Older RCA SD DTV and OTA antenna signals question

[jasona]

I hope this is the correct place to ask this, but here goes.

I have an older RCA directv box. Not really really old, but its SD, non DVR. Probably bought in 2004 or so.

We have a new hi def TV I have been using just OTA signal for a while with no problems for a while. Last week I decided to use the old DTV box we have running our bedroom TV and use it on the new hi def TV, so that I could get sat tv channels (in SD) and then I could still turn channels and get all the hi def locals.

The problem I have now, with the OTA antenna in the ANT IN on the sat box and just the one coax output from the sat box, I can get the sat signal fine (on channel 3). But I can only get one HD local channel. Channel 17. All of the other channels I just get a message from the TV saying the signal is too weak.

Now if I turn off the DTV box, and leave the TV on, then I get all the channels just fine. ITs as though the Sat output signal is interfering with the OTA signal from the antenna.

Do you guys have any suggestions as to why this is happening or a way to fix this problem? Some sort of signal splitter??

I hope this makes sense. I am battling a cold and the 4 year old hasnt quit talking in my ear since I sat down :)

Oh, one more thing. The reason I am using the COAX as this sat box is still running the TV in the bedroom. I am just using the coax output to run to the new HD tv. I am just using a remote control extender to change the channels.

THanks.

Jason

[carl6]

Your receiver is working the way it is designed. The antenna input on the back of the receiver is simply a pass-through to the coax out connector when the receiver is off. When the receiver is on, the coax output has the signal from whatever DirecTV channel you are watching (and the antenna input is basically shut off, it does not pass through while the receiver is on).

First thing I would recommend is upgrading to HD service and getting an HD receiver or DVR for your new HD TV. You will be impressed with the difference in picture quality (from the SD DirecTV channels).

If you don't want to do that, then you can try using a regular splitter backwards. Run the common side of the splitter to antenna input on your TV. Connect your actual antenna to one side of the splitter, and the output of the DirecTV box to the other side of the splitter. That will result in your mixing the two signals so both will always be present at the TV input. That will work so long as none of your local channels are on channel 3 or 4 (whatever your DirecTV box is set to output).

[jasona]

Thanks for the info Carl6. I wish I knew that before. I just thought it would do what I wanted it to do, and send both signals.

I do get channel 17 though, which is strange. And its not a channel thats just strong enough to get without an antenna.

I would love to upgrade to HD, but i believe my tree situation at my house would not allow it. I am actually surprised I get anything at all here :)

I will try the splitter idea and hopefully that will get us going. Thanks for the info.. I appreciate it.

Jason

[carl6]

For HD, you only need a slightly wider field of view than for SD. Your current system looks at the 101 degree orbital slot. HD adds 99 and 103 (just slightly either side of 101).

You can go to www.dishpointer.com and check if you have line of sight to 99 and 103.

[ThomasM]

Even if your RCA DirecTV box is still feeding a TV in another room, you can hook up your HDTV (located right by the box) to the S-VIDEO output and use the red/white connectors on a composite cable to provide the audio to your HDTV. By doing this, you can hook your over-the-air antenna directly to the TV and avoid all these problems and get a better SD DirecTV picture to boot!

ALL of the outputs on the RCA receiver are active all the time so the TV in the other room will still get it's channel 3 signal from it.

PS: I had an RCA DirecTV receiver also and it worked great!