HD TV - Upgrading from standard definition

[H.Huester]

I'm researching how to upgrade a 2000 American Eagle from standard definition television, to HD television. I've searched to IRV2 forums, and the internet at large with either no, or extremely outdated results.

The installation of HD TVs themselves is relatively simple... It's the cabling required to connect the receiver to the TVs that has me stumped.

I have a Direct TV HD dish that I set on the ground and manually tune to the satellite. The dish connects through a coax cable to the cable-in port in the electric bay. The Direct TV receiver then connects to the other end of the coax inside the coach. Here comes the problem...

What cables are used in newer motorhomes to connect the receiver to the HD televisions? In my stick frame house, I used an HDMI cable - but at $30+ for 6 feet, the cost of a 40+ foot long HDMI cable to run to the bedroom TV has got to be huge... HUGE, if it's even available. The other option is to use component cables - not sure of the feasibility/cost on that yet.

What are manufacturers using for cables on new units rolling out the door?
Are there other options than HDMI or Component cables for connecting everything together?
Can the old coax be used somehow?

Thanks for your help!
H.Huester

[Muddypaws]

I had the same sort of problem. I discovered that it is not possible to send any of the outputs from the blue ray player to the rear TV and it just wasn't worth the trouble or the expense to do it.

I don't think I've ever seen an HDMI cable longer than 10 ft, there may be a physical limit to the length. Not sure.

The may be converters that take HDMI or composite (vid, Aud-R, Aud-L) and transform it into a digital format you could get to the rear TV via the existing coaxial cable, similar to the old 'modulators' that were used by first generation video games.

I just found a wireless one : Nyrius NAVS500 HD 1080p HDMI Digital Wireless Audio Video Sender Transmitter & Receiver System with IR Remote Extender for ONLY $199. Is it worth that much? Not to me!

Muddypaws

[hoppers4]

The same coax that carried your analog signal will carry your digital signal. The carrier frequency is the same. Case in point, my batwing works fine with digital or analog TV and uses the same cable from the antenna. Only difference is the TV receiver.

[Muddypaws]

Might work. According to DirecTV's specs all of the HD receivers have an RF output.

My Blue Ray player (an LG LHB336) does not have RF output.

[H.Huester]

I wake up in the middle of the night thinking that I could just get a second box from Direct TV for the bedroom with the satellite coax feeding both boxes - that would would give me the ability to watch separate programming on each set. We don't watch that many DVDs (maybe 1-2/yr) - for that, I can always plug my laptop into the computer directly. That may very well be the cleanest and cheapest solution leaving me to worry about future upgrades.... in the future!

Thanks for everyone's inputs!
H.Huester

[beaverjim]

i just finished my hd project a couple of months ago. using a drtv dvr the front tv is hooked up via componet cables. the bedroom and basement tv's using hdmi cables from a splitter (sewell brand) i ran 2 40 ft hdmi cables out of my overhead cabinet down the curbside a pillar out through the firewall, then routed the cables from the front frame rail to the basement tv location. at that point i used one of the cables to feed the basement tv and the other was routed up through the floor under my fridge. at that point connected a sewell brand dual female amplified connector to another 30 ft hdmi cable behind floor cabinets to the back then up through the washer/dryer cab to the overhead cabinets and into the bed tv. everything is working great! ps. don't let anyone tell you can't run hdmi that far. i have several tv's in our business that run on hdmi at 50 to 100 ft with no issues. just make sure your using quality cable. i've had great success with sewell brand products and are priced less than you would think! i have no connection withe sewell company just a satisfied customer jim

[DBeauchamp]

