I need your opinion on splitter option

[johnson636]

I think I've run into an issue concerning my HTPC setup; not enough cable-in lines. When I moved into my apartment, there were no cable-in lines. I subscribed to digital cable and the installer ran 1 line-in in which he split to the DVR STB and my cable modem. I have 2 other rooms with TVs but no cable lines running in them. After getting the OK from the apartment Mngr, I'll submit a request for my Cable subscriber to install another cable-in line (will cost me $75.00)

Now the conflict comes not with paying the $75.00 for a cable-in line for the other 2 rooms, but for the coax line I'd have to use for my pvr-500.
I'm gonna use SageTV with my pvr-500 (s-video to STB to the 500 for my digital signal and coax from wall for analog signals) I'm trying to get around paying $75.00 just to run a coax to my pvr-500.

Any cheaper, but effective ideas?

[Oats]

Why don't you just split the current line to your other 2 rooms. You might need a signal amplifier if you want the best quality.

[johnson636]

Originally Posted by Oats

Why don't you just split the current line to your other 2 rooms. You might need a signal amplifier if you want the best quality.

What is this "signal amplifier" Will it save me money?

[SHS]

It will depend on a lots things
One them is how long the line from main box to the frist splitter
One other thing is your apartment layout in a lot case the has be run inside the apartment it self

Look like this
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...entPage=search
or
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...entPage=search

[johnson636]

Originally Posted by SHS

It will depend on a lots things
One them is how long the line from main box to the frist splitter

Look like this
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...entPage=search
or
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...entPage=search

There's only one splitter. (my current setup) There is a 6' piece of coax from wall to a Splitter. The splitter splits the signal to my digital STB (which is abou 2-3 feet away) and to my cable modem ( which is about 6-8 feet away)

Now the other two rooms are about15-20 feet away. But even if I split to the other rooms with the 4-way thingy, I'd still need a coax line for my pvr-500.

[Oats]

I think he meant how long the line from the street to your house is. I don't know much about cable amplifiers, I just started reading about them because my cable line is run 200 feet to my house and then split 4 times and then one of those lines is split 3 times again (I want to split it again to add a 2nd tuner).

I had read an article in the past about a guy who installed signal amplifiers and said the picture on his TVs improved and his cable modem stopped dropping packets. If you plan to use a cable modem you need a bi-directional amplifier. Sounds like it would be great, but in the little more research that I did I read some things that made me worry. The signal can be too strong and cause your devices to not work right and maybe screw up your neighbors cable. I don't know how much of this is true because I have only done a little bit of research. Hopefully somebody who knows more will chime in.

[blade]

All you have to do is go to the store and buy a decent splitter and a couple of short pieces of coax. If the signal is weak then a signal amplifer might help, if it's not then it may actually make your PQ worse.

No offense intended, but if you can't install a splitter then your best bet is probably to pay the cable guy to make all the connections for you.

[johnson636]

Originally Posted by blade

No offense intended, but if you can't install a splitter then your best bet is probably to pay the cable guy to make all the connections for you.

None Taken, I think I'll just let four daughter install the splitters; she's 4

[tipstir]

Don't bother with power amps, just make sure you spend some good cash on a Digital 2.5GHz low loss 2-way or 3-way splitter. They cost around $15 bucks at BestBuy here in the states. AR makes the best then comes Monster then RCA. AR 4-way 2.5GHz, AR 3-way 2.5GHz and one more. The signal stays strong each one as a small chip inside outside is 24K gold plated a bit heavy weight. I also use ultra coax cables R6 with digital 24K gold plated ends with 3x transfer speed @ 2.3GHz you can get DSS coax cable that is rated @ 3GHz. Again RCA and Philips makes these type of cables. Wal-mart and Home Depot sells this stuff too. Don't use R59 you'll get poor results.

[stevech]

you WILL need an amp if you split the signal too many times, either with cascaded splitters or a single n-way splitter.

Each split reduces the signal strength by 3dB (half power). There is no free-lunch with splitters. By definition, in RF and elsewhere, splitting the signal two (or N) ways is N/2 = half power. The difference among splitters is the construction quality and resistance to corrosion. So- a 10dB gain amplifier offsets the losses in about 3 splits. But with the 10dB gain comes the penality of added noise (snow) because the amplifier is imperfect. Lower cost amps generally have more noise (excluding excessive mark-ups in prices as at RadioShack). Higher gain amps add more noise (noise factor is the technical spec). It's best to put the amp as close to the cables entry point to your home as practical, i.e., avoid long coax to get to the amp - this affects the noise figure.

Most cable TV systems, if properly balanced (few are), don't deliver enough power to your home to split more than 2 or 4 way without an amp.

It's a good idea to have a simple 2-way tap as the first tap, and connect your cable modem from this tap. The other feed goes to an amp to all TVs and splitters.

The amp needs a return path (sometimes called bi-directional) for interactive set-top boxes (and cable modems if you don't connect as above). The reverse/return path typically has zero gain.

Spend $75 or so on a decent amp. A too-cheap amp has a poor noise figure (adds snow while amplifying) and gain-flatness. That excludes RadioShack.

And as said earlier, use only quad shielded high quality coax. The "3x transfer speed" is marketing baloney. The signals propagate at the speed given by the laws of physics! What you care about is shielding to avoid the "ingress" of broadcaster's signals onto the coax. Good quad shielded RG6 (no gold needed) is fine - IF, repeat, IF the connectors are factory installed (or you have tools/know-how).

[tipstir]

That depends on the signal, as my is very strong. I have 4-way and 3 / 3-way all the rated the same High Output low loss @ 2.5GHz. You don't need a amp. You only need the amp if your signal is weak.