I've had this kit sitting next to the TV for a week and finally decided to get going and get the TV set mounted today before the wife got home. She was tickled when she saw the nice results.
Like the other reviewers I found the kit easy to install and the internet video provided a great walk-through. I would however offer the following tips:
1. Before you begin you should test all cables that will be going behind the wall and ensure that they working perfectly. Don't wait till the end and hope everything works out. You should also carefully measure for the needed lengths of the cables that will be hidden. It's frustrating to almost get to the finish line only to realize that your HDMI cable is 2' short. Add a foot or two to your measurements; you can always tuck any excess into the wall.
2. The kit supplied power connector (the upper one that your TV's power cord plugs into) is rather stiff. I found it useful to plug and unplug the TV's power cord into it six or seven times before mounting it, and that payed off with a smoother connection at the end of the installation.
3. A pair of needle-nose pliers is very useful for bending wire ends into "hooks" for the screw-down connections to the upper power connector, as the supplied electrical wire is very rigid.
4. The product installation video shows the "Wings" of the electrical boxes and plates as being secured with a turn or two of the supplied screws. This gave me the impression that the screws for the wings just needed a couple of turns and then the wings would then pop into position and lock the box or plate into place. My experience was that the screws have to be continuously tightened until the wings at last are snug against the drywall and the plate or box is locked into place. This might be a no-brainer to some but I thought I'd point it out for the rest of us.
5. Take your time and measure and mark the locations of your cut-outs carefully so that both plates line up neatly. You get bonus points if you use a small bubble level when tracing your cut-outs so that both are nice and plumb. I mean, why not do the job right? Yep, you are doing this job yourself to save money, but don't let anyone looking at your work think, "Hmm...a pro would STILL have done a much nicer job!"
6. If this is your first time mounting a TV on a wall you might be tempted to try and finish the job by hefting the TV into place by yourself (if working alone). Unless your TV is very small this is a mistake. Mounting this 40" TV by myself was a real pain and a bit foolish.
Bonus Tool: An oscillating multi-tool makes beautiful clean cuts in drywall like a hot knife through butter. They can be had for as little as $40.00 bucks these days. Amazon sells them at a good price. Not necessary, but quite useful for a number of household projects. I love mine and it made this job all the easier.
When you are all finished, have a sip of your favorite drink and pat yourself on the back for the hundreds of dollars in TV installation and electrician costs that you just saved! Datacomm 50-3323-WH-KIT Flat Panel TV Cable Organizer Kit with Power Solution (White)
I recently mounted a Plasma TV on the wall and wanted to hide the wires. I initially thought about doing the "not up to code" homeowner solution which is just fishing the TV's power cable behind the wall the same as the HDMI cables. However, I'm a stickler for doing things the right way and just didn't feel comfortable doing something non-code. After investigating the cost and hassle of wiring a new receptacle box into the circuit breaker I found out about this Datacomm product. It was really easy to install, the directions were straight forward and it best of all, it's UL rated and satisfies electrical code. The only suggestion I have would be to flip the bottom outlet upside down when installing the gangbox and outlet cover. That way you make it much easier to string the wires and cables. This tip will make sense once you open up the box and start looking that the directions.
Much like the last reviewer, I wanted to mound my new Vizio 55" television on the wall as well as a soundbar beneath it, but my wife was not going to allow me to do this unless she cound not see any wires. I started doing some research and found the Datacomm products on Amazon; I now feel very luck I did. What a great way to add a flatscreen to old construction. The directions are fantastic (it was a nice touch to include the template for cutting each hole) and the hook-up was as simple as it could be.
I was worried when the product arrived as I did not think all my wires were going to fit in the recessed opening (I had 3 HDMI cables, a VGA cable, S-Video with analog audio, and a Toslink optical cable to fit through the opening behind the television and the bottom opening had all of these with an addition cable to my soundbar opening), but all fit without problem.
The only very minor complaint I would have with this product is the power receptical for television power is very tight. In attempting to hold the television and plug it in, it took a great deal of effort to insert the plug, but it gave me some added comfort that it would not fall out for any reason.
I will be recommending this product to anyone looking to mount their television. - Wall Plate - Gang Recessed Plate - Cable Organizer - Home Theater'
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