You finally bought that 75-inch OLED. It’s thin. It’s gorgeous. You spent three hours measuring the wall to make sure it’s at the perfect eye level because "TV too high" is a crime on Reddit. But then you mount it, and reality hits. There is a massive tangle of power cables, HDMI leads, and maybe a streaming stick poking out the side like a sore thumb. Your ultra-thin TV is now sitting four inches off the wall because the plugs are in the way.
This is exactly why a back box for tv exists. Honestly, if you’re wall-mounting a television and you aren't using one of these recessed enclosures, you’re basically doing half a job. It’s the difference between a professional "floating" look and a messy DIY project that looks like a high school AV club handled it.
Basically, a back box—often called a recessed media box or an in-wall enclosure—is a plastic or metal container that sits inside your wall behind the screen. It creates a "pocket" where all the messy stuff lives. Instead of your power outlets and HDMI ports sticking out from the wall surface, they are recessed into the wall cavity. This lets the TV bracket sit flush. It’s a simple concept, but people mess it up constantly.
Why Your Slim Mount Actually Needs a Back Box for TV
Most people buy a "slim" or "thin" wall mount thinking that's the secret to a flush fit. It isn't. In fact, if you buy a super-slim mount and don't have a back box for tv, you’re actually making your life harder. Why? Because the plugs have nowhere to go. A standard UK or US power plug sticks out quite a bit. If your mount only provides 15mm of clearance, but your plug is 35mm deep, you’re going to have a bad time.
The back box solves the depth problem. By moving the outlets three to four inches into the wall, you gain enough clearance to use those "razor-thin" mounts. Brands like Chief, Sanus, and Legrand have been making these for years, but they used to be reserved for high-end custom home cinemas. Now, you can grab them at any hardware store, yet most homeowners still don't know they exist until they’ve already put six holes in their drywall.
It’s not just about the plugs
Think about your Apple TV, your Roku, or that One Connect box if you’re a Samsung Frame fan. Where do they go? If you don't have a media cabinet underneath, they usually end up Velcroed to the back of the TV, which looks janky and affects heat dissipation. A larger back box for tv—specifically the 9-inch or 17-inch versions—actually has room to house these small devices inside the wall.
You tuck the streaming bridge and the power brick into the box, zip-tie them down, and suddenly the only thing visible is the TV itself. No wires. No plastic boxes peeking over the top. Just the screen.
Metal vs. Plastic: The Shielding Debate
When you start shopping, you’ll see two main types: plastic (ABS) and metal (steel).
Most DIYers grab the plastic ones because they are cheaper and easier to cut into a wall. They’re fine. Honestly, for a standard living room setup, plastic is perfectly okay. However, professional installers often lean toward metal boxes for two reasons: fire code and EMI shielding.
In certain jurisdictions, specifically in commercial buildings or high-rise condos, building codes might require metal enclosures for anything involving electrical high-voltage. Beyond that, there is a niche argument that metal boxes help reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI) between your power cables and your high-speed HDMI 2.1 cables. If you're running 8K signals or high-refresh-rate gaming setups, keeping those signals clean is vital. Is a plastic box going to ruin your 120Hz gaming? Probably not. But if you want to do it "right," metal is the gold standard.
The Heat Factor
One thing nobody tells you: TVs get hot.
When you cram a power brick and a streaming stick into a small back box for tv, you are creating a little oven behind your expensive panel.
I’ve seen installs where a Roku overheats and restarts every twenty minutes because it’s sandwiched in a box with no airflow. If you’re going to hide devices in the wall, look for a back box with vents or ensure there’s a bit of a gap between the TV and the wall to let air circulate. Don't buy the smallest box possible if you plan on stuffing it full of gear.
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Installation Realities (The Stuff the Manual Skips)
Installing a back box for tv isn't incredibly difficult, but it's messy. You’re going to be cutting a significant hole in your wall. This isn't a "small patch" job if you mess up.
First, you have to find the studs. Most back boxes are designed to fit between standard 16-inch on-center studs. If you have 12-inch spacing or some weird structural blocking in the way, you’re going to have to get creative with a jigsaw.
