Need Help Organizing Home Theater

[Kavvy]

So...

I live in a 2 bedroom, apartment, but it only has a tiny nook for the TV, above the fire place. I decided to measure it out, and calculated the largest possible TV I could cram into that space.

However, the cords currently look like a mess, and since I bought the largest TV I could fit, there is no room for anything else. Now, everything I bought I can still take back for a full refund, but I would like to avoid that, with the exception being the Blue Ray and sound system. However, it looks like a disaster zone.

The set-up is shown below (with spoiler tags) with:

1. The TV is hooked to the digital cable box in the cabinet on the ground. The TV is plugged into the wall behind. This means I need a second surge protector for the TV.
2. The cabinet holds my digital Shaw box and Blue Ray.
3. I still need to add my Xbox to the cabinet, which will connect to the TV and which will create more cables in the air
4. I bought a cheap sounds system (came with the Blue Ray), it still needs to be hooked up, this means more cables running everywhere. If I don't hook it up directly to the TV, I have to pick which system the sound runs on (Blue Ray, Cable, Xbox)

I got the cabinet for free..... but it looks totally out of place. Any suggestions what someone else would put there (any ideas at all)?

I could eliminate quite a few cables if I got one of the boxes (receiver) which the blue ray, xbox and sound system all feed into, but I couldn't find any set-ups with a blue ray and sound system for less then $800.

Should I take back my blue ray sound system and get the $800 set-up? Any suggestions at all? I still need to mount speakers....

Any ideas, weather its links, or try googling this or even an abstract idea is appreciated!

The picture is taken from behind our couch, which is off-center due to the awkward shape of the room.

Spoiler!

Also, the plastic condoms are still on the TV as I plan on shifting it in the next 2 days, and as it is crammed into the space, I thought I would leave them on until I get this set-up.

Thank you!

Kavy

[afc wimbledon]

I would probably put a nice vase and some flowers over the fire and wall mount the tv over a shelf for your kit lower down on an adjoining wall

[Kavvy]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

I would probably put a nice vase and some flowers over the fire and wall mount the tv over a shelf for your kit lower down on an adjoining wall

I like that, problem is, the TV is then facing more of an extreme angle away from the couch (hard to tell from picture). I guess a mount can lean and tilt though

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by Kavy

I like that, problem is, the TV is then facing more of an extreme angle away from the couch (hard to tell from picture). I guess a mount can lean and tilt though

As a general rule you don't want the TV to high up unless it is a big room with the seats further away or you will all end up with crock necks trying to watch it so bringing it down is good, it is also often easier to move the furniture than the tv!, also if you put the TV on an angle you, to a degree, take away the point of a flat screen.

[oilyfan]

I had a similar setup in my previous house. I assume your power and cable connection is behind the TV. Get an articulating mount for your TV and mount the TV on the wall. Raise the TV enough to get the blu-ray, cable box and Xbox under the TV. Have all your cords behind the TV.

Mount: http://www.costco.ca//.product.10330...ontent=Default

And finally you can get rid of the cabinet.

[GreatWhiteEbola]

Nothing to offer on the cable organization side, however, this thread does make me ponder a technology that will allow someone to rotate pictures 90 degrees. There would be a huge market for it on Facebook.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by GreatWhiteEbola

Nothing to offer on the cable organization side, however, this thread does make me ponder a technology that will allow someone to rotate pictures 90 degrees. There would be a huge market for it on Facebook.

His head his sideways. It's a medical condition, ass.

[DownhillGoat]

Is that an outside wall? If not you could always run most of the wires down the nearest stud (near your light switch) and run them down to the floor, then along the baseboards.

A less elegant, but effective solution is wall mounted covers.
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...THDPlsLocalize

A separate/receiver/blue ray would certainly clean things up, as you'd only need an HDMI cable going from your cabinet to the tv. Finding something sub-$800 is tough (unless you want to go used) but doable. Here's one example (although you'd still need a blu-ray).
http://www.costco.ca/Yamaha%C2%AE-RX....10365902.html

Another option is to go with a soundbar instead of speakers (not an option I'd use, but they're quite popular). Keeps the speaker wiring to a minimum.

How much room do you have where the cabinet is? Here's the cheap option I went with :
http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/20218442/

You can get them double or triple wide, and to clean it up you can add an IR receiver and put doors on the cabinet. They need a bit of modifying to use for home theatre gear, but a drill and some computer fans made a much cheaper solution than buying an actual home theatre cabinet.

Here's a pic in the midst of modifying them:


There's also the HT Megathread which showcases some other member's theatres and may have something of interest to you:
http://forumcdn.calgarypuck.com/show...t=89137&page=6