Wireless TV Interface

[Dave C]

My son bought a house, where the cable TV box is located in a closet. From that cable box, the prior owner ran a ~25 foot hard wired, 3 conductor RCA composite interface to the wall hanging TV across the room. There is now, no easy access to run a HDMI cable to that TV location. As expected, that RCA connection does not provide optimum performance.

Is there a solution whereby he might connect from the cable box (in the closet) to a TV maybe 25 feet away with HDMI performance? Might there be a wireless I/F option?

Thanks, for all recommendations!

[trader_4]

Googling for wireless HDMI extender shows they exist. Are you sure it's that difficult to run a cable? If you have access from either a basement or attic it shouldn't be too hard. Certainly would be less expensive assuming you can DIY and more reliable too. If you can't go straight there, any possibility of relocating the cable box, the going from the cable box to the TV? How is he changing channels on the cable box in the closet?

[gfretwell]

If you tug on the cable, does it move on the other end? You might be able to tape an HDMI cable to the existing coax and pull it through. Don't be stingy with the tape. Make a "bullet" on the end you are pulling through so it won't hang up. Worst case is it pulls apart in the wall and you have nothing.

[Arnie Goetchius]

I run a 40 foot HDMI cable from the basement to the TV in the den with no problem. I was able to drill a large enough hole to accommodate the larger HDMI cable. Don't if you can do that at your location.

Another possibility would be to move the cable box right next to the TV and run a short HDMI from the box to the TV. This might (or might not) require the cable box to be visible.

[gfretwell]

There is no hardware reason why HD TV will not go down coax, it came to you that way from the cable company but the weakness of the NTSC composite interface is a weak link. If it was the 3 coax component (RGB), no problem. The easy out is pulling in an HDMI cable.

[Bob Horvath]

There are composite to hdmi adapters

[gfretwell]

Garbage in garbage out. The composite signal is incapable of more than NTSC and he has that now.

[Mark Lloyd]

[snip]

Having been composite, the signal is already degraded. Putting that on HDMI can't improve it.

I like the idea of using the existing cable to pull a new one. Either pull HDMI or pull RG59 and move the cable box. Wireless solutions are inferior.

[bob haller]

only use rg6 cable

[Micky]

Like T says, if the attic is above that room, you can easily find the top plate of the wall on which the tv hangs, drill through it and run the cable down to behind tthe TV. If there are fire stops they make flexible drill bits with which you can drill down from the attic or up from a hole in the wall behind the tv. The bits have a hole in both ends for pulling a wire after them. And they make wall plates now that are just holes for the wires to pass through with pretty little awnings. So you don't have to have two more connections at the wall. If no attic access, but an unfinished part of the basement is below that room, you can make a hole in the wall behind the tv and use a flexible bit to drill down through the bottom plate into the ceiling of the basement. Try to figure out where you'll come out so you don't drill into something important, and mark on the bit shaft an indication of just when the end will break through the ceiling. Then go down and see what you'll hit next. I did this a few times and the only problem was when it came out in a floor joist. But it was close enough to the edge that I found it.

If you have no attic or basement access, you might be able to run a snake through the ceiling** of the TV room and hook up with another snake behind the tv, but that gets awfully complicated and difficult. I only used two things once when I knew within 6" where the other snake (or wire?) would, and it still took a long time to catch it. OTOH, the extra 40 minutes put in has led to 33 years of trouble-free operation. **Or even the ceiling of the basement.

[gfretwell]

I use some RG59 for camera feeds and such but I agree if you are talking about TV cable, use quad shield RG6. The labor is worth more than the wire. You might even be able to talk the cable guy into making one up with snap and seals and giving it to you. The sat guy made me up a few the last time he was here just trying to make my picture a little better.

[trader_4]

I think we need to back up. He said he has "3 wire composite video" now. There is no such thing. Does he mean he has 3 wire component video? If so, the picture quality of that versus HDMI is negligible. At least at reasonable distances. If you go far enough, HDMI being digital could make a difference.

[gfretwell]

I suppose that may be true but a composite cable set is 3 wires, a component set is 5 (2 for audio)

Component will actually carry a picture farther than HDMI unless you have an inline booster along the way. My wife had 100' component cable sets in the country club because they could not duplicate the performance with HDMI even using boosters.

[Micky]

I myself don't know but I presume it's correct since it's on the Internets.

Some of what it says it what you say, 59 is good for CCTV, but it says rg6 is better even for tv antennas.

I wish I remembered what I used. I used to get a perfect picture in the office, but it went down 3 notches and then up 2 notches. Some of that cable still shows, because I just drilled a hole in light switch plate and ran it through that, then put the end on afterwards.

[bob haller]

i just bought alifetime tivo, it uses wifi with lots of options.

one might be useful for the op

[Dave C]

Thanks for the many replies !! To clarify some of my errors and omiissions.

I did mean that he has the older 3 wire component audio/ video, with RCA jacks?

The attic space/ head room is most limited, from the current Cable box closet area, to the hanging TV. The ceiling has insulation batts running across the top of the joists. There is no physical support, to crawl on top of the joists. I assume the original owner made that 3 wire component run, before the ceiling was finished.

His remote controller must be microwave (v optical). He can command the cable box, through the dry wall side of the closet, from the TV viewing room. While not optimum, it works.

I would be concerned about the suggested options, of pulling a HDMI (or coax) cable, by utilizing the existing wires. If he fails, where he is unable to complete the new HDMI run, then he will use of the TV. (Unhappy wife).

I was under the impression, that an HDMI cable input would provide a superior TV picture/ performance, vs the current 3 wire?

[Mark Lloyd]

[snip]

I have some better compression connectors for RG6, and cheap crimp connectors for RG59.

The connectors probably make more difference than the cable type except for long cable runs.

[gfretwell]

Perhaps we should be sure we have the terms right. Composite ia a single video coax and 2 audio signals (3 RCA jacks) Component is 3 video coaxes (RGB) and 2 wires for audio (5 RCA jacks) You will only get NTSC quality signals out of a composite video that has not really improved since color TV came out in the 50s Component video will give you HD if that is what the signal is. You probably will not see much difference either way with an SD broadcast.

[Mark Lloyd]

[snip]

I think it's 2 shielded cables (audio and video, maybe with a common shield). The third wire is the shield. This cannot be used for component video, you'd need one more cable (plus 1 or 2 for audio). Component video / audio cable assemblies have 5 cables (Green/sync, Blue, Red, Left, Right) and take up more space than a HDMI cable.

One of the cables could be converted to RF (use F-to-RCA plug adapters), but it wouldn't be good quality.

[trader_4]

I guess that depends on whether you're counting just the video cables or the video plus audio and it's not clear what he's counting.