I have an SA-8300HD setup in my component rack on one side of my room directly hooked up via component video to my projector and digital coaxial to my receiver. In the next few weeks I am going to be putting a computer on the opposite side of the room. I would like to be able to watch all of my digital cable channels while I am on the computer or on the projector depending on which device I feel like using. In the past I have run coax to the computer and used an internal tuner card. This always worked well, but now things are different. First of all I want to be able to tune ALL of my digital channels, an internal tuner card will only support the non-digital channels. Secondly the SA-8300HD is on the opposite side of the room and even though I planned well I neglected to run any sort of wires for this application. The only thing I did run was one piece of RG-6 to the computer area thinking I would get a tuner card. I forgot that the tuners don't support digital cable or scramble premium channels.

So how would you set things up so that the single HD cable box in the room can supply the signals to both areas? My thoughts were to use a wireless transmitter of some sort from the SA-8300HD to a separate LCD television on my computer desk. Or perhaps use that same wireless transmitter and utilize some sort of capture device to display it on the computer screen, maybe even a TV tuner card switched to a video input.

The final complication is that I will be buying a mac, most likely the new iMac rumored to be released on Aug 7th. Please keep this in mind when making any recommendations.

Thank you!

Not directly related....

Did changing your cable(s) fix your digital connection dropouts?

Yes it did, I posted that on the thread a few days ago hoping you would see it. :-)

Here is the link, please go see your thank you;

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=851619

Thank you.

Not looking for praise, it's just my nature to want to know if I provided good advice. Sort of for the record in case someone else has a similar problem.

Glad I could help.

docprego,

I too am looking to get a new iMac for the family computer when it gets updated...

Here's a few different avenues to look at:

1 - If by some remarkable chance (don't count on it) that the new iMac gets a HD capable screen **AND** Apple gives you the ability to utilize the iMac as an alternate display with it's own HDMI input (this is the part I don't think would happen) then I'd by all means look for some form of HDMI splitter so you can feed the cable to the iMac in all it's HD glory. All you'd need is for Apple to have provided HDMI input on the iMac and you'd be good to go.

2 - Since I don't think option #1 will happen... You can look to getting a basic USB analog tuner (leave it on channel 3) and then pipe the coax from the 8300HD OUTPUT to the iMac location. Advantage is you'll get ALL (non-hd) channels the 8300 provides... Disadvantage is you will not get any HD...

3 - Third option is similar to #2 but instead of getting an analog tuner you could get a USB HD tuner that supports QAM and then you'd need to feed your iMac with cable from BEFORE the 8500 gets it (grabbing the OUTPUT from the 8300 will not get you the signal you need - IIRC - I tried it once and thats what I remember). Advantage, you get any and all digital signals so long as the channel is sent unscrambled (Cablevision only sends the locals and nothing else - we did get QVC at one time but they even took that away). Disadvantage is most/all QAM tuners I've seen don't also provide for 'analog cable channels' at the same time... At least the one I have doesn't... you get QAM support and that's it (its an old Elgato Firewire 500 tuner) so it's kinda frustrating that you can't get your basic unscrambled cable channels along with support for the unscrambled QAM channels. Other disadvantage is you'll never get any premium channels going this route.

It would be really cool if the new iMac supported VIDEO IN (ala HDMI) that would be your best bet really.... Apple does support VIDEO OUT via a (vga/dvi) port on the current iMacs... so who knows maybe they'll surprise me and support IN/OUT with the new model.

HTH

Dave

I think to solve this I am going to buy a wireless audio/video transmitter. I found one that seems to be very highly rated and runs on 5.8 GHZ. This will prevent my wireless network and appliances from interfering with it. The only concern is the 5.8 GHZ phone system in my house might be affected, only getting the system and trying it will confirm this or not.

This is the system I am eyeing:
http://www.rflinkusa.com/products_AVS5811.html

Price is about $120-$150 and video quality is supposed to be excellent.

Does anyone have any other ideas that might be even better?

Price is about $120-$150 and video quality is supposed to be excellent.