- Check for pipes. Seriously. Use a high-quality stud finder with wire and pipe detection. The last thing you want is to slice into a vent pipe or a water line while trying to hide a Netflix cable.
- The "Retrofit" vs. "New Construction" struggle. If your walls are already up, you need a "work box" or "retrofit" version. These have "dog-ear" tabs that flip out and grip the back of the drywall. If you buy a new construction box, it’s meant to be nailed directly to the studs before the drywall goes up. Don't buy the wrong one.
- Cable Management. A good back box for tv will have knockouts. These are little circles you pop out to run your cables through. Do yourself a favor and buy some rubber grommets for these holes. It stops the metal or plastic edges from chafing your HDMI cables over time.
The Samsung Frame Problem
The Samsung Frame is the most popular "clean look" TV on the market. It uses a "One Connect" box, which is a separate brain for the TV. It connects via a single, thin, translucent cable.
The irony? The One Connect box is actually quite large.
If you want a Frame TV to look like actual art, you can't have that box sitting on a mantle. You need a specific, extra-large back box for tv—like the Legrand On-Q 17-inch Media Box—that is deep enough to hold the One Connect unit. Many people buy a standard small back box and realize too late that the Samsung box won't fit. Now they’re stuck with a "hole in the wall" that's useless. Measure your gear before you buy the box. Then measure it again.
Forget the "All-in-One" Kits
You'll see those "TV Power Bridge" kits at big-box stores. They include two plates and a bit of extension cord. They're okay for beginners, but they aren't a true back box for tv. They don't give you space to hide a Balun, a network switch, or an Apple TV. They just give you a hole.
If you're serious about your home theater, skip the kits. Buy a modular back box. This allows you to snap in different plates—maybe you want three HDMIs, a Toslink optical port, and a Cat6 Ethernet jack. Modular systems like the Leviton Structured Media Centers or the SnapOne Araknis series give you that flexibility. Technology changes. In five years, we might not be using HDMI. If you have a modular box, you just swap the faceplate instead of ripping out the whole enclosure.
Power and Safety: Don't Burn Your House Down
This is the part where I have to be the "boring expert." You cannot—and I mean cannot—just run a standard TV power cord through the wall. It’s a fire hazard and a violation of National Electrical Code (NEC) in the US and similar codes in the UK/EU. Flexible power cords aren't rated for in-wall use because their jackets can degrade or catch fire without you knowing.
A proper back box for tv allows you to terminate a real, Romex-style house wire into a proper outlet inside the box. If you aren't comfortable working with mains electricity, this is the part where you call an electrician. It’ll take them 30 minutes to drop a line from the outlet below to your new back box. It’s worth the $100 to know your house won't burn down while you're watching Succession reruns.
Actionable Steps for Your Install
If you’re ready to pull the trigger on a cleaner setup, follow this workflow to avoid the common pitfalls:
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- Size the Box to the Gear: Measure the depth and width of your streaming device or One Connect box. Add at least an inch of "wiggle room" for cables to bend. Use a 9-inch box for basic setups and a 17-inch box if you have a Samsung Frame or an AV receiver nearby.
- Identify Stud Locations Early: Use a magnet or electronic stud finder to locate the two studs where the TV will live. Your back box for tv must fit between them. If your mount needs to be centered exactly where a stud is, you might need a "dual-stud" box or a mount that allows for lateral shifting.
- Buy Right-Angle Cables: Even with a back box, space can be tight. Use right-angle HDMI adapters and right-angle power pigtails. This prevents the cables from pressing against the back of the TV, which can damage the ports over time.
- Check Local Codes: If you live in an apartment or a condo, check if you need a plenum-rated box or a metal enclosure. Don't find out during an insurance claim that your DIY project wasn't up to code.
- Ventilation is Key: If you’re hiding a streaming stick, don't pack the box with insulation or leftover wires. Keep it tidy so air can move. If the device feels hot to the touch, you need a bigger box or more airflow.
A back box for tv is essentially the "invisible" hero of a high-end home theater. It’s not flashy, and nobody will ever see it once the TV is mounted, but it’s the only way to achieve that perfectly flush, professional look. Stop fighting with your cables and just give them a place to hide.