Comcast Help

[twenty5]

Anyone here a comcast installer? I need some help and it seems like nobody can answer my questions. I will spare BOTL and only post my question if there is somebody that knows about the installation of HDTV and internet. LMK

 

[BGC]

My brother works for Comcast, whats up?

 

[Treinenwj]

I don't work for comcast, but I hooked my own HD stuff up when I had comcast.

 

[twenty5]

I have a bunch of questions, maybe you or he could help a bit:
My parents house is in an area that is being moved to digital cable so there are some questions my dad was asking me, some I answered, some the more I thought about or looked into the more confused I got lol

1) They have all HD (720 or better tvs) with no cable boxes right now. If they decide to stick with what they have, are they going to need anything? Comcast is giving customers 1 digital box and 2 digital adapters, I dont think they will need the adapters being that they have all new tvs, what is the box for?

2) If they dont need anything and decided to upgrade to HDTV, I understand you need one HD box per tv, they have 8 flat screens around the house but I think they will only need 4 boxes (if you could split the signal out of the box). Does that sound right?

3) Right now they have one cable coming into the house and it is hacked into a bunch of different lines using 3 and 4 way splitters. I know this is not the best set-up. How would comcast suggest it be done if we were to re-wire it? I was thinking one cable into a distribution amplifier and then 6 or 7 cables out (4 to HD boxes, 2 straight to tvs, 1 for internet?)

4) Does the internet work like I said above? A cable split off to a cable modem?

5) Right now I am not sure what kind of coax they have, I would assume most of it is the older kind. I have read that RG-6U is what you are supposed to use but I also read that if you have cable internet you are supposed to use RG-60U but I cant find it for sale?

6) What of the phone? Would that need to be an additional split off of the dist amp or does that just come in on your regular phone lines?

Thanks for any help, we realize that we could call comcast to come and hook most of this stuff up but no offense to your bro or any other installers but a lot of the work we have seen around here is just plain terrible (wire running out of a first floor wall, up the side of a house, into the second floor... etc.). My parents want it done right (even if that means me giving up my time to re-wire the place lol)


Any suggestions on what to do / what not to do are also welcome.

 

[mthhurley]

I can answer 4 and 6 as I have Comcast Internet and Phone (no tv anymore, but did at one time).

Both internet and phone (and tv at the time), all come in on the one coax line, they just all operate on different frequencies and yes, there's a frequency filter/splitter in my basement, so internet/phone feed is one line to the modem (see below). Other frequencies and lines feed your various TV recievers.

For phone and internet, a single coax line comes into your modem (Arris modem). Phone (RJ25) comes out of the modem and then into your normal phone line distribution. For me, I only have one handset plugged into the modem and about 5 wireless phones feed from it.

Internet comes out of that same modem.

Hope that helps.

 

[Treinenwj]

Honestly, your parents need to reconsider their need for 8 tvs. No matter how you split it, the signal strength is going to be weakened with that many tvs hooked up. Also, they will only get the HD programming with an HD box attached by HD cables. I could be wrong about this, but I'm pretty sure if you split after the box and hook one up via coax, you'll just have the regular signal. Kind of a waste of an HDTV IMO.

 

[twenty5]

Let me attach a sketch of what need to happen and maybe that will help a bit more.

 

[twenty5]

View attachment Cable-Work.pdf

Layout if possible

 

[twenty5]

That was just a quick sketch but as it is shown,
-Cable comes off the street into a box were internet/phone is split off from tv like Mike said.
-Internet/phone goes to modem
-TV goes to Distribution Amp (supposedly they can split cable from 1 line to 8 or so with no signal loss at 150')
-3 Lines go into basement (1 Feeds BSMT TV, 1 Feeds K and FM1, they will both be controlled on one remote, both watching same channel or whatever., 1 Feeds FM2 and BDRM1 with same set up as K/FM1)
-3 Lines go to the attic (1 Feeds MSTR, 1 Feeds BDRM2 (no HDTV box), 1 Feeds BDRM3 (no HDTV box)

 

[BGC]

1. The box is probably for the on-demand and HD. They do have newer boxes that will give you all the channels but no On-Demand or HD. The adapters are for older TVs I believe.

2. If they split 1 box the TVs split off that box would be on the same channel. So you couldn't watch different channels off that split.

3. 1 line come in is fine for up to 6-8 devices 99% of the time.

4. Yes. The internet will work off the one line pulled in.

5. RG 6 Tri-Sheild is what they use and recommend.

6. The is similar to internet. the internet modem would get switched to a different type and then back-fed to the phone lines. As long as all the phones jacks are good they will all work.

Comcast can feed the lines through the walls although I can't promise how well they can do that in the area your in. My brother does a good job. You can run them yourself and just run some extra outside on the side of the house where the cable comes in. Most newer HD TV's don't need a box to get HD signals they'll find them and un-scramble them, but you won't get all the channels. Right now I have one line coming in any everything else split off of that and that's how it should be. As far as a full HD line up you'll need a box, like I said newer TVs will get some without a box (like I have in my kitchen the few channels in HD we have is fine it's the kitchen).

