HDMI RF MODULATOR TO COAX

[WickedStepMom]

I need HELP and forgive the long post but you need my HDMI/COAX history.

For years my entire in-house TV viewing setup was a HDMI cable from the Hopper 3 feeding to the living room TV and at the same time a RCA cable from the Hopper 3 RCA out ports to the RF modulator that goes to coax cable that goes into a splitter that branches out to the remaining TVs where MIRRORING takes place from the Hopper 3. I have a Joey in the Master Bedroom and NO I don't want Joeys on all the other TVs.

Last week I added the Hopper Plus. The Dish Tech hooked it up to the Hopper 3 and all was fine to the main TV but nothing but static to the other TVs in the house through the modulator. He understood that I was mirroring the Hopper 3 to those other TVs. He said that with the Hopper Plus, there were no RCA out ports and the RCA ports on the Hopper 3 would not do what they previously did, and that I'd needed to do get a HDMI splitter to send the signal to the main TV and to send it to the modulator for the other TVs. To use the current RF modulator I had, I needed a MINI HDMI-Compatible to RCA AV/CVBS Composite Video AV Converter Adapter HDMI2AV. So when I had these items from Amazon, I took the HDMI from the Hopper Plus and split it with an OREI UltraHD 4K @ 60 Hz 1 x 2 HDMI Splitter 1 in 2 Out (2 Port) 4:4:4 8-bit - Does Not Bypass HDCP, 18 Gbps, 4K HDMI splitter with one HDMI to the main TV and a second HDMI to the MINI HDMI-Compatible to RCA AV/CVBS Composite Video AV Converter Adapter HDMI2AV to the RCA to coax modulator and all worked GREAT!

This week something changed with the audio to those TVs where the audio now must be turned up from a level of 10 to 50.

I'm assuming it's a combination of drop in signal with the conversion from HDMI to RCA with the MINI HDMI-RCA converter adapter to the RCA/coax modulator. I can delete the MINI HDMI-RCA converter adapter and the RCA cables by purchasing a HDMI RF modulator to coax and the volume to the other house TVs will be back to normal. Am I correct in this assumption? If so, I need suggestions and opinions for the best HDMI RF modulator for a Hopper Plus that isn't going to cost hundreds of dollars. I've got several of these modulators sitting in my Amazon cart so my fingers are crossed that one of these will make the list for the one to purchase.

Thanks to all.

 

[harshness]

Last week I added the Hopper Plus.

You are likely to regret this.

He said that with the Hopper Plus, there were no RCA out ports and the RCA ports on the Hopper 3 would not do what they previously did, and that I'd needed to do get a HDMI splitter to send the signal to the main TV and to send it to the modulator for the other TVs.

I'm guessing that the OREI splitter is lying about what is connected to output 2 (which is what you need).

This week something changed with the audio to those TVs where the audio now must be turned up from a level of 10 to 50.

I'm assuming it's a combination of drop in signal with the conversion from HDMI to RCA with the MINI HDMI-RCA converter adapter to the RCA/coax modulator.

The modulator's output signal level has no impact on the modulated signal's volume. The modulator converts it from RCA audio to an FM stereo signal (the video is converted from composite to a modulated AM signal). The problem likely lies with the HDMI->RCA converter providing a weak audio level to the modulator's input. Outside of the media converter, almost everything is encoded such that what comes in should be going out at the same level.

I can delete the MINI HDMI-RCA converter adapter and the RCA cables by purchasing a HDMI RF modulator to coax and the volume to the other house TVs will be back to normal. Am I correct in this assumption?

A quality HD modulator may cost as much as a couple of Joeys and the monthly fees for a while. An HD modulator will likely also demand that you change the TVs to CATV mode to tune its output.

As an alternative, I suggest you try an Amazon Fire TV stick running the DISH Anywhere app and see if that meets your needs. During the current Spring Sale, they're going for around $25.

 

[navychop]

Best of luck to you. Please let us know how it turns out.

 

[WickedStepMom]

You are likely to regret this.

I'm guessing that the OREI splitter is lying about what is connected to output 2 (which is what you need).

You are likely to regret this.

I'm guessing that the OREI splitter is lying about what is connected to output 2 (which is what you need).

The modulator's output signal level has no impact on the modulated signal's volume. The modulator converts it from RCA audio to an FM stereo signal (the video is converted from composite to a modulated AM signal). The problem likely lies with the HDMI->RCA converter providing a weak audio level to the modulator's input. Outside of the media converter, almost everything is encoded such that what comes in should be going out at the same level.

A quality HD modulator may cost as much as a couple of Joeys and the monthly fees for a while. An HD modulator will likely also demand that you change the TVs to CATV mode to tune its output.

As an alternative, I suggest you try an Amazon Fire TV stick running the DISH Anywhere app and see if that meets your needs. During the current Spring Sale, they're going for around $25.

The modulator's output signal level has no impact on the modulated signal's volume. The modulator converts it from RCA audio to an FM stereo signal (the video is converted from composite to a modulated AM signal). The problem likely lies with the HDMI->RCA converter providing a weak audio level to the modulator's input. Outside of the media converter, almost everything is encoded such that what comes in should be going out at the same level.

A quality HD modulator may cost as much as a couple of Joeys and the monthly fees for a while. An HD modulator will likely also demand that you change the TVs to CATV mode to tune its output.

You are likely to regret this.

