hooking up a third tv to vip722

[smk08]

I hope you can get back to the basics with me. I really don't know much in the electronic world and my husband is worse than me. I just went to Radio Shack and the salesgirl told me that they didn't have anything (splitter is what I was asking about) that would work to allow me to hook up a third tv tv to my DVR. She said with the newer DVRs, I would have to call Dish to come and install the 3rd tv. I am wanting to hook up a third tv to our dish network vip722. TV1 is in the LR in HD, TV2 is in the BR in SD. I would like to hook up another SD tv in the basement. If the salesgirl is wrong, where would I put the splitter? The installation guy that was here to install the DVR, left behind a Dish Pro Adapter that plugs into the wall. It must have been there from before behind the BR tv. Can I use this for anything? Thanks

 

[RickDee]

You should be able to use a splitter, but which program do you want on the TV in the basement? If you split the signal from TV2 it will be the same program as the TV in the BR. The other consideration is the possibility you may need a signal amplifier, but wait until you do you hook-up.

 

[KKlare]

The RF coax output can have both TV1 and TV2. Of course, they are both in 480i or SD, no need to set anything there. To control TV1 remotely requires an RF remote or an IR repeater. You will need to find where in the menus the setting is for having both on and to set their channels and UHF/Cable select but you can find out which channels are used by pressing menu+menu. They will be above 20. Any lower number is the remote address.

Clearly with one HD that set will be directly connected by one HDMI (do not pay more than say $1 per ft. over 6 ft.) or 5 RCA coax (RGB video+RW audio) to the set. The other sets can be connected by Y+RW RCA but will be only lightly better than RF. The RF can be split with a 75-ohm Tee or multi-way splitter, which you can buy at RS or Home Depot or even many hardware or grocery stores. It may be the same to all input/outputs although some say in and out1 and out2. This is not frequency dependent nor does it say DC-pass on one side.

Do not confuse the TV/RF output with the wire-stub antenna used to RF control TV2 and potentially TV1, which has a white core input vs. the colored, screw-on output. There are tricks to get better RF remote control but those should be looked up elsewhere and only if needed.

-Ken

 

[smk08]

Thanks Kklare and RickDee for your responses. If I want to watch the same program in the basement as the TV2 in the BR, where does the splitter go. Does it screw on to the TV2 or should I make the split in the basement rafters?

 

[RickDee]

I doubt it makes any difference as far as quality of signal. Pretty much what you prefer. You would need a short cable if you want to put it behind the receiver.

 

[KKlare]

Yes, the splitter can be as little as inches from the receiver or as far as the first TV serviced by that route or anywhere in between.
Wherever it is convenient but more cable is used if not at either of those, possibly.
-Ken