3 Tips for Hiding Cables from Your Wall Mounted TV

The primary methods for hiding cables coming out of or leading into your wall-mounted TV are to feed them through the drywall, installing a plug-in outlet directly behind the TV for the power cord, to use a cable wall cover or some combination of the three. Mounting your flatscreen TV onto the wall eliminates the need for an entertainment center or shelf and frees up a lot of space in the den. By hiding the cables, you create a seemingly wireless television setup that offers an attractive surrounding space to complement the high quality picture. Not all of these tips may work well in your home, for one involves running cable through the drywall, while another requires a specifically-placed outlet. However, the third option will be suitable in any home where the other two are not viable solutions. 

Run Cable through the Walls

The most complicated of the ways to hide wall-mounted TV cables requires cutting two holes in the drywall, one behind the TV and one below it. Wires from component pieces such as a cable box, satellite dish or DVD player will feed into the bottom hole and come out the top hole hidden behind the TV. Doing this requires drilling the holes, snaking the wires into one and out the other and capping them with cover plates. As for the power cord, it will either be visible or, if it is long enough, you can feed it through the holes as well and plug it into an outlet below the TV near the floor. 

Install an Outlet Behind the TV

A nice way to take care of the problem of the TV power cord is to have a wall outlet directly behind the TV. If one is already there then there is nothing to do. Simply mount the TV so it covers the outlet, plug it in and contain the dangling cord with a twist tie. This, though, does not take care of the auxiliary wires such for a DVD player, cable or amplification system. If, however, a wall outlet is not present, you can undertake the work to install one. With a little electrical wiring skill you can do this yourself, but it will involve cutting into the drywall. It is a project that requires some time and a little mess, but it’s possible. 

Use a Cable Wall Cover

Perhaps the easiest way to hide both the power cord and any other wires leading to the TV is to use a cable wall cover. A cable wall cover is a relatively flat fixture that provides a clear space underneath it for the running of cables. You can easily paint it the color of your wall to blend it with the decoration. It won’t be entirely invisible, but it looks a lot nicer than a bundle of hanging cables. If there is an outlet below the TV in reach of the power cord, that and all other cables will fit within the cable wall cover and be hidden from the outlet to the TV. The wall cover adheres to the wall with two-sided tape or some type of glue. 

Whether you opt for the more involved project of drilling into the drywall behind and below the TV through which to run the cables, installing an outlet or you choose to use a cable wall cover, hiding the cables connecting your wall-mounted TV to other components and to a power outlet can be accomplished to create a visibly wireless TV setup.