I'm guessing that the OREI splitter is lying about what is connected to output 2 (which is what you need).

The modulator's output signal level has no impact on the modulated signal's volume. The modulator converts it from RCA audio to an FM stereo signal (the video is converted from composite to a modulated AM signal). The problem likely lies with the HDMI->RCA converter providing a weak audio level to the modulator's input. Outside of the media converter, almost everything is encoded such that what comes in should be going out at the same level.

A quality HD modulator may cost as much as a couple of Joeys and the monthly fees for a while. An HD modulator will likely also demand that you change the TVs to CATV mode to tune its output.

As an alternative, I suggest you try an Amazon Fire TV stick running the DISH Anywhere app and see if that meets your needs. During the current Spring Sale, they're going for around $25.

The modulator converts it from RCA audio to an FM stereo signal (the video is converted from composite to a modulated AM signal). The problem likely lies with the HDMI->RCA converter providing a weak audio level to the modulator's input. Is there a BETTER HDMI>RCA converter that I can try?

A quality HD modulator may cost as much as a couple of Joeys and the monthly fees for a while.

As an alternative, I suggest you try an Amazon Fire TV stick running the DISH Anywhere app... Are you suggesting a Fire stick for ALL my other TVs to continue viewing what I'm watching on the main TV? Even at $25 a stick, it would not be practical for me when moving from one room to another.

Harness, thank you for the suggestions.

 

[WickedStepMom]

Best of luck to you. Please let us know how it turns out.

I'm going to need the luck. Thanks and will do.

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[harshness]

Is there a BETTER HDMI>RCA converter that I can try?

I'm sure there is, but I can't make any recommendations as I have no experience with such gear.

Even at $25 a stick, it would not be practical for me when moving from one room to another.

How many TVs are we talking about, and how many TVs, other than the HDMI-connected one, will be showing this content at any one time?

A good HD modulator will cost you more than 10 times as much as a Fire TV Stick. The downside of the Fire TV solution is that it only supports one TV at a time.

 

[n0qcu]

You can do what I do
HDMI splitter and HDMI cable to every TV (5)

 

[harshness]

HDMI splitter and HDMI cable to every TV (5)

This makes some possibly dangerous assumptions about the types of TVs in play and the distances between them.

SDI may be a better (cheaper, much less work) solution than HDMI everywhere, given that coax is already in place, but it would depend on the coax not being used for other purposes.

 

[Foxbat]

I like the SDI distribution solution as well, but at some point it's going to cost as much as that ATSC Modulator. B&H Photo has a $470 unit that has seven 5-star reviews, but I have no experience with it (and the latency is 500 mS if you were worried about the impact of synchronizing multiple rooms to your feed). Finally, I could not guess what the Hopper would do HDCP-wise feeding this box.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1502659-REG/thor_h_hdmi_rf_petit_petit_hdmi_rf_modulator.html/qa

 

[harshness]

I like the SDI distribution solution as well, but at some point it's going to cost as much as that ATSC Modulator.

SDI can be received for about $40 per end (assuming all TVs feature HDMI). There would need to be only one SDI transmitter connected to an HDMI non-compliant two-way switch.

A distribution amplifier may be required in a star-based system, as SDI is usually daisy-chained.

An answer to my question about the capabilities of the networked TVs may or may not exclude a QAM solution.

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[WickedStepMom]

You can do what I do
HDMI splitter and HDMI cable to every TV (5)

Thanks, but not a practical solution for the number of TVs in the household and they're locations.

 

[WickedStepMom]

I'm sure there is, but I can't make any recommendations as I have no experience with such gear.

Understood.

How many TVs are we talking about, and how many TVs, other than the HDMI-connected one, will be showing this content at any one time?

Ten coax connections throughout the house. Two have Joeys, two have nothing connected and three are in extra rooms that rarely are used. The remaining three have TVs connected and sometimes are on at the same time.

A good HD modulator will cost you more than 10 times as much as a Fire TV Stick. The downside of the Fire TV solution is that it only supports one TV at a time.

The Fire TV is not practical at one then since 3 are sometimes on at the same time.

 

[Foxbat]

Do you have a budget? The HDMI ATSC RF Modulator I linked is under $500, and when looking around, I saw there was a SatLink modulator for $258 on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/SatLink-ST-7000-Digital-Modulator-Delivers/dp/B08GYNC666/

The $469 Thor Modulator with a higher rating is here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RQN6XRS/

 

[harshness]

Ten coax connections throughout the house. Two have Joeys, two have nothing connected and three are in extra rooms that rarely are used. The remaining three have TVs connected and sometimes are on at the same time.

I'm less interested in the number of cable outlets than in the number and type of TVs you're trying to connect.

For example, if there are older non-HD TVs that don't feature QAM tuners, an HD modulator may not work. Being CATV capable is not enough.

 

[WickedStepMom]

I'm less interested in the number of cable outlets than in the number and type of TVs you're trying to connect.

For example, if there are older non-HD TVs that don't feature QAM tuners, an HD modulator may not work. Being CATV capable is not enough.

All are flat screen TVs except one that is the big boxy cabinet TV but it hasn't been turned on since Christmas and that was before the Hopper Plus was installed and eventually the sound issue on the three flat screen TVs. The 3 flat screens with the sound issue, are Samsung and I'll check out the purchase dates and paperwork or their serial #s on the Samsung website about "non-HD TVs that don't feature QAM tuners".

Thanks for still trying to help.

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