I am considering doing a run from my media room to my bedroom so I can watch tivo in my bedroom. My tivo is currently in my media room.

I want to send the tivo signal through an RCA run of about 75' and do a run for some type of IR repeater back to the tivo.

Does anyone have any experience with this? I have pronto's in both places, so the remote isn't the problem

1. Does Tivo simultaneously send signals out of all the outs? This is a series 2 box, 80 hour.

2. Where can I get the RCA cable for a 75 foot run for left/right/video? I don't have experience making RCA cables, I do with other cables.

3. What is the best IR repeater hard solution for sending the IR signal from my bedroom back to the tivo? I do not want to use an RF solution, as I have x10 throughout, and RF just isn't as "tight" as IR is to me. And I'm already going to be up in my attic running the tivo to bedroom signal.

Thank you for for any help and recommendations. I am too cheap to buy another "lifetime" Tivo subscription.

Let's dispense with the cheap and not so great approach: use the channel 3 output and a Xantech Xtra Link, which runs IR on the cable. Voila, one wire, maybe already in place in your house, and you are done.



I have done this where the two amps are together and one display is 50' of cable away. I used an RF remote link (with a Marantz RC5200) mostly because the remote display was a plasma and I was tired of beating my head against the wall trying to get an IR system that would work with the plasma AND allow me to combine its output with Sonance keypads in the house. The Marantz let me do that.


I have never thought to question this. Every time I have needed two outputs, they have been there. I have seen one such device where there were not two sets of output jacks, so....


Off of any spool or out of any box of RG59. Be sure it is not antenna 59, that is, be sure it has a solid copper core and copper shielding. That way you can solder RCAs onto the ends. Otherwise you can invest in crimping tools and then get the exactly right RG59 model number to work with those connectors.


I have found Xantech to be the best, mostly because I hated the way Niles required us to screw down tiny wires. Now that Niles is over that, Niles would be good as they also always work.


RF always takes longer button pushes. That's a good enough analog of "isn't as 'tight'" as I need!

You're welcome.

Going to get this project started this weekend.

1. test if tivo does in fact send simultaneously to two outs

2 run the rg 59

3. buy crimping / soldering equipment.

4. test

QUESTION:

Where is the best / cheapest place to buy:

1. spool of RG 59
2. crimping soldering equipment
3. RCA ends
4. Xantech module, receptor, power supply, etc.

???

Thank you, my guess is Radio Shack for the wire, maybe lowes or home depot. But what about the IR repeater? Smart Home seems to be the only solution that's out there, I've bought from them before, but they seem expensive.

Thanks,

I would go to Apex if you are looking for price on cable. Or maybe All Electronics. Don't know where these are, do you?

I am having trouble getting my head around this: Why are you asking where the best place is to buy something when, in your profile, you have not even HINTED at what PLANET you are on, let alone telling us a state, general direction, county, or, God forbid, actual city? When someone calls the store and asks me the best place to buy something, I ask them where they are. That determines the answer. Apex could be the best, but if you are in Florida, the freight charges or the taxi fare is gonna KILL ya!

Why don't you save yourself a bunch of rigging and just buy a second TIVO. By the time you get all of this stuff you've spent just as much money as you would on another TIVO unit.

When buying cable, look for RG-59 Copper-Braid instead of aluminum braid. It is typically used for CCTV cameras. Because of this, I would look for a supply house that sells cable to CCTV dealers, or for a dealer who sells surveillance cameras if you are not a dealer.

While the wire is somewhat less than ideal for audio, adding another two RG-59s will work just fine. The wire is actually the wrong impedence for audio, but I doubt that you would notice the difference unless you have a very expensive audio system hooked to the secondary room.

RCA connectors can be purchased at Radio Shack or a local electronics supply. Crimp-ons are also available but somewhat harder to find. If you have any soldering experience, the RCA connectors are very easy to solder on. Get the big ones, even though they cost more because they are easier to solder.

I would use the Xantech 480B infrared receiver, a Xantech CB-12 connection block, a Xantech 283m emitter, and an 781-RG Xantech power supply. The infrared system will work very well.

Use telephone wire (Category 3) or Category 5 data wire for the infrared link. Its very inexpensive. If you don't want to buy a whole roll (1000ft), Radio Shack will sell you about 50ft. for about the same price as what I pay for a thousand-foot roll of Cat. 3.
The CCTV supply will probably have Cat. 3 or Cat 5 wire available at a reasonable price.

