Splitter Deteriorates Picture Quality

[The Harrington]

So finally made the switch from DirecTV to Dish today and the installer did an excellent job. However, I have a couple cameras that are modulated so they can be seen at every TV location. To do this I had 2 runs of coax to every TV location. In order to get the cameras and TV working properly the installer had to connect the two feeds from the wall to a splitter and then run the one line from the splitter into each TV. The problem is that in those locations where there is no receiver (2 spots with dual tuners and 2 with nothing) the picture is pretty choppy but if I disconnect the splitter and just go from the wall to the TV the picture is excellent. Is there any way to remedy this? Perhaps a better quality splitter? Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Install a small UHF/VHF Amplifier where the cables split to go to the individual rooms.

 

[rcdallas]

Install a small UHF/VHF Amplifier where the cables split to go to the individual rooms.

Make sure you are not using cheap splitters. It's like this, if you can push in the back of the splitter with your thumb, it's garbage.

I am not certain as to how many times you have split the original lines, if they have been split down to the -11db level, I'd definately do as mentioned - get a inline amplifier.

 

[The Harrington]

Install a small UHF/VHF Amplifier where the cables split to go to the individual rooms.

Claude: Thanks for the response (You to rcdallas). One thing though, the way it works is I have an outlet/panel on the wall with two coax connectors (one for camera and one for Dish) . Connected to each connector is a very short (maybe 7 inches) of coax that then connects to the splitter. The splitter then has one line from it to the TV. With this being the case where do I put the UHF/UVF amplifier? Or are u talking about down in the basement where the runs originate?

 

[rcdallas]

Claude: Thanks for the response (You to rcdallas). One thing though, the way it works is I have an outlet/panel on the wall with two coax connectors (one for camera and one for Dish) . Connected to each connector is a very short (maybe 7 inches) of coax that then connects to the splitter. The splitter then has one line from it to the TV. With this being the case where do I put the UHF/UVF amplifier? Or are u talking about down in the basement where the runs originate?

Let me ask you this, are all your lines in your rooms where the tvs are located, at the wallplate's do these camera lines run direct down to the basement, (homerun), or do you have a line going from the source to a line in room 1 then to a splitter that then feeds room 2 then to a splitter again that feeds room 3?

It doesn't sound like they are homeruns down to the basement from each room from what you have described.

Ideally you'd want homeruns, first from the main line to the amp then split it off.

In your case, from what it sounds really I'd have to say put your amplifier perhaps somewhere in the middle of wiring scheme before it gets too grainy.

Really you don't want to send TOO much signal to the TV which could cause you a not so pretty picture.

All in all you'd want to amplify the signal not the noise.

A typical house amp I believe puts out about +15db, going by a tech question I asked earlier (thanks RandallA) I assume the output to the camera is around +6db so off the bat you'll be +21db if the amp is hooked up directly after camera signal source. Ideally this is where you'd want to put your splitters then feed the rooms with the tv. You may need to do some calculations to determine your attenuation.

Remember on a two way splitter its -3.5db on each leg, three way splitter is -3.5 on one leg -7db on the other two and a 4 way splitter is -7db on all four legs.

To keep it simple, just place it where all the pictures look best.

 

[SmityWhity]

The problem is that in those locations where there is no receiver (2 spots with dual tuners and 2 with nothing) the picture is pretty choppy but if I disconnect the splitter and just go from the wall to the TV the picture is excellent.

Or are u talking about down in the basement where the runs originate?

Not really giving this much thought, I thought I would just throw this in to think about.

It sounds like "The Harrington" has two home distribution systems originating in the basement. The dish antenna system is feeding 2 dual tuner receivers, maybe by another direct run or using one of the home distribution cables to each receiver location. Then either each dual tuner receiver is feeding one other location, or maybe both receivers are feeding the other 2 locations. All 4 TV locations have access to the 2 (security) camera's using the 2nd home distribution system.

(1) At each TV location he is using a splitter as a combiner. As previously stated, using a good quality splitter is very important. However, some splitters will not work as a combiner, or won't work very well.

(2) Instead of using an amplifier to amplify an already strong signal(s) from the 2 dual tuner receivers, maybe the 2 camera outputs should be decreased.
...(a) Adjust the signal level on the modulator for each camera.
...(b) Put an attenuator at the 2 wall plates where the camera signal is making the TV signal look bad.

(3) Change the 4 channel outputs for the 2 dual tuner satellite receivers and the 2 modulators for the camera's to give more separation between the receiver outputs and the camera modulators. (This may be the easiest solution.)

Of course some of the above would depend on the cababilities of the 2 satellite receivers and the 2 modulators used with the camera's.

What are the model numbers of your two satellite receivers?
What are the channel numbers being used for TV1 Output and TV2 Output for each receiver?
Does each satellite receiver backfeed TV1 Output and TV2 Output of each receiver to all 4 TV locations, or each receiver feeds one other location?
What are the channel numbers for camera 1 modulator and camera 2 modulator, and can they be changed?

It may not be the splitter deteriorating the picture quality, but the combiner letting the stronger signal interfere with the normal one.
I think with the above info, you will probably receive some more specific advice.

 

[The Harrington]

It sounds like "The Harrington" has two home distribution systems originating in the basement. The dish antenna system is feeding 2 dual tuner receivers, maybe by another direct run or using one of the home distribution cables to each receiver location. Then either each dual tuner receiver is feeding one other location, or maybe both receivers are feeding the other 2 locations. All 4 TV locations have access to the 2 (security) camera's using the 2nd home distribution system.

The above pretty much hits the nail on the head as that is the system I have running.

To answer your questions (as best I can):

1) I have the standard 322 and a DVR 625, nothing to fancy.
2) I believe (not 100% certain) that at the receiver location the channel used is 3 and at the other locatiosn the channel is 80.
3) The 625 feeds one other room/TV and the 322 does likewise.
4) The cameras are on channels 72 and 75. I believe they can be changed.

Thanks again to everyone for their input.

TH