HTPC - Is distribution possible via coaxial cable?

eddiem74

I am just wondering if is is possible to distribute HTPC content to another room via coaxial cable ?

The reason I ask is that I have Sky, and it sends a return feed to the attic, and then via a splitter/amp sends the signal to all TV points in the house.

I was wondering if I could use the same feed for a HTPC ?

SouperComputer

eddiem74 wrote: »

I am just wondering if is is possible to distribute HTPC content to another room via coaxial cable ?

The reason I ask is that I have Sky, and it sends a return feed to the attic, and then via a splitter/amp sends the signal to all TV points in the house.

I was wondering if I could use the same feed for a HTPC ?

You would need an RF modulator to turn the Svideo signal into RF. Maybe you could send composite thru coax, the impedance is pretty high, im not so sure.

bazwaldo

I have an s-video splitter from maplins. Split 1 goes to directly to main telly. The other split I convert to composite into the back of the video. When I want to use MC in another room. I turn on the video, set the channel to ext. The output from my video goes into a coax splitter which feeds the rest of the house. Then by tuning in the video channel I can watch MC anywhere. So as SouperComputer suggests, I'm using the RF modulator built into my video.

eddiem74

Ok, thanks both for your inputs !

jabaroon

but lets not forget that the video quality out of the modulator is gash! Im using a mudulator for distribution and i would describe the quality as barely watchable!

eddiem74

jabaroon wrote: »

but lets not forget that the video quality out of the modulator is gash! Im using a mudulator for distribution and i would describe the quality as barely watchable!

Cheers, am gonna look at steaming via a home network.

bazwaldo

Theremust be something wrong with your cables or something, as I wouldn't say the quality is that bad. You shouldnt see any interference through the video. The only thing I noticed is that the volume is a little lower.

subway

ive never had a problem with the quality of an rf modulator for mce (used one for a few months once) or with wireless vide senders.
the above, of course, only applies to SDTVs...

DubGF

What type of coax are you guys using??

jabaroon

subway, bazwaldo, what brand/model of modulator are you using? I have used several and find the quality to be poor. Its defo not a cabling quality issue as everything is f-type on ct-100.

Cheers,
Jab

bazwaldo

I'm using the one built into my Philips video. Nothing special.

Are you converting the s-video output to composite or is there a composite output from your graphics card? It could be the converter to composite thats an issue.

I have both the output from my NTL box and my media center as inputs into my video so I can view them throughout the house. Of course its not as good as the direct s-video output from my media center or the component output from my NTL box, but it is quite clear.

bazwaldo

Oh and I'm using a mixture of premade cheap coax cables and longer cables I've made from a reel of standard coax cable (not satellite quality). Using old fashioned coax connectors not f-types.

Maybe my standards for picture quality are lower than yours. When you say "gash", what problems are you seeing?

jabaroon

bazwaldo wrote: »

Oh and I'm using a mixture of premade cheap coax cables and longer cables I've made from a reel of standard coax cable (not satellite quality). Using old fashioned coax connectors not f-types.

Maybe my standards for picture quality are lower than yours. When you say "gash", what problems are you seeing?

Gash = the picture quality is worse than a poor quality VHS! You can visibly see a lot of pixelation and greys instead of black. It may be the modulator that I am using?!?!?

bazwaldo

I assume you have composite video and audio into the modulator. Then the coax out into the telly. Picture is crap.

If you remove the modulator and plug the composite video directly to the telly, the picture is perfect, right?

Then it has to be the modulator. Have you got a VCR? Try the one built into that.