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Are people still running coax to bedrooms?

4718 Views 18 Replies 12 Participants Last post by weldon, Feb 16, 2014

weldon

Discussion Starter · Feb 11, 2014

I'm finishing my basement and I'm at the point where I'm running all the low voltage stuff from the wiring closet to the various rooms. I'm pulling ethernet around to various spots and I was planning to pull coax to the bedrooms, but now I'm questioning myself. I'm near the end of this phase, so I'm probably getting a bit lazy too and looking for ways to get to the end faster.

It seems with Netflix, Apple TV, Tivo mini, iPads, and other devices that use the ethernet or wi-fi network in the house, there is little need to have a cable box connected by coax in the bedroom. What does everyone else think? Are you still putting coax in bedrooms? Or just ethernet and wi-fi?

1 - 19 of 19 Posts

jautor

· #2 · Feb 11, 2014

Quote:
Originally Posted by weldon /t/1517168/are-people-still-running-coax-to-bedrooms#post_24340796

It seems with Netflix, Apple TV, Tivo mini, iPads, and other devices that use the ethernet or wi-fi network in the house, there is little need to have a cable box connected by coax in the bedroom. What does everyone else think? Are you still putting coax in bedrooms? Or just ethernet and wi-fi?

Run the coax. Don't be "weird" when it comes to AV wiring. Meaning, everyone has it, and the providers expect that to be part of their solution. A local set-top box is the default setup for all the providers. And they can network over that same coax. Even if you don't plan to use it now, you don't know what will come later.

ctviggen

· #3 · Feb 11, 2014

Personally, I don't like watching TV in a bedroom. However, all of our bedrooms have cables pulled to them. i plan on pulling ethernet (both for a controller for music and computer) and speaker wire to each bedroom.

gec5741

· #4 · Feb 11, 2014

I absolutly run coax to and did run coax to every bedroom upstairs over a year ago. I am getting close to drywall in my basement and like you wanted to get other things run before finishing my basement. I ran network and coax to all the rooms upstairs. It's better to have it there and not need it then to need it and not have it! That is my phylosophy anyway.

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PM-Performance

· #5 · Feb 11, 2014

another absolutely on coax. You might not think you want it or need it now, but there may be a time.

If its convenient now, deff do it.

johnnygee88

· #6 · Feb 12, 2014

I havent used coax in years. Not even Ethernet. All wifi

UGAd13

· #7 · Feb 12, 2014

Do it... even if you don't want to pay for cable/sat you could run OTA TV to all rooms... "Free" local TV when you wanted it. Plus, it'd help on the resale value.

gec5741

· #8 · Feb 12, 2014

Quote:
Originally Posted by johnnygee88 /t/1517168/are-people-still-running-coax-to-bedrooms#post_24345819

I havent used coax in years. Not even Ethernet. All wifi

Wifi is great and all but when it comes for streaming media like HD and 1080p content hard wired is the way to go. I say if you have the ability now to run your cables go for it. And as UGAd13 say's. It can always help with resale.

In my media room I'm wireing up power, coax, and network to my screen wall for the only reason that some day if I sell future buyers can simply hang a TV on that wall if they choose.

PM-Performance

· #9 · Feb 12, 2014

If I was building from scratch, every room would have ethernet also.

I cant tell you how many times I wish I had ethernet running up to each room.

jautor

· #10 · Feb 12, 2014

Let's refer to that as "category" (or cat6), not Ethernet, as that wiring has a ton of uses besides "just" Ethernet... Which is why you'll see us recommending multiple category cable drops to each location, and multiple locations in most rooms...

