down the other side. So if you have power to the right, make sure AV is to the left, or vice versa. This not only minimizes interference but also allows for easy access. Also, always organize cables in right angles, any diagonals are sure to lead to tangles down the road.
Cable Management Tip #2: Wrap or Tie EVERYTHING!
Plastic cable ties are cheap so don’t skimp on them. But there also are many other excellent options as well to get your cable into neat bundles. Velcro ties, or a hook and loop system are easy to tie, remove and are completely reusable. What makes them especially effective is when you’re mounting a big bundle of cable into an anchor point behind your home theater setup, a good strong Velcro tie can hold the weight and makes it easy to re-bundle later on. Velcro also cuts easily to any length you need it to be.
Cable Management Tip #3: Label, Label, Label
Any organization expert will tell you that labels are always packed in their arsenal no matter what the project entails. The solution may seem simple but it’s worth its weight in gold. The key to proper labeling is to make sure you label both ends of all the cables in your home theater installation including power cables, audio video cables, HDMI cables and more. A good tip is to color-code your labels by cable type, or at least make sure your labeling is consistent so that you or anyone else can easily decode what connects where.
Cable Management Tip #4: Organize Better
Apart from organizing your cabling by cable type to minimize interference, here are a few other tips to better organize. In addition to proper labeling, using colored cables is a great way to identify them. You can find colored HDMI cables or even perhaps an orange-jacketed RCA audio cable can stand out from other RCA component or composite video cables. If you can’t find colored cables you can also get colored expandable sleeving or tubing which not only protects your cables but makes them look aesthetically pleasing as well!
Watch this brief video for a quick overview on how to manage your cables.
Cable Management Tip #5: Make Time
Our final tip for reducing cable spaghetti is to take your time. Almost always when we buy any new audio video gear we can’t wait to un-box and start flipping the channels or watch that first movie or insert that first audio album. You’d be surprised how many people don’t consider cable management as a part of their AV equipment setup. It’s not just about making your setup look good. Being careless can compromise cable integrity, causing twists and bends that can lead to poor signal transmission and unnecessary headache. Buying the right size cable for the job is also key. Especially if you’re buying a standard size cable, take the extra time to measure. Why pay for an extra foot of cable if you don’t have to?
So take your time, and as always if you have any questions about setting up your home theater system, our in-house experts are here to help! Simply call our Burbank, California AV store at: 800.634.9476 or shop online on our website 24/7!
I love what you had to say about making time to include cable management in your AV equipment setup. I’ve been doing research on the best type of data cabling to use for audio and video signals. I’m taking the time to figure out the best possible set up, so it makes sense that I should take the time to keep it all organized. Nothing is more frustrating than tangled cords all over the place.
I like how you call it cable spaghetti, this is pretty much exactly what I have experienced before. Labeling definitely helps a ton, I agree that you should make this a priority. You might think that you won’t mind figuring it all out again, but it’s just a waste of your hard work! Wrapping is something I should do better this time, I appreciate the tip! Thank you for such a helpful and applicable article!
Yes it’s really about just taking the time to not have a mess of cables behind all the equipment. The power cable interference is a good thing to keep in mind as not many people think about it. But if you’re spending all this money on a great home theater, it seems like an easy error to avoid to ensure the speaker cable isn’t parallel with the power cables
I agree with the cable managements last tip in the article. Mostly people don’t care about the proper cable management and don’t consider it as a part of their AV equipment setup. twisting cables will definitely effect the signal transmission. Should buy an extra foot to avoid this problem. Thank you for sharing this wonderful piece of information!