Two Minutes Hate

Wires and Cables

Picture from wikipedia commons

I have spent much of my free time in the past week (the very little free time that I have had) running wires for my new TV. I want a clean look, so I am routing all the wires through the walls instead of along the floor like they have been for the past 1o years. Unfortunately, this was a lot more work than it should have been. I have even slimmed down my entertainment offering (removing the N64, Gamecube, and Dreamcast from the permanent installation). Still that left:

• Antenna - coax input from garage to TV


• TV - Powder cord to hidden jack


• Satellite - input 1: coax


• Satellite - input 2: coax


• Satellite - output 1: Red, Yellow, White composite cable (3 cable bundle)


• Satellite - output 2: Red, Yellow, White composite cable (2 cable bundle)


• Xbox 360 -video out: Blue, Green, Red component cable (3 cable bundle)


• Xbox 360 - audio out: Red, White composite cable (2 cable bundle)


• Xbox 360 - Ethernet Cat 6 cable in.


• Xbox -video out: Blue, Green, Red component cable (3 cable bundle)


• Xbox - audio out: Red, White composite cable (2 cable bundle)


• VCR - Output: Red, Yellow, White composite cable (3 cable bundle)

Keep in mind that this is before I have even hooked up my home theater stereo (I'm still trying to decide what exactly I want for this). Which will add more inputs and outputs, plus speaker wire to 4 places. Why don't I just run everything into one mega home theater receiver and then have one set of cables to the TV? Well that doesn't really get rid of cables, just moves them to the receiver instead of the TV, plus it doesn't allow for different video settings for the different devices on the TV (DVD movies you want dark, old VCR tapes not so much), plus also no picture in picture, etc...

I also am hoping to upgrade both my satellite receiver and Xbox to HDMI models someday...but the money isn't quite there yet. Although that will help the cable in the long run, I'll still have to run the HDMIs when I first install. What about when I finally decide to get a Wii or want to connect everything to another TV?

Why aren't we to the wireless point yet? Seriously. I know you can buy wireless transmitters, but many are crap. This should all be built in by now. Manufacturer's get moving on this. Wireless Internet is now widespread, cell phone usage in nearly universal (I think my mom is one of the last hold outs on the planet)...you can do this! Make it happen. In the process making every one's lives better.



End Hate



Suck-ups coming soon: Roller Derby part 2, Cherchez la femme, Time Traveller's Wife movie thoughts