HDMI is the way to go. Technically 15 feet is maximum lenght for a certified cable but I use a 40 foot cable at my house and it just works. Because the signal is digital, there is no loss in the quality of the picture. Digital work or it doesn't. In my RV, my receiver is in mid ship so I have started running 4 HDMI cables to the 4 TVs (2 done) and will use a switch like this one to feed the individual TVs:
For only $145.80 each when QTY 50+ purchased - 4X4 True Matrix HDMI 1.3a Powered Switch w/ Remote (Rev. 3.0) | Auto & Powered HDMI Switches
This has 4 outputs to 4 tvs and the 4 inputs are DVD, Sat and 2 spares (you can hook-up a 2nd Dish receiver and be able to watch two dif. channels on two or more dif tv's...) (it's any signal on any TV)
My HD DVD player, a Toshiba DR-7 has a coax RF input which takes the park cable signal and up-converts it to HDMI 1080 which resolves the mix, everything is HDMI.
I have just finished replacing the Pioneer in-dash Radio/Navigation system with an Alpine IVA-D106 plus an NVE-M300. I was lucky the GPS antenna was compatible (had to switch the connector into the radio) but did not have to run any wires. And I used two micro switches to simulate the park brake and service brake signals. (this defeats the safety feature so DW can watch a movie and or configure the GPS) So very easy replacement, works really well. I have radio/GPS/Trip TEk/DVD/BackupCam and I-phone all in one.

[hardy1000]

I just installed a Wineguard SK3005 HD antenna. If you have an existing TV in the rear you can use the existing RG6 cabel going to it from the Wineguard combiner box in the front of your coach to install a second reciever. From the antenna I ran 3 cabels, 2 for the DVR in the front and one to the cable for the rear tv. I will use a male fitting to attach the cabel to the cable for the rear. This is for a 2 reciever installation. I have the front installed and will do the rear tv after my trip. Before my install I called and spoke with Wineguard support to verify my plan, (great support team) and they verified that this will work. Give them a call they are eager to help.

[Jr25]

Check out monoprice.com They sell pre made HDMI cables up to 100' long for under $1.00 per foot. They also sell HDMI splitters for under $40. I'm currently running HDMI out of my DirecTV HD box into my 1x4 splitter. From there, I fished an HDMI cable to both bedrooms, the main living room tv and a 4th tv I have installed in my cargo bay. All 4 tv's receive the HD signal and have fantastic pictures. If you go this route and will be running over 20' I would suggest going with their 22AWG HDMI cable.

[Clay L]

My DirectTV HR24 receiver does not have a coax output.

An HDMI cable can be 50 feet long and inline amplifiers are availible for longer runs.

You can buy HDMI cables at much lower prices from a number of online sources.

This is one HERE . Scroll down to the 50 foot long cables ($40).

[H.Huester]

Thank you everyone for your inputs - learned a lot!
Got me a sense of direction now.

Appreciate your help!
H.Huester

[lonestarace]

Coax will carry an HD signal.

We just removed the 2 old CRT TVs and VCR in our 2000 Signature and replaced them with 3 HD TVs and 1 BluRay Theater system.

The front TV is a new HD LED. Also up front is is the Dishnetwork VIP211 Sat Rec, the BluRay Theater system, and the Winegard ALL COAX video contol center (VS-0503-5312). The front TV is hooked to the Sat Rec via a 6' HDMI cable. The BluRay Theater system is connected to the TV via 6' HDMI cable and a digital optical audio cable.

The over-the-air TV signal, which is nowadays digital and often HD, is connected through the ALL COAX video control center to all 3 HD LED TVs via coax.

The cable TV signal also goes to all 3 TVs by way of coax cable thru the ALL COAX video control center.

We installed a second CD/DVD/Tuner 5.1 surround theater system to the bedroom TV.

Now HD over-the-air, HD cable, and HD Satellite can be view on all 3 HD TVs. HD BluRay movies can be viewed on the front TV from the front BluRay Theater system, and DVDs can viewed on the rear TV from the rear non-HD theater system.

Because we are using a digital optical audio cable between the Front TV and the BluRay Theater system, anything we view on the TV will play over the 5.1 surround sound speakers of the front theater system.

The rear DVD surround theater system is connect to the bedroom HD TV via component RCA cables.

We hope this helps

Don

[Bill Adams]

Being able to input an HD signal to your TV tuner is quite different than being able to output and HD signal to your TV via some other source. If you are able to connect your BluRay or your HD satellite to multiple TV's it's likely not being done via coax but rather HDMI or Composite or it's not really HD. If you are able to magically get HD to multiple TV's via coax (without special adapters) I really need to know how this is being done.

[FlyingDiver]

I don't see how Don is getting HD satellite signal to his second and third TV. The VP211 has a modulator for ch 3/4 output, which he could be running to the video control center. But that's only going to give him an SD signal (and not a very good one) at the other two TVs.

joe