Can power outlets and HDMI wall-jacks be installed with right-angle bends to accommodate very thin walls?

Question

I have a very thin wall, about 2 inches thick. See photo below.
(This is the podium at a historic chapel.)
The wall might be solid wood? I'm not certain.

There is a crawl-space underneath the sub-floor, so it is very easy to gain access underneath for wiring and jack installation.

We need to install a power outlet AND an HDMI jack here.

Obviously, the easiest solution is to just put the jacks in the floor, facing upwards.
The problem is, this is an area with high foot-traffic.
The jacks WILL get stepped on regularly, which can a) break the jacks and b) become a serious trip-hazard, even when nothing is plugged in.

So we'd like to see if there is any possible way we could drill into this thin wood wall, and install the jacks in the wall, with the cables running immediately downwards into the crawlspace below.

Right-angle HDMI adapters are readily available, but we obviously need to avoid the extra connection if possible (to preserve a higher-quality signal).

Is it possible to get female HDMI cable ends with right-angles AND the ability to crimp onto your own loose cable and install into a faceplate?
I haven't been able to find any on Google, as of yet - but I don't really know where to look.

And then there's also the power outlet.
Most power outlets are too thick to fit inside such a thin wall.
Is there a way to get power outlets that are designed for extremely thin wall spaces?
I'd like to avoid having a box sticking out of the wall, again, because of trip hazards.
(Also because it's ugly.)

Answer 1

If you have access under the wall, could you put a brass floor plate on the floor and eliminate the hassle of the wall?

If you installed something like this, it could be flush with the carpet. You could easily plug in when needed and not worry about it being a tripping hazard.

Answer 2

TL;DR

This premise is flawed.

but we obviously need to avoid the extra connection if possible (to preserve a higher-quality signal).

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All cables are subject to a minimum bend radius. If you cannot maintain this and end up kinking the cable then you should replace the cable although technically if the cable still works then just use it; it's a digital signal not analog so the signal will either work or not work, period.

From https://www.cmd-ltd.com/advice-centre/usb-chargers-and-power-modules/safety-regulations-and-troubleshooting/hdmi/:

it is recommended that a minimum bend radius of 25mm is applied during installation.

Right angle adapters do not degrade quality as long as they are specc'd for the same HDMI version as your cable. If you're running HDMI 2.1 and the adapter is 1.4 then you will be limited to the features of HDMI 1.4

See the charts at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI#Main_specifications if you're interested in the differences between HDMI versions. To put things simply, 4K video became available with HDMI 2.0.

There are also distance limitations to consider as well. If you're running more than 25 feet then you'll need a booster.

Answer 3

I would guess solid or not much space if built like the church I grew up in. We added surface mount power , input jacks , mic jacks and “monitor speaker” jacks in the modesty shield board (that’s what my pastor called it) not much space as that was in front of the choir benches. On the choir side. we ended putting it in the middle several inches down so the 1/4’ input jacks could not be seen when mics were plugged in. Surface mount wire mold is as low profile as we could find after the congregation approved we recessed everything 1/2” so it barely stuck out and the Sopranos quit tearing there stockings. Putting an hdmi cable I would want in a separate wire way just in case but wire mold would work for the power and a separate run for the AV would not cost much and be better than floor mount.

Answer 4

If you are going to mount a TV on or near that wall, and it is a high traffic area, you'll have the problem of the TV itself and the wires dangling from it being bumped or pulled by people, whether or not they go to a wall or floor outlet.

Consider a mounting solution that contains all this .... a hollow metal pole securely mounted to the floor next to the wall with hardware for mounting the TV, its power socket and HDMI port all at the top of the pole and all wires going THROUGH it directly to the crawl space.

It would help if you provided a wider shot of the area and a description of what you want to do. It does not sound like a beautifully concealed floor outlet for a permanently installed TV will meet any goals I can imagine.

Answer 5

In my other answer I tried to convince you to avoid using floor or wall jacks entirely by putting the TV and all outlets and wiring at the top of a pole mounted to the floor. Here I'll try to just answer the question as asked.

For power use a low-profile surface-mounted box such as this wiremold one (first picture), mounted on the little wall with a raceway into the crawl space. To power the TV use an extension cord with a low-profile plug (second picture).

For HDMI use a second similar box, with the feed coming up from the floor through a separate raceway, and inside the box an HDMI keystone coupler (third picture). You will have to modify the box, carefully cutting its side or bottom to accept the keystone's clips, if you don't want the TV's HDMI plug protruding outward from the wall. Alternately just use an HDMI cable already equipped with a right-angle connector (fourth picture) to connect the TV to the box with a more standard front-facing HDMI jack.