Outlet boxes and faceplate options for data/video cables

[1233user]

I have several locations in my garage which will have the following cables going to each location. 1 COAX wire, 1 HDMI cable, and 2 CAT 6 network cables. I know that usually applications like this use outlet boxes that don't have a back so the cable can more gradually bend, but I really don't want to do it that way.

My garage is also going to be super insulated and I don't like the fact that I wouldn't be able to seal up an electrical box that doesn't have a back to it. Do you guys have any good ideas as far as what to use for a box, and also a face-plate that would incorporate all 4 of those connections?

The walls are 2x6 framing, so I have plenty of room for a deep box, and it can also be as wide as needed.

Thanks for any advice!!

 

[JimRB]

Commercial work is done in closed metal boxes and metal conduit all the time. I have added network cables to existing data and phone runs inside flexible metal conduit. Just get deeper boxes for more generous sweeps of the cables. Or get keystone jacks with 90 degrees built in for the coax and HDMI. http://www.mycablemart.com/store/cart.php?m=product_list&c=71. I use the keystone jacks all the time for Cat 5e and 6. I have done something with USB and HDMI but forget what I did. I will have to look tomorrow at work to refresh my mind. http://www.mycablemart.com/store/cart.php?m=product_list&c=71

 

[justsam]

Not sure of your application but I am not a fan of running long HDMI cables, to say nothing of the expense. You might want to consider just running another Cat 6 for HDMI and using converter boxes as required.

 

[mobiledynamics]

What's the need for multiple locations with HDMI. Centralized receiver. If that's the case, you need more wires for IR, etc....

Regardless, to sum it up, use Caddy LV Open Back Boxes and it will look nice and neat in keystone plates. It does get crowded at 6 ports so consider a 2 gang box depending on how much you add in.

I generally run dual Coax. One for OTA and the latter for the STB.

 

[wssix99]

I just built a house/garage with this. We used spray foam for one of the garage walls, so I had to have some sort of "box" to give the wires space and protect them from the spray. I built a custom "box" out of plywood and 2X4's in the wall, which worked really well. I finished the front with a standard drywall ring for a metal electrical box. This gave me infinite flexibility and was zero cost for the material. (Since it's low voltage, there's no need to use plastic or metal boxes.)

I second the motion for replacing the HDMI with CAT6 and using converters. There could be a new HDMI standard out by the time you actually start using the cables and you won't be able to pull new ones once they go obsolete. The CAT6 should give you a much longer shelf life! Plus, you'd need to purchase in-the-wall HDMI cables, which are hard to come buy, don't run for long distances, and are expensive. (Using CAT6 with converters should get you longer runs for your HDMI signals.)

I did use some in-the-wall HDMI cables in one room (our office) inside the house, but they were short 25' runs from the wall to a ceiling mounted projector. I also laid them out so I can pull them through and replace them in the future if I need to. Another downside of the HDMI is that the connectors require a TON of room inside the boxes when you add the depth of the keystone, plus the HDMI termination on the cable, plus the strain relief, plus the radius needed to bend the cable... (You'll use most of that 2X6 wall up and won't have a lot of space for the insulation.) By the time I crammed the things in my wall, I really wished that I had not used them.

 

[kbs2244]

Use the regular boxes and just squirt a blob of Great Stuff behind them to seal.

 

[1233user]

Thanks for all the replies! The cables are already run and the ceiling is sheetrocked so I'm married to whats already there. I did run 2 cat 6a cables to each location which I knew would give me lots more options in the future.

I like the idea of building a box myself out of plywood. I am not sure that any of the available electrical boxes are deep enough for the HDMI cable to plug into the back of the faceplate without a really tight bend where the cable leaves the connector.