# Installing TV's in a home



## 3DDesign (Oct 25, 2014)

I wanted to start a conversion about installing TVs and equipment in both new homes and existing. Here's some of the things were doing. I appreciate you adding your thoughts and techniques.

In new construction, I run 1 1/2" PVC conduit from the Cable or Satellite box to the TV. Sometimes this is just a short piece from the equipment directly below in a media cabinet, sometimes it's a 30 ft run. Why conduit?, because someday it may change to Fiber. Another reason is running future multiple HDMI for Blu Ray and gaming systems. We also add wood blocking for the TV mounts. 

The newest Comcast DVR has a remote that's IR for the TV and RF (radio frequency) for the Comcast box. It has the type of remote you can talk into.
With this DVR, you can mount it remotely and run HDMI to the TV.
Since it's RF, I have mounted the DVR in the basement and run HDMI up to the TV. I've also placed them in closets. Of course wherever you place it, you must have Coax, a receptacle and HDMI to the TV. The TV uses the IR, the Comcast box uses the RF.

They also have a box for other TVs that has access to your DVR and all your recordings. 

We almost always run Cat6 to the TV. The newest offering from Direst TV is Direct TV Now, it's requires hard wired Ethernet. It's a streaming service, not a Satellite.

Streaming services like Netflix, HBO Now and Hulu, measure the internet speed to the TV and adjust the quality of the image so that it doesn't buffer/hesitate. Having a hard wire Ethernet will give you a better service, faster downloads and possibly a higher quality image.

A strong wireless internet will work but hard wired is always better. Several TV's streaming at the same time, plus cell phones and other wireless devices will bring down the speed of a wireless network. It is possible to install a second router and have two wireless networks in the same home. Simply run Cat6 from the modem to the second router and set up a new Network. Make sure it's using 5GHz.

Many younger people are not using any Cable or Satellite service. They use a combination of Streaming and free HD Broadcasting. For them, we install an outdoor HD antenna in the attic and distribute it throughout the home via Coax. We also run Cat6 to each TV. In my area, between 43 and 60 channels are available free. Some are repeats of SD and HD from the same station. The HD is 1080P.


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## joebanana (Dec 21, 2010)

I don't know why, but now I have "Money for nothin' " by Dire Straits stuck in my head.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

I've gone as far as recessing 3/4" ply in the framing when nobody has any idea of what is going on the entertainment wall to get much more coverage than adding blocking.

Also used 1.5" vacuum pvc tube with 45s as the wiring chase to come out of the rock and trimmed it flush after, it's very easy to drop cables through it. Also run smurf to the attic or basement connected to a LV frame down low for future changes in custom homes.

I like the large Arlington tv boxes.


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