Organizing Chords: Cable Maintenance

The issue of cable maintenance affects all of us. Take, for example, a media entertainment area. I embarked on a project to upgrade a simple TV stand. I quickly realized that the project was not just about replacing a piece of furniture, but it was also about getting all the cords under control.


Get the chords under control

After assembling the TV stand, I set out to organize the inordinate amount of cables stuffed behind the old entertainment center. I sought to label every single cord and cable. Armed with an assistant and my label maker, I did just that. I kept saying to my assistant, "While you know where everything goes, if this stuff where to be disassembled, would anyone else be able to figure it out without labels?" The prompt response was, "probably not." Thus we labeled everything and then zip tied all of the cords together. The process was a bit tedious, but everything is properly organized and installed.

Do not underestimate the power of organized cables. As an electronics novice, I didn't realize that each speaker has a negative and positive cable, so I had to make sure I got it all labeled correctly.

While I only used a label maker, a bit of tape, patience, and zip ties, I was able to organize the media area. I wish, however, I had actual cable organizers that are on the market.  The labels and consolidated cords will help in the future if a piece of equipment needs to be replaced. Through this project I realized just how many things get plugged into a surround sound receiver: speakers, Blu Ray/DVD player, cable box, TV, and gaming equipment. Now things can be replaced with relative ease if you know where everything goes.