My parents just upgraded to digital cable and are having severe pixalation problems. Their cable was recently upgraded to quad shielding, so I was thinking they probably need a new 2-way splitter or cable amplifier. There is well over 100 feet from the cable box to each of the 2 TVs. I would appreciate any suggestions, including brand names and type of equipment.
Digital Splitter Plus Amplifier
1 - 19 of 19 Posts
Two thoughts:
(1) Another thread in this forum postulates that pixelation is caused by a marginal signal.
(2) My cable company told me that my existing cable splitter/amplifier was not compatible with HD channels because these channels live in a part of the frequency spectrum that my splitter did not allow to pass through.
For whataver that's worth...
(1) Another thread in this forum postulates that pixelation is caused by a marginal signal.
(2) My cable company told me that my existing cable splitter/amplifier was not compatible with HD channels because these channels live in a part of the frequency spectrum that my splitter did not allow to pass through.
For whataver that's worth...
Thanks for the advice. I am looking at Smarthome.com now. If you recall the brand of the splitter/amp please let me know.SNJpage1 said:
This is my understanding. I expect my parents are having problems either because of the long cable length or because such is split twice.Kenji said:
This the direction I am heading. I will likely update the 2 splitters before purchasing an amplifier. Do you recall the specifics of the splitter/amplifier your cablecompany advised?Kenji said:
Most cable plants do not use any signals above 900MHz, so notionally a traditional splitter is fine. However, I have found that the stuff designed out to 2.3 GHz tends to work better. For RG6 Quad Shield, the length is generally not going to be the problem. Where you find the problems originating is usually on the terminations. Make sure that these are done well (tight, no "wiggle" in the F connector) before worrying too much about length. If you have a lot of barrel joins, then these are the first things to remedy. After that, then you can start looking at amplified splitters.
All that being said, I do have a 1x8 powered splitter that is downstream from a 1x2 split for my cable service. The unamplified section is what goes into my cable modem since these tend to be very sensitive to the signal level on the line (you can overdrive a signal as easily as underdrive it). Finally, as mentioned above, you will notice a big difference in signal quality on a good amplifier between having all of the unused taps properly terminated and having them open. Thus, you definitely want 75ohm terminators (resistors) in each unused tap.
Bill
All that being said, I do have a 1x8 powered splitter that is downstream from a 1x2 split for my cable service. The unamplified section is what goes into my cable modem since these tend to be very sensitive to the signal level on the line (you can overdrive a signal as easily as underdrive it). Finally, as mentioned above, you will notice a big difference in signal quality on a good amplifier between having all of the unused taps properly terminated and having them open. Thus, you definitely want 75ohm terminators (resistors) in each unused tap.
Bill
All the connectors are installed tight. I see no problem here. There are no barrel joints, but as above there are 2 splitters, which probably have a similar if not greater effect.b3ar said:
On avsforum.com, another individual advised that I use the electroline splitter, but it seems like his advice (as follows) suits your needs better than mine.b3ar said:
AVSForum said:
Thanks for the good advice.b3ar said:
Several people have advised me to get the Monster splitter. This is suprising. Monster is generally viewed as overpriced. Do they have a superior product here? Or does Monoprice (or another) make a comparable splitter for much less?Kenji said:
They are overpriced, but that does not mean they don't work at all.drew00001 said:
Some of their stuff is fairly run-of-the-mill, and some of it is better-than-average. The big thing Monster has is distribution. I haven't ever looked at monoprice for these things, but you may want to check some of the dedicated Satellite/OTA e-tailers if you want to buy online. Since DBS signals go out to 2.3 GHz, look for those from a respected name (Winegard, Eagle Aspen, Channel Master, etc.):http://search.solidsignal.com/?cate...0&i1.y=3&q=splitter&site=com&u1=q&u2=category
btw, Electroline is pretty much what you will find the local CableCo putting in your attic if they decide you need an amp.
Bill
There is a diagnostics screen you can pull up on the TV that tells you signal strength on different channels. I forget the sequence of keys on the STB- if you call the cableco they can tell you. Something like holding 'menu' while turning power on. Look for signal strength to be between -10 and +13dBmV, though it should be ok down to -16 or so.
More important is carrier-to-noise ratio, which should be between 32 and 37dB.
You can also get this information by putting your cable modem at the end you want to look at and go to IP 192.168.100.1 Although this only gives the information on the internet "channel" which is below the TV frequencies. But it gets you in the ballpark.
If it looks good with the modem but not the STB, chances are the splitters are causing too much loss at the upper frequencies.
Radio Shack splitters and amps are fine, and very easy to return if needed.
More important is carrier-to-noise ratio, which should be between 32 and 37dB.
You can also get this information by putting your cable modem at the end you want to look at and go to IP 192.168.100.1 Although this only gives the information on the internet "channel" which is below the TV frequencies. But it gets you in the ballpark.
If it looks good with the modem but not the STB, chances are the splitters are causing too much loss at the upper frequencies.
Radio Shack splitters and amps are fine, and very easy to return if needed.
Joined
·
3,696 Posts
Seriously. Search eBay for REGAL SPLITTERS. They are incredibly inexpensive. They came recommended to me by several cable technicians on the DSLReports forum, as the splitters that most cable companies use. Best bang for the buck. I purchased a 2-way and a 3-way splitter for two different rooms. My cablemodem which had been on a direct feed is now on a 3-way REGAL splitter and continues to function perfectly, and my Panny HDTV is on another leg of that same 3-way and also gets every HD unencrypted set just fine. My Samsung HDTV and TiVo S3 share the 2-way REGAL and also no problems. Do NOT WASTE your money on anything MONSTER. There are several eBay stores selling the REGAL stuff at great prices.
Joined
·
5,175 Posts
If you have a couple of splitters feeding one another check the ports on them. We sell some splitters at Home depot that are 3 and 4 ways that have a port rated at -4db and the rest at -7 or 8. Use the -4 to feed the next splitter.
Bsar, I am doing the same thing. I split the cable with a two way and send one port to the cable modem and the other port feeds my 8 port amp. Comcast did replace the Rg6 with RG 6 quad between the ground tap on the side of the house and the two way splitter and between the two way and the modem and left the rg 6 duel to the TV's.
Bsar, I am doing the same thing. I split the cable with a two way and send one port to the cable modem and the other port feeds my 8 port amp. Comcast did replace the Rg6 with RG 6 quad between the ground tap on the side of the house and the two way splitter and between the two way and the modem and left the rg 6 duel to the TV's.
No, this is a barrel connector. I incorrectly wrote above that there were no barrel connectors in the system. They is one at each of the 2 wall jacks.ZeoTiVo said:
I don't know of any way to fix this, but note cable companies often thread the wire through the wall outlet in older buildings. I saw this a few times in onder apartments I lived in. Doing so prevents the need for a barrel and allows the wire to run from the TV all the way to the cableco's box on the side of the house.
If it were an option, I would do it.
1 - 19 of 19 Posts
