Questions about wiring entire house

[hesaidno]

Hi all,

I am new here to the forums. I am looking for some advice on what setup I should use. I am completely ignorant on this subject so please excuse my stupid questions.

Let me first explain my current situation:
I live in a suburb of Houston, and we used to have Comcast Cable TV service. My entire house is wired for Comcast. We killed them off about 6 months ago, and we purchased some indoor antennas in order to receive local, major-network channels. Here's our setup:

Downstairs:
-Insignia 20" HDTV in kitchen, about 10ft. AGL. Uses a RCA ANTB25 antenna.
-RCA 27" HDTV downstairs bedroom, about 10ft. AGL. Uses an old "rabbit-ears" antenna.
Upstairs:
-Sharp 40" HDTV upstairs, about 30ft. AGL. Uses the same RCA ANTB25 antenna.
-Insignia 30" HDTV upstairs, about 30ft. AGL. Uses a cheap "rabbit-ears" antenna.

Here's the problem: The 20" Insignia in the kitchen and the RCA 27" in the bedroom have reception issues. I can only get two major-network channels after doing a channel search: 2.1 KPRC (NBC) and 26.1 KRIV (Fox). I cannot get 11.1 KHOU (CBS) or 13.1 KTRK (ABC). I also don't get any other channel past 30 (except religious garbage).
Here's something to note: Upstairs, on the Sharp 40" and the Insignia 30", I get all 4 of those channels plus other channels past 30, such as ION and CW39. However, at random, image will cut off or become "blurry" or "fuzzy", as if the reception is getting worse.

My house doesn't have a "livable" attic, it's just insulation and the air conditioning. I went upstairs in my attic a few minutes ago and I saw my old Comcast setup. I see a bunch of coaxial cables and a splitter, which seems to take in one coaxial cable and splits it into 3, which some go down, others spread to the upstairs floor's rooms. I was thinking of purchasing one of those large, outdoor "traditional" antennas and placing it in the attic (I cannot have it on the roof... I don't want to mess with the HOA or have issues during lightning storms). From what I understand online, if I connect the outdoor antenna to some coaxial input in the attic, every outlet in the house should be able to use the antenna, is that correct? How do I know which coaxial plug to use? I still use Comcast for internet, so I cannot mess with some cables that might be related to internet. Should I hire a professional to install it? Also, some coaxial wall ports in some rooms have never been used, so they're "blocked off" or "inactive".


Sorry about the wall of text, but thanks a lot for your help, I really appreciate it.


Here is my report: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...dfaf0e7b3947c9

[Jake V]

If your roof and walls do not have foil or any metal in their construction (i.e., aluminum siding, stucco siding, wrapping with metal in it) I would try the Antennas Direct C2V (available at many big box stores like Walmart and Best Buy) aimed at 123 degrees using a compass. Make sure there are no metal obstacles between the antenna and the outside wall and (hopefully) there is good general line of sight in the direction of 123 degrees (no buildings, trees, etc.).

As to your cable wiring, it should be reusable. You may need to trace the cables down and rework some of the splitters so that you are not splitting several times on the way to your televisions. Essentially, trial and error on that part. It's possible your signal source from cable was in the basement and then split in the attic. If so, you will likely need to reconfigure your "in" and "out" ports on the splitter to send the signal in the right direction.

[hesaidno]

Originally Posted by Jake V

If your roof and walls do not have foil or any metal in their construction (i.e., aluminum siding, stucco siding, wrapping with metal in it) I would try the Antennas Direct C2V (available at many big box stores like Walmart and Best Buy) aimed at 123 degrees using a compass. Make sure there are no metal obstacles between the antenna and the outside wall and (hopefully) there is good general line of sight in the direction of 123 degrees (no buildings, trees, etc.).

As to your cable wiring, it should be reusable. You may need to trace the cables down and rework some of the splitters so that you are not splitting several times on the way to your televisions. Essentially, trial and error on that part. It's possible your signal source from cable was in the basement and then split in the attic. If so, you will likely need to reconfigure your "in" and "out" ports on the splitter to send the signal in the right direction.

Thanks for the recommendation. That one is a little more expensive than the others I've seen by RCA or other brands, but I don't mind paying extra is if it's actually better. My attic is nothing but insulation and wood, so that's great.

I agree, but the problem is, we don't have a basement. Outside the house, there is only one place where Comcast's internet comes from. The wire is buried until it reaches the side of the garage, where it connects to some box and that box's wire (I can see from inside of the garage's roof) that the wire just goes to the attic directly.

[Jake V]

Make sure to disconnect the cable from the cable company wire that goes to the outside. You should be able to draw a path from the antenna to each of the televisions.

You can probably find some cheaper options, but it's always an experiment. I've used Antennas Direct products in several installations and am impressed with their quality. Other companies also make good products. You certainly can shop around.

[hesaidno]

Originally Posted by Jake V

Make sure to disconnect the cable from the cable company wire that goes to the outside. You should be able to draw a path from the antenna to each of the televisions.

You can probably find some cheaper options, but it's always an experiment. I've used Antennas Direct products in several installations and am impressed with their quality. Other companies also make good products. You certainly can shop around.

Hmm, I just went up there today again and honestly I cannot make out anything. I'll probably hire somebody to do it; even then, I'm still going to save money since I'd be done with Comcast.

Thanks for your help.

[Jake V]

I agree, but the problem is, we don't have a basement. Outside the house, there is only one place where Comcast's internet comes from. The wire is buried until it reaches the side of the garage, where it connects to some box and that box's wire (I can see from inside of the garage's roof) that the wire just goes to the attic directly.

Follow the wire that goes from "some box... to the attic directory". See if you can find out where it goes - probably to a splitter. Disconnect that wire from the splitter and instead connect a new cable that comes directly from the new antenna.

You many need to try the antenna in several locations in the attic before finding a sweet spot. Use a long enough cable to allow that.