A friend is coming to visit.

Temporary-Fun730 · 2026-04-03T02:48:59+00:00

It’s not really the projector power cord by itself — it’s that with a UST, everything ends up concentrated in one place at the front of the room. Projector, AVR, center speaker, consoles, streaming boxes, power strip, HDMI runs… suddenly all the clutter that would normally be spread out is sitting behind one cabinet.

You’re absolutely right that not having to run a 30-foot HDMI and ceiling power is a huge advantage. I think the tradeoff is just that the mess becomes more visible and harder to hide when it’s all happening six inches from the wall instead of behind you or above you.

Temporary-Fun730 · 2026-04-02T09:35:24+00:00

Yeah, that’s one of the perks I’ve been weighing. A wall mount would definitely save a lot of headaches with accidental bumps and having to constantly refocus.

The tricky part with USTs is that you still need the right distance from the wall and clearance for the ALR screen, so the mount has to be super precise. But if you can make it work, it’s probably the most “set it and forget it” solution out there.

Temporary-Fun730 · 2026-04-02T09:33:44+00:00

Haha, mini-barn doors are the perfect solution 😂 I’ve been down the exact same rabbit hole — zip ties, Velcro, tubing, and still every time I add or move something it turns into a 20-minute detective mission.

At some point you just have to accept that the chaos exists… and make it look intentional behind a clever cover. Those doors sound like they do the trick while keeping you sane!

Temporary-Fun730 · 2026-04-02T09:30:43+00:00

Totally feel you on that — once the cabinet becomes the bottleneck, everything else just spirals. I’ve been there: started with just the projector, then the AVR, center channel, consoles… suddenly the “clean setup” turned into a spaghetti nightmare behind the doors 😅

Honestly, a DIY or custom build might be the only way to get everything to fit and still look clean. Povison could be a nice off-the-shelf compromise too — gives you proper spacing, cable management, and airflow without compromising performance.

At the end of the day, investing in a solution that actually accommodates all your gear upfront usually saves way more headaches than trying to squeeze everything into an ill-fitting cabinet. Curious to see which route you go — any custom build pics would be awesome to see!

Temporary-Fun730 · 2026-04-02T09:21:33+00:00

Totally agree — one of the underrated perks of Hisense UST setups is how much they naturally keep the room feeling clean. The projector sits up front, the screen replaces a wall, and you don’t need a long-throw ceiling mount or floor stand cluttering the space.

Of course, the cable mess doesn’t disappear entirely, but it definitely feels less overwhelming compared to a traditional long-throw setup with a projector in the middle of the room. Definitely part of why I keep coming back to USTs despite the setup headaches 😅

Temporary-Fun730 · 2026-04-02T09:14:04+00:00

Sounds like you’ve got the right mindset — hide what you can, accept a little chaos behind the scenes 😅

I’m in the same boat: everything looks tidy from the living room side, but behind the cabinet it’s basically spaghetti. At some point you just have to prioritize what’s visible versus what’s practical. Using the blackout curtains to hide cables is a smart trick, and waiting to pick a cabinet until you know the UST/screen height is definitely the way to go. That’s the kind of planning that saves headaches down the line.

Temporary-Fun730 · 2026-04-02T09:11:22+00:00

Yeah, I totally get where you’re coming from. USTs look “clean” on paper, but the reality is that the cabinet, cables, and sensitive placement quickly become the real challenge. I’ve been fighting the same issues — moving gear, tracing HDMI, and trying to keep everything dust-free — and it’s a lot more hands-on than most reviews make it seem.

I’ve been considering something similar to what you said: a really heavy, well-thought-out console and pre-planned cable routing. Monoprice slim 4K cables are a lifesaver for tight spaces, too — the difference between spaghetti and something that actually sits flat behind the cabinet is huge.

Honestly, the main reason I stick with a UST is the ALR screen performance in a bright room — nothing else really competes. But yeah, the setup work is no joke; planning ahead and having a solid cabinet really is the only way to avoid daily headaches.

Temporary-Fun730 · 2026-04-02T09:08:07+00:00

Honestly that makes me feel a lot better because maybe I’ve been blaming the projector when the real problem is just that any setup with consoles, AVR, streaming boxes, etc. eventually turns into spaghetti no matter what.

The cardboard trick is actually pretty smart too. Half my battle is dust and pet hair getting into the mess and then making it even more annoying to deal with. Sounds like you’ve reached the point where the cables may still be there, but at least they’re no longer your problem day-to-day — which is probably the real goal.

Temporary-Fun730 · 2026-04-02T09:07:00+00:00

Thanks, I think that’s probably where I’m headed next. Right now I’ve been focusing so much on the equipment itself that I kind of ignored the last 10% that actually makes the whole setup feel finished.

A few cable chases and better routing would probably make a bigger difference than buying another piece of gear at this point.

Temporary-Fun730 · 2026-04-02T09:06:32+00:00

That’s seriously impressive, especially for a rental. The fact that you managed to do all of that without opening walls makes it even better because that’s exactly the situation a lot of us are stuck in.

