Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?

Subject: RE: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: katlaughing
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 06:31 PM

Rick, tell Duckbooks she can come over to my hosue to watch Judging Amy...I never miss it! :-)

Still wanna see a picture of the Shed That Dremel Built!

kat

Subject: RE: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: Bill D
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 06:25 PM

McGrath...cable systems vary widely around this big country...when ours was new IT had a decoder box that everyone had to use, and yes, all TVs hooked to it showed the same channel....now you only need a box if you suscribe to pay channels, and I 'think' they are eliminating that with digital coding, so they can charge and allow you to see what you pay for without needing the box..I have not needed a box for years, and the company gave up trying to limit # of TVs when cable-ready TVs became common...but in other areas, they still do it the old way...but with Satellite TV, and multiple cable companies (read:COMPETITION)..it is getting a little better, though a bit pricey. (More than one provider possible...but de-regulation of prices...you can't win.)

Subject: RE: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: R!
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 02:12 PM

JimmyC, why would you buy anything, crimper or otherwise, at the Crappy Tire store?

Rowana

ps- Thanks, Spaw for bringing a little magic into my life!

Subject: RE: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 02:03 PM

Wuth us the cable system runs to a decoder, which you stick next tomthe telly, so. You can run as many TVs from it at a time, but you can only show one cable channel. (We've got a funnt systemmin Harlow because we had communal aerials before cable was invented. That means you get a straight aerial signal coming through for the basic channels, which doesn'tyt need a decoder, and tye cabloe channels as well, whcuigh you can't get without the decoder etc., and only for the channels you want to pay for)

My impression from what some people have said is that the US system works differently, so that if you have the cable set up you can tune into the range of channels. Am I right there?

Subject: RE: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: GUEST,LEJ
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 01:24 PM

Wow. Twenty seven posts to a thread about how to hook up your second tv. As Rick's East Indian Radioshack salemen might say "my mind is boggling."

Subject: RE: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: Bill D
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 01:06 PM

awww...Jeri...you coulda waited till he was foaming at the mouth and teetering on the edge to tell him, now he'll just quit playing the game and go back to fart jokes...*big grin*

(OLD trick, 'spaw...we see what we EXPECT to see)

Subject: RE: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: Cap't Bob
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 12:58 PM

SPAW ~~ Doesn't work for me..... I keep forgetting which kard I picked. Does it matter which corner of the screen you touch. I would write down the card but I can'na fine my pencil.

Cap't Bob

Subject: RE: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: catspaw49
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 12:33 PM

Thank you Jeri!! Obvious after you see it. I bow to your true brilliance and ability!!!! I retreat to my castles of idiocy and stupidity now and go on with cleaning the bathrooms.

Your Humble Servant,

Spaw

Subject: RE: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: Jeri
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 12:28 PM

None of the cards that show up in the end are there in the beginning.

Subject: RE: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: catspaw49
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 12:11 PM

Rick, I'm glad its working out. As to where and why, I gett them in some funny ways....and I'm not alone. Bill D. also has a passion for the "weird websie" and that's where that one came from...good ol' Bill D.

But I still want somebody to tell me how it works!!! Karen wants it off the computer!!! The damn thing is really WEIRD isn't it? Spooky as hell!!!! Those of you who didn't check it out, do so and tell me....

WHY DOES THIS DAMN THING WORK???????

Spaw

Subject: RE: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 11:51 AM

Well THANK YOU!

Couple of thoughts:

Catspaw, WHERE do you FIND these things? Or perhaps...WHY do you find these things?

Rana, I HAVE asked the "sound people". Their answers have more variables than the ones to my computer questions. I think they are simply too far advanced for my little earth-bound world. Once I sat and watched while David Lang and John Sladek (sound people, professional computer geeks, and valued students) argued in front of my computer for two hours, about the 16 correct ways, and 39 incorrect ways to set my clock!.....it still shows June 12th, 1997.

Bernard: You're a man after my own heart. The world may scoff at your "smoke and mirrors" but I've actually done stuff like that.

Fred: The two gentlemen who run my local Radio Shack have rather heavy East Indian accents. They TRY to be helpful (especially when pushing the extended warranty) but I simply can't understand what they're saying. I find it better to actually KNOW the info, before venturing in.

