Help! So many wires, so little time!!!

darksidedesign · 05-12-02, 09:33 AM

OK, here's the situation:

After several months of my persuasion, my sister finally decided
to get a DVD player. It's nothing special, just a low end Phillips.

The way she would like to set this whole thing up, on the other hand,
is a bit confusing and I need your help to figure out the best and simplest
way to hook everything up.

She has:
1 DVD Player
1 VCR
3 TVs (in 3 different rooms)
1 Radio Shack RF Modulator
1 Incoming Cable coax cord (basic cable)
Lots of extra coax cable
6 year old son (you'll understand in a sec.)

Right now she has it set up with the VCR, so when a video is playing, it
plays on all 3 TVs.

She would like to hook both the DVD Player and VCR up to all 3 TVs.
She would like to have it set up so her son can watch a VHS in his room
while she watches a DVD in another, or he can watch TV while she watches
a VHS, etc.. She says shes tired of watching her son's lame videos.

Please, help me figure this out! I know there are many here whose
knowledge in such matters far supercedes my own.

Any diagrams would be very helpful. Thanks in advance!

Brian Shannon · 05-13-02, 07:51 AM

Quote:

She would like to have it set up so her son can watch a VHS in his roomwhile she watches a DVD in another, or he can watch TV while she watches
a VHS, etc.. She says shes tired of watching her son's lame videos.

True video distributions systems are expensive. There is no easy way to do this without really degrading the signal and needing more splitters.

My advice would be to get a second DVD player and connect them directly.

Good luck

mrdinh · 05-13-02, 09:17 AM

i recommend the same setup for everyroom...but get a higher end receiver...that should do the job...and if you go to a good a/v store they should have good sales person that can show you the details...

dnaryam · 05-20-02, 09:07 PM

There is one easy way to do it, but you should understand that there will be some loss in the signal.

You will need
2X 3 way splitter
3x 2 way selector

Main cable goes into the VCR. VCR out into a 3 way splitter. Beside that you put your dvd connected in the RF modulator, modulator out into a 3 way splitter. You run simple coax cable from your tv to this setup at the end of the cable you put a selctor wich can select between vcr or dvd for each TV. Each selector connect to the two 3 way splitter (one from the vcr the other from the dvd) Et Voilà!

Of course this syteme could not allow someone to watch VCR while another watch the cable. But all other combination will work (vcr-dvd, cable-dvd, tv-tv, dvd-dvd, vcr-vcr.

If you would want to absolutely be able to view tv. You will have to get another 3 way splitter. And get 3x 3way selector instead of the 2 way selector. Main cable split in two, one goes to the VCR the other to a 3 way splitter. The rest of the connection is the same. But instead of a 2 way selector each tv is connected to a 3 way selector to chose between Cable, VCR, DVD. Still pretty simple

05-12-02, 09:33 AM	#1
darksidedesign Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Logan, UT, USA Posts: 103	Help! So many wires, so little time!!! OK, here's the situation: After several months of my persuasion, my sister finally decided to get a DVD player. It's nothing special, just a low end Phillips. The way she would like to set this whole thing up, on the other hand, is a bit confusing and I need your help to figure out the best and simplest way to hook everything up. She has: 1 DVD Player 1 VCR 3 TVs (in 3 different rooms) 1 Radio Shack RF Modulator 1 Incoming Cable coax cord (basic cable) Lots of extra coax cable 6 year old son (you'll understand in a sec.) Right now she has it set up with the VCR, so when a video is playing, it plays on all 3 TVs. She would like to hook both the DVD Player and VCR up to all 3 TVs. She would like to have it set up so her son can watch a VHS in his room while she watches a DVD in another, or he can watch TV while she watches a VHS, etc.. She says shes tired of watching her son's lame videos. Please, help me figure this out! I know there are many here whose knowledge in such matters far supercedes my own. Any diagrams would be very helpful. Thanks in advance! Last edited by darksidedesign; 05-12-02 at 09:37 AM.

05-13-02, 09:17 AM	#3
mrdinh Cool New Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 27	i recommend the same setup for everyroom...but get a higher end receiver...that should do the job...and if you go to a good a/v store they should have good sales person that can show you the details...

05-20-02, 09:07 PM	#4
dnaryam Cool New Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 21	There is one easy way to do it, but you should understand that there will be some loss in the signal. You will need 2X 3 way splitter 3x 2 way selector Main cable goes into the VCR. VCR out into a 3 way splitter. Beside that you put your dvd connected in the RF modulator, modulator out into a 3 way splitter. You run simple coax cable from your tv to this setup at the end of the cable you put a selctor wich can select between vcr or dvd for each TV. Each selector connect to the two 3 way splitter (one from the vcr the other from the dvd) Et Voilà! Of course this syteme could not allow someone to watch VCR while another watch the cable. But all other combination will work (vcr-dvd, cable-dvd, tv-tv, dvd-dvd, vcr-vcr. If you would want to absolutely be able to view tv. You will have to get another 3 way splitter. And get 3x 3way selector instead of the 2 way selector. Main cable split in two, one goes to the VCR the other to a 3 way splitter. The rest of the connection is the same. But instead of a 2 way selector each tv is connected to a 3 way selector to chose between Cable, VCR, DVD. Still pretty simple