Just to warn you, you won't be getting any HD channels if you use that.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=757279

Check out the other recommendations in that thread.. or a Slingbox.

If you just want to control the Cable Box from the computer location, you could use an IR receiver at the computer, and an IR emitter at the front of the STB, running them over the coax. I don't think you'll be able to send HDTV video across the room, but you could modulate the SD output of the box (assuming it doesn't already have a Channel 3/4 modulator built-in) back on the same coax.

Channel Plus makes some "All-in-One" systems (modulators and IR blaster), as well as stand-alone IR blasters:

http://www.channelplus.com/products_rf.html

http://www.channelplus.com/products_ir.html

docprego,

2 - Since I don't think option #1 will happen... You can look to getting a basic USB analog tuner (leave it on channel 3) and then pipe the coax from the 8300HD OUTPUT to the iMac location. Advantage is you'll get ALL (non-hd) channels the 8300 provides... Disadvantage is you will not get any HD...



Based on my experience with HD satellite receivers and Motorola HD set top boxes I would assume your cable box will convert your HD channels to SD, so to be clear here, you will get the HD channels, but not in HD.

I simply pipe the channel 3 output from my cable box around the house to feed all my old SD TVs. The iMac with an Elgate EyeTV will be able to get that.

http://www.elgato.com/

You may want to take a look at Elgato's HD Home Run for Mac. It feeds your Mac using Ethernet - though I don't know how it would work with cable.

Based on my experience with HD satellite receivers and Motorola HD set top boxes I would assume your cable box will convert your HD channels to SD, so to be clear here, you will get the HD channels, but not in HD.

I simply pipe the channel 3 output from my cable box around the house to feed all my old SD TVs. The iMac with an Elgate EyeTV will be able to get that.

http://www.elgato.com/

You may want to take a look at Elgato's HD Home Run for Mac. It feeds your Mac using Ethernet - though I don't know how it would work with cable.
STOP THE PRESSES!

"2 - You can look to getting a basic USB analog tuner (leave it on channel 3) and then pipe the coax from the 8300HD OUTPUT to the iMac location. Advantage is you'll get ALL (non-hd) channels the 8300 provides... Disadvantage is you will not get any HD..."

So according to option #2 quoted above from Davegee and further clarification about HD channels from JWKessler above that;

If i use the coax which I already ran to the computer location from the back of my rack I will be able to view ALL channels that my SA-8300 can tune? I understand that the HD channels won't be in HD but I will be able to see them and this would include all the premium channels as well?

If I understand correctly I would run the cable out from the SA-8300 to the tv tuner on my Mac or possibly a separate TV-both tuned to channel 3. What kind of quality could I expect?

Isn't this my easiest and best solution?

So according to option #2 quoted above from Davegee and further clarification about HD channels from JWKessler above that;

If i use the coax which I already ran to the computer location from the back of my rack I will be able to view ALL channels that my SA-8300 can tune? I understand that the HD channels won't be in HD but I will be able to see them and this would include all the premium channels as well?

Isn't this my easiest and best solution?

That is how it works on my Bell ExpressVU (Dish Network) HD receiver and my Motorola HD DVR.

The one thing you may not like is that HD content may be reduced in size - it appears inside a black box. I don't quite know why that happens. If you can zoom your display in some way you can eliminate that. If not I don't find it too objectionable on the small remote sets I view it on.

Beyond the size reduction, an HD picture converted to SD will look much better than the normal SD version.

This is surly the easiest solution. It can't get much easier than doing nothing at all!

I use an IR remote extender like the unit sold by Radio Shack or Jenson, to allow me to control my cable box (in the basement theater room with the big projector attached) upstairs by the remote TVs.

This is an incredible development to me. I can view all my cable channels now at the computer and IR control is no problem because the remote works in my small room no matter where I point it.

I am not concerned about the HD picture being reduced in size. My main goal is to be able to view all my digital cable channels either on the Mac or on a monitor on the computer desk.