For sure, both outputs are active simultaneously from the TiVo. I think it is a good idea to distribute one unit to both rooms. You only have to set one unit to record your favorite shows, yet you can watch it from both or either. Also you will only have to pay for the programming for one uint.

Athough RF remotes work sometimes, I avoid them when possible. The reliablility is usually poor. The same goes for radio transmission of A/V-- not real reliable.

As for using the RF output of the TiVo, it is a cheap and easy way to do it, but it will sound and look pretty lackluster. Definately no stereo sound.

Bottom line: Run the wires if the pathway isn't too difficult. You will apprecaite the significant difference in performance.


Good Luck!

Stew Pidasso

I am Atlanta, GA based.

Went to Lowe's and Radio Shack yesterday looking. All both wanted to sell me is a roll of RG 6 (cable tv wire).

Radio shack had the connectors but not the wire.

A salesman at Radio Shack tried to sell me a audio/video sender receiver that he "promised" would work. I got lazy, kind of believed him, and thought this would save me a ton of time, got it home, and it's missing a power supply. So I can't even confirm that it sucks, which I know it is going to.

I have experience with RF in my house, completely wired with X10. And the RF has too many quirks. In my opinion, Tivo requires a "solid" IR repeater solution since the remote is used so much to fast forward, and navigate.

My problem with buying another tivo is not only the box expense but also the $300 lifetime subscription. So that's $500, which is too much for me.

So I figured for $150 I could use the existing.

And you are right, tested yesterday, both the Tivo outs work.

So since I can't find anything locally, where do I order all the stuff I need? The Xantech stuff, the wire, the connectors, and the solder?

What's all this going to cost me? Thank you!

Find a single source, such as Smarthome. That way you have one place to go when something is missing a power supply again. Let a vendor earn your trade and your loyalty; your time has value, so don't waste it. :-)

Why not just post a help wanted in the Atlanta Ga area and hire one of us to do it right for around the same price you will pay retail, especially if you have to buy all the tools and materials needed to to the job!

I vote 2nd Tivo.... They are cheap now.... How much is your Time worth? Sounds like you've already put multiple hours into this project, and undoubtedly there will be multiple more.... 300 or so feet of RG59, Crimp tools, Ends, Soldering, etc etc etc...

Run 1 Cat 5 for Network, Get the Home Netowrking options, and allow yourself to do 2 things at once... And basically double your Capacity since both TiVos can share the same stuff then......

I'm all for a challenge when I can save money inthe long run... used to do this a lot back inthe days when Sat boxes were $300 each....


On a side note....
DOesnt the Tivo have a Ch3 output already? I would assume you dont have a big high end system in the bedroom or a 2nd tivo would probobly be your first thought..... the Ch3 output will give you Video and Audio on ONE rg-59.. Just terminat it with F-Cables and your al set... Pick up a Xantech INJ94 and CPL94B 12v PS and a IR Receiver and runt he IR along the same RG-59...

This message was edited by Impaqt on 02/08/05 19:30 ET.

RG-59 is no longer used for RF, at least it shouldn't be. Use RG-6 for RF.

If you are running composite video, use RG-59 Copper, not aluminum. Alarm suppliers, or companies that do surveillance cameras will have it. There is also an RG-6 Copper which can be used for CCTV. It is easy to solder on the connectors to RG-59. It is usually hard to put crimp-on F-connectors on copper-braided wire. The shield is too thick. Otherwise, you could crimp on a cable connection (F connector), then convert it to an RCA with an adaptor.

Since you are buying RG-59 copper-braid, you might as well use it for the audio also. You will need two additional cables, one for left and one for right audio.

Since you cannot couple infrared over composite video or line-level audio, you will need to run a seperate cable for infrared. Get some phone cable from Home Depot or Lowes--it's very inexpensive. You only need three conductors at best. Two conductor will also work.

Petra will sell you what you need for infrared at dealer prices. Try www.petra.com.

I have a tivo in the family room and wanted to watch it in the m. bedroom...

really simple run 1 coax rg-6 to master bedroom....

bought a channel plus 2 channel digital modulator then ran tivo thru it and dvd...

ran a cat-5 for xantech ir control...

now I have dvd and tivo in masterbedroom...

easy cheap and dont have to have more equipment in the bedroom...

walaaaaaaaaaaa


primo

The modulator costs as much as the TiVo and is not stereo. There is also a significant compromise in the video quality.

Most TVs have composite video/stereo audio inputs. The difference in perfomance is pretty significant. What's so hard about running the right wire? If you can run RG-6 and Cat 5, it seems almost as easy to run composite video and line-level audio.