Tv cable, im so confused...

1310 Views 11 Replies 7 Participants Last post by quackaddict, Jan 31, 2013

quackaddict

Discussion Starter · Jan 30, 2013

Another question for everyone!

Recently decided to drop cable from my package as I hate paying 100 bucks a month to watch the tube.

Would like to do a couple things in the house. I would like to run a few more tv jacks to portions of the house (basement and another one in the living room on opposite side) and I would like to use a antennae to pick up a few local channels. Will probably use some sort of exterior mounted antennae.

I have been looking into what cable to use and it seems it is more complicated than initially thought, what is the proper cable needed to do what I want.

The cable company still provides Internet, an old splitter was removed when the service was updated. How does one set up access to both the provided internet and the antennae signal? Can I run both feeds into one splitter or are separate systems of wire required?

Thanks everyone!

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LVDIY

· #2 · Jan 30, 2013 (Edited)

If you still have internet through your cable company, then chances are that you still have all the over the air channels in your area fed through the cable. Try to auto tune your tv for over the air channels while hooked up to the cable outlet and see what happens. In my area the cable company broadcasts all the over the air channels unscrambled, and I think they have to by law. So unless they physically unhook your cable, chances are you already get them without hooking up an antenna.

Just a tip worth trying before spending money on a tv antenna and installation.

If you do install an antenna, you would probably just split that signal to all the tv outlets, and then hook the modem up to your cable directly. There is no need to split the cable company signal to all your rooms since you only have one modem.

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ktkelly

· #3 · Jan 30, 2013

You cannot run an off aor soultion on the same cable that's feeding you cable modem.

For you off air solution I highly recommend the Channel <aster HD-4228.

Run a single RG6 coax from antenna to a amplified splitter so you won't suffer from too much signal loss.

All the TV's must be HD with an ATSC tuner, or you'll need a converer box for any analog sets wit the old NTSC tuners.

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quackaddict

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jan 30, 2013

I tried tuning to the cable in and got 3 very washed out channels,

So what Ive gathered..

Internet and antenna have to be on different circuts

Run antennae to an amplifier and use a splitter from there to each TV jack, and bam! I have some channels....

Will probably run a splitter on the internet to upstairs and downstairs for internet and then have a separate setup to host the antennae, both will have the splitters located close to the cable entrance to the house so If we ever go back to cable and internet from the provider we can just plug and play.

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rrolleston

· #5 · Jan 30, 2013

quackaddict said:
I tried tuning to the cable in and got 3 very washed out channels,

So what Ive gathered..

Internet and antenna have to be on different circuts

Run antennae to an amplifier and use a splitter from there to each TV jack, and bam! I have some channels....

Will probably run a splitter on the internet to upstairs and downstairs for internet and then have a separate setup to host the antennae, both will have the splitters located close to the cable entrance to the house so If we ever go back to cable and internet from the provider we can just plug and play.

When I had just had cable internet I was able to grab a bunch of local over the air stations with the digital tuner search on my tv and dvd/vcr combo. I had to use the digital tuner setting when searching.

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quackaddict

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jan 30, 2013

I will mess with it tomorrow and report back! Never hurts to try for free before you spend money!

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AllanJ

· #7 · Jan 30, 2013 (Edited)

Typically you can get the stations on cable channels 2 through 13 by connecting the cable directly to a TV set without a converter box. But for some cable systems you have to set the TV to "analog" (or NTSC). Also those channels may or may not be scrambled.

Other cable channels need the cable box.

You may not take the cable TV line and a line from an antenna and run them into a splitter backwards to continue just a single line to the TV set.

A common solution is to take the cable TV line and a line from an antenna and connect these to an "AB switch" which you put next to the TV set.

Local stations that are carried by the cable company may or may not come in on the same numbered positions as they would over the air.

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herdfan

· #8 · Jan 30, 2013

ktkelly said:
For you off air solution I highly recommend the Channel Master HD-4228.

Second the recommendation on this antenna.

But you also don't have to put it outside if you don't want to. Mine is in my attic and I get all my locals with great signal. I am using the CM signal booster as well. A friend has the smaller version in a closet in his TV room.

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quackaddict

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jan 30, 2013

Ran the scan again with the line hooked directly to the tv and got the same 3 fuzzy channels, its odd because you can see picture through the fuzz as it tunes. Knowing how communist charter is it wouldnt be suprising if they were scrambling the channels.

I was contemplating putting the antennae in the attic, im not sure I have enough space but worst case it will go on the roof. I have a very good line of sight to the south towards the metro area from there.

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ddawg16

· #10 · Jan 30, 2013

Your TV should have two input option for the RF input....OTA or cable....the channel tuning is different. Select cable then do a scan.

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ktkelly

· #11 · Jan 31, 2013

ddawg16 said:
Your TV should have two input option for the RF input....OTA or cable....the channel tuning is different. Select cable then do a scan.

Most of the sets will scan ATSC, QAM, and NTSC automatically, so there is typically no need to "select cable" prior to running a channel scan.

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quackaddict

Discussion Starter · #12 · Jan 31, 2013

I looked at what it was scanning and it scanned both OTA and Cable for channels. Like I said, you can see the channels there just very washed out.

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