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Q: How to correctly combine OTA HDTV and Cable TV Signal.

Submitted By: setiotis, 242 days, 22 hours, 55 minutes ago

I want to combine my cable signal with my Over The Air (OTA, antenna) HDTV signal. I've already tested it by connecting it to a splitter in reverse and it seems to work. The problem is I loose 50% of the OTA signal and my cable channels come in fuzzy. I think I need some sort of amplifier but when I did some research on the net there were so many options smoke came out of my ears. So now I turn to the collective minds on the internet. Thanks for your help.

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HDTV OTA

Submitted By: Riz ( 242 days, 22 hours, 41 minutes ago )

I have tried OTA and have had little success. The area you are in decides heavily on your signal strength. Buildings and other objects in the way of direct sight to where you are pointing the antenna is also a concern. I found this site to be good with details: http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx but in the end... I returned my antenna and just subscribed to Dish Network with a DVR.

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Submitted By: setiotis

Thanks for your advice. I researched all that. I get VERY good reception (better picture quality than my cable) around the Boston area. Give or take about 80% signal strength with medium range indoor antenna that cost about $50. So reception is not my problem. Its when I try to combine the OTA HDTV signal with the cable signal I loose roughly 50% of the quality of the cable signal and the OTA HDTV. I'm hoping for someone to tell me about some amplification solutions. I beleive that could be the way to solve my problem. I just don't know which to buy. I could just solve my problem by getting digital cable with HDTV channels but I don't watch enough TV to justify spending a $100 plus a month for that.