I've just bought a 32" Sony LCD for my daughters bedroom and am planning on wall mounting it.

 

As we're decorating the room at the same time, I thought I might try and hide all the cables behind the wall to keep it looking tidy (though given the general state of her room, I do wonder why I'm even thinking of this!).

 

Now I can see that using media face plates, etc. and a patress box or two, I can sort out an aerial connection and even an HDMI connection (for DVD player which will probably be located on other side of room) but I'm wondering about the power connection.

 

The Sony tv has an external 19.5V power supply and so if I put a 13 amp socket behind the tv I have to somehow find a way of hiding the transformer (which is laptop or a bit larger size). The alternative might be to run some cable down the wall to a DC socket in the wall plate and locate the transformer in the loft.

 

Has anyone done this with a tv with separate power supply and if so what solution did you come up with?

Dont position the PSU too far away, lower voltage means higher resistance losses, so if it is too far away, the TV wont get enough voltage.

 

Another thing to consider is airflow over the PSU, so it doesnt over-heat and catch fire!!

 

I mounted my 49" TV on a swingarm mount I found on Amazon for an amazing £19.99, this does mean you cannot hide the cables easily though, as they (obviously), have to move out with the TV.

I think I'd only be extending the power cable by approx 4ft, so would that have much effect on losses?

 

The PSU (output is 19.5 volts, 5.2 amps) would be mounted carefully in the loft to ensure maximum airflow around the unit. TV power consumption is between 39 (normal mode) and 80 watts (vivid mode).

I'd run a spur up to the TV and fit a 2 gang socket next to the 1gang TV outlet with your TV / network / HDMI cables.  More futureproof that way - if the TV is changed, or a media streaming box, etc is required.  Best to keep the PSU in the room, and just tie-wrap it to the TV bracket.

Maybe shroud it, something like a false/hanging wall? Stick some RGB LEDs around it?

I think I'd only be extending the power cable by approx 4ft, so would that have much effect on losses?

 

The PSU (output is 19.5 volts, 5.2 amps) would be mounted carefully in the loft to ensure maximum airflow around the unit. TV power consumption is between 39 (normal mode) and 80 watts (vivid mode).

 

Hard to say without knowing the size of the conducting cable, but at a rough guess, 4ft would drop about an extra 0.2v, PLUS whatever loss is incurred by the jointing. How long is the total cable length ??

 

4ft should be ok, but think about airflow over the PSU up in the loft; it cant be under insulation.

My Sony TV has a bracket that fixes to the back of the TV to sit the PSU in, keeps it nice and tidy.

I've just used one of face plates with a brushed opening for cables - nice and neat and handy if you want to add anything as you can just poke any extra cables through.

Hard to say without knowing the size of the conducting cable, but at a rough guess, 4ft would drop about an extra 0.2v, PLUS whatever loss is incurred by the jointing. How long is the total cable length ??

 

4ft should be ok, but think about airflow over the PSU up in the loft; it cant be under insulation.

The length of the low voltage side of the PSU is 1.5m's.

 

I could run a suitable wire in to the loft from the media plate (approx 1.3m's long) and then cut the PSU cable approx 10 cm's from the PSU so that the overall cable length is roughly the same. I won't be locating the PSU under the insulation, I'll fix it to the bottom chord of a roof joist.

 

What effect, if any, will there be if I run the 19.5 v cable close to the signal cables (HDMI, TV and satellite)?

If the signal cables are of good quality, it should be fine, 19volts isnt going to create much of a magnetic field.