[mythtv-users] Which Signal Strength/Quality Alternative is best?

[Craig Huff]

I've been having picture quality issues (macroblocking/momentary signal
drops) intermittently since I switched (about a month ago) from capturing
video from Comcast cable using Hauppauge PVR-500 adapters (2 stream PCI
adapters) to using a Ceton InfiniTV 6 ETH (6 stream ethernet attached)
device.  It was suggested that I probably should abandon the distribution
amp, so I've collected data reported by the Ceton using the amp, two
samples of passive 1:2 splitter, and a barrel (leaving other TV
disconnected for testing) as follows (varied from stream to stream in
reporting):

                              S/N (dB)      Signal (dBmV)
With amp:               34.0 +/- 0.3       -1.2 +/- 0.2
With splitter #1:       36.7 +/- 0.5       -10.6 +/- 0.4
With splitter #2:       36.6 +/- 0.4       -10.8 +/- 0.3
With barrel:              38.5 +/- 0.1       -6.1 +/- 0.3

I have two questions:

   1. Is the unamplified signal level of -10.7 dBmV is more of a problem
   than the benefit of an additional 2.5 dB of S/N is worth?
   2. Should I get a different splitter (direct from Comcast, as
   recommended previously) because the ones I tested are too lossy (more than
   an extra dB vs. the barrel and the 3 dB that resulted from splitting the
   signal in half)?

--

Craig.
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