I think that may have answered some questions.

 

[Craig Mac]

Honestly, your parents need to reconsider their need for 8 tvs. No matter how you split it, the signal strength is going to be weakened with that many tvs hooked up. Also, they will only get the HD programming with an HD box attached by HD cables. I could be wrong about this, but I'm pretty sure if you split after the box and hook one up via coax, you'll just have the regular signal. Kind of a waste of an HDTV IMO.

Not necessarily true. As long as the TV has a built in QAM tuner(which most do) you should get some HD channels via coax. I have 4 hdtv's hooked up with only 2 HD boxes. 1 of them is just straight coax to a TV and that TV gets about 15-16 HD channels, mostly local channels like CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, PBS(4 channels) and several others in HD. I split one HD box with 4in 2out switcher. Problem there is if I am watching TV via an HD box it is the same channel on both TV's. I can control what source goes to each TV separately though. So I can choose to display TV, computer, dvd player, PS3 to either TV. The two TV's hooked to this switcher are in an open area so changing the channel isn't an issue, it would be if the TV's were in separate rooms unless you have an RF remote.

Honestly, IMO I would put HD boxes in the rooms with the most viewed TV's that way you can maximize HD channels and TV's that aren't used much just run straight coax to the TV.

 

[Craig Mac]

Do you know if any of the TV's support cable cards?


I would hate to have the cable bill they are about to start paying :hysterica

 

[twenty5]

I dont think that any of the tvs support Cable Cards, but I have no idea. I think they were all probably purchased in the last 2 years with the exception of 1 or 2 of them.

I dont think the cable bill will be all that bad, I figure the plan (whichever one they pick out) + 10$/month for each of the addition HD boxes. I figured 130ish + 30, and that will be phone internet and cable.

 

[Craig Mac]

I dont think that any of the tvs support Cable Cards, but I have no idea. I think they were all probably purchased in the last 2 years with the exception of 1 or 2 of them.

I dont think the cable bill will be all that bad, I figure the plan (whichever one they pick out) + 10$/month for each of the addition HD boxes. I figured 130ish + 30, and that will be phone internet and cable.

Plus the cost of buying the digital splitters to the TV's that will display the same HD picture.

CableCard ready TV's have been around for several years, may want to check in to that as it is usually cheaper. Here a cable card is $1.99 a month where the HD box is $9.99. Only downside to cable card is that it is one way so no PPV, OD, or Interactive Guide

 

[twenty5]

Plus the cost of buying the digital splitters to the TV's that will display the same HD picture.

Yeah, I figured maybe 150$ in coax, 150$ for the Dist. Amp, and maybe 100$ more for random accessories. Then in the future they could grab some RF remotes or some signal repeaters if they dont want to now.

 

[smokemifugotem]

looks like they got most of it covered....I am of no use to this thread other than just posting to say that I have nothing to add. give a hollar u got anything else come up j...and if u make the road trip I got a 1000ft spool of coax sitting in my garage ya can have for the project

 

[smokemifugotem]

looks like they got most of it covered....I am of no use to this thread other than just posting to say that I have nothing to add. give a hollar u got anything else come up j...and if u make the road trip I got a 1000ft spool of coax sitting in my garage ya can have for the project

 

[twenty5]

looks like they got most of it covered....I am of no use to this thread other than just posting to say that I have nothing to add. give a hollar u got anything else come up j...and if u make the road trip I got a 1000ft spool of coax sitting in my garage ya can have for the project

looks like they got most of it covered....I am of no use to this thread other than just posting to say that I have nothing to add. give a hollar u got anything else come up j...and if u make the road trip I got a 1000ft spool of coax sitting in my garage ya can have for the project

Newb :grinFU:

 

[Jfire]

J did you get all your questions answered? Brenda's cousin is a comcast installer and he's coming over tomorrow to look at there cable tomorrow. Ever since the "switch". There cable has been jacked up. (one of the first areas to convert a while back) Get a hold of me before 10 am Central tomorrow and all things comcast will be answered. P.s. I just called him and hes bringing a 50 dollar amplifier "gratis" just in case you guys need it.

 

[twenty5]

J I looked around for you phone number but couldn't find it, pm it to me sometime.

View attachment Cable-Work.pdf

I re-did the diagram, can you show him the one attached in this post and see what he says? The whole goal in the end would be to have 6 TVs w/ an HD package, 2 with basic digital cable (that they don't need to pay extra for), cable internet and phone. They were looking at the HD Preferred XF Triple Play plan.

Last couple of questions;

If I need the Distribution Amp, which should I get? I have seen them for 100$ to 1000$.

Their cable line running into the house, I just found this out this morning, is the older coax cable and is direct burial (no conduit or anything), is that ok or should I upgrade that to the RG-6U or maybe something else? If I do that should I put it in conduit?

FINAL QUESTION:

If they decide not to upgrade to HD, do they need anything to go digital? Obviously no need for the digital adapters because all of their TVs are new but will they need the digital boxes?

/thanks:tiphat:lol