(but yes, you really want Ethernet capability all over the place - cheaper, faster, more reliable than WiFi for anything that's not "mobile")

And for the OP - if you check out any number of threads in the "Home AV Distribution" forum down a few, you'll see the same topic come up quite often.

jimim

· #11 · Feb 12, 2014

I was asking the same question a few weeks ago and I ended up running coax. I did it for resale down the road and because coax is just cheap anymore. I paid like 100 dollars for 1000 feet of quad shielded with solid copper wire. More than worth the cost for just in case and with walls being open. I did only 2 to each location. I did run 6 category wires though for each location Also. 3 to structured box for Internet and the other to my racks for hdmi use. Ir use and other use if need be.

I will say I'm glad when I built I ran it. Even though I only 4 drops for 4 diff tv boxes I need up using a few to send audio over to my nuvo grand concerto for a tv box and I ended up using 4 drops in my office upstairs to get my camera feeds that I installed after the fact to the dvr in the basement rack. Very glad I had all those runs there.

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devotech

· #12 · Feb 13, 2014

Some cable providers are using set-top boxes that have the option of Ethernet or coax

billybobg

· #13 · Feb 13, 2014

Cat 6 should be run along with the coax.

ctviggen

· #14 · Feb 13, 2014

Quote:
Originally Posted by johnnygee88 /t/1517168/are-people-still-running-coax-to-bedrooms#post_24345819

I havent used coax in years. Not even Ethernet. All wifi

WiFi is fine until you try large amounts of video or backing up a computer. I have a computer that acts as my TV (I use an HD homerun system), and that computer cannot perform its operations on wifi. It's too slow. I have my other computers on wifi (haven't had time to run cat6/5e), but when I backup computers it takes hours, sometimes an entire day to do what wired would do in about 2 hours. Try moving 30-50GB via wireless.

Also, cat6/5e can be use for Infared, music control, phone, intercom....

NickTheGreat

· #15 · Feb 14, 2014

Run coax. My mid 90's house doesn't have coax besides the Master BR. Stupid. I want to run CAT and speaker wire anyways, but come on?!?!

Our house is really nice but the guy who built it cheaped out on some odd things.

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weldon

Discussion Starter · #16 · Feb 14, 2014

I caved to the consensus opinion on here.

I pulled the cable to the bedrooms last night and I put two drops in each room. Each drop has 2 Cat6 and 1 RG6QS cable running to it. I was pulling cable anyways and it wasn't too much work to tape the Cat6 and the RG6 together for one pull. I strongly suspect that I will never use the coax, but we won't live here forever and the next owner may appreciate having the option.

In general, I still believe the end of coax for video distribution inside the house is drawing nigh, especially with the combination of both IP solutions and HDbaseT. I'm a data guy though (I run an IT services company that designs and builds wired and wireless IP networks), so my opinion is strongly biased.

If I was building a new house, I think I would still bring in one coax to each room, but I would probably pull 4 Cat6 to each drop.

Now I just need to decide if I really want to pre-wire for PoE wi-fi access points in various parts of the house. Always something.

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gec5741

· #17 · Feb 14, 2014

You'll be glad you did. Even if you never use it. Like you said if you sell then that's one less thing a potential buyer would look at and be turned off by. It's true that maybe services like comcast and direct tv may eventually go way from using RG6 but for now they do use it. And the cost of it is minimal. I strongly agree with the pulling 4 cat6 lines per room. I pulled 2 to each room only because I ran out of room in my chase pipe going from the basement to the attic. But I did terminate a remote switch up in my boy's walk in closet. So I can alway's add more if I find the need. All I have to do is terminate the new lines into that wall and patch them into the switch.

bluewaves

· #18 · Feb 15, 2014

No offense to anyone, but coax will be along for a long time, especially with whole home dvr's and the such, Run coax to every room, its cheap, plain and simple and on the off chance you want just a tv with a cable box it will save you a lot of headaches.

weldon

Discussion Starter · #19 · Feb 16, 2014

I'm not going to take offense at that. I actually agree that coax will be around a long time. I also think that *i* will not need to use coax for video distribution in the very near future. I"m pretty much there now with a Roamio Pro, TiVo mini, Netflix and iPad.

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