Wall-mounted TVs are a great addition to your living room. They save you space and are aesthetically pleasing to look at. Mounting TVs above a fireplace is a popular choice among many customers.
This setup, however, can lead to some complications with related hardware such as a cable box. Many users use the cable box with their TVs and as such have some trouble with their placement.
You help you, we have prepared an easy-to-follow guide.
Quick summary
By the end of this guide, we will go through
- Where to put cable box when you mount TV over the fireplace?
- How to hide cables inside a fireplace?
Let’s take a look at it.
Placing your Cable Box around a TV above Fireplace
As discussed earlier, many customers mount their TVs above a fireplace. It is a popular space for wall mounting as it is pleasing to look at. It also effectively utilizes the central space of your living room.
A cable box is a common piece of hardware that goes with a television set. However, placing them around a TV can be tricky. You have to consider wire management as well as remote communication.
Nowadays, many universal TV stands conceal cables quite effectively. However, there are other alternative methods you can use. Let’s discuss them in detail:
On the Mantle
Your cable box needs to be static. Placing it on the fireplace mantle is a good option, provided it is wide enough. However, you need to be careful of certain factors here.
The cable management is a bit tricky. Running cables into another room can work if there is not enough space. However, this can lead to some issues as the heat of the fireplace can damage your cables.
Mantles can also get cluttered up very easily. The purpose of wall-mounted TVs is to reduce the mess created by TV wires. So, we recommend this option only if you have a wide fireplace mantle.
Floating Wall Mount beneath your TV
One option that you can use is to build a shelf that hosts your cable box. You can easily mount them on the wall and they can also fit in other pieces of hardware such as a DVD player or a gaming console.
For cable management, you can use clips. Firstly, you would have to bind the wires in a neat bunch using zip ties and fix them to the wall using clips. You can also hide them using plastic covers.
There is also a direct line of sight between your remote and the cable box. This will ensure optimum communication between the devices. Shelves are also an easy-to-set-up option for you.
However, there is a potential for clutter if you opt for this choice. Shelves take up space on walls and may also obstruct the view between the screen and the viewer, especially at a sideways angle.
Behind your TV
You can go for hanging the box behind your wall mounted TV. This setup looks elegant and is simple, however it depends on the model of the TV. The size of the cable box also matters as you want it to remain hidden behind the TV.
To hang the box, you can use cable ties or adhesive strips to attach the cable box and wires to the TV.
For this setting, there are some factors you have to consider too. One is the range of your box from the remote control. This affects the functionality of the remote control.
The other thing you need to be careful of is the tilt of your wall mount. This can also affect the placement of your box and cables.
Thankfully, there are some TV mounted fixtures available for some models of cable boxes in the market. You can easily install these on the back of your TV and let the cable box rest on it.
Entertainment center and other furniture
This is a viable option for you if you have multiple devices. An entertainment center can support numerous different hardware and offer optimum viewing pleasure.
The furniture has holes drilled into it which support your HDMI cables and other cords. If not, then you can drill the holes yourself using the right equipment.
You need to consider the ventilation. Overheating can easily damage the cable box. Moving the furniture is also challenging. It can interfere with the signals which can be frustrating for the people watching the TV. You can solve this by investing in a universal remote.
For cable management, we recommend that you put a wire raceway on the wall. A wire raceway can easily connect the HDMI cables and other cords to the television. You can also opt for in-wall wiring. Make sure that you use the right kit when doing so.
In a separate room
Another option to keep the cable box out of sight is to move it to another room. This, however, depends on the layout of the house. But, it is better than an entertainment center as you can avoid the clutter.
This is a complex project and can be rather expensive. However, the end result is clean and flexible. The wires will be hidden and you can place your TV in the ideal location.
Due to the complexity, you may need to hire professionals. They will ensure that the cables and receivers are free from any interference.
Using a Smart TV or a subscription
You can also choose a Smart TV or a subscription package. It saves you the trouble of installing a wire raceway and investing in other types of cable management hardware.
Online streaming is inexpensive, and you can easily download any streaming application on your Smart TV.
Choose Wireless Cable
A wireless cable box saves you the trouble of managing wires. You can easily avoid the clutter. Wireless cable boxes also have another advantage. You can place them anywhere in the room.
This way, you don’t need to invest in expensive ideas to hide the wires. One location where you can put your cable box is on the mantle. You can also put it inside a cabinet or closet depending on the sitting arrangement.
Use an RF Transmitter
You can install an RF receiver and transmitter on your television. It converts your cable box into a wireless one. It basically converts the signal from your coaxial feed into your TV without any wires.
This way, you can avoid the wire jumble and cables without the need of a stand or a wire raceway.
Hiding Cables for TVs mounted above fireplace
After you have installed the cable box, you need to hide the cables that connect to the box. Hiding cables are different from in-house wiring. You need to use the right tools and equipment, so it can be a tough job.
Before you install internal wiring inside your fireplace, you need to consider the structure and type of the fireplace. Let’s take a look at them in detail
Gas Fireplace
Gas burning fireplaces are found in newer homes. There are wooden studs or drywall around these kinds of fireplaces. If your home has a gas-burning fireplace, you can fish the wires through the wall.
Wood Burning Fireplace
This type of fireplace is found in older homes. The wall around them is made of bricks. Due to this, you won’t be able to fish the wires through the wall. In this case, you can hide the TV wires using a wire raceway.
Additional Information
When you mount your TV above a fireplace, there are certain questions that arise. These can be related to the wall-mounted TV or the cable box stand. Let’s take a look at these in detail:
How can you hide the wires when you mount your TV above the fireplace?
There are several ways you can conceal the wires. You can use wire raceways to hide the wires leading up to the TV mounted on the wall. You can opt for internal wiring. You can also work around your room and hide the cables through the decorations such as a photo frame.
But you need to be sure that you bind the wires. You can do this through the use of cable clips or zip ties. This will keep the wires from dangling free.
You can also place the cable box in another room. For wire management, you need to drill a hole in the wall and stick the wire out to the other room. You can then place these wires inside an AV closet.
Can your TV go above a fireplace?
Yes, it can. However, it is not recommended to mount your TV above a fireplace. The wall is more heated, which can damage your wall-mounted TV.
But there are several ways to avoid this. Be sure to build a propeller mantle and mount your TV on protruding fireplace wall.
Also, you need to redirect the heat away from the electrical components. Additionally, you can place the cable box and other hardware on the mantle.
What size TV can go over a fireplace?
Any TV can go above the fireplace. The viewing distance, however, changes with the size of the TV. The rule is to keep the distance at least 1.5 times the size of the TV. You want to avoid viewing the television so close that the picture becomes too big.
Generally, when you set the TV on a wall above the fireplace, you also need to consider the height. The height of the TV depends on the height of your mantle. The rule in place is to keep the wall-mounted television about 3 to 7 inches above the fireplace.
It gives you a good viewing angle. It also helps you easily conceal the HDMI cables using a wire raceway.
Wrapping Things Up
Cable boxes are one of the most popular pieces of hardware that go with TVs these days. You can watch a variety of channels using a cable box.
However, many customers face the issue of placing it around a wall-mounted TV above the fireplace. We hope that this article helps you overcome any challenges.
With this, we reach the end of our article on “Where to put your cable box when you mount TV above the fireplace?”.
Let us know what your think in the comments.
Adam F.
A/V and Home Theater Expert that focuses on providing clear as well as concise reviews for anything and everything Audio Visual. From TV's, TV Mounts, Soundbars, and Wiring, my focus is to provide expertise in everything Audio Visual focused.
