A media room needs modern wiring.

The Basics

If you're building or remodeling a family room that will include a home theater or other high-end electronics, now is the time to install the proper wiring to support them. Even if such luxuries as high-definition TV or a digital sound system are dreams at the moment, installing high-capacity, high-grade wiring and cable during the building or remodeling phase -- while the walls are accessible -- can save you big bucks down the road.

To get the most out of today's electronics, builders recommend installing Category 5 (Cat-5) twisted-pair wire for voice and data transmissions and RG6 quadshielded coaxial cable for video. Though more expensive than traditional wiring, these conductors are better able to handle the demands of high-speed transmissions -- resulting in less interference and clearer reception.

An integrated home network consolidates all your wiring. Instead of many separate wires (for power, telephone, cable or satellite TV, computer, and so on) all daisy-chained through your walls, a network puts everything you need in a single, central hub. Wire then runs directly from this hub to each room, where modular outlets provide access to services.

Newly introduced wireless networking products can connect computers, printers, or other devices, as can kits that use the existing electrical or telephone wiring in your house. Neither of these solutions, however, supports the connecting speeds of a hardwired, dedicated network. Of course, they do take away some of the pressure of finding exactly the right location for every telephone and computer jack.

The cost for an integrated network varies with the size of your home and complexity of the system. Do-it-yourself home networking products are available for undaunted homeowners. If you're hiring a professional installer, expect to pay about $100 per run of wire in new construction, $300 to $500 per run for rewiring. (A run varies in length; it is the distance from the hub to a single room, regardless of how near the room may be.)

If your budget is tight, you can wire your new family room with the good stuff and update the rest of the house later. But if you're ready to rewire your whole house now, seize the opportunity to integrate your home's systems. Imagine the following scenarios: Use your TV's picture-in-a-picture feature to check on your sleeping baby. Network all your home computers to play multiuser games or use a single printer. Pop a movie into the family room's DVD player and watch it in your bedroom. Slide your favorite CD into the stereo and listen to it in any room of the house -- or outside.

If you decide to stick with standard wiring, consider installing plastic conduits in the new walls to simplify the rewiring process later. When you're ready to update, your family room will be, too.