Cable signal/splitter question

21 Jun 2005 5:51 AM

zmike6

Situation: A room in a house, let's designate it "Room A", contains a
TV connected to a cable wall outlet (analog cable) . Room B in the
house contains a TV and a cable modem, both connected to a single
cable wall outlet through an inexpensive RCA brand splitter. Is it
likely or possible that the use of the splitter and multiple
connections in Room B could affect the picture quality/signal quality
in Room A?

Seems to me that any negative effect of the splitter and connected
devices in Room B should only be on sources "downstream" of the
splitter...namely the modem and Room B's TV, and the effect of the
splitter and associated connections in Room B is "invisible" to Room
A. But an acquaintance tells me that it's not so simple, and there
may be interactions (signal reflections or interference) that can
propagate into Room A from Room B.

Thanks for any opinions on this subject.

21 Jun 2005 6:46 PM

marks542004

zmike6 wrote:
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> Situation: A room in a house, let's designate it "Room A", contains a
> TV connected to a cable wall outlet (analog cable) . Room B in the
> house contains a TV and a cable modem, both connected to a single
> cable wall outlet through an inexpensive RCA brand splitter. Is it
> likely or possible that the use of the splitter and multiple
> connections in Room B could affect the picture quality/signal quality
> in Room A?
>
> Seems to me that any negative effect of the splitter and connected
> devices in Room B should only be on sources "downstream" of the
> splitter...namely the modem and Room B's TV, and the effect of the
> splitter and associated connections in Room B is "invisible" to Room
> A. But an acquaintance tells me that it's not so simple, and there
> may be interactions (signal reflections or interference) that can
> propagate into Room A from Room B.
>
> Thanks for any opinions on this subject.

Short answer, your acquaintance is quite correct.

You would need to know the cable structure from antenna or cable feed
to each of the wall outlets.

It would be a very simple check.
If you have problems at A disconnect B.
If the problem goes away something at B is having an effect.
Then with TV at A -
try just a television at B.
Then try just the cable modem at B.
Then connect both via a splitter at B.