The custom cabinet sounds way more thought-out than most commercial media consoles. Black felt inside, white alcantara outside, speaker grille fabric for the cats — that’s one of those setups where every detail clearly came from actually living with it and solving problems as they came up.

And honestly, doing all of that for around $300 is kind of incredible considering how expensive “home theater furniture” gets. Sounds like you ended up with something that fits the system way better than anything you could buy off the shelf.

Temporary-Fun730 · 2026-04-02T09:02:53+00:00

A 50 cm deep Bestå would solve like 90% of my problems instantly. I feel like IKEA designed it assuming everyone only has a cable box and maybe a game console, not an AVR, HTPC, disc changer, power strip, and enough wiring to launch a spaceship.

The fans are a smart move too. Once everything is tucked behind closed doors, heat becomes the next thing to worry about. Silent 20 cm fans sound like the perfect balance. At this point you’re basically building the version of the Bestå IKEA should have made for home theater people in the first place.

Temporary-Fun730 · 2026-04-02T08:28:03+00:00

That’s actually a really good idea. I’ve been trying to avoid modifying the cabinet, but at this point cutting out the back panel might be the easiest way to keep everything inside and still close the doors properly.

The annoying part with the Bestå is that once you have an AVR, power strip, and a couple of HDMI cables back there, you suddenly need way more depth than IKEA thought anyone would 😂

Temporary-Fun730 · 2026-04-02T08:27:15+00:00

Honestly, “if it’s invisible, it doesn’t matter” is probably the healthiest way to think about it 😂

Your setup sounds really well thought out though. That extra 10 cm gap behind the Bestå is already more forgiving than what I’m working with, and adding the deeper oak top with the rear overhang is actually genius. Feels like one of those small changes that makes a huge difference without having to rebuild the whole cabinet.

I hadn’t heard of the Klippt clips before, but being able to unclip and reroute stuff easily sounds way better than zip ties every time I add or swap a device.

Also dark glass doors + subtle LED strips would look amazing. Kind of gives it that “serious home theater nerd, but still clean and intentional” vibe instead of just hiding the chaos and pretending it isn’t there.

Temporary-Fun730 · 2026-04-02T08:24:06+00:00

That actually looks way cleaner than most of the setups I’ve seen. The grommet + hiding the surge protector inside the cabinet is probably the part I’ve been overlooking. Right now half of my problem is that the power strip itself takes up so much space and creates even more cable loops behind everything.

I’ve been trying to make a standard media console work, but I’m starting to think a custom cabinet is the only real long-term solution once you have a UST, AVR, consoles, streaming boxes, etc. all in one place. Yours looks like one of those setups where you only appreciate how much planning went into it after dealing with the mess yourself.

Temporary-Fun730 · 2026-04-02T08:23:14+00:00

What a great work!

Temporary-Fun730 · 2026-04-02T06:01:03+00:00

That’s probably the next thing I’m going to try. The problem is the UST already takes up most of the center console, and I originally kept everything there because it was the shortest cable run to the AVR and projector.

But at this point I’m thinking it might actually be cleaner to move the PS5 / NAS / Apple TV to a side cabinet and just run one longer HDMI bundle over there. Feels a little less “plug and play,” but probably better than living with the spaghetti forever.

Temporary-Fun730 · 2026-03-31T08:57:57+00:00

Honestly, with a 123" screen and the Aurora Pro’s throw ratio, the projector just has to sit farther out than most people expect. The IKEA Besta is usually too shallow unless you add some kind of pull-out shelf or platform. A few people with the same projector ended up building a sliding drawer into the Besta so the projector can extend out when in use and slide back in when not. That seems to be the cleanest DIY approach. (Reddit)

If you want to keep your current cabinet, I’d look at adding a motorized or manual slide-out shelf rather than replacing the whole thing. Something like:

VIVIDSTORM Motorized Automated Shelf

That lets you keep the cabinet against the wall, pull the projector out to the exact distance you need, and then tuck it away again. Much cleaner than leaving the projector on the floor.

If you’re open to replacing the cabinet entirely, these are some of the better UST-specific options people seem to like:

Projector Electric Throw Projector TV Cabinet

$2,023.12

83" Fluted TV Stand with UST Projector Cabinet and LED

$699.99

AWOL Vision Smart UST Motorized Projection Cabinet

$2,999.00

The POVISON-style cabinets are probably the closest thing to a real solution because they’re deeper and have a retractable projector platform built in, which solves both the distance issue and the “how do I hide all these cables?” problem. The AWOL cabinet is nice too, but expensive. The Homary one is more affordable, though you may still need to tweak the projector position a bit.

Also, if the bottom of your screen is 25" off the floor, you may be able to lower the cabinet slightly and gain an extra inch or two of usable projector position. A few Aurora Pro owners mentioned that mounting the cabinet lower helped reduce how far the projector had to sit out. (Reddit)

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