need an amplifier

[obeythelaw]

I recently got the triple play package. I have a total of 5 tv sets and a cable modem hookup. When the tech came he said he would need an amplifier but that he's not allowed to install one until he tells his people that its needed. To make a long story short, I'm not able to get a signal on two tvs. He said that I have to give him a call to setup a time and date for him to come back with a splitter. ANyway, I wanted to try and do it myself even I have to buy a good splitter myself.
Anyway, this is the setup that the tech used. He had one three splitter at the top in which the 3.5 leg on this three way went to a 4 way splitter. The first 7 leg went to the cable modem and the second leg went to one tv and the 4 way did the rest. Well, with this setup I can't get signal to the two farthest rooms. At first he was thinking that the cable run might be bad to those rooms, but everything seems to check out. So, he says I need an amplifier and I agree at this point. The question is, where do I put the amplifier? Right before any splitter at the service cable? Can anyone recommend a very good amplifier that won't interfere with my cable modem/voice modem?THanks.

 

[cableguy79]

Honestly, it sounds like he just didnt want to complete the job, he should have all of the splitters and possibly amps on his truck. Cablevision will supply you with an amplifier if needed, you do however have to pay for it, I think its 70 dollars one time fee. The amp goes at entry point into the home, before any splits.

 

[obeythelaw]

Honestly, it sounds like he just didnt want to complete the job, he should have all of the splitters and possibly amps on his truck. Cablevision will supply you with an amplifier if needed, you do however have to pay for it, I think its 70 dollars one time fee. The amp goes at entry point into the home, before any splits.

Thanks for the reply. I misstated in my original post, that the tech did come with all of the splitters, but he did not have any amplifier. If I have to pay for it, then I would just like to go to a store, pick it up and add it to my setup. Do you have any recommendations for a splitter? Also, should I eliminate the 3 way splitter and 4 way splitter and get a 6 way splitter?

 

[smithy1932]

Thanks for the reply. I misstated in my original post, that the tech did come with all of the splitters, but he did not have any amplifier. If I have to pay for it, then I would just like to go to a store, pick it up and add it to my setup. Do you have any recommendations for a splitter? Also, should I eliminate the 3 way splitter and 4 way splitter and get a 6 way splitter?

I had the same problem and CV would not provide a amplifier. They said it would affect the sync beteen TV and broadband.

 

[branchbouncer]

Go to Circuit City and pick up this amp I have it and it works slightly better than the one the cable company provides

Buy the Motorola Signal Booster (484095-001-00) and other Internet Modems at circuitcity.com

 

[branchbouncer]

As mentioned above you need to take the Internet service out of the TV loop by use of a splitter run a coax from the splitter to the amp then to the input on a 6 way splitter,from that splitter you would run to your TV's. You have a dedicate run to your modem, that way with no amplification except to your TV's

 

[obeythelaw]

Thanks I'm going to try that. The tech guy did mention that he would do something like that so as not to create distortion and/or echo on the cable modem/voice modem line. I hope this works.

 

[stevenl]

the only reason you would need an amplifier is if you have more then say 8 lines or your drop is long. What I recomend and what the install should of done is very simple.

Main line to house --- DC-6 (Through leg goes to an 8way splitter) Tap Leg goes to your modem.-- From the 8way splitter feed the other 5 tvs.

Its a very basic setup, and unless you have a large drop the 8way with its 10db loss should be fine to sustain picture quality. Otherwise replace the 8-way spliiter with an 8-way AMP if the signal is not enough.

Now questions: the two tvs you have that want work are they digital boxes or no boxes? Because if your not using boxes you should at least see the pictures if it was hooked up right.. or the lines are good.

 

[obeythelaw]

the only reason you would need an amplifier is if you have more then say 8 lines or your drop is long. What I recomend and what the install should of done is very simple.

Main line to house --- DC-6 (Through leg goes to an 8way splitter) Tap Leg goes to your modem.-- From the 8way splitter feed the other 5 tvs.

Its a very basic setup, and unless you have a large drop the 8way with its 10db loss should be fine to sustain picture quality. Otherwise replace the 8-way spliiter with an 8-way AMP if the signal is not enough.

Now questions: the two tvs you have that want work are they digital boxes or no boxes? Because if your not using boxes you should at least see the pictures if it was hooked up right.. or the lines are good.

Thanks for the reply stevenl. Well, my drop is more than 100 feet from the street. I'm served by underground cables here out in the burbs. Then when the service line comes into the house, at least three rooms are another 75 feet. So you're suggesting I go for an 8 way splitter? What do you mean by DC-6? All 5 TV's have digital boxes. Can you recommend an 8 way splitter or 8 way amp? I've been to Radioshack, Circuity City and Best Buy do not carry 8 way splitters. Also, when I was at Circuit City I looked for the Motorola Signal booster as recommend here and the guy said they don't have any more and will not get any more so I couldn't try that.

 

[obeythelaw]

Okay. So I just got back from Radioshack again. I decided, because I was there, to buy a 4 bi-directional Cable tv amplified. This is how I first set it up. It says its bi-directional. So I decided to place it right at the service line in my house before any of the connections. I then use the for outs to connect 2 tvs and the cable modem and a 3 way splitter. After doing this, none of the tv's worked including my cable modem. So I removed the amplifier from the service line into the hosue and hooked the cable modem/voice modem, 1 tv and a line to a three way splitter. I initially had the amplification at the max level but i was get poor quality and lot of pixelation on the tvs and two of them i couldn't get a signal. I reduced the amplification to mid level and now all of my tv's work!! The signal is great thus far as far as I can tell. All HD channels look fantastic.
I wonder if I should keep this the way it is now. Or am I going to regret this setup or can I do harm to the tvs or signal with this setup?

 

[stevenl]

Well a 3way feeding a 4 way has the same loss as an 8way splitter so it would just save you a splitter, A DC is a "Directional Coupler" It has 2 outputs on a DC-6 for instance 1 output (the through leg) has 0db of loss, The other output the "tap leg" has a 6db loss, so that is the leg you would feed the modem, and the "through leg" you would feed the 8way or 6way splitter. On the digital band a 100ft of RG6 cable should lose about 5db so if you have about 10db hitting your house -10 for the 8way -5 for the 100ft of cable to the tv you should be hitting your tv with -5db which should be plenty on the digital band. Most boxes can work to -15 just fine sometimes greater we did a test with the SA2100s and had about -20 hitting it with no pixelation. If your picture is staying black, or pixelating perhaps your cable is losing more then it should or you really do need an amplifier but be sure the one you get is 2-way capable and includes 5-50mhz for return and 55-1000 for foward. and that the Amp is AFTER the DC(or 2 way) whatever is feeding the modem, You dont want to run the modem through the amp.

 

[branchbouncer]

What type of amp did you purchase

 

[branchbouncer]

you set up should look like this

cableTVamps.com | Choosing An Amplifier

 

[obeythelaw]

you set up should look like this

cableTVamps.com | Choosing An Amplifier

Thanks for that diagram link. My setup looks like #1 except I kept my 3 way rather than use a 2 way. The amplifier I got was a RadioShack 1 to 4 bi directional cable tv amplifier. If they had an 8 port I would have gone with that but they didn't have one. So far so good.