Home Theater Cable Management Tips & Tricks

Your home theater set-up is the central hub for all things entertainment related. As such, it usually includes a handful of electronic devices, gadgets, and components such as a television, Blu-Ray player, DVR, gaming consoles, audio components and speakers, streaming devices and more. And with those devices come cords, and lots of them.

Then there is also how those different devices connect to one another, which translates to additional cables and wires. In the end, you can have a real tangled mess on your hands. However, with a little extra effort and know-how, this does not need to be the case.

Here are several cable management tips to help you avoid unnecessary entanglements.

Key Takeaways: Home Theater Cable Management Tips

A little planning can keep home theater cables organized, accessible, and safely out of sight while making equipment easier to install and maintain.

Reduce the number of wired components when possible. Compact streaming devices and wireless audio equipment can simplify the entertainment system and eliminate some of the cables associated with traditional components.
Connect equipment through a central surge-protected power strip. Placing the media cabinet near an outlet and consolidating power connections can create a cleaner setup while helping protect electronics from electrical surges.
Bundle excess cable length to prevent tangles. Reusable cable ties or wraps can keep loose cords organized without making future equipment changes or maintenance unnecessarily difficult.
Use cable covers when cords must cross exposed areas. Covers can conceal wires running along floors or walls while reducing the risk of trips and helping the cables blend into the surrounding room.
Choose cables that are appropriately sized for each connection. Shorter cable runs reduce unnecessary looping and coiling, while right-angle HDMI adapters can help connections sit more neatly behind a television or cabinet.
Route cables through dedicated management features. Cord clips, adhesive holders, integrated channels, and removable rear panels help guide cables toward a central location while keeping component connections accessible.
Consolidate accessories as well as wires. A universal remote can replace multiple individual controls, reducing clutter around the entertainment area and simplifying everyday use.

The award-winning Corridor 8179 media cabinet by BDI features louvered doors that allow for sound and remote control signals to easily pass through.

Corridor 8179 BDI modern tv cabinet charcoal 1 1200

Keeping it clean.

With a little planning and forethought, taking the time to manage your home entertainment wires properly will provide you with a clean and organized home theater, free of unsightly cable clutter.

Google Chromecast cutting the cord cable management bdi furniture blog 720

Cut the cord.

In the U.S., it's estimated that over 50-million people have cut the cable cord, and those numbers continue to grow each year.

Compact streaming media devices like the FireTV, Roku Stick, and Chromecast with Google TV help eliminate the extra messy wires and cables associated with most media devices.

BDI media cabinets feature a host of cable management features, including concealed space for a power strip to connect all of your devices in one place.

Bundle up.

One simple solution for keeping unsightly wires out of view is to place your media cabinet near an available outlet. Use a power strip with surge protection to neatly plug all of your electronic devices into a single source.

Using reusable Velcro cable ties (like BDI offers with each of our media cabinets) or plastic ties, bundle the excess cables together to keep things organized and under control.

Cover your bases.

If an available outlet is not located nearby, try using cable covers. They can help to camouflage cords running along the floor or up a wall, and come in a variety of colors to more seamlessly blend in.

Cable covers also help to prevent feet from tripping over any long-running cords, providing an additional safety benefit.

Size things up.

Adequately sized cables go a long way towards avoiding extraneous snaking, coiling, and bundling. If you only need four feet of HDMI cable to connect your gaming console to the TV, using a six-foot cable instead of twelve-foot one will make routing and organization a lot easier and cleaner.

Lastly, the HDMI ports on your TV may face straight back, straight down, or straight sideways, causing these cables to stick out awkwardly. Right angle HDMI adapters/cables can help keep them flat and neat.

Corridor Media Console BDI rear access panel

Stay en route.

Thoughtfully engineered furniture with integrated cable management can be the best solution for a clutter-free setup. You can also route cables with cord clips or self-adhesive wire holders to keep your cables in line.

Entertainment consoles that offer removable back panels, like many of BDI’s media cabinet designs, can provide you with convenient access to the rear of your components so you can more easily bundle and route your cables to a central location.

Go wireless.

There is no need to manage wires if there are none! Many home theater and soundbar systems offer wireless subwoofers, which provide a wide range of placement options.

Because they communicate with the system wirelessly and only require power, you can place it out of sight behind a sofa, under a side table, or even inside of your media console.

Logitech Harmony universal remote control.

Get universal.

Not as much a cable management tip as it is a helpful clutter management suggestion, but all of the devices and electronics in your entertainment center probably come with individual remote controls, which can be a lot to manage.

A good universal remote allows you to consolidate all of your remotes and their functionality into one handy device.

Following these home theater cable management tips should help keep your wires from getting crossed while keeping all of your tech cool and connected.

Have other cable management solutions you would like to suggest? Sound off in the comments below!

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