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MadMANN3
Premium Member
join:2005-08-19

1 recommendation

MadMANN3 to Confused

Premium Member

to Confused

Re: Passive Return Amp or Active Return?

said by Confused :

Why not an eight way splitter and do away with the splitters installed by Comcast? It does not make sense to amp the signal and then send it to two splitters when a direct line is possible without splitting. I may be wrong; I put humans back together not cable components.
It is obvious that you are admittedly not very inclined on this sort of thing, so let me just say this as a professional:

Do NOT amp your cable modem. If you need an amp for your TVs, then use it AFTER the modem split. Do NOT connect your modem to an eight way splitter. There are two signals the modem uses: downstream (incoming signal) and upstream (outgoing signal). Putting your modem on an eight way splitter could push your upstream signals out of working specs, which will cause problems with your internet service.

These little symbols here are just being used as arrows >. In plain English, connect your main incoming line from the cable company to a 2way. One line directly feeds your modem with no other splits in between. The other line will feed whatever size splitter you want it to feed for your Tvs. If any of your TVs uses a digital converter with OnDemand, the you need a bi-directional amplifier that only PASSES the return path. There are amplifiers that boost the signal on the return path, but you do NOT want to use them.

The above is optimal and since you do not understand why, it is better just to listen to the pros on the board. There are other resources on the internet that can explain the "why"s in detail if you have the time.

In fact, you may be better suited to just have your cable company send one of their techs out to do it. After all, I am not a surgeon, therefore I am not cutting myself open with a scalpel so I don't cause problems for myself down the road.

Confused
@comcast.net

Confused

Anon

I have it. All boxes are on demand. How about a suggestion for an amp. How many DB? The only problem I am having is with HD blocking , tiling, pix-elation. Forget the techs. you think I know nothing? They are worse.

Thanks for the help !!

MadMANN3
Premium Member
join:2005-08-19

MadMANN3

Premium Member

said by Confused :

Forget the techs. you think I know nothing? They are worse.

Thanks for the help !!
If you say so. . .Just keep in mind you are getting advice from a tech, so if you don't trust techs, then you may just want to do whatever you think is right. If you have any problems later, just remember you didn't want a professional so the problem falls on you.

My suggestion for an amp is something like:

»www.dropamp.com/shop/pro ··· ts_id=28

Again, though, for the money you are spending and the time you are putting into it, you could pay for a service call and save yourself some time and money. Plus, if there is a problem, it falls on the company.

markofmayhem
Why not now?
Premium Member
join:2004-04-08
Pittsburgh, PA

markofmayhem

Premium Member

Please listen to MadMANN before you waste money. If you do not have signal issues, an amp will likely worsen your situation. After all, your signal issues CAN be caused from a signal that is too strong, amplifying it will make it worse, possibly eliminating the ability to tune any signal. While it is possible, blocking is usually not caused by weak signal: video and audio drop outs, pauses, and errors are. Huge white squares on the screen are transmission errors. Blocking is almost always caused by compression errors, something not within your control to fix.

Confused
@comcast.net

Confused to MadMANN3

Anon

to MadMANN3
There are a few tech that know what they are talking about.....but I have not found any in my area. Their goal is to get any problem fixed "for the moment" and leave as fast as they can.

My problem is only one TV and only on the HD channels. Audio drops, picture hangs, pix-elation all pointing to a low signal. I would think that a pristine set-up would have NO splitters. I currently have "3". Street to a two way splitter>1/2 to one bedroom where there is another splitter for TV and router. The other half of 1st splitter goes into a six way box for the other TVs. This would not be the way I would have set it up if I were the tech. How would you like me to implant a series of splitters in your chest...because it is the fastest way to get you out of the operating room. I wish my Comcast to be as clean and neat as the stitching you request when I close your wound. Thus my 8 way suggestion. All your comments are truly appreciated and considered. THANKS

MadMANN3
Premium Member
join:2005-08-19

MadMANN3

Premium Member

said by Confused :

There are a few tech that know what they are talking about.....but I have not found any in my area. Their goal is to get any problem fixed "for the moment" and leave as fast as they can.

My problem is only one TV and only on the HD channels. Audio drops, picture hangs, pix-elation all pointing to a low signal. I would think that a pristine set-up would have NO splitters. I currently have "3". Street to a two way splitter>1/2 to one bedroom where there is another splitter for TV and router. The other half of 1st splitter goes into a six way box for the other TVs. This would not be the way I would have set it up if I were the tech. How would you like me to implant a series of splitters in your chest...because it is the fastest way to get you out of the operating room. I wish my Comcast to be as clean and neat as the stitching you request when I close your wound. Thus my 8 way suggestion. All your comments are truly appreciated and considered. THANKS
First of all, you can't do a multi cable outlet install with NO splitters. From your descrition, your set up is fine and very typical. The only thing that really can be done differently is to run a seperate line to the room with your modem and run the modem off of the first 2way and putting the TV line in the same room as your modem with the rest of the TVs in your home on an 8way splitter.

Again, your modem runs off of incoming and outgoing signals. Connecting everything to an 8 way could jeopardize the outgoing signal.

The tech didn't install it this way because he wanted to get out of there quicker. He did it because you would have had problems with your modem if he did it any other way. That said, you have a lot of TV outlets and it sounds like you need a signal boost to make up for the loss of that high value splitter. My suggestion would be to leave the half of the first 2way that feeds your modem and one TV alone. The other half can be connected to the amplifier and feed the 6way spitter. This will make up for the 13db of signal being lost through splitters, which, BTW, are NECESSARY if you want those remaining 6 outlets connected.

The only way to install everything you have without splitters is to hang eight lines from the pole to your house, which would end up with one complete cable drop for each TV outlet. That WILL NOT happen. Your system is likely set up for one line per house and they will not change their system design to accomodate 8 house drops.

You make analogies between cable and surgery, but we should really discuss reality: They are nowhere NEAR the same and the same priciples do not even apply. Granted, the technicians should have work ethic and do what they need to do so that you do not have issues. But nobody is dying if your HD box tiles and you are not doing 6-9 surgeries a day. In your case, all you seem to be missing is the amplifier that someone probably should have suggested to you in the beginning. I do not suspect the signal is low coming to your house. You simply have a lot of outlets connected, which requires splitters, which makes your signal lower from the inside.

I hope this helps you, but I still say you should let a tech look at it and possibly install the amplifier if needed. I am not sure if the techs in your area are lacking or if you are expecting things that can't be done or expecting them because you do not know how a HFC cable system works. I suspect the latter, but don't take that as an insult. I wouldn't know how to cut someone open, fix them, and have them wake up alive.

Confused
@comcast.net

Confused

Anon

Sorry for the late reply; I have been out of the country. I thank you for your response and will get to my amp ASAP. I am thinking of adding two more boxes. Here we go again.