DATA COMM Electronics 45-0052-WH Recessed Low Voltage Media Plate with Expandable In-Wall TV Outlet Box, 20 Amp Duplex Receptacle & 3 Interchangeable Plate Options for AV/HDMI Cable Management, White
U**S
An exercise in frusteration
I bought two of the DataComm Electronics 45-0051-WH to use in my remodeled bedroom. Hiding the wires and adding an outlet behind the wall mounted tv was just as important as having the options to run data and video cables from below to behind said tv.Reading the description and studying the photos supplied I pulled the trigger and spend close to $60 bucks on two of them. One below and one above.They arrived in good order, packaged well and made of a sturdy plastic that felt good in the hand. The old work clips on the back for securing the box are fairly long and metal, nice touch since I am going through lath and plaster as well as a 3/8 inch wainscot.It came supplied with an outlet suitable for a 15 amp circuit only. The outlet did not have screw terminals but had push in type terminals sized for 14 gauge wire only.For the above I give the box 4 stars. I subtracted one for the quality of the outlet. Push in terminals are horrible for positive and stout electrical connections.Now the profound frustration starts when I start the installation.I intended to add speaker terminal to this box. This is when I discovered everything that has to do with this box is proprietary.What does this mean?well, nothing off the shelf will fit the cut outs in this box. The areas for cables, whether they be speaker wires, HDMI cables or optical cables all have to use the supplied cover. Nothing else will fit. So trying to use an off the shelf HDMI panel or speaker terminals (like I show in the photo) will only frustrate you when you try to place your connectors within the areas intended.The holes for mounting the plates are not the industry standard for anything made for standard boxes (low voltage boxes or outlet boxes)I cut out the back with an oscillating tool and mounted mine there.Next frustration is the supplied outlet and box.wow, what a cluster $%^&.The supplied box is mounted to the media box from the rear!First you run your electric wire through the back of the box, which by the way is a simple hole once you punch out the tab. No provision for a tension tab or clamp to hold the wire from falling back through and loosing it in the wall.Code says boxes like this are ok however the wire needs to be secured within 12 inches of the box or the box must have a means of holding the wire.Since this is an old work box, meaning a box intended to be used in a wall that already finished there should be provisions for securing the electrical wire.Now, once you run the wire through the box and wire your receptacle you then mount the receptacle to the box. Then screw the box to the media box from the rear with the supplied 4 screws.If at any time you want to access this receptacle in the future you have to remove the entire media box.Again, a proprietary system, no other way of doing it. Something happens there is no off the shelf solution.FYI: I did not use the supplied electrical outlet. I used a surge protected outlet. Luckily it was square so it fit - bonus.Next frustration.You have to use the supplied cable and keystone covers. Again, they are a propriety design.I intended on adding my speaker block in one of the openings but the industry standard block I had will not fit the openings.Another frustrationthe outlet will only mount on the left as shown in the pics. It's at a slight angle.The distance between the molded in trim and the outlet box is only about 1/2 to 5/8 inch.As I mentioned earlier I am going though lath and plaster as well as 3/8 inch wainscot. no way was this going to fit using the supplied template. My wall was simply to thick to fit between the face of the media box and the outlet box.I had to use my handy dandy oscillating tool to to carve out an extreme bevel inside my wall leaving only my wainscot as a mounting surface.The photo's in the description of this media panel show an HDMI cable attached to "something" on the right side. I included this photo in my review.I assumed... I know, I know...I assumed this "accessory" area could be used as a mounting point for a media panel for this such as HDMI, Optical connection, etc. After all, the photo shows "something" there. Misleading if you ask me.Nope. It's simply a large box. Much larger than the other openings so no dice.Frustration point.The supplied keystove cover, not only is it proprietary (no off the shelf keystone cover will fit) but it has six spaces for keystones. Great!What's frustrating is there is no supplied blank inserts in case you don't fill all six.ok, this is a small annoyance but it does compound the annoyed feeling I have already.Hints:Pay very close attention to the size of the completed box. You may not have enough room to install the large "accessory" box if your not careful.I recommend finding your studs and cutting an outlet size hole in the middle of the area where you intend on installing this. the measure to each stud and allow for enough room on either side for the protrusions.ie: the outlet box on the left and the "accessory" box on the right.Loose 2 stars for annoying and frustrating me.I despise propriety things.
