Hello All,

Just stumbled on the Digital Home website and have been very impressed with all the info on the site.

I just purchased a 40' Samsung LCD and I want to mount it on the wall and hide the cables (HDMI etc..) in the wall also.

I'm looking to hire someone to do this for me as time doesn't permit me to start a project like that. If anyone knows a person who does installs around the GTA that would be great.

I've searched the forums and online with no luck so far.

Thanks in advance!

I went through FS to get mine installed; they contract out to a company called cable alliance, and they did a good job installing my TV on reinforced cement studs. If it was wood, I would have done it myself. Be warned though, things can get quite expensive for what you want to do. They charged me 200 bones to simply put 4 cement screws in the wall and mount the TV. Mine was a bit more expensive though because of the cement studs. You might be looking at 300-400 to hide all the wires and make everything look pretty. Good luck.

I'm in Ottawa too.

I have a a conduit and electrical outlet exactly where I want to put the tv, so hopefully I should be ok!

Thanks for the info. I ended up finding someone in the GTA to do the install for me for $200. My install is pretty simple, the power outlet is right below the wall mount and it will be mounted on wood studs not cement which explains the cheaper price. That price includes concealing the wires in the wall too.

Fastness - Can you tell me who you used for your install. I'm in similiar situation and live in GTA. I'm Looking to wall mount my Pioneer 5070 above the fireplace and concealing the wires. I'd like some assistance with the install.

Cable Alliance via Future shop is quite pricey = >$500

Thanks

Be aware that mounting over a fireplace will likely be quite costly no matter who you go with. It's not a simple matter of poking a hole in the upper part of the wall and fishing the cables through to another hole directly below. With a fireplace you'll have to route the cables around it somehow so you'll likely need to go through some studs and other obstacles, which means you're looking at tearing the whole wall open. Then of course you've got to patch the wall back up, and depending on how long ago it was painted you may not be able to match the paint properly so you may end up having to paint the whole wall. Not a simple job at all. In fact, I'd be wary about someone who said they could do a job like that for $200-300.

One other thing to keep in mind is how high the TV will ultimately be sitting. If your fireplace mantle is relatively high and you sit relatively close to it then you'll need to be looking upwards to watch TV. May not seem like a big deal until you try it for a couple of hours and find your neck getting sore. It would be a shame to go through all of that expense only to find it too uncomfortable to actually watch TV that way.

Flat panels mounted over fireplaces may look cool in home theater mags but they often aren't very practical places to actually mount a TV.

Thanks for the info. I ended up finding someone in the GTA to do the install for me for $200. My install is pretty simple, the power outlet is right below the wall mount and it will be mounted on wood studs not cement which explains the cheaper price. That price includes concealing the wires in the wall too.
Yeah, but if you are not sure of the whole process and have not done it before... paying $200-300 is cheaper than dropping the TV trying to mount it up. Next to that, you'll probably invest alot of time an effort trying to figure out how to do things... and getting accessories, and pieces all adds up.

That being said, I feel like mounting up my new 46" LCD on my own now. Call me adventurous, and I'll tell you how it feels after its up, or down.

fastness: can you also tell me the contact to do the mounting for you? I am looking to mount my plasma on the wall too.

I was reading this thread and intend to install my new Bravia 46 inches on the wall as well...The wall I intend to install it on is actually a concrete block wall (behind the gyproc installed directly on the concrete blocks,no space in between)) and I'm wandering if it is solid enough as it is, providing of course the screws used are concrete screws...I read in the TV instruction book that the installation has to secure 4 times the weight of the TV but cannot find the info whether screwing a stand with concrete screws in cement blocks can support +/- 300 pounds....

Here is an interesting option I saw on the CES 2007 show on HDNet...

http://www.vanptc.com/

In particular it is this one: http://www.theevosystem.com/

Very nice, innovative and smart indeed...but will cement screws in the concrete blocks support the weight...

As long as the screws are meant for concrete, like tapcon screws, then yes.

One good sized tapcon can hold a hell of a lot of weight.

bmeikle - I used a company in the GTA to do my installation, it was a 32 inch lcd in my bedroom and a 50 inch plasma over my fireplace with surround sound... leave a post if you are still looking and I will dig up their contact for you, they did a great job for me.

I have done many installs over fireplace and It does not need to be as dramatic as mentioned on this thread, the Whoe wall does not need to be cut open, just spots that can be easily patched up to complete the wall the way it was. If you have doubts check my website under services for pictures.
www.akinstallations.com

Thanks

Kash
akinstallations

a good friend does gas work, and mentioned a home burning down, due to the video/audio wires coming in contact with the exhaust from the gas fireplace (they get up and over 1000 degrees, hot enough to start a fire)
it could be a horror story, meant to scare some, but i would be cautious with a DIY flat panel install over a fireplace
saving a few bucks, may not be worth it
does anyone know of anything that could be wrapped around the a/v cables to prevent something like this happening?

Tin Foil...LOL

hmmm, tin foil is a nice conducter of heat (cooks me spuds nice on the bbq)
hopefully you never have an incident like this

:confused:
I used to work at FS now I am at BB.
Ihaven't seen much consideration for operating tempature and ambient temperatures considered in your mounting.
Just let me say this. If you shop at FS consider the guy really wants to sell as he is comish.
And did they once mention Ambient, storage and operating tempatures.
I know alot of electronics as I am a PC tech of 12 years and for the last 2 years have been in the home ent dept.
Since I really like tech stuff and every thing I can conect to my PC I started heavy reading.
PLEASE consider your temps Ambient, Operating and storage.
Type of fuel in the fireplace, and take many types of temp and space measurements to be sure ventilation and heat from both devices do not ruin that nice TV. ( hope you bought the extra warrenty.)
There is NO standard guid as of yet and I would think each house would be fundimentaly differant.
I run a site but I am against dropping links on sites so you can leave me messages. But PLEASE do not just rely on the sales guys word.
Call the manufacture or find a REAL tech to ask your questions.
Comish sales guys , meh. the gotta eat and sell. The information isn't allways good.






I.T. ZIM

You can find sleeving for wiring at any high performance automotive store. Generally used for spark plug wiring.

Here's an extreme example;
http://cableorganizer.com/fire-sleeve/

In my new home, the builder forgot to run the 110V outlet above the fireplace for my plasma. They came in after the house was completed and fished it through behind the gas fireplace enclosure. He used regular romex with no sheilding. Will it pass code in Ontario?