I have a client that wants us to distribute their video signal from 6 cameras around the house on to all their TV's. We planned on using a multiplexer and distributing the video signals on the higher channels, but just realized today thet they have digital cable boxes in 2 of the rooms. Running an extra wire to each location would be out of the question since the house is at the end of a major renovation. Is there anyway the signals could be diplexed and routed with an A/B switch at the TV? I just can't figure how to get it past the digital box.

Any extra phone lines in the house??

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We actually thought of that for the Master Bedroom, but the other location doesn't have any extra conductors

I have your solution I ljust did the same thing for one of my customers. You want to use a 2 channel channel + modulator. You put the cable box on one and the camera on another. One rg-6 two sources...no digital cable issue. If you need more help email me at [email protected].

You can combine digital cable and a modulated signal together. You just need to find out where the digital cable channels end, and use a Low Pass Filter from Channel Plus. I have been able to put modulated signals above Ch. 110 without a problem for my customers. YMMV

We have done that with some success as well, although not universally. I've found that some cable boxes communicate back to the main office on Ch 116, and applying a channel blocker prevented the boxes from properly picking up guides and so forth. This particular job was in southern Wisconsin.

How about modulating the devices you have on antenna channels? The antenna channels 14-69 do not occupy the same bandwidth as cable channels, so you could do the following:

Send cable through to the cable box/tv location in the clear.
Modulate the channels you need on antenna 50, for example.
Apply a cable box bypass set (Channel Vision, Channel Plus, make your own) to the cable box.
Tune the TV to antenna Ch 4 (cable box), antenna 50 (your stuff)

Any potential problems with this, other than the cable guy undoing your stuff whenever he comes calling?

An alternative.

1. Remember that digital cable frequencies occupy between about channel 85 and 117. No modulation allowed there.
2. Put in a low pass filter that eliminates channels above channel 118. This allows the modulation to occur from channels 120 (pushing it) to 125.
3. Combine the cable signal with the modulated signal.
4. At each remote television, put a two way splitter on the line before the cable box. Send half the signal into the tv tuner and tune the television ONLY to the modulated channel(s). Send the other half to the cable box, and use the audio and video outs from that to the appropriate inputs on the television.
5. To watch cable, select video input. To watch modulated channel, select tv tuner.

I've taken LOTS of calls on this problem. This is the least expensive solution.

A great idea, generally. I've run across more than my share of RF-output-only cable boxes, even in this day and age. Makes me crazy....

That is a great idea. Thanks for all the help guys. I'll run all these Ideas by my boss and see which way he wants to go.

You could always trap out a LOWER cable channel say 16, if it were public access or something that was not going to be watched then use a modulator to convert the video to rf on channel 16 and then pass it on to the main distribution amp or whatever, then all televisions in the house would have the cameras on channel 16. You can buy a channel elimination filter which would work perfectly or you can use an actual trap that would work so-so. no need to mess with the digital system and channel 117 or whatever would die with attenuation if you have a lot of splitters and cable.