Media wall installation in Mildenhall and Suffolk

What a media wall is

A media wall is a built-out wall, usually a timber or metal frame finished in plasterboard, that houses the TV flush with or close to the surface. It often includes alcoves or shelving, recessed lighting and sometimes an electric fire, with the cables and much of the equipment tucked inside.

Our part is everything electronic: the screen, the sound, the wiring, the power positions, the equipment and the control. The frame, boarding and finishing are carried out by your builder, joiner or a media wall specialist, and we work from the same plan so both sides line up.

Planning is where most media walls succeed or fail. Changing the screen size, moving a socket or adding a speaker once the boards are on usually means cutting into a finished wall, so it pays to agree the AV layout in detail at the start.

Screen size and height

The right screen size depends on how far away you sit and the shape of the room. A screen that fills a wall can feel overwhelming in a small lounge, while a modest one gets lost in a large open-plan space. We look at the seating and the sightlines from around the room before suggesting a size.

Height matters just as much. The centre of the picture should sit close to eye level from the main seat, which is often lower than people expect, particularly when a fire sits underneath. Settling this early means the recess can be built to the right dimensions first time.

It also helps to know the exact screen before the frame is built. Models vary in depth, bracket position and where the inputs sit, and the recess needs room for leads to plug in without being bent tight.

Inside the structure

• Cable routes

  Conduit or clear paths from the screen down to the equipment, so leads can be swapped in future without opening up the wall.

• Power in the right places

  Sockets behind the screen, in the equipment space and for any lighting, agreed before the boards go on.

• A home for the equipment

  Boxes, amplifiers and consoles can live in a ventilated cupboard within the wall, a nearby alcove or another room altogether.

• Aerial, satellite and network feeds

  TV feeds and a wired network point brought to the wall so live TV and streaming are dependable.

• Ventilation

  Screens and equipment give off heat, so cupboards and recesses need airflow, particularly if an electric fire sits in the same wall.

Speakers, soundbars and a fire

Sound can be built in as well. A soundbar can sit on a dedicated shelf below the screen, or speakers can be recessed into the wall or ceiling for a cleaner finish and a wider soundstage. Each choice changes the depth and layout of the frame, which is why it needs deciding early.

Many media walls include an electric fire. From an AV point of view it is a layout question: it takes space in the frame, needs its own power and pushes the screen higher, so the two need planning together. Whoever supplies the fire should confirm its own installation and clearance requirements.

New builds, extensions and one-remote control

The best time to plan a media wall is before the room is finished. In a new build or extension we can pre-wire while walls and ceilings are open, so cables, speaker wiring and network points are waiting when the frame goes up. That is far easier than retrofitting later.

If the build is already underway, share the drawings with us early. We can then mark out the AV positions for your builder and agree when we need to be on site, before plastering and again once the frame is finished.

Once everything is in, we set it up so the whole wall can be run from one remote or an app on your phone, covering the screen, sound, inputs and, where the equipment allows, lighting. We then take you through how it all works.