I'm planning out the home theater in my new basement, which was finished by the previous owners. I'm thinking of running component video, speaker and subwoofer cables above the drop ceiling and MAYBE a foot or two vertically inside the destination wall.
Ignoring the destination wall for a minute, do I need in-wall rated cables if I ONLY run the cables above the drop ceiling?
Secondly, what is the point of having in-wall rated cables? Is it fire resistance or something?
Lastly, what happens if I DON'T use in-wall rated cables? Quality degradation? Big issues from insurance company if house burns down? Will I get lynched by my neighbors?
Any advice would be appreciated,
Seth
