[mythtv-users] Coax splitters - how painful are they?

Jerry Rubinow jerrymr at gmail.com
Sun Sep 30 15:15:52 UTC 2007


On 9/30/07, Meatwad <meatwad.get.the.honeys at gmail.com> wrote:
> Jerry Rubinow wrote:
>
> It is very helpful to have the necessary test equipment to measure cable
> and OTA signals. I have a relative in Boston and see if he can get his
> Verizon ONT measured.

Cool.

> > Would it make more sense to have a 4-way splitter
> > in the basement, the outputs of which go to MythBE, router, upstairs
> > rooms, and family room (where the FE and STB are, so there will be one
> > more 2-way split there).
> Considering that the attic/bedroom feeds are temporary, I would go this
> route. Test the PVR-500 and see if PQ can tolerate the loss of the
> additional two-way. When the other frontends are in place all you need
> to do is disconnect the attic feed from the 4-way and replace it with
> second coax you ran as a spare to the family room. You did run a spare
> to where the A180 and STB are located, right? <nudge, nudge>

Yup!  When all the walls were open for the remodeling, I made sure to
run a second coax and ethernet cable to every location.  You never
know when you might need them.

> > Or would it be better to have a 3-way split
> > going to MythBE, family room, and the third leg would go to a 2-way
> > splitter that goes to router and upstairs?  Or some other
> > configuration?
> I have always had the best results by placing the cable modem (if
> present) and any HD-capable digital tuners/STBs at the top tier of
> splitting. The analog tuners can all come from one leg of the top level
> and then treated as a separate entity. So, no I would not recommend
> putting the modem after another splitter. Again, if your ONT is putting
> out a hot signal, it may not matter.

The ONT actually has three outputs - a copper pair for telephone, a
coax for TV, and an ethernet cable for internet.  There's no separate
cable-modem.  The only reason there's a coax going to the Verizon
router is so the router can inject program guide info for the set top
box onto the coax (or so I've been told).

Thanks for the advice!

-Jerry


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