OTA and Cable Through Same Coax?

[Larobpra]

This question has probably been asked before. Got a new digital TV for Christmas, just out of curiosity one day hooked the cable internet line to it and scanned in 46 QAM channels. My OTA and internet lines are right next to each other in the cellar and if I want to watch the local cable news channel I go down and move the quick connector feeding the TV line from the OTA signal splitter to the internet one. The TV is able to switch from OTA to cable with the remote. Is there a way I can send both signals to the TV on one line to avoid the trip to the cellar when I want to switch?

 

[Mr Tony]

no...because both OTA and cable use the same frequency range it wont work

you could use an A/B box so you dont have to keep switching cables

 

[coconut10]

Couldn't you go to the TV from your cable set-up with audio/video cables (yellow,red,white) and coax to your antenna input and then just switch your TV's input with your remote. You might need an RF modulator to convert the coax to AV though.

 

[Mr Tony]

Couldn't you go to the TV from your cable set-up with audio/video cables (yellow,red,white) and coax to your antenna input and then just switch your TV's input with your remote. You might need an RF modulator to convert the coax to AV though.

huh?
He doesnt have a box for cable. Looking at his signature he has Dish and OTA. Cable is for internet only and he just realized that hooking it up to the TV gives him probably lifeline QAM cable.

a rf modulator allows you to hook up something that uses rca cables to a TV that has only a coax input...not the other way around

 

[Bob2011]

Its not impossible but you need to know what frequencies your QAM channels are on. With frequency filters and combiners you could send UHF OTA and cable channels below OTA UHF down the same cable.

 

[madmadworld]

why not just add a new run of rg6 cable ?

 

[coconut10]

My bad, kinda thinking backwards.

 

[Mr Tony]

why not just add a new run of rg6 cable ?

But that still wont help as he is trying to combine them together. So if its in the basement or right behind the TV he still has the issue of making both work

 

[Mr Tony]

if I want to watch the local cable news channel I go down and move the quick connector feeding the TV line from the OTA signal splitter to the internet one.

This may sound goofy but hear me out
Is that station (the news one) the only station you really watch off the cable?
Do you know if its in analog or is it just in digital QAM?
If it is in analog do you have an old VCR laying around?

Here is what I'm thinking
Hook the VCR up to that cable
Tune to the cable news channel in question
Get a combiner like this
Hook antenna cable into the ant in side. Hook the output of the VCR to the CH 3 side

now if you want to watch the news channel just flip to channel 3. Antenna channels work fine too

Or if you have a remote extender handy use a remote control a/b box (Rat Shack I think still sells them) and use the remote extender to control it (put the A/B box in the basement)

 

[madmadworld]

a remote control a/b box (Rat Shack I think still sells them) and use the remote extender to control it (put the A/B box in the basement)

i see Ice
new rg6 run and the a -b box in his room and he gets all 46 channels ?

 

[Mr Tony]

The A/B box would allow him to switch between the antenna and cable without having to go change cables everytime he wants to watch the news channel

 

[Larobpra]

Thanks for all the suggestions, but for the amount of times I want to watch it, I'll go down and up the stairs. I'm down there several times a day this time of year to put wood in the furnace anyway, and who doesn't need a little exercise now and then?

 

[Mr Tony]

that works too