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Rusty Bear · 12-20-2012, 01:05 PM

Just got the coach out and wanted to activate the Direct TV. When I got everything going again, I discovered my back TV was not hi def and when I tried to program it I got a message that my tv cables are not High Def compatible. After a long call to Direct TV, I was informed that they have updated all their receivers and the receiver will no longer receive HD if you are trying to use RG6 From their receiver to the TV. I have been using a Radio Shack converter that receives the Coaxial, then uses the red white and yellow cords that plug into the Direct Box and the signal is then sent to the rear TV over the RG6 that was installed when the coach was built. I will now have to rethink this and probably move the Direct receiver to the back. Any thoughts about switching this unit will be appreciated.

Jim

EngineerMike · 12-20-2012, 01:09 PM

I wouldn't switch the unit, I'd keep the coach. Not that big a deal to me.

EngineerMike · 12-20-2012, 01:17 PM

Maybe also call Direct & find out when they are coming out w/a receiver that does remote TV's by wireless like the AT&T Uverse (commercials show kids dragging Pop's TV around to another room, stuff i woulda got a whoopin for). Or maybe such a solution exists at Fry's or Best Buy. Ask a 20-something kid there, they seem to be up to the minute on that TV stuff.

Jim A · 12-20-2012, 08:05 PM

Jim,

You can only get HD pictures on your TV if you connect the satellite receiver to the TV with either an HDMI cable or component video connections. You can't transmit the signal by the yellow/red/white composite video connections and get HD pictures. S-Video does not do it either. You need HDMI. But you can get a good SD quality picture with them. With a smaller screen that might be sufficient.

Just doing a quick search on Google, I found HDMI wireless transmitters that might do what you need to do. I have never used them or researched them, so I can't tell you how good they will work. But that is likely what you will need if you want true HD quality.

My HD DVR boxes don't even have coax connections available, since you can't send HD signals over them. (I guess they feel it is silly to have a HD signal and not use it.) They do have the yellow/red/white hookups available, but the picture will not be HD quality. So my rear TV with only a RG6 coax signal transmission can't be used for satellite at all, unless I add another receiver box and redo some wiring to the dish. And it does not have a digital tuner, so it can't be used for over the air signals either. All it is good for is the campground cable system, which I very rarely use.

Any connection that requires you to tune the TV to channel 3/4 is not very good. Not even Standard Definition quality.

If your satellite box is like mine, it only has one HDMI output. Assuming you have that connected to your front TV, that does not leave another connection to use with the HDMI transmitter mentioned above. You will need an HDMI splitter, and those are not cheap. It is relatively easy to split/switch an HDMI input, NOT an HDMI output. I tried.

Have fun!

wa8yxm · 12-21-2012, 06:31 AM

Here is the problem.. and a question: What's the big deal with Hi-Def?

Now, here is the problem.

The cable from the electronics cabinet up front to the TV in the rear is coax. Common RG-59 (usually) coax. This is not normally the way the sat receivers output HiDef, they want to use HDMI for that.

The solution.

HDMI to a box called a MODULATOR, It must be a Hi-Def modulator, a standard modulator with A/V inputs (Red/Yellow/White) will not work, it must be a Hi-Def modulator (Best buy, Frys, Wal-mart, Radio Shack, most any high end TV store).

And then it will ship Hi-Def, digitally, to the back of the bus.

Jim A · 12-21-2012, 01:37 PM

I agree with the solution, but he will still need to do something with the single HDMI output from the HD receiver issue. The same stores you mention can fix that too. For a price. Easy for me to spend the other Jim's money!!

As for the question, speaking for myself, watching sports on a big screen TV in HD versus SD is like night and day. You can literally see blades of grass on a football field. The yard lines are straight, not a fine sawtooth. Is it a life changer? No, but definitely more enjoyable.

On a small screen? Not worth the time and money to change it in my opinion. (And I didn't on my coach.) But I am not sure how big the APEX TV is in the bedroom.

wa8yxm · 12-21-2012, 03:58 PM

I watch l ive OTA in HD, anything else is NTSC only. here.

IF, I were designing a modulator (Alas, i don't do that for a living) I'd put in HDMI pass through.. but as I said, I don't do that for a living.

I do have a history of over building though.. I once built a 3 amp power supply.. Drew 10 amps off it one time when I had to, No problems.

Rusty Bear · 12-21-2012, 06:31 PM

I just visited Radio Shack and Best Buy. I spoke to a very helpful and knowledgeable young man at Radio Shack. The HD module will not work for my application. I failed to mention that I have a separate HD receiver for the rear TV and it has a HDMI outlet. At this point it might be easier to run a long HDMI cable to the rear of the coach from the Direct TV Receiver. My Receiver needs 2 Coaxial Cables so that rules out moving the receiver to the rear without running another RG6 to the back. I have used a 50' HDMI in the past to run a TV in a separate room and I don't remember a problem with quality.
Jim

bcbowers · 12-22-2012, 05:49 AM

Jim, it sounds like you need to extend the HDMI iinterface from the receiver to the rear TV. If that's the callenge there are entender products that utilize coax in the middle with matching modulators on the ends. Here's one example that looks a little pricey but may still be the best option:

HDMI over Single Coax Extender, Transmitter and Receiver, 100M - SW-29896, $289.95