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This question, or one like it, comes up about once a month from our customers. Usually it comes from someone who is upgrading their RV and wants to send programming to more than one TV. A lot of older RVs are pre-wired with coaxial cables and this seems like a good idea. There's only one problem: the modulator you want doesn't exist. Here's why.

What is (was) an RF modulator?

As any child of the 1980s can tell you, there once was a device built into VCRs and game consoles that let them connect to the antenna input of a television. Often times it was switchable so you could go to channel 2 or channel 3. If you had a game system, it even came with this low-tech slider so you could easily switch between antenna and game system:



(As the memes on Facebook say, if you recognize this item, it's probably time for your colonoscopy.)

The device that made all this work was called an RF modulator. They still "kind of" exist, in fact Solid Signal still sells one. But you don't want it. Those RF modulators only work with old-school, standard-definition TV. Anything you use today, for example a satellite TV box or streaming box, will output high-definition and it won't work.

But it's the 2020s. Surely they has to be something like what they had 40 years ago.

Yes, that's what people often say to our customer service reps. Yes, you can get a modulator that will (sometimes) work with your high-definition equipment. This one is available now. It's about 50 times as expensive as the old-school one. Yes, you read that right. And, for that exorbitant price, there's not even a guarantee that it will work. In fact, there's almost a guarantee that it won't, at least not without some other device that might be illegal for regular folks to own.

So how did this happen?

It happened on purpose, that's how. In the mid-2000s, when everyone was getting into high definition, the people who made DVDs and Blu-ray discs were beginning to worry. HD television provided pure digital signals that you could use to make unlimited digital copies of things. This had them thinking that people would sell copies of movies on streetcorners or record games on ESPN and sell them.

So, the studios got together with the people who made DVD players and other home theater gear. They developed a system of copy protection so you couldn't do that, and then the studios forced the manufacturers to eliminate any outputs but the copy-protected ones.

Then, they made it incredibly expensive to get a license to work with the copy protection. This meant that the companies that made these "RF modulators" couldn't afford to offer them at low prices, and made all of it incredibly expensive.

So what are your options?

If you're looking to distribute signals over a coaxial cable, there is an option. It's not exactly the same thing, but in the end it does what you need it to do



These little boxes, which come in a kit of two, solve the problem nicely. They let you convert the signal from your HDMI cable to a coax connection. At the other end of the line you convert it back to HDMI. If you want to use more than one TV, you can use an HDMI splitter like this one to turn one HDMI output into more than one. That way, one device (a satellite box or a streaming box or whatever) can feed multiple TVs easily.

Innovative solutions to the problems you need to solve

RV and marine customers have challenges that other folks don't have. When it comes to entertainment, you can't just hook a cable to your boat or RV while you're traveling. You need someone who understands these problems and has already developed solutions that work. The experts at Signal Connect have over 20 years working with the needs of RVs, boats, and businesses. We can help you solve the problems you didn't even know you had. Plus, we have installers who will recommend the right parts, not things like an RF modulator that are 20 years out of date.

Call us at 888-233-7563 during East Coast business hours. We're here for you! If you'd prefer to be contacted on your own schedule, just fill out the form below. We'll get right back to you!


The post "My installer says all I need is an RF modulator. Why can't I find one?" appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.

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