Kendall: ANYTHING would be easier than building my "little white house out back". On the other hand, it's finished, and I've learned a LOT about drywall. Mostly that I don't ever want to see a piece of it again. I still haven't got my new Dremel yet, 'cause I'm still drooling over the catalogue with all the neat attachments. P.S. is it time to resurrect your "new CD" thread yet? If you can find a way to get hit by a bus,(or better still, hijack one) you'll sell 'em like crazy!

Thanks all. I think I've got the info needed.

Rick

Subject: RE: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: GUEST,Rana
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 08:55 AM

If Rogers only allow one TV, instead of a splitter try using a switch - line 1 would go downstairs but if you wanted to view upstairs you'd switch to line 2. This presumes you don't want to watch both at the same time. In this way you will be getting the whole signal and using only one connection.

Sure the various sound guys you know (at the Cloud/Mariposa/Acoustic Harvest) could also give you connection advice.

Cheers Rana

(I'll check in the basement - I believe I may have an old switch you can have)

Subject: RE: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: Bernard
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 06:11 AM

If you can't afford a second telly, scrounge around local secondhand shops for some of those big wall mirrors.

Then, by careful arrangement of these mirrors, you can watch the same telly in as many rooms as you like! In fact, you don't even have to limit yourself to the telly... what about that next door neighbour with the big...

Subject: RE: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: Sorcha
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 02:36 AM

Mead? You got MEAD?? Beam me up, Scotty!! (creep alert!!)

Subject: *hic*
From: Clinton Hammond2
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 02:33 AM

lesson to be learned here...

less mead before posting!

LOL!!!!!!

Subject: All things are possible ;-)
From: Clinton Hammond2
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 02:31 AM

Call Rogers and without giving your name or addy, tell 'em ya wanna know about multi lines... I'd be really surprised if they only allowed one... Even the basic P.O.S. cable package we get here from cogeco allows for 2 or 3 lines...

If they tell ya they're gonna have to charge for installation, drop a hint that yer thinking of going with Bell's Express View... got me an extra line and free TMN1 for more than a year...

If they are adament over thier one line policy, say, thanks and hang up... they go to radio shack (or a reputable electronics store instead) and ask the hight school student working there about splitting yer calbe line... Offer him a 12 pack and he may come over and do it for ya! LOL!!!!!

I know I would!

Good luck!

Subject: RE: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: Sorcha
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 01:43 AM

Give that man a hammer!!! (sorry, family joke, there....as in give that Woman a hammer.....she can do ANYTHING with it)

Subject: RE: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: rangeroger
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 01:40 AM

And he can use the Dremel to make the hole to run the cable.

Of course it might not hold a big enough drill bit, but he could make a lot of little tiny holes and bust it out with a hammer.

rr

Subject: RE: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: Sorcha
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 01:05 AM

Hey, Rick has a Dremel, he doesn't need a crimper.....Dremel ROOLZ!!!

Subject: RE: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: Jimmy C
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 12:53 AM

Splitters are quite easy to install,a few minutes should do it. Drilling the holes may be a more daunting task, depending on the age of the house and the width os teh space between rooms at the baseboard level.
Rogers do have a one line policy as far as I know, but it is difficult to enforce. I have 3 T.V's running on one cable.
If you happen to screw up the connector on the end of the cable you will have to get a special tool called a "crimper" to attach a new one correctly.
Some people use ordinary pliers but they are not always successful. A crimper costs about $9.00 (canadian) in Crappy Tire stores.

Subject: RE: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: Sorcha
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 12:25 AM

Actually it's pretty easy, Kate and I did it by ourselves in about 30 minutes. I can't program VCR's tho.......an'spaw, ifn you rip them stitches out, you is goin back to the vet to check that there uh, um, "plumbing job".........

Subject: RE: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: GUEST,Fred
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 11:16 PM

If you can't follow all that good advice, just go down to the local Radio Shack and they'll set you up with the splitters, cables and advice on how to do it.

Subject: RE: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: Jeri
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 08:39 PM

I knew someone who got cable by cutting the insulation off the wire of the cable running outside the building to the dorm room above hers, and wrapping the end of her cable wire around it. Splitters are much more civilised, and there's less interference.

As far as the TV - anything with enough channels should work, unless you have HBO or something that requires descrambling.

Subject: RE: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: catspaw49
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 08:34 PM

Okay Rick......I've finished now, and you have all the advice you need, it really is simple. But if you think its magic than have I got a site for YOU!!!!

