The only real way to future-proof media wall wiring is to run 1.5–2 in. flexible conduit with a pull string from the TV location down to where your equipment lives. Then pull today's cables through it: one certified Ultra High Speed HDMI (fiber if the run is longer than about 15 ft), two solid-copper Cat6, and CL2/CL3 speaker wire. When the HDMI standard changes, you swap cables instead of cutting into a finished slat or stone wall.
The tricky part: you're choosing cable for a wall you won't reopen, and the standard keeps moving. HDMI 2.2 and its 96Gbps "Ultra96" cable were finalized in June 2025, so the "future-proof" 48Gbps HDMI 2.1 cable many people bury today is already a generation behind.
What actually matters before the drywall goes on
Conduit diameter: size for the connector, not the cable
A 4K HDMI cable is thin. The molded plug on the end is not, and every cable you'll ever pull has to fit past it, plus whatever is already in the tube. Installers on Mike Holt's electrical forum say a 1 in. tube handles one HDMI with a plain connector and nothing else, 1.5 in. passes a connectorized HDMI with room to spare, and 2 in. is what they'd pick if the stud bay allows. One supplier lists Carlon's 1-1/2 in. blue ENT (electrical nonmetallic tubing, often called "smurf tube") at about 1.55 in. inside diameter and 1.9 in. outside., which fits a 2x4 stud bay (3.5 in. deep).
Rule of thumb: use 1.5 in. for a single TV location and 2 in. if the conduit also feeds a soundbar, in-wall speakers or a second display. Never go below 1 in.
Bends and pull points
Cables get stuck in bends, not in narrow tubes. AVForums members warn that pulling through more than a bend or two becomes "almost impossible" without damaging the cable. For power raceways, the NEC caps bends at 360° total between pull points. That's a sensible ceiling for low-voltage conduit too, even where it isn't strictly enforced.
Rule of thumb: use gentle sweeps rather than tight 90s, keep the total bending under 360°, and add an accessible box at any point where you'd exceed that. Leave two pull strings in the conduit: one to use and one spare.
HDMI cable: certification, length and direction
The HDMI Licensing Administrator requires Ultra High Speed (48Gbps) cables to pass testing and carry an anti-counterfeit label with a QR code you can scan. If the label is missing, the cable isn't certified. Fiber-cable sellers and the installers we read put the practical limit for passive copper at 48Gbps around 3–5 m (10–16 ft). Above that, an active optical cable (AOC, fiber HDMI) is the reliable choice. Ethereal's CL3-jacketed 48Gbps fiber HDMI, for example, comes in 15–260 ft lengths, and the company notes that ARC only works up to 100 ft. Fiber HDMI has one catch: it's directional. One end is marked "source" and the other "display," so label both ends before you pull.
Rule of thumb: under about 15 ft, use a certified passive copper cable. Over 15 ft, or if you're gaming at 4K/120, use certified fiber HDMI with a jacket rated for in-wall use.
Fire rating on everything inside the wall
Cable that runs inside a wall cavity needs an in-wall fire rating. Per NEC Article 725 as summarized by Audioholics, CL2 or CL3 is permitted in walls, CL2X and CL3X are allowed in one- and two-family homes, and higher ratings (CM, CMR, CMP) can be used in their place. Inspectors do check: one Mike Holt forum thread describes an inspector requiring the CL marking on speaker wire.
Rule of thumb: if you can't read "CL2", "CL3", "CM" or "CMR" printed on the jacket, it doesn't go inside the wall.
Keep low-voltage away from the TV's power
The NEC generally doesn't allow Class 2 and communications wiring to share a raceway or box with power conductors unless they're separated by a barrier or one of the specific listed exceptions applies. In practice: a low-voltage mounting ring (open bracket, no back box) for the AV plate, and a separate recessed power box beside it. Our outlet code guide covers the power side in detail.
Important: don't run an extension cord or a TV's power cord through the wall or through your AV conduit. Moving or adding the outlet behind a TV is work for a licensed electrician, and many jurisdictions require a permit for it.
No terminations in the HDMI chain
In both AVForums threads that discussed wall plates, experienced members said to avoid terminated HDMI faceplates (wall plates with an HDMI jack on each side) for high-bandwidth video. Every joint is a possible signal drop, and a plate can cut power to an active cable. The fix is a brush or pass-through plate: the cable runs through the wall in one piece from the source to the TV.
