Any have advice/methods for installing HTs/TVs/stereos/speakers/internet/etc. in apartments with bad outlet locations... I fear the options are severely limited, but I don't know all the tricks here. What about running cables/wires under carpet/through walls? too much hassle/expensive for an apartment?

For example... cable and electrical outlet are behind the chair on the left...


above them is the hvac return vent, there is a hall beside the vent, just out of the picture...

receiver/bd player/etc placement options? small shelf beside the fireplace I guess?
I don't care for the fireplace anyways... maybe line it with some plastic and put my current entertainment shelf in front of it?

3/2/2011 7:27:45 PM

Put everything in a closet. Infrared blaster, HDMI switcher, and HDMI over CAT5 should get you in business. Cord hider for your Cat5 and power. Paint to match wall.

3/2/2011 8:01:18 PM

Quote :

"maybe line it with some plastic and put my current entertainment shelf in front of it?"

As long as you'll be okay with the way it looks that'd by my recommendation. I think a shelf/entertainment stand would stick out a bit too far, but that's all up to personal interpretation and I haven't seen your entertainment stand. I'll assume you have a receiver/amp that everything's going to run through? In that case it'd be easy fishing a single HDMI behind the shelf above the fireplace into the receiver on the back of the stand...only gotta go like 6 inches through the wall, tops. Of course, you'd need wire concealer and paint for the power cord.

If you're not comfortable with/have never fished wires through longer stretches of wall, the speakers would be your main concern, but you could still clean it up and make it look pretty good with more wire concealer and paint. Depending on how finicky you are around audio, the trickiest thing would be front speaker placement, with the vent directly to the left and the corner right there. I'm assuming you'd rest the center on the shelf below where the TV will be mounted. Rears wouldn't be too tough since, worst case scenario, you could run concealer up the wall and across the ceiling.

3/2/2011 11:16:53 PM