DBSTalk Forum banner

Can I connect 2 TVs to 1 Joey

42941 Views 18 Replies 10 Participants Last post by  ratompkins
I want to connect 2 TVs to one of my Joeys.
No problem with having both TVs viewing the same program.
First TV I can connect to joey with HDMI cable
Second TV has coax connection that I can access from Joey Location.
I can't rewire because the insulation is sprayed foam.
The only option I can think of wireless and I don't know if or what is available that would work.
I would appreciate any suggestions/solutions on how to do this.
Thanks
Bob
1 - 19 of 19 Posts
ratompkins said:
I want to connect 2 TVs to one of my Joeys.
No problem with having both TVs viewing the same program.
First TV I can connect to joey with HDMI cable
Second TV has coax connection that I can access from Joey Location.
I can't rewire because the insulation is sprayed foam.
The only option I can think of wireless and I don't know if or what is available that would work.
I would appreciate any suggestions/solutions on how to do this.
Thanks
Bob
Use an RF modulator to convert the RCA connections on the joey to coax, then connect that to the line to the second tv.
I was doing additional research and it seems the only downside is that the picture quality will not be as good. I did a search on RF modulators and they start at around $10 for an RCA brand and go up from there. Does higher costs relate to higher quality/performance or do they all use a standard chip set?
Thanks
Not sure how far you have to go . But getting a HDMI splitter then convert it to cat 5 wire you can hide the wire behind baseboard or even slice the drywall and tape over it.
Someone shared his experience with WiFi HDMI extender/splitter recently here.
Check and see if his posts would answer your questions.
An RF modular output is analog, I think, so if I use an RF modulator to coax for a second TV do I need an old TV or an analog to digital converter?
Most TVs are still capable of tuning analog channels so an RF modulator would work.

The question you have to ask yourself is whether an SD signal is good enough.

Questions like this are usually easier to answer if you tell use exactly what you have TV-wise and what you want to end up with. We can usually get you where you're going faster if you're not trying to figure it out yourself as a thread.
I've had an RF modulation system since I first installed (DISH had no clue what to do with my house, so I had to do the whole install) in '94, DISH could only do one TV, one box, I needed 9 (now 13) TV's covered. So thus the modulators (ChannelPlus 3445 & 5445) and my early conviction to DISH because of their UHF remotes. All the gear is in the basement each on a separate channel. Matter of fact I have 8 additional channels that carry 5 DVR tuners, a DVD/VCR, security cameras and a feed from our media room. I have two cable systems, one RG11 (main trunks) & RG6 (individual feeds) for the TV signal and the old RG59 with DISH box antennas scattered throughout the grounds for the remotes. And everything works and looks great.
FarmerBob said:
I've had an RF modulation system since I first installed (DISH had no clue what to do with my house, so I had to do the whole install) in '94, DISH could only do one TV, one box, I needed 9 (now 13) TV's covered. So thus the modulators (ChannelPlus 3445 & 5445) and my early conviction to DISH because of their UHF remotes. All the gear is in the basement each on a separate channel. Matter of fact I have 8 additional channels that carry 5 DVR tuners, a DVD/VCR, security cameras and a feed from our media room. I have two cable systems, one RG11 (main trunks) & RG6 (individual feeds) for the TV signal and the old RG59 with DISH box antennas scattered throughout the grounds for the remotes. And everything works and looks great.
Would be interesting to see your sketch (MS Visio is good for that) how it's done, where located, etc. One good picture will tell us more.
FarmerBob said:
I have two cable systems, one RG11 (main trunks) & RG6 (individual feeds) for the TV signal and the old RG59 with DISH box antennas scattered throughout the grounds for the remotes. And everything works and looks great.
And everyone was happy until the demise of SD TVs and the realization that HD is pretty cool.

NTSC RF modulation is not a good technology to step into in the 21st century.
harsh said:
. . . NTSC RF modulation is not a good technology to step into in the 21st century.
Agreed. But it's amazing how well it works and how tight they have the newer tech tied up. I'm not seeing any HD modulators out there like these were. Not even for commercial applications, like Hotels, Hospitals. Only extension devices that only just recently were able to "bypass" or incorporate HDCP. Even the distribution nodes at BestBuy, Target, Walmart are close quartered, nothing special (not HDMI), but very expensive. One BestBuy I saw they were using component distribution.

There are things that we're not being told or allowed to touch to push us to new toys or restricted installers. I wish I was able to complete my frequency doubling conversation. That would have shed light on what I am seeing on my system. And probably why the manufacturer of the modulators didn't reply. Cuz they'll double up. Also I checked and they don't have any new gear for this and still sell what I have. So . . .
See less See more
P Smith said:
Would be interesting to see your sketch (MS Visio is good for that) how it's done, where located, etc. One good picture
will tell us more.
I have this old illustration that I did when I first got a 722. Things have changed a bit with additions and updates. But this is the basic install. I just sold my killer equipment rack so things are on open shelving for now. Not real pretty. The Remote Antenna runs are not in the illustration, but a wall plate is shown below.

Now all I need to do is figure out how I am going to "insert" Hoppers and Joeys in this. And wondering what the out come will be. This was a complete experiment and it fared pretty well.



A wall plate . . .

See less See more
2
P Smith said:
Someone shared his experience with WiFi HDMI extender/splitter recently here.
Check and see if his posts would answer your questions.
I too would be interested in finding out how effective the wireless setup was
Modern TV distribution systems are QAM modulated as opposed to NTSC or ATSC modulated. This has been the case for several years in most larger facilities -- even before HDTV.

There are even some QAM modulators that can be used in a residential setting if you're that hung up on modulating. They typically don't compare well with switched HDMI or component price-wise.

Within the next five years or so, I see most video traveling over Ethernet and RF is going to fade into obscurity (although I'm not willing to predict the rate).
We have quite the large QAM modulator setup on campus...of course, that's because we have to.
I have 2 of the Actiontec Wireless HDMI setups that I bought on ebay for about $75 each. They work fine from room to room so long as the distance is not too great. It gets kind of spotty if you try to go from one side of my house all the way to the other side (about 60 to 70 feet I would guess), but it works great from room to room at shorter distances or from the first floor to the second floor.
+1 on the Actiontec. Worked great for me as well. It has HDMI passthru, but it sometimes goes out to lunch. Simply running component to my main tv and HDMI to the actiontec solves the problem.

That being said, it sounds like your 2nd TV is just an old SD analog set. So all you need is the RF modulator. PQ will take a minor hit, but you won't really be able to tell since SD is so bad to begin with.
Thanks for the help. I'm going to go with the RF Modulator for now and look for a good deal on the Actiontec Wireless HDMI when I get another HD TV.:)
1 - 19 of 19 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top