[PLUG] OT: CATV splitter

[JP Vossen <jp@jpsdomain.org>]

As you may just have seen, after Matt's MythTV Seminar on Saturday I'm 
excited about putting a MythTV setup together, but I have a question 
about CATV splitters.

My existing setup is as follows (need a fixed-width font):

--------+  < CATV in
        |
      [SSS]
       | |
       | +-----+ +---- [TV4]
       |       | |
[C. Modem]   [SSSSS]
              | | |
          [TV 1,2,3]

As far as I know, this works fine.  The cable modem has never had any 
signal issues I am aware of and while the signal isn't perfect on the 
TVs (hey it's Comcast, analog, $16/mo, no set-top boxes...) it's 
acceptable to me.


Now, when I add 2 more tuners for my MythTV back-end server, they have 
to get a signal from someplace.  Based on where things physically are, 
the quick 'n' dirty solution would be to split the up-to-now "dedicated" 
cable modem line like so:

--------+  < CATV in
        |
      [SSS]
       | |
       | +--...
       |
      [SSSS]
        |||
  [Modem][new tuners 1,2]


Will I regret that?


Another way to go might be to take the port away from the TV in my 
office, split that into the tuners, and put front-end software on a 
handy Ubuntu workstation with a wide-screen LCD.  Like so:

--------+  < CATV in
        |
      [SSS]
       | |
       | +-----+ +---------+
       |       | |         |
[C. Modem]   [SSSSS]     [SSS]
              | | |       | |
          [TV 1,2,3]  [Tn1] [Tn2]

That puts the additional front-end into my project critical path (or 
deprives me of "Headlines" on Leno on Monday nights, but requires 1 less 
split port.


Anyone have a source for "good" splitters? (I currently have whatever 
junk I could find at the time.)  So far I don't have any amps, and I've 
heard they used to mess with the cable modem sometimes.  Thoughts there?


TIA,
JP
----------------------------|:::======|-------------------------------
JP Vossen, CISSP            |:::======|        jp{at}jpsdomain{dot}org
My Account, My Opinions     |=========|      http://www.jpsdomain.org/
----------------------------|=========|-------------------------------
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