Modulator

soccerdad · 2005-11-12, 01:38 AM

I have a room that I just can't get CAT 5 to for a MVP. I really don't want to do the wireless bridge route so I am still looking for ideas. I have run across some posts talking about using modulators to send the signal over coax. This sounds good if I can get it to work. I do not know much about them and am looking for any general info. I would be interested in hearing how people use them with GBPVR. Can you just plug your RCA cables from the Video and Audio out on the PC or MVP into it and then coax cable it into the house system? Part of me thinks this would work if you sent it out on an open channel, or do I have to do something more sophisticated?

I think this type of solution would also work to have the same recording showing on more than 1 TV at a time. Now, with multiple MVP's they are not in sync and the sound drives you crazy.

ejeffers · 2005-11-12, 04:38 AM

Rather going the coax route, i used Belkin Ethernet-Over-Powerline adapters instead. Works like a Charm, becuase i had problems similiar to yours
Link:
http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPa..._Id=152644

nightwalker · 2005-11-12, 03:49 PM

I'm using a setup exactly as you're looking to do. I use 2 MVP's Going through a 2 channel Modulator. This gives my wife and I our own channel to view recordings or listen to music. It all works very well. I've split off the audio to a whole house audio system mostly for music.

I find using it this way gives me a lot more flexibility than just MVP's going to each spot i might need. Any MVP can be watched on any TV in the house as well as sending the audio to any zone for music. Using it this way if i want to watch the same thing on more than one TV or listen to Music in more than one room i simply point to the same modulated channel for those rooms and avoid the lag you get using multiple MVP's trying to play the same thing, it just doesn't work.

smeghead · 2005-11-12, 05:40 PM

nightwalker: that seems brilliant but how do you manage the remote controls?

soccerdad · 2005-11-12, 05:41 PM

Nightwalker- This sounds just like what I am looking for. A few questions:
How is the video quality? How do you control the MVP's? and Where do you "inject" the modulator signal? Can you do it from any cable outlet or do you do it at the incoming junction box? Do you need any additional hardware besides the modulator? Who's modulator are you using? This sounds great, but the option of the powerline lan also may work. The advantage of the modulator is getting the signal to multiple tv's.

groover km · 2005-11-12, 05:43 PM

Silly question I know, but...

If your MVPs are located away from the point of use, how do you control them with the remote? Use an extender?

Just curious...

(oops. Dupe while I was typing)

nightwalker · 2005-11-13, 01:33 AM

soccerdad Wrote:Nightwalker- This sounds just like what I am looking for. A few questions:
How is the video quality? How do you control the MVP's? and Where do you "inject" the modulator signal? Can you do it from any cable outlet or do you do it at the incoming junction box? Do you need any additional hardware besides the modulator? Who's modulator are you using? This sounds great, but the option of the powerline lan also may work. The advantage of the modulator is getting the signal to multiple tv's.

I find the video quality excellent. There are many grades of Modulators around from the cheap to the ridiculously expensive. You don't need the best but stay away from the junk. At present I'm using 2 Channel Vision CVT1 Stereo Modulators. I Keep the MVP's with the rest of my audio video equipment in a second floor closet and i feed the coax output from those to the head end of the structured wiring panel. All you really need is a 2 way splitter where the cable feed comes into the house to inject the new channels into the system and out to your TV's I also feed the audio to a russound zoned audio system for whole house audio. This system has a built in IR system and that's what i use to extend the remote signals back to the mvp's for control. Any Ir extender could also be used. There are systems to inject IR into the coax or ones that just plug into a wall outlet and use RF to extend the IR signal. Any of them work well enough.

soccerdad · 2005-11-13, 02:05 AM

Thanks for the great input. I am off to surf for some good deals on this stuff!

soccerdad · 2005-11-13, 04:50 PM

OK nightwalker-

I have another question. I understand using an ir extender to control the MVP, but how do you control 2 MVP's? How do you choose which MVP you are controlling? Thanks.

nightwalker · 2005-11-13, 05:03 PM

For me since my whole house audio is a zoned system, as i select a zone it also selects which device it will send those commands to. I used the same system before with jukebox CD players and for me all i needed to do was pull the emitter off the CD's and stick it on the MVP. There are zoned IR blocks that let you switch fomr one zone to the other so you don't interfere with all. You will probably need something on that order. There are so many, a quick google for IR systems will net you more than you'll ever need.