Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version VT3.3 7/21/84; site vortex.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!zehntel!dual!amd!decwrl!decvax!vortex!lauren From: lauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein) Newsgroups: net.video Subject: Re: A Question on Cable Converters and Converting in 2 Directions Message-ID: <382@vortex.UUCP> Date: Mon, 13-Aug-84 21:28:38 EDT Article-I.D.: vortex.382 Posted: Mon Aug 13 21:28:38 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 16-Aug-84 01:42:01 EDT References: <8634@watmath.uucp> Organization: Vortex Technology, Los Angeles Lines: 32 All sorts of games can be played with stripping out some channels, processing them (e.g. through your legal decoder) changing output channels, then reinserting back into the primary cable feed. There are many varieties of converters (single channel and "block") for moving channels around. HOWEVER: 1) By and large, you won't find most of these devices down at your local Radio Shack. This sort of equipment is widely stocked by wholesale cable TV supply companies, who may or may not be interested in dealing with you as an individual. Usually not. 2) The equipment can get expensive. Not so much the converters themselves (though they ain't cheap) but because... 3) ... the RE-INSERTING of signals, unlike splitting off of signals, can be a royal pain and may involve large investments in special sideband traps, filters, and other equipment, depending on how "crowded" your cable is with channels and what channels you are attempting to combine. Adjacent channel and other interference, resulting in herringbone and other fascinating effects, is very common in these situations. Many cable companies can't even get this right, which explains part of the reason for much lousy cable service. I have a very elaborate cable setup here, and know various people (some of them local (L.A.) TV broadcast engineers with similar systems. Most of us have given up on recombining signals, at least on our systems. The overall investment in equipment and ongoing time to keep everything aligned just isn't worth the hassle for us. A/B switches are much easier to setup and maintain, even though they aren't as convenient to use. --Lauren--