I got one of these (http://www.ati.com/products/hdtvwonder/index.html) as a door prize but had a quick ? before I install it. Currently I have only one cable outlet near my PC and it goes direct to my Linksys WCG200 cable modem/router. Can I split this cable and run one to the PC & one to the router without some sort of signal amplifier?

there are two types of splitters which you need to think about. i posted this at another help forum i run, it will tell you evertyhing you want to know about splitters and what to buy. two types of splitters - transformer-based splitter or a resistor-based splitter. the latter of the two is cheap!

Transformed splitters attenuate the signal coming out of each output, so you see a couple dB's bumpdown (2-3dB) on each port that's given. You don't lose much power. The cheap type with resistors actually split the signal 50/50, causing you to lose half of the input power up front and then the remaining half is split between all ports. So, with a resistor based splitter, if it had three outputs, you'd lose 50% of the input right off the bat, then split the remaining 50% to be divied up between the three outputs - so, effectively you're getting like ...16% of the signal to each out.* I can't stress to you enough how important it is to buy quality splitters.* Shop for them at Radio Shack where the people might have a clue on what is what and they can point you the right direction.

It's not imperative, but it's possible to ground your splitter outside to the grounding block. Be sure you have the little waterproofer booties to go on the RF inputs of the splitter - this will keep water out.

Also, you might ask them (Comcast) for a suitable splitter. A lot of the cable companies use the cheezy 5-900MHz splitters. They're normally crap and usually resistor-based. The resistor-based ones are usually light and small, like one of those tiny Bic lighters. The transformer based ones are usually about the size and weight of a Zippo, but a little thicker. You want something with a decently wide freq range on them, at minimum 5Mhz-1100MHz for cable, but I'd personally prefer a 5MHz-2400MHz+ splitter for cable and for satellite (this covers most freqs for both), at least 900-2000MHz for satellite only.

RCA makes GREAT splitters. Don't buy into the gold plated terminal thing though - gold is a joke. It's great in theory, but you won't see the difference.

Just a word of advice - builders and cable operators alike use the cheapest possible ones. When they do this, you end up with crazy signal loss and normally can't pinpoint the problem. Dont skimp on your splitters.

How's this one look for a 3-way splitter?

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2286874&cp=&pg=2&origkw=splitter&kw=splitter&numProdsPerPage=20&parentPage=search

that should be fine my cable company recomends a min of 1 gigz and thats a 2 so it should do the job

well, now we're getting into frequencies :D that one does 5mhz to 2ghz, it's fine like truckdude said. if it has a good weight to it (like a zippo), go for it (it's low loss, should be fine). if it feels light like a miniature Bic lighter, don't bother.

Cool, I'm gonna pick on of these up today and try it out tonight.

in all honesty, the cheapo splitter will work also. but, being anal like i am about signals to my cable modem...i would use a quality one.

i don't necessarily like monster cable as a brand, i think they're overpriced. i would ask the radio shack guy for his 2¢ on the matter - tell him you "want something that will not degradate the signal".

in all honesty, the cheapo splitter will work also. but, being anal like i am about signals to my cable modem...i would use a quality one.

i don't necessarily like monster cable as a brand, i think they're overpriced. i would ask the radio shack guy for his 2¢ on the matter - tell him you "want something that will not degradate the signal".

The guy at my local rat shack is a dunderhead so his two cents are worthless to me. The cheap one might work but I'll get the quality one. I picked up a what appears to be a decent two way splitter at Wally World this morning (since I am impatient) and will try it tonight (they didn't have a good 3 way). My 3 way Monster Cable on will be here later in the week.

i use Toner brand splitters. in particular, the really nice ones for 2-way are the Toner XPD-2P. it allows power pass on all ports, it's a diode isolated setup.

this is it: http://www.tonercable.com/Product.aspx?ID=470

that is probably the best 2-way splitter you're going to find on the market. it's worth every cent.

got a model number/brand on the one you bought? usually traget sells the RCA ones. a lot of the D-series splitters suck.

got a model number/brand on the one you bought? usually traget sells the RCA ones. a lot of the D-series splitters suck.

It's a philips M62800

http://www.buy.com/prod/q/loc/90101837.html?dcaid=17587

Can I purchase the Toner brand splitters online? Do they make a good 3 way?

when i moved into my aprtment my room didn't have cable so i went to walmart and got spliters and run my cable line and well we started having trouble with the digtal cable not works 4 times they came out and the last time they sent 2 huge trucks to figure what was going on had things they could plug into the cable to test signal and went my spliters i got were the problem plus the cheap one the cable man put in the cable box out side was killing our signal so just be sure to get good spliters

i dunno where you can buy toner products online. i would start hunting at pricegrabber.com

everything toner touches is golden IMO

Well, it works, sorta. I get channels 2-76 which are my cable providers analog channels. The picture is not quite as good as my regular TV but it is pretty close--might get better with a better splitter.

101 & up are digital and I cannot receive them on my PC. Ch. 400-415 (or so) are digital HDTV and I also cannot receive them. From what I have read this is normal since the card was designed to only receive HDTV signals via the included antenna (analog). I'll play with it more and post results later. So far, I kinda like it--the pause live tv and recording features are TIVO like.

Also, with the current Wally World 2 way splitter (and quality cables) I have not experienced any slow down in internet performance.

those are typical responses, yes. normally you need:

- a set top box to watch digital content (because of access/rights management)
- a digital converter for HDTV or whatever.

those are typical responses, yes. normally you need:

- a set top box to watch digital content (because of access/rights management)
- a digital converter for HDTV or whatever.

It's nice to have some TV on my PC--If I hadn't won this thing I would not buy it though. Also, I still have not gotten the f'n remote to work.

I bought one from MSI a while back from a company that was great but went outta business. Used it a lot in my room when I was first moving to ATL. It was OK, but ... Like you said - if I'd have known, I woulda not bought it.

ok i realize this is a little late but, i have a windows media center pc (built in tv etc etc) i went down to radio shack and picked up a small and pretty cheap splitter. no idea what the specs are on it. the tv part of my puter works great and the speed wasnt effected at all on my puter. maybe i got lucky. but now im thinking, maybe i could be even faster???

Ok, you know how some people like to squeeze every last horsepower out of their stuff, like...people who descreen the MAF on their car or truck to let it breathe better for like, a 1HP gain or something?

I'm one of those people.

I'll admit it: I only use quality filters because I am a freaking snob. Chances are you got a good enough splitter for your application and - why blow the extra money on another one? It's not going to help your speed, per se. The only thing the nicer splitter will do is increase the signal strength to your modem so you would have less chance of a disconnect, really.

The real problem with cheap splitters comes when you're running five billion of them all over your house. Most cheap splitters take your connection signal and split it in half. Well, guess what? You take a cheap three-way splitter, split your main line coming into the house, then split those three lines with more two-way and three way splitters, you're degrading the signal to the other lines enough that you'll start seeing snow on the TV's and your modem will lose connection for no obvious reason. I try to stress to people to wire their houses like this: take the main line coming in, split it with a quality 2-way splitter, run one of those lines to the modem directly, then run the other line to another splitter to distribute to the rest of the house. Most people don't have more than 4-5 rooms (or TV's), so it works fine.

I'm of the mindset with wiring that, well, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I'd probably suggest the same in your case, CG.