Thanks to Ol' Wild Bill, I have a truly MAGICAL site to share and you'll think the TV is a piece of cake..........well it is, but I don't need to start laughing again............ARE YOU READY??????????

CLICK HERE FOR DA'MAGIC TO HAPPEN

Spaw

Subject: RE: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: Bill D
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 08:02 PM

a splitter is a little thing with round connections...they come in several sizes....you undo your TV where the cable comes in and screw the cable from the outside into the splitter gadget's input hole...(all YOU need is one with one input and two outputs...3 round connections). Then you run one SHORT cable from one of the output holes back to TV#1...and a LONG cable...(20ft?...25ft?, whatever) thru a hole to the room with TV#2 and attach it...voila!....(my cable company 'thought' about restricting this, but with cable ready TVs, it is harsd for them to do...so it is probably ok..)......I have 3 TVs running and cable run to 2 other locations so I can move TVs....3 different splitters in the system, and it all works fine

Subject: RE: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: catspaw49
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 08:00 PM

ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!! Geeziz Rick........This is a riot!!! Lemmee know when you're gonna' install that second toilet roll dispenser.....LOLOLOLOLOL..............I love it...........You just made my night!!!!!

Somebody get me some scissors.......I'm all wrapped up in these stitches..........LMAO.................Thanks a million...............

Spaw.......ex-friend, still LMAO

Subject: RE: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: kendall
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 07:45 PM

It's easier than building a tool shed!! LOL

Subject: RE: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 03:39 PM

WWEll it may be a different system in Canada. But here's how it works with us.

In fcat we've got a communal system here in Harlow, with a plug in the wall downstairs bringing in the signal - but it might just as well be coming from an external aerial.

All you need to do is to have a splitter. The aerial cable plugs into it, and two cables conme out of it, one for each TV.

But since splitting the signal weakens it, you might do better to get the sort of splitter which also boosts the signal(it's plugged into an electric socket to get the power to do that). If you wanted you could get a booster to split the signal several ways, so that you could be running lots of TVs all over the place.

The two TVs could be watching completely different channels that way.

If you've a video-recorder you could fix it so that the other TV could also play a video which was playing on your machine, even if the main TV was playing a live programme. That would mean plugging the aerial cable into the video, and running the cable from the video to the splitter, and thence to the two TVs, and tuning the TVs so that they had one channel tuned to the video signal.

But that's a bit fussy - I'd advise to just run the signal from the wall to the signal booster, plugged into an electric socket, with a cable out to each of the TVs.

Subject: RE: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: GUEST,LEJ
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 03:36 PM

Since your signal source is cable, just put a splitter anywhere in the line,then run enough coax cable from the split to get to your 1st and 2nd tvs. If the tv with the longest cable run has fuzzy signal, you may need a line amplifier. I don't get the comment about needing a cable converter. Most tvs are "cable-ready" nowadays,unless you Canucks are behind the times.:>}

Subject: RE: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: Bert
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 03:36 PM

You've got it about right Rick, You put a splitter on the cable and run one lead to your downstairs TV and the other one to the upstairs one. If you find that picture degrades by being split then you buy an amplified splitter.

Your cable company might have some ruling as to how many TVs you are 'allowed' on your connection. I had a cable company steal my four way amplifier once, becuase they didn't approve of me using four TVs from the one connection.

Bert.

Subject: RE: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: GUEST,caz2ufolk
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 03:25 PM

to complicated for me,I can just about switch the bloody thing on. sorry mate and good luck.

Subject: Hooking up a 2nd TV. Can anyone help?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 03:15 PM

Hi. Guess I'm being technologically challenged again. Quite embarassing since it's 1960's technology, but if any catters can help I'd appreciate it.

I want to put a 2nd TV upstairs in the bedroom so Heather can watch "Judging Amy"(?) while I'm teaching in the basement (where the TV is).

What do I need? Someone said "don't get one of those little Radio Shack (sorry Leej) portables 'cause they don't have a built in converter, and I'll need more equipment to allow her to watch a different channel than the one that may be on downstairs. We are on Rogers cable here in Toronto.

Do I just drill a tiny hole through the basement ceiling and run the cable upstairs? How's a "splitter" used?

Is this going to be complicated in any way? Thanks.

Rick