Rule of thumb: one continuous cable from the source to the display, with only a pass-through plate at each end.
Cable options compared
The table combines code ratings, length limits and the trade-offs forum installers report.
| What to run | Why | In-wall rating to look for | Practical length | Will it age out? | Pull it now or later? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empty 1.5–2 in. ENT conduit + 2 pull strings | Lets you swap any cable later | Not applicable (raceway) | Any, if bends stay under 360° | No, this is the future-proofing | Now (only possible while the wall is open) |
| Ultra High Speed HDMI, passive copper | 4K/120, eARC, VRR today | CL2 or CL3 | About 10–16 ft at 48Gbps | Yes, Ultra96 already exists | Now, in the conduit |
| Fiber HDMI (AOC), 48Gbps | Long runs to an equipment closet | CL3 versions exist | 15 ft up to 260 ft (one product line) | Yes, same as above | Now, labeled source/display |
| Solid-copper Cat6 (not CCA), x2 | Ethernet to the TV, HDBaseT extenders, control systems | CM/CMR or CL2/CL3 | Long runs to a closet or rack | Slowly | Now, alongside the conduit |
| 14 AWG or 16 AWG speaker wire | In-wall or on-wall speakers, sub | CL2 or CL3 | Room-scale runs | Rarely | Now if speakers are planned |
| Coax (RG6) | Antenna or cable box at the TV | CL2/CM | Room-scale | Depends on service | Optional |
Cat6 goes outside the conduit, stapled loosely in the cavity, so it doesn't use up the tube's capacity. One AVS Forum reply puts it this way: install today's cables outside the conduit, because the conduit is for "future cables that haven't been invented yet." Cat6 is also what drives the control and audio brands installers list most often. Across the 1,009 installers listed on GetMediaWall, 201 mention Sonos and 185 mention Control4 on their websites, and both lean on solid network wiring behind the TV.
Estimated cost: blue 1-1/2 in. ENT from the electrical-supply listings we checked costs about $5–$10.50 per foot by the reel. Our pricing model adds about $300 for hidden wiring on a media wall build, and the full painted 8–12 ft wall comes to $3,000–$4,400 nationally.
Worked example: one 75 in. TV, equipment 18 ft away
A painted media wall with a 75 in. TV; the receiver and console sit in a closet 18 ft of cable route away.
- Conduit: 1.5 in. ENT, two gentle sweeps (about 180° total), two pull strings
- In the conduit: one 25 ft 48Gbps fiber HDMI, labeled source/display, because 18 ft is beyond comfortable passive-copper range
- Outside the conduit: two solid-copper Cat6 runs and a 14 AWG CL2 speaker pair for a future center or sub
- At the TV: low-voltage ring with a brush plate, and a separate recessed power box installed by an electrician
GetMediaWall's pricing model puts a 66–75 in. full-motion mount with in-wall cables at $330–$440 nationally. That's $140 for the 75 in. install, $90 for the mount, and $140 for hidden in-wall cabling. Our separate "new outlet behind TV" option is $165. The conduit and cable go in during framing, before any of that.
Common buying mistakes
- Burying "the best cable" and skipping conduit. In two older AVForums threads from the SCART era, members told each other to pre-run SCART cables "rather than regret not having it later." SCART is now obsolete, and today's 48Gbps HDMI is on the same path. Any cable you bury will eventually be outdated. The empty conduit won't.
- Buying uncertified "8K" HDMI. Without the scannable Ultra High Speed label, you can't know what you're burying.
- Pulling fiber HDMI backwards. It only works in one direction. Mark the ends before you pull, because it's much harder to sort out after the cable is hidden.
- Using a terminated HDMI wall plate. It adds two connections to a 48Gbps signal. Use a brush plate instead.
- Using CCA "Cat6". Copper-clad aluminum cable is cheaper, but forum installers consistently tell people to buy solid copper (not CCA/CCS) for in-wall runs.
