Entertainment Center: TVs, Stereos, VCRs and DVDs - Cable TV bad picture

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View Full Version : Cable TV bad picture


DUCK1225
02-08-06, 02:55 PM
Here's the set up,

Main drop from pole goes to box on house, splites to 4 TV's, Only one TV has cable box for HD reception picture is great.

One TV cable ready, looks fine.

2 TV's upstairs cable ready, both have ghosting and a faint bar running up and down on the picture. This only happens on the local channel and all other cable channels look fine. lat night it was so bad you could'nt even watch the local channels.

??? Thanks!


BobF
02-08-06, 06:18 PM
Did this just start happening? What changes to the cable or tvs were made recently?

DUCK1225
02-08-06, 07:38 PM
it's been this way for some time, and seems to be degrading. nothing has changed with the TV's that I can recall.

Duck


Samian
02-09-06, 12:52 AM
make sure all terminations are clean ( no shielding touching the core of the cable at the connectors) you might wanna consider putting a line amplifier in before the splitter. your cable co. might give you one for free, otherwise you can get one fairly cheap.

BobF
02-09-06, 01:56 PM
Was the HD recently installed?

Sounds like the tvs upstairs are getting the HD signal instead of the analog signal. Since they aren't HD, they can't decode it.

Call the cable company to see why this is happening.

Samian
02-09-06, 08:13 PM
Bob,

the cable signal carries both frequencies (analog and digital) but you need a digital/hi-def internal tuner or external box in order to pick up and decode the digital signal. if the tv's upstairs are connected via rf cable theres really no way of picking up the higher (digital/hi-def) frequencies. this sounds more like signal loss or a degraded connection..... i think. lol

Sam

BobF
02-10-06, 06:03 PM
Samian,
Normally I'd agree with you. But why is Duck only having problems with the local channels?
Signal loss or degraded signal would effect all channels, wouldn't it?

Samian
02-10-06, 10:50 PM
Bob,

youre kinda right. degraded cable, yes but signal loss is a little different. some stations have a stronger signal then others. locals channels through analog cable usually are always the first to show the most noise, along with other lower strength signals in the that frequency range. that being said the problem does point more towards signal loss....

Duck1225.....try removing the connection to 2 of the 3 cable ready sets at the splitter leaving the one that was barely watchable the other night and the hi def set. see if it gets better, if it does, then youll have confirmed signal loss and can remedy it as described above.

cbs
02-13-06, 12:20 PM
By any chance are you able to get your local channels with rabbit ears too??
Reason why I ask, is because if you don't have tight "screw on" connectors at your tv, the local channels may be trying to "get into" your tv at the same time as your cable channels. The city that I'm from, our local channels with rabbit ears are 5 and 7. On cable they are 6 and 7. If you don't have a tight connection at your tv. Channel 5 Antenna will blend in with Channel 5 Cable. Therefor causing interference. All you need to do is check to see if you have the push on style of connector to the TV or is it a Threaded Screw on type. Replace the push on type whenever possible as they tend to wiggle loose. If this doesn't work, try h/u the good cable ready tv to the bad outlet and see if the same thing happens. If all else fails, call your cable guys in to find the problem.