EDIT: Didn't even need, see post #20.
I don't see any general cable forum around here so I have to post this here. This is regarding cable, both SD /analog and DTV/HDTV.
Has anyone ever heard of an automatic RF coax A/B switch? I really really need one.
Here's the story: One of my previous STB's (from Cox, an old Motorola) had an awesome RF bypass feature on it. It was great because you could simply turn the box off and immediately be switched to basic cable. That way you could record one channel while watching another (basic cable of course). You could also set a timed recording on the STB and set a VCR/DVR to record the STB during that time (premium channel), then the STB would turn off and the VCR could later record a basic cable channel tuned to it using its own tuner.
The reason this had to be done was because of the a-hole networks making all of their programming go anywhere from 1 minute to 10 minutes beyond the allotted time! Timed STB recordings cannot overlap, but a VCR/DVR has no problems with it because its own tuner is used. So if premium channel X ends at 9PM, that means you also have to set the timer on the STB for the program airing after that, the program beginning at 9PM in order to get the ending of the program that was "supposed" to end at 9PM! Therefore any channel that you really did want to record at 9PM was screwed because the STB would still be on the wrong (previous) channel.
With a VCR or DVR, (and without an STB, recording a basic cable channel), this screwed up network dilemma is generally a non-issue because you can set them to record basic cable channel X from 8 to 9:02PM and no big deal if you may miss the first 2 minutes of any 9PM time slot program you need to record. (Know what I am saying?
)
This is the reason an STB must be easily automatically "removed" from the recording setup. Hence the great RF bypass feature.
Well, that STB died and the jerks at Cox replaced it with a very similar one, but with RF bypass disabled! (Continuing on with their conspiracy to try and force all customers to fork over more $ for a dual-tuner DVR where this issue is irrelevant).
I have wireless A/B switches where I can bypass the STB, but they are manual, they require you pressing the "A/B" button on the remote.
Is there one that will automatically switch from "A" (RF STB output) to "B" (basic cable line) when the STB turns itself off after a timed recording? I hope to God there is.
This says "automatic" but they of course don't give any info about it at all. Not even any images so you can't even see the connections.
I appreciate any info, thanks.
ADDED: What about this?
http://www.monroe-electronics.com/CATV_PAGES/switches.htm . "625A", the second one on the page.
http://www.tonercable.com/Products/625a/
"The 625A’s sense input circuit monitors horizontal sync pulses on the video modulated RF carrier and automatically switches to the secondary input upon a decrease or loss. The relay remains in this with the secondary input connected to the output, until the sync pulses on the video modulated RF carrier return. This causes the primary input to switch back to the output connection."
"........provides automatic 2x1 RF/IF switching controlled by the loss of video modulated RF carrier. The 625A’s sense input circuit monitors syncpulses on the video modulated RF carrier and automatically switches to the secondary input upon the loss. It remains in this state until the sync pulses on the video modulated RF carrier return, causing the primary input to switch back on."
What concerns me about that is its max input, only +15dBmV. But I don't remember how dBmV translates to a +15db cable amp I'm using. That of course has to be added to the original signal coming from the cable company and I don't know what that is.
I don't see any general cable forum around here so I have to post this here. This is regarding cable, both SD /analog and DTV/HDTV.
Has anyone ever heard of an automatic RF coax A/B switch? I really really need one.
Here's the story: One of my previous STB's (from Cox, an old Motorola) had an awesome RF bypass feature on it. It was great because you could simply turn the box off and immediately be switched to basic cable. That way you could record one channel while watching another (basic cable of course). You could also set a timed recording on the STB and set a VCR/DVR to record the STB during that time (premium channel), then the STB would turn off and the VCR could later record a basic cable channel tuned to it using its own tuner.
The reason this had to be done was because of the a-hole networks making all of their programming go anywhere from 1 minute to 10 minutes beyond the allotted time! Timed STB recordings cannot overlap, but a VCR/DVR has no problems with it because its own tuner is used. So if premium channel X ends at 9PM, that means you also have to set the timer on the STB for the program airing after that, the program beginning at 9PM in order to get the ending of the program that was "supposed" to end at 9PM! Therefore any channel that you really did want to record at 9PM was screwed because the STB would still be on the wrong (previous) channel.
With a VCR or DVR, (and without an STB, recording a basic cable channel), this screwed up network dilemma is generally a non-issue because you can set them to record basic cable channel X from 8 to 9:02PM and no big deal if you may miss the first 2 minutes of any 9PM time slot program you need to record. (Know what I am saying?
This is the reason an STB must be easily automatically "removed" from the recording setup. Hence the great RF bypass feature.
Well, that STB died and the jerks at Cox replaced it with a very similar one, but with RF bypass disabled! (Continuing on with their conspiracy to try and force all customers to fork over more $ for a dual-tuner DVR where this issue is irrelevant).
I have wireless A/B switches where I can bypass the STB, but they are manual, they require you pressing the "A/B" button on the remote.
Is there one that will automatically switch from "A" (RF STB output) to "B" (basic cable line) when the STB turns itself off after a timed recording? I hope to God there is.
This says "automatic" but they of course don't give any info about it at all. Not even any images so you can't even see the connections.
I appreciate any info, thanks.
ADDED: What about this?
http://www.monroe-electronics.com/CATV_PAGES/switches.htm . "625A", the second one on the page.
http://www.tonercable.com/Products/625a/
"The 625A’s sense input circuit monitors horizontal sync pulses on the video modulated RF carrier and automatically switches to the secondary input upon a decrease or loss. The relay remains in this with the secondary input connected to the output, until the sync pulses on the video modulated RF carrier return. This causes the primary input to switch back to the output connection."
"........provides automatic 2x1 RF/IF switching controlled by the loss of video modulated RF carrier. The 625A’s sense input circuit monitors syncpulses on the video modulated RF carrier and automatically switches to the secondary input upon the loss. It remains in this state until the sync pulses on the video modulated RF carrier return, causing the primary input to switch back on."
What concerns me about that is its max input, only +15dBmV. But I don't remember how dBmV translates to a +15db cable amp I'm using. That of course has to be added to the original signal coming from the cable company and I don't know what that is.