What is your opinion of the image quality on the remote TVs? I will run it into an EyeTV device or similar hooked up to my Mac or directly to a small LCD television.

Thanks.

What is your opinion of the image quality on the remote TVs? I will run it into an EyeTV device or similar hooked up to my Mac or directly to a small LCD television.

I run the modulated ch 3 output to a couple of 12" sets, and a couple of 21" sets. The HD PQ on these sets is better than what I get on the SD channels.

I have not tried the EyeTV box, but I have read many good reviews on these products.

I run the modulated ch 3 output to a couple of 12" sets, and a couple of 21" sets. The HD PQ on these sets is better than what I get on the SD channels.
Can you please clarify what you meant by this? I think I understand that the HD channels which are being sent modulated to channel 3 look better than the non HD channels sent modulated to channel 3. Is this correct? How do the SD channels look though?

Thank you.

Can you please clarify what you meant by this? I think I understand that the HD channels which are being sent modulated to channel 3 look better than the non HD channels sent modulated to channel 3. Is this correct? How do the SD channels look though?

Thank you.

You understand correctly on the HD. The SD channels look like modulated SD channels coming form any device like a VCR (tuner - not tape, which is worse) or SD satellite/cable box.

On a small SD set, it all looks good - but HD channels look a bit better.

Just a quick update. I used the RF output on my SA8300HD and input into the computer's TV tuner. I tuned to channel 4 and got a great picture! Very happy with this arrangement. As a bonus I can use all of the DVR functionality and even see the HD channels (albeit not in HD)

You can use that RG6 coax to the computer if you have an analog TV tuner in the computer, set to channel 3. Just connect the coax at the other end to the RF output from the SA8300HD, it outputs whatever its tuned to (or playing from a recording) also to channel 3 on that RF output. Alternatively use composite or s-video plus red/white stereo analog audio also downconverted to 480i format from whatever is tuned or playing.

I use the SA8300HD DVR's RF output to feed to a regular analog TV in another room, it works great.

You can use that RG6 coax to the computer if you have an analog TV tuner in the computer, set to channel 3. Just connect the coax at the other end to the RF output from the SA8300HD, it outputs whatever its tuned to (or playing from a recording) also to channel 3 on that RF output. Alternatively use composite or s-video plus red/white stereo analog audio also downconverted to 480i format from whatever is tuned or playing.

I use the SA8300HD DVR's RF output to feed to a regular analog TV in another room, it works great.

Aren't we saying the same thing? I use the RF output from the SA8300HD to my computer's TV tuner set to channel 4. I can tune everything this way and the picture is surprisingly good.

Hi, I have Charter cable and just today switched to digital cable from analog. I have absolutely no idea how any of this works, but they told me that I have to get a set top box for every tv and for my computer if I want the digital channels on them. Is there any way around this? I have media center on my computer and this is where I watch most of my tv and where I record all of my programs. I would also like to be able to get the other channels on my kids tv upstairs. My main concern, though, is being able to recieve all of the digital channels through my media center!

Please help!
Thanks, Danielle

Hi, I have Charter cable and just today switched to digital cable from analog. I have absolutely no idea how any of this works, but they told me that I have to get a set top box for every tv and for my computer if I want the digital channels on them. Is there any way around this? I have media center on my computer and this is where I watch most of my tv and where I record all of my programs. I would also like to be able to get the other channels on my kids tv upstairs. My main concern, though, is being able to recieve all of the digital channels through my media center!

Please help!
Thanks, Danielle
The only way to get all the digital channels through your media center is to hook a digital box up to it. You need this box to decode the digital channels coming from your cable company. Without a box you should be able to receive all the analog channels they offer by just connecting the incoming cable directly to a TV or your media center PC.

Some PC's with Windows VIsta are starting to ship with digital cable tuners which should allow you to tune digital cable with your media center PC without the need for a cable box. The problem is you can't buy this separately, it only is offered with the purchase of a new PC.

Why not run a standard composite cable from the cable box to the computers video input and buy an RF wireless remote to control the guide?

*EDIT: Never mind I see you have solved your problem.