Running power/video to fireplace mounted TV

[DarkSideGTI]

I am finishing my basement right now and have decided to mount my TV on my fireplace. Right now the fireplace is covered in cinder blocks but I will be adding stacked rock to it. I want to run power and HDMI to where the TV is, but am unsure on the best way to do it. I was thinking of installing an outlet box on the cinder block and running the wire along a raceway on the cinder block wall and then I would be able to hide it with the stacked rock. I don't know if this will cause any issues though and am looking for some input.

Here is a sketch of what the fireplace looks like for reference.



I should only need power and HDMI right? The receiver can handle all of the inputs.

[SAPJetta]

I'd run power, cable, HDMI x2, and cat 5 or 6 just to cover all your bases. Once you start to close things up, you don't want to find out you should have run something else.

[484]

I'd run power, cable, HDMI x2, and cat 5 or 6 just to cover all your bases. Once you start to close things up, you don't want to find out you should have run something else.

In this vein, shouldn't it be easy to fish new wires through the raceway if done right? Junction box can be exposed for future access and obscured by TV.

[DarkSideGTI]

In this vein, shouldn't it be easy to fish new wires through the raceway if done right? Junction box can be exposed for future access and obscured by TV.

It depends on how I run the "raceway". I'm not even sure how or what to use to do it either.

[99blackmagic]

I think i'd do it as you're saying but have a few rocks that are caulked in place or something, like a tub access in tile work. So then you can take out those and have access to whatever you need and then put them back in place and lightly mortar around them with silicone holding the rocks in place.

Whether this is doable is questionable, but i know i'd try it.

[tjm0852]

Raceway is not really made to pull future cables through, conduit (with a pull string) is. Not saying it's impossible to snake raceway, but conduit is a better idea. Conduit with a pull string is the best idea providing you can fit it. Raceway is typically exposed whereas conduit is typically hidden. The other problem is that the conduit or raceway would need to fairly large to accomodate the ends of the HDMI cable. Coax or Cat5 or 6 is not an issue because you can terminate the ends after you pull the cable. I have not seen anyone provide termination kits for HDMI cables. I did break one and figured I would hack it open just to see what was in there, really its just a bunch of copper wires so you probably could hack an end off and scotch lock it back together but I wouldn't take that chance and expect a great picture afterward.

When I set my entertainment system up I ran 3 HDMI, 1 coax, one TOS link, 1 Cat 5e, 2 pair of speaker wire. I look at running cables this way. If I never use them, oh well. If I need them and they are not there and I need to make an impossible run or wreck stuff to run them, F me! I would rather have overkilled it the first time around.