B**N
Know what you’re getting
This product is designed for 1/2” thick walls. This should be front and center. If you have thicker walls (e.g. wall plus shiplap, planks, stone, etc.) fitting it will be a challenge. The adjustable screws will handle the depth but you can’t actually fit the unit in the opening with the outlet attached if it’s more than 1/2” wall. Also, the snap-in box that holds a media player fits tight inside the wall, so if it’s more than 1/2” thick you can’t fit that attachment into the unit either.I eyed this up for a long time and thought it was brilliant with the cavity to store a media player. I didn’t realize the wall thing until I was committed (giant 7” square hole cut) so I had to break off the inner drywall until I could fit it all in. If I’d known this I would have selected a different option.In lieu of using the keystone plate that has 6 openings and having to buy blank covers separately I opted to use the cable hole which was a nice option to have and gives you the benefit of being able to push slack back into the wall.The electrical stuff (box and outlet) are proprietary so you have to use them. It’s stab-in only. The quality could be better, but it will work.I can fit a current model Apple TV in the box which is nice. There is also enough room in the unit itself to coil excess cable length and hide it in there.The tolerance isn’t square, you’ll have more lip to hide mess ups in one direction than the other. I’d suggest starting with a little smaller opening and increasing as you need to so it’s all hidden. I didn’t think the stud tolerance was too tight, I had no problem fitting it between two standard 16” studs.Overall this unit is OK if you have 1/2” wall. It will do the job fine.
R**L
Won't fit walls thicker than 1/2"
As stated by other reviewers which I unfortunately did not read, this will not fit in walls thicker than 1/2". After cutting 2 giant holes in my wall to fit this and getting my wires past a fire block (installed for no reason on an interior wall, go figure), I found that the unit will not fit with the installed outlet box. I was able to squeeze it in by shaving the wall with a drywall knife, but even then the expandable storage box will not fit because it hits the wall.Do not buy unless you have 1/2" thick drywall, know you have no fire blocks, and can find the exact center of your studs. 1" Thick plaster walls with a fireblock and no reliable way to find a stud made installing this a total nightmare.
C**S
Very happy
Installed our first one probably 5 years ago and were very happy with it. Recently moved and began to install wall mount TV so I specifically searched out this same unit again.Install is as straightforward as it gets and everything needed is included (unless you plan to use the keystone holes, then you'll need to buy the keystone plugs needed for your specific setup.My favorite part has been the storage space. I hate having cables snaked all over behind the TV, so its nice to have a pocket to shove the excess.
L**R
Plenty of room for a LED converter.
The expandable media box was the solution. The LED 120 to 5-volt converter fits nicely inside. I had to turn the unit 90 degrees and point the media box down to fit inside the wall since the studs were closer together than the normal 14.5". Installed on the side of an upper cabinet. It was not a fun install due to the location.
D**G
2 out of 4 Broken Fasteners screws. Man I'm pissed.
Sometimes cheaper is not better. Sometimes (all the time) made in China is a disappointment. I never had issues with products Made in the U.S.A, especially with fasteners. This product's fasteners (metal screws) broke when installing, 2 out of four. Are you serious?When will Amazon carry quality products?
R**N
Buen producto, bastante funcional
Buena calidad de materiales, trae todo lo que muestra la imagen, es muy funcional, el único detalle por el cual le doy 4 estrellas es que las tapas o cubiertas no las he visto en venta por separado y deben ser para este modelo en particular, no se puede utilizar tapas de otros fabricantes estándar, si se daña alguna pieza posiblemente tenga que volver a adquirir todo el producto, otro detalle las conexiones para el contacto eléctrico son algo extrañas optare por instalar mi propio contacto doble leviton
A**E
Buen organizador de TV / Audio
Producto muy completo. No he terminado de instalarlo por qué pra el grueso de mi muro de Tablaroca necesita más espacio de fondo. Considera las medidas de fondo antes de comprarlo. El material se siente bastante resistente y se ve que quedará muy estético.
S**S
template is 7 1/8” X 7 1/4”,flange is a little larger. With the receptacle attached unit won’t fit
I thought the exorbitant price took into account r&d of this product. WrongHad to cut the drywall to get the unit in. The unit would fit the template if you didn’t install the receptacle but then what’s the point of this. Obviously the designer never tried this in an actual wall.
S**N
Doesn’t fit 2 by 4 studded wall
Good solution but bad design. Doesn’t fit a standard 2 by 4 studded wall. Waste of money unless you’re installing into 2 by 6’s.Don’t assume you can install into a standard wall.
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