Customer Reviews

Datacomm 50-3323-WH-KIT Flat Panel TV Cable Organizer Kit with Power Solution - White

5 star:		(75)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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!

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.

It's great to be able to hide the cables in the wall when mounting the TV. I was originally going to run all the cables including the power cable down the wall, but then decided to do it to code. (The code people think that the power cord is going to fail in the wall, and the romex cable won't.)

The instructional video online shows you how to do it yourself, and the instructions are quite adequate so that anyone can really do it. But the instructions do say something to the effect of "Should be installed by a professional." (Must be a legal liability thing.) It doesn't say what kind of professional, and I'm a professional real estate broker, so I've got that professional thing covered.

The biggest drawback that I find is that the power cord that plugs into the bottom assembly is so large that it pushes my furniture away from the wall. The female plug extends about 2-1/4 inches away from the wall, so be prepared for that. I was going to cut a hole in my entertainment unit where the plug bumps it, but the unit cost $1532 and my wife would freak out if she saw me with a hammer and chisel behind the unit.

The other issue is, if you have a tv that provides you with a flat type plug, that works against you using this system because you can't get a flat plug into the small space in the box. Another work-around situation. You can get a straight plug extension cord and plug the tv into that.

My quick and easy installation ran about 5 hours including 3 trips to the hardware store for work-arounds. That shouldn't be your experience though. For some reason the spot where I need to mount my tv has studs every 6 inches for a distance of about 4 feet. I actually had to squeeze this thing into a vertical position. I couldn't find a sixteen inch on center pair of studs except beyond the edge of where the TV ends. But that's a bit unusual. You probably won't have that issue.

The kit comes with everything you need to do the job, though.

Product arrived with all parts in timely manner. I used the Datacomm kit on plaster lathe walls (different than sheet rock). The hardest part of the job was cutting through the plaster and lathe. If I had drywall or sheet rock walls the project would have been a real breeze. Just be sure to check for fire blocks in the walls. These are pieces of framing lumber fastened in between the wall studs (perpendicular) that will make it more difficult to snake the cables through the walls.

Don't be afraid to flip the box that receives the cables upside down. You'll see what I mean. This is a great product with clear instructions. Well thought out.

Low power wiring routed behind a wall is a national code violation. Don't be a lazy a$$...do it right the first time.

I originally was going to wire a new outlet behind the TV, but paying an extra ~$40 more for this kit and saving a bunch of time and drywall work (cutting and patching/texturing drywall sucks) decided it for me.

This solves for the wiring code violation of lower power wiring in walls. Since you spend so much money on the TV and mount, this is a cheap alternative to wiring done right with a clean install, and you don't have to worry about a fire insurance claim not getting paid out when claim investigators find a low power wire was routed behind a wall.

I can see the instructions (with drywall cutting templates) were detailed and easy to understand for a novice, no previous wiring experience needed, just take your time.

One minor annoyance as others point out, is that both plates have the pass through "duct" formed in the same direction (essentially using one mold for both plates to keep costs down i'm sure). Some people invert one of the plates.

TIP - after you cut out both drywall pieces, fish all your connection wires BEFORE you install your plates (basically at the same time your fish the romex). You will have a bigger entry exit point to work with making it much easier.

Great product when you mount your TV on the wall. Having your power cable behind the wall not only illegal, but it is also a fire hazard. This kit provides everything you need to make it up to code. Two electrical boxes, house rated wiring, and 6' cord to reach your outlet. Cut the holes, put in the boxes, feed the wire through, and plug it in, that's it! You can see how it is done on DataComm's website.

I've purchased a couple of these kits and they are indeed the perfect solution for routing your cables inside the wall. There is even a How-to video on Data Comm's website that demonstrates step by step installation.

Very easy installation and you're also up to code with the organizer kit. I am very handy and was going to wire an outlet behind my wall mount TV, but then I wouldn't be protected with a surge protector. This is a very simple and neat solution, my only very small complaint would be the quality of construction isn't super rigid, but since it's one of those set it up and forget it deals it should be just fine.

I found this product via a demonstration on youtube, and was sold with how easy it appeared to be to install. Couldn't have been more right. We needed to conceal our plasma wires without running the live wires directly behind the wall and I.....a woman.....successfully installed the outlets in 15 minutes. Works like a charm and has a professional look.