Hauppauge HVR1600 and SAGE or Beyond

[jph1589]

End result. I have all my channels and I think I have fewer problem channels. I'll have to try it for a few days and see how it goes. The interesting thing was that when I went to Radio Shack, they had some TVs hooked up to local cable and they were playing Clear Qam channels just fine. So they dont have problems with the signal, neither does my neighbor. I imagine if I bought a $500 TV that played Clear Qam, they would play just fine. I think the HVR1600 just has a POS tuner.

Boy if they ever get this right, it will be sweet. ESPNHD on my samsung LCD is just too nice!

ok, it sounds like after some trial and error, your QAM HD video choppiness has been reduced (via your HVR-1600's QAM input)?  And now you can get ESPNHD??

I got ESPNHD and ESPN2HD before and those worked pretty flawlessly most of the time. But there are about 60 channels total and before the amplifier about 30 of those had the jerkiness and I think those same 30 are the ones that don't even tune for Sagetv. Now with the amplifier, I seem to have the jerkiness with about 6 or 8 channels. I will have to do more observing to make sure. I can't go back to Sagetv to do more testing, I used up my 2 week trial license and dont have any other license.

I am going to do some recording testing now. I really don't see how any of that would have changed. I couldnt record ESPNHD before and I don't see why I would be able to record it now. Back in a flash with that result.

[SHS]

Yes that the rigth way to setup Cable Amplifiers and besure add Coaxial Lightning Surge Protector before going to the Amplifier, the reason why the Amplifier need be frist rigth off the main line that way all the Splitters will have more forward dB gain with out the loss.

just to clarify, you agree that the amplifier should be put after the cable modem split?  It sounds like you are saying it should be at the closest part of the coax to the entry to your house, if possible (to reduce the amplification of noise).  also, use a coax surge protector :)

Yes unless you get Cable Amplifiers with ACTIVE RETURN like a PDI 1100AR-6KV or 211AR-6KV or 407AR-6KV, Motorola BDA-K1-RA, Viewsonics VSMA608C-10R or Electroline EDA-FT08100

[SHS]

jph1589 can try this try swapping to TV line with 1600 line at the Cable Splitter do see any diff?.
Did the HDHR work better off the same cable line wherer the 1600 was at or was it about the same as 1600?.

[schmoppa]

Yes that the rigth way to setup Cable Amplifiers and besure add Coaxial Lightning Surge Protector before going to the Amplifier, the reason why the Amplifier need be frist rigth off the main line that way all the Splitters will have more forward dB gain with out the loss.

just to clarify, you agree that the amplifier should be put after the cable modem split?  It sounds like you are saying it should be at the closest part of the coax to the entry to your house, if possible (to reduce the amplification of noise).  also, use a coax surge protector :)

Yes unless you get Cable Amplifiers with ACTIVE RETURN like a PDI 1100AR-6KV or 211AR-6KV or 407AR-6KV, Motorola BDA-K1-RA, Viewsonics VSMA608C-10R or Electroline EDA-FT08100

OK, I think I understand.  Unless I have an amplifier with active return, I should put the amp at the beginning of the cable.

thanks SHS!

Sounds like a cable amplifier might be just what I need, at least pending jph's tests.

[jph1589]

With more testing, I have 16 channels that still have jerkiness in the video and audio. The gain control on the amplifier doesn't make those channels any better and it actually makes most channels worse. So I have the gain turned all the way down now. I'm not sure if that means the signal isnt amplified or what.

I really wanted this to make it work, but I'm not sure if it has helped. I am about to disconnect the amplifier and rescan so that I can make sure how many channels had problems before.

I know one thing that is a problem is that with the amp I cant just do an automatic scan. If I do that it misses about half the channels. I have to actually manually scan the channels where I know there are clear qam stations to get them to work. So, since i'm not an AV engineer, all of this really doesnt tell me anything at all.

The only thing that is very clear is that the card cost me $100 with tax and then I put in an Audigy Se $32.00 with tax because Hauppauge said integrated sound might be the problem. Then I bought this cable signal amp for 32.00 with tax. So now this card has cost me $164. Funny, that was the cost of the HDHomerun that I thought was too expensive. At least the HDHomerun  works.

[schmoppa]

Yes that the rigth way to setup Cable Amplifiers and besure add Coaxial Lightning Surge Protector before going to the Amplifier, the reason why the Amplifier need be frist rigth off the main line that way all the Splitters will have more forward dB gain with out the loss.

just to clarify, you agree that the amplifier should be put after the cable modem split?  It sounds like you are saying it should be at the closest part of the coax to the entry to your house, if possible (to reduce the amplification of noise).  also, use a coax surge protector :)

Yes unless you get Cable Amplifiers with ACTIVE RETURN like a PDI 1100AR-6KV or 211AR-6KV or 407AR-6KV, Motorola BDA-K1-RA, Viewsonics VSMA608C-10R or Electroline EDA-FT08100

OK, I think I understand.  Unless I have an amplifier with active return, I should put the amp at the beginning of the cable.

thanks SHS!

Sounds like a cable amplifier might be just what I need, at least pending jph's tests.

OK, I think I had this mixed up.  Active Return amps allow the cable modem's signal to be sent back out (instead of blocking or hampering the cable modem's frequency range).  So, if I were having trouble with my cable modem, I might want to try an amp with active return, placed between the modem and the source.

My current situation is such that I don't think I have any speed or connectivity or synch problems with the modem (though I think the modem might be flaking out, it has over the last week spent on 2 occasions a few hours unable to synch with the cable provider).  Other than this issue, I get about 8Mbps down and  adequate up, I suppose.