What we found in the forum threads
We read 10 threads on in-wall TV and media wall cabling across AVForums, AVS Forum, Mike Holt's forum, Audioholics and Home Theater Forum. 8 of 10 recommended conduit or at least a pull string for future cables. 3 said spare solid-copper Cat6 was the most useful backup. 2 warned specifically against terminated HDMI faceplates. The dissent: One professional installer on Audioholics said nobody uses PVC inside walls and that fishing new cable through an open stud bay is easier. Another poster argued that conduit only helps in some cases and that redundant Cat6 is the real insurance. Fair for an empty drywall bay; not for a media wall, where fireplace framing, LED channels, MDF backing or stone block the cavity.
Our verdict: the cables you run today are a guess about the future. A 1.5–2 in. conduit with a pull string is a commitment you can always change later.
How to decide what goes in your wall
- Is the wall being framed or opened anyway? If yes, install the conduit regardless; it's the only part that's hard to add later.
- Is the source more than about 15 ft of cable route from the TV? If yes, use certified fiber HDMI. If no, use certified passive Ultra High Speed copper.
- Will there be speakers, a sub or a control system? If yes, run CL2/CL3 speaker wire and two Cat6 now. Our in-wall speaker guide covers depth and placement.
- Is the finish stone, tile or slat? If yes, conduit is essential; reopening those finishes costs far more than drywall.
- Does the TV location need new power? If yes, hire a licensed electrician, and keep that work in a separate box from your low-voltage ring.
To have it planned for you, compare cable-concealment specialists. Of the 291 listed on GetMediaWall, 54 publish a starting price, with a median of $82, according to the companies' own sites. You can also browse local installers, or get matched with free quotes and mention conduit in your request. To see your layout and cost before anyone cuts drywall, sketch it in the media wall planner. For where the receiver and rack should go, see our AV equipment placement guide.
Sources
- AVForums: AV points for behind TV — 1.5–2 in. flexible conduit with pull strings; solid-copper Cat6; active HDMI and wall-plate problems
- AVForums: House HDMI / data wiring for future proofing — "only way to future proof" conduit quote; avoid terminated faceplates; fiber over ~5 m; avoid CCA
- AVForums: Futureproofing cable installation — spare draw wire; SCART "regret" advice
- AVForums: Which cables should I run? — oversize conduit with pull string; bends make pulls nearly impossible; SCART pre-runs
- AVS Forum: Conduit in wall? — run current cables outside the conduit and keep the conduit for future cables
- Mike Holt Forums: HDTV questions — 2 in. preferred, 1 in. only fits HDMI with a plain connector; low-voltage rings
- Mike Holt Forums: Entertainment system wiring — 1.5 in. tube passes a connectorized HDMI; leave pull strings
- Mike Holt Forums: Speaker wire in walls, residential — inspector requiring CL markings on speaker wire
- Audioholics forum: HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps) in-wall cable over 25 ft — skeptic view on conduit; redundant Cat6
- Audioholics forum: In-wall wiring for subwoofers — pull-string conduit advice; pro installer dissent on PVC in walls
- Home Theater Forum: Bury cables or surface conduit — replacement pulls snag on joists without a roomy channel
- HDMI.org: Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable — 48Gbps cable, mandatory certification, scannable QR label
- CE Pro: HDMI Forum releases HDMI 2.2 96Gbps specification — HDMI 2.2 and Ultra96 cable
- TFTCentral: HDMI 2.2 initial spec announced — 96Gbps vs 48Gbps on HDMI 2.1; same connector
- Ethereal HDA2D product sheet (PDF) — 48Gbps fiber HDMI, CL3 jacket, 15–260 ft lengths, ARC to 100 ft
- Newegg fiber HDMI listing — fiber HDMI is directional (source/display ends)
- Tono Systems: How to run HDMI cable in conduit — size conduit for the connector; fiber over ~5 m; CL2/CL3 rating
- QED fiber Ultra High Speed HDMI at Richer Sounds — passive copper struggles beyond ~3–5 m at high bandwidth
- Audioholics: Understanding in-wall cable ratings — CL2/CL3/CL2X/CL3X allowed in dwellings; CM/CMR/CMP substitutions
- EC&M: Separating voice/data and power conductors — NEC separation of limited-energy wiring from power
- EC&M: NEC requirements for EMT bends — 360° total bends between pull points
- Crescent/Cesco: Carlon 1-1/2 in. blue ENT — 1.554 in. ID / 1.9 in. OD; about $10.51/ft by the reel
- Elliott Electric: 1-1/2 in. blue ENT 750 ft reel — $3,701.03 per 750 ft (about $4.93/ft)