[mythtv-users] Intermittent macroblocking on Ceton InfiniTV 6 ETH - Cure(s)?

[Gary Buhrmaster]

On Tue, Jan 10, 2017 at 4:46 PM, Douglas Sargent <dbsargent at gmail.com> wrote:
> +1 on the splitter. I had purchased one at Radio Shack. When Comcast tech
> came to my house to check signal he replaced mine for a free Comcast one. He
> said that not all frequencies went through crappy splitters. Who knows if it
> is true or not, but it worked after


FD: Poor quality splitters/coax is a pet peeve.  Not
only can poor quality devices impact you, but it can
impact your neighbors and the plant itself (RF Ingress).
Oh, and open ports is another pet peeve.  Always
have a terminator on an open port (splitter port, or
wall plate, or any where else.  With LTE phones
you can be your own worst enemy with an open
port in your home.


And while the color is not especially relevant, "gold"
splitters (and quite often all the splitters and the
"jelly" coax available at stores selling "gold" splitters)
are almost universally crap.  At least crap compared
to what the industry uses.  It is all about profit, as
the industry standard splitters cost a few cents more
per device.

>From my (slowly fading) memory, most cable
companies tend to use splitters from one or more of
the following names (alphabetical to avoid implying
preference):

   Antronix, Blonder Tongue, CommScope,
  Extreme Broadband, Holland, PCT, Regal

Given industry consolidation, I think some names
have disappeared, and new ones have appeared,
and some of the big box home repair store "house"
brands used to actually be (under the label) one
or more of these, but as the house brand suppliers
can change week by week, unless you know exactly
what the original designs look like, caveat emptor.


It should be noted that while there is no requirement
to do so, it is not unknown that if you ask nicely at
some local offices(*), or a tech working in the neighborhood,
they will give you a splitter (or two) out of the stock.
In the long run it is in their best interest to not have
to deal with customer issues due to crap splitters.



(*) I do not think all local offices have an official
stock, but when people return equipment, they
include the cables/splitters with the STB, so a
local office might have something to offer.