A cable box can sit behind a wall mounted TV if it still gets airflow, responds to its remote, and hangs from hardware rated for its weight.
The screen looks great, then you notice the black plastic rectangle floating on a shelf bracket beside it. Getting that box out of sight usually takes one of three routes: stick it to the back of the TV with heavy-duty fasteners, hang it from a bracket that bolts into the VESA holes, or drop it into a recessed box set into the drywall itself. Each one solves the same problem in a different way, and the right pick comes down to how hot your box runs, whether its remote needs a straight line to reach it, and how much room sits between the TV and the wall.
Which Mounting Method Fits Your Setup?
The simplest option for a light cable box is industrial-strength hook-and-loop fastener tape stuck to both surfaces, which is exactly what VELCRO® Brand recommends in its guide to hiding wires on a wall mounted TV — just choose a spot on the back of the TV that leaves the box’s buttons and ports reachable.
Fastener tape works because cable boxes are light and flat. Press one strip onto a clean, dry patch on the back of the device and its matching strip on the TV or bracket, let the adhesive cure per the package directions, then mate the two and give it a gentle tug to confirm the bond. A bracket that threads into the TV’s VESA holes or clamps to the wall mount arm handles heavier devices and keeps the box from riding directly on the TV’s rear panel.
For a fully concealed look, an in-wall media box is the finished solution. That specific model is discontinued, so treat it as a template for what to look for: a recessed enclosure with a removable faceplate, sized to clear your drywall depth. If you want a ready-made holder instead of building the rig yourself, the tested picks in this behind TV cable box mount roundup cover brackets that bolt to VESA holes and wall mount arms.
| Method | Best For | Watch Out For |
|---|---|---|
| Hook-and-loop fastener tape | Light cable boxes under a few pounds | Adhesive gives out on hot surfaces |
| VESA or bracket mount | Heavier boxes that need real support | Must match your TV’s mounting pattern |
| Recessed in-wall box | Fully hidden gear and clean cable exits | Requires cutting drywall and a low-voltage box |
| Shelf on the wall mount arm | Boxes you need to reach often | Takes up depth behind the TV |
| Router or modem on the same rig | Consolidating network gear | More heat and more cables in one spot |
| Streaming stick taped to the frame | Featherweight devices | No room for a power brick |
| DVD player or switcher | Devices with rear-facing ports only | Deep chassis may not clear the wall |
Does Hiding the Box Break Your Remote?
Infrared remotes need a clear path to the front of the cable box, so tucking one flat against the back of the TV can kill your signal entirely. Test the remote before you commit to a position, and if the box stops responding, an IR extender or a radio-frequency remote solves it.
Three things decide whether a hidden placement actually works in daily use:
- Airflow. Cable boxes run warm. Leave a gap around the vents rather than pressing the device flat against a surface, and skip enclosures that seal it in.
- Port access. Check where the HDMI, coax, and power jacks sit, and route cables with a gentle bend so nothing pulls tight at the connector.
- Service access. A box that needs a hard reset should still be reachable without pulling the TV off the wall.
Fasteners and mounts share one failure point: heat plus weight. If your box feels hot after an hour or the tape starts to slip, move to a bracket rated for the load instead of adding more adhesive.
How Do You Run the Cables Into the Wall?
Home Depot’s method for running wires through walls behind a TV uses two openings: a low-voltage bracket or box mounted behind the display, a second one down near the outlet, and fish sticks to pull the cables between them. The TV then covers the upper opening, so no faceplate shows.
Keep low-voltage work — HDMI, coax, speaker wire — separate from anything carrying household power, and leave line-voltage wiring to a licensed electrician. The upper opening hides behind the TV; the lower one sits at outlet height so the cables arrive where the power already is. Once the cables are fished through and terminated at faceplates, the box itself can ride on the back of the TV with nothing left visible.
What Goes Wrong Most Often?
Most failed behind-TV installs trace back to the same handful of mistakes, and each one is easy to avoid with a quick test before the TV goes back on the wall.
- Pressing the box tight against the TV back, which blocks the vents and traps heat.
- Ignoring port locations, which leaves cables kinked or impossible to plug in later.
- Hiding the box before confirming the remote still reaches it.
- Treating a recessed in-wall box as interchangeable with open-air hardware — they fit and install differently.
- Hanging a heavy or hot device on improvised hardware instead of a mount rated for it.
Do the remote and heat check with the TV pulled slightly off the wall, then push it back once both pass.
FAQs
Will a cable box overheat behind a TV?
It can if you block its vents or seal it inside an enclosure with no air movement. Leave clearance around the vents, avoid pressing the box flat against a surface, and feel the device after an hour of use. If it runs hot to the touch, add airflow or move it out from behind the display.
Can I use hook-and-loop tape instead of a bracket?
Yes, for a light cable box. Heavy or hot devices belong on a bracket that bolts to the VESA holes or the wall mount arm, where the load is supported by metal rather than adhesive.
Do I need an IR extender?
Only if your cable box uses an infrared remote and the hidden position blocks the line of sight. Test the remote with the box in its planned spot before you finalize anything. If it stops responding, an IR extender or an RF remote restores control without moving the device.
References & Sources
- VELCRO® Brand. “Hide Wires on a Wall Mounted TV” Recommends Industrial Strength Fasteners for attaching a cable box to the back of a TV.
- SANUS. “SA-IWB17 17″ TV Media In-Wall Box” In-wall enclosure designed to sit behind any wall mounted TV for streaming devices and network gear.
- Home Depot. “How to Run Wires Through Walls” Low-voltage box method for concealing TV cables inside a wall.
