I think we are going backwards... A decade ago, if you wanted to watch TV in four different rooms, it was as simple as running a cable to four different cable ready television sets. Today, it’s not that simple.
You can still run a cable to every location, but you also need a set-top box at each TV to unscramble the protected content. And if you want to record programs or movies, you would want a DVR at every location. And if you want to download content from the Internet, you have to have a network connection at each location. Then after spending the time and money to get it all working, there are additional monthly fees that chip away at the family budget.
DirecTV makes things a little easier by letting you play content from one DVR using a second set-top box and/or your PC. As an added bonus, their remote can work through walls. However, their set-top boxes require a pair of cables to carry all the channels, and there are monthly fees for each box. Furthermore, if you use your PC to watch content recorded on your DVR, it must have a digital display that supports HDCP – otherwise, it won’t work.
I found one workaround to this dilemma was to run HDMI cables from my DVR to multiple displays. This seems to work OK over limited distances. Basically, it depends on the equipment and the quality of the cable, but distances up to 50 feet are often possible before the HDCP copy protection circuitry cries foul. (To be on the safe side, don’t use longer cables than necessary.)
If you have more than one HDMI source, you might want to use a HDMI switcher to choose between your HDMI sources. But in any case, the HDMI splitter is used to generate the multiple outputs that can be run around the house to all the HDTVs. If it is not feasible to run a cable to one of those HDTVs, you might be able to use a wireless unit for that link – provided the radio signal can travel the distance without interference.
LINKS:
Switcher: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015YWKYY/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000FMJLQC&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1BC1QT9M9B32HD13HD54
Splitter: http://www.amazon.com/ViewHD-Powered-Splitter-Certified-1080P/dp/B00263D7A4/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1294720512&sr=1-1
Wireless: http://www.amazon.com/Arrival-brite-View-BV-2322-Wireless-Transmission/dp/B0043BPZWA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1292384202&sr=8-3
1 comment:
I really hate the direction TV is going. It seems like every time I turn around, there is yet another "box" to be added to every single TV in the house. With each box comes additional cables connecting everything together, additional remotes for the dogs to chew on, and oh yeah--more monthly fees! Things were so much simpler when we could just plug a TV in wherever an outlet was, and watch any channel at any time, regardless of what channels other TV's were playing.
Maybe I'll buy an antenna and see which local stations are still being broadcast over the air, but I am about ready to switch to Netflix.
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