Hey folks,

I'd like to ceiling-mount a projector in my multi-use living room. I've very carefully simulated the inverted position of the PJ so that I can verify that the projected image is exactly where I want it w/o having to change the pitch -- in the image below, the PJ is exactly where the ceiling mount should hold it.

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k138/jishaq/HomeTheater/TempPJMount.jpg

I'd like advice on how to route cables to the PJ. I don't know much about home construction so I don't know what I can & can't do within these walls. I plan to put the source on a little cabinet on the right, where my classical guitar is now. I'm really trying not to run the cables along the wall where you can see them, but I fear I don't really have any options with that window there. AFAIK, you can't run cables horizontally in the wall because you'll hit a stud.

So I wanted to post here and get some of your expert opinions!

Some notes:
1) Above this room is a carpeted 2nd-floor bedroom that shares the same (external) walls. Thus, there is no access to the ceiling joists.

2) Below the room is a crawlspace under the house (no basement). I might be able to access the framing of this wall from the crawlspace, for cable-fishing. I doubt the subfloor would preclude this. I haven't gotten over my fear of spiders yet, so I haven't checked.

3) The window is one piece.

My only ideas are:

A) have an unsightly-but-short run of cable left-ward along the wall, about 2', until it clears the window. Then go into the wall there, and drop down between studs into crawlspace; route underground to source.

B) Maybe I can disassemble the vertical piece between the left-most two sliding windows, and route the cables down through it. I would still need to route the cables into the wall directly behind the PJ, and then fish them right-ward into the vertical window piece, but this might be possible.

C) (Wife-approved) mount a nice hardwood shelf just above the window, which runs the whole length + 1/2 foot on each side. Put plants and vases and girlie stuff there. This will buy me some space to hide a horizontal run of cables until I can go into the wall just to the right of the window, and then drop cables down between studs into the crawlspace.

Any input is appreciated. I think C) is my best bet at this point. Thanks!

-Jeff

How about mounting nice crown molding along the back wall, terminating in a small false column in the right corner to hide the cable runs? I'd also put a dummy column in the left corner for symmetry. Maybe bring the power up inside the left column and the video up the right if you are concerned about running them close together? If you want to get wild, hold the molding down 1/2 to 1 inch from the ceiling, and include dimmable rope lights for ambience! And you may want to put the crown molding on all 4 walls for looks while the chop saw is set up...

Plan B: Install floor length drapes (you'll probably want them for light control anyway). Run the cables along the floor, possibly behind the base molding, then up along the window trim but behind the drapes, which would overlap the window framimng by 3-6"...

Hey, that's a great idea!

I stayed at a friend's house a few weeks back and he had exactly as you describe -- crown molding coming up just shy of the perimeter of the ceiling, with rope lighting placed in the gap on dimmer switches.

Another idea I thought of was taking a Dremel to the existing window frame molding and digging a very small channel for the cable to run along, out of sight. You'd still see the cable come out of the PJ and down to the window before it disappears into the channel, but that's ok. That would be kind of a PITA and really messy though. We'll see. I hope to post my progress, but I'm still saving up $$ for a DesignerWhite screen and mount and all that.

Thanks again,
-Jeff