SOURCE ---> 2way split (1000MHz) ---> 2 way split (1000MHz) ---> 3 way split to TV and the two inputs on my Hauppauge 1600
                          |                                    |
                          |                                    |
                          v                                    v
                     bedroom TV                   Cable Modem

I originally bought a cheapo 900MHz 3-way splitter, but that noticeably lower the already mediocre quality of a couple channels we care about, but even without the splitter I have choppy performance with QAM on my Hauppauge 1600.

I suppose I should get a 3-way amp to place after the 2nd 2-way split (after the cable modem)?  Without running a bunch of more cable along the walls and ceiling, there's no way to move the TVs or Cable Modem around unfortunately.  I realize this long line isn't ideal...

My only question is whether it would be worth getting an active return-enabled amp to place at the beginning of the run, as, intuitively to this non-electrical engineer, an amplifier will amplify everything including noise, and further down the line, past 2 splitters, there's going to be more noise to amplify.  any thoughts?

[SHS]

schmoppa about how long is main SOURCE line

[schmoppa]

schmoppa about how long is main SOURCE line

Rough estimate:  before the first split but after what must be the cable connection outside (lots of plugs and stuff for the 3 unit building I'm in), maybe 40 feet?  After the first split, about 30 feet to the second split and cable modem, and then another 25 feet to the TV area.  very roughly.

[SHS]

schmoppa have try moving your pc box to closest frist splitter do you see any diff with the 1600?.
where I use to live in a apt I had the same problem but that wasn't with 1600
Mine was setup like this but keep in mind that my line was over 300ft
SOURCE ---> 2way split (1000MHz) ---> Cable Modem
                          |
                          |
                          v
                    Drop Amplifier ---> 4 way split (1000MHz) ---> to two inputs TV and two inputs for two Hauppauge 500

[schmoppa]

schmoppa have try moving your pc box to closest frist splitter do you see any diff with the 1600?.
where I use to live in a apt I had the same problem but that wasn't with 1600
Mine was setup like this but keep in mind that my line was over 300ft
SOURCE ---> 2way split (1000MHz) ---> Cable Modem
                          |
                          |
                          v
                    Drop Amplifier ---> 4 way split (1000MHz) ---> to two inputs TV and two inputs for two Hauppauge 500

unfortunately this is impractical for me, as the 1st splitter is located on the wall at the ceiling, and there would be no where to put the modem.  Also, all my networking equipment is nicely situated in the current position (wireless router, wired NAS).  then I would have to run 3 cables probably 60 feet to get to the tv and HVR 1600, which definitely can't move. (I'm constrained by having the first tv where it is, unless I were to split twice in row, with the first split goign to the cable modem and the 2nd split, and the 2nd split going to the first tv and then a long cable leading to a 3-way amplifier of some sort.

[schmoppa]

after giving this a lot of thought, I may wind up shifting my cable modem to the first split.  I'll still have 3 or 4 (most likely 4) inputs to fill off of that, but one of them (a tv in the room next to where the cable enters the apartment) splits off physically very far from the remaining 3.


my current setup:

Code: [Select]

WALL SOURCE ---> 2way splitter (1000MHz) ---> 2 way splitter (1000MHz) ---> 3 way split to TV and the two inputs on my Hauppauge 1600
                                   |                               |
                                   |                               |
                                   v                               v
                            bedroom TV                     Cable Modem
My proposed new setup 1:

Code: [Select]

WALL SOURCE ---> 1:2 Amplifier with Active Return  ---(20 feet or so)---> 2 way splitter (1000MHz) ---(60 feet or so, maybe more)---> 3 way split to TV and the two inputs on my Hauppauge 1600
                                         |                                    |
                                         |                                    |
                                         v                                    v
                                Cable Modem                           Bedroom TVIn this scenario, I'm wondering whether a 1:2 amp with active return instead of the first split is a good idea, or whether it's worth the risk of messing with an already working cable modem

Proposed Setup 2:

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WALL SOURCE ---> 2 way splitter  --(20 feet or so)---> 1:2 drop amp ---(60 feet or so, maybe more)---> 3 way split to TV and the two inputs on my Hauppauge 1600
                             |                               |
                             |                               |
                             v                               v
                           Cable Modem                     Bedroom TVThis scenario protects the cable modem and replaces the second node with an amplifier.


Proposed Setup 3:

Code: [Select]

WALL SOURCE ---> 2 way splitter  ---(20 feet or so)---> 2 way splitter ---(60 feet or so, maybe more)---> 1:3 drop amp to TV and the two inputs on my Hauppauge 1600
                             |                               |
                             |                               |
                             v                               v
                           Cable Modem                     Bedroom TVThis scenario puts the amplifier right in front of the HVR-1600 and TV input.  I'm wondering whether at this point the signal is too noisy to bother amplifying, given the two 2-way splits before.

Another setup I won't bother sketching up is putting a 1:4 drop amp at the bedroom TV node, as I would have to run 2 more RG6 cables for a long distance.

I think setup 2 might be the way to go.  the bedroom TV definitely doesn't need a boost, but at least I'd be replacing a splitter with an amp earlier than I would with setup 3.  To me it makes sense to amplify earlier and split after if you have to, rather than split and then amplify.

But what do you all think?

[schmoppa]

For anyone still following this thread, I am considering doing a modification of my second scenario.  Instead of replacing the 2-way split,which has only a -3.5dB loss, with a 2 drop amp at +11dB, I'm going to put a 1:1 drop amp at +15dB before the 2 way split.  It will simplify installation (the 2-way split is on the ceiling), and I believe that I'll net an extra 1.5dB compared to the 2-way amp scenario. 

http://www.cabletvamps.com/comparison%20chart.htm

Any thoughts?