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Best splitter for antenna TV & HDTV

4K views 7 replies 3 participants last post by  freegentile 
#1 ·
Please forgive the lack of tech knowledge & terminology on my part...

Currently using Walmart GE "Pro" 3-way splitter & coax to allow antenna signal to go to Vizio M420NV & also to Winegard HDTV receiver. Winegard receiver then goes composite (red, yellow, white) to Zenith DVD/VCR recorder combo. Ultimately, trying to record antenna TV shows.

This has worked fine, except I've noticed the picture is grayed out on HDTV & VCR just a smidge when I have the splitter set up. Is there too great a degree of "loss" going on that make that picture quality a little off or is that just the nature of splitters?

2 follow-up questions:

1. Who makes the best splitter for this task?
2. Who makes best coax cable? I've noted that the white coax I bought from Home Depot has ends that are incredibly difficult to screw on & off.

Thank you profusely, sirs.
 
#2 ·
What do you mean by "grayed out a smidge"? Do you mean the picture drops out (grey screen?) or that it doesn't look as good? Because subtle changes to the image are not the result of a weak digital signal - it's either there or its not.

Unlikely there will be any difference in performance of one splitter vs. another - but if you're using a 3-way splitter for only two devices, swap that out for a 2-way splitter - that will help any digital signal issues.

Also, really - look at one of OTA DVR's instead of that non-HD product. ChannelMaster DVR+ or the TiVo Roamio (although the OTA-only model is hard to find, apparently). That will be so much better than the 90's era DVD recorder. The hassle alone is worth the upgrade.


Jeff
 
#4 ·
Sorry, I didn't explain enough, you're right. Few more details. This is RG6 from antenna wall port, then into 2-way splitter...my bad, 1 connection in, 2 out...1 goes to HDTV, one goes to Winegard HDTV receiver. Realized I'm going RG6 into the TV & RG59 into the Winegard receiver. That RG59 probably accounts for the picture issues. Will be putting a 3' run of RG6 in place of that RG59 & see how she sails. The picture "grayness" is like the contrast dropped & the colors washed out a little. Kind of like when you upload a digital camera pic on your PC & then use some program's auto correct or instant fix...it normally adds contrast & color to the original pic. My Winegard picture is like the original pic :) As well, in some parts of the image, there are horizontal lines distorting the picture slightly. Weird. Anyway, thank you guys for your guidance. Will let you know if RG6 saves the day.
 
#3 ·
It's possible it's a defective splitter, or that there was a defective run at the factory, but in all honesty most splitters are in the neighborhood of their rated loss. A 2-way is rated to lose 3.5dB but you just assume that it's 4 and be done with it. That much difference won't make or break you. The real difference between big box store splitters and distributor catalog splitters is the price. I wouldn't ever consider buying a $10 Monster splitter with fancy graphics over a $1.30 Holland or Commscope splitter.

http://amzn.com/B0036USDLO
 
#8 ·
Just in case anyone stumbles across this thread, research indicates that Channel Master made a couple of units in the recent past that functioned as OTA (Over The Air) antenna signal receivers w/ a DVR functionality as well...& all for free. Those are:

CM-7001PAL
CM-7400

Both are hard to find, but the latter has the best of all old-school & new AV connections (including HDMI, ethernet, & eSATA), as well as a Roku-like interface w/ Vudu & 3 antennas mounted on it for that Wi-Fi / streaming capability. Sadly, much of Vudu's current content is not free.
 
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