You run the wires thru the wall and into the back the TV.

If you do that, where do the wires go? Of course the electrical connection and the CAT5 cable go through the wall, but what about the connectors you only use occasionally, like the one you use to hook up video recorders and digital cameras (the S cable?)? Are you saying that you hook it up to the tv and run it through the wall? To where?

On my other televisions, the ports are in the front, easily accessible. I can't imagine why they put these in the rear, especially when many (most?) people hang the small flat panel tvs.

You permanently route them thru the wall.

Yeh. When the flat screen revolution first hit, I found it incredibly misleading, and still do, when they show these lovely TV's mounted over fireplaces, like photographs. No cords, DVD players, VCRs, speakers or stereo systems in sight.

Then it hits you that 1) you have to have sheetrock (hard to mount on wood paneling and impossible on a brick fireplace bc the cords have to be run behind the wall), 2) the telescoping wall mounts they make will not give you this clean line and the ones I have seen at friends' homes are junky looking, 3) the best way seems to be when done in new construction where they planned in advance and put a closet directly behind the wall where the TV is mounted. All electrical runs into there and there are also shelves and sophisticated electronics for adding all the extra equipment, 4) you need an infra red remote to make it all work, so the remote signal will go through the wall.

The advertisers continue to push this myth, to the dismay of a lot of unwary buyers. One might get away w this for a home theater, but what about those of us that have a TV in every room? (kitchen, LR, home office, MBR, and some in the master bath as well).

Lynne

it is not as hard as it sounds, you jus thave to route them in teh wall to nearest location the other devices can be concealed. i also plug in a set of extention cables and wind them up behind the tv so that IF i want to plug in a camcorder or something else i can do so easily. unwind the cables, hook up the temporary device, use it, then wind them back up and stuff them back in teh mount. odds are that no one will ever look close enough to see them anyway.

also, kee in mind that any wires you run IN the wall MUST be in-wall rated. if they are not and you have a building inspection(new build/remodel) they will fail you.