Make PVR appear as a Channel on your cable?

[CaptainVideo]

You know how an FM RF transmitter can transmit on an unused FM frequency? Why not have your PVR transmit on an unused cable channel? Like channel 115?

Does anyone know if there's hardware available to do this? Unfortunately, both channels 3 and 4 are used or I might try to hack a VCR! I suppose I could build and RF trap to filter out 3 or 4, but it would be nice to find a simpler solution.

Thanks in advance!

[mnemonic76]

What you are looking for is an agile (adjustable output frequency) modulator. If you have the ability to change the channel you're modulating on, then you can change it if your cable co. decides to change their lineup! Here's an example of what a quick google search yielded... http://www.multicominc.com/Merchant2/mer...SUMRAGLMOD

NOTE: You MUST filter your cable signal before combining with the modulator, unless there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING on the channel you want to use... there might be some kind of digital signal, or scrambled signal on the cable feed that WILL interfere... single channel "brickwall" filters are VERY EXPENSIVE... they act like an infinite dB per octave crossover (in audio), an affordable one will knock out more than one station.

Welcome to the wonderful world of RF!!

Have fun!
mnemonic76

PS: Microwave Filters is a manufacturer of pro quality filters, oh, and a splitter is a combiner if you turn it around backwards!

[CaptainVideo]

COOL! I have RoadRunner so I've often wondered what part of the spectrum it uses.

If I use a cheap filter that knocks out channels 110 through 121 going to the TV's and PVR, it seems like that wouldn't be a problem at all. The RoadRunner split, and anything else, would be upstream from the filter.

Is anyone here actually DOING this? It seems like anyone with analog cable would want to do it.

[vladmen]

Just recently I installed AVcast kit from crossbarmedia.com, that is doing exactly what you are asking about. I configured it to use one of the empty channels (it needs 2 consecutive empty channels to work). The picture quality is about as good as I'm getting from video output of my video card. However I had to do a little rewiring of the coax cable in my house to work exactly how I wanted it.

[pauly666]

If I use a cheap filter that knocks out channels 110 through 121 going to the TV's and PVR, it seems like that wouldn't be a problem at all.

I presume you don't have digital cable? Some systems use those channels for the premium/VOD channels, which may not bother you of course.

[CaptainVideo]

Yea, no digital cable here I'm glad I got my wife hooked on RoadRunner, though! I'll take broadband over digital cable any day.

Also, and I think this is a HUGE ripoff, the channels I'd watch most aren't digital anyway. For me the whole point is to avoid the nasty NTSC artifacting, ghosting, bleeding colors, etc.