Distributing HD OTA antenna signal as well as analog satellite signal?

Before The Conversion, our household setup featured 6 analog TVs in various rooms. Our OTA antenna in the attic was connected into our DISH Satellite dual DVR. This went through a modulator that put DVR A on channel 21; DVR B on channel 18; and our outdoor driveway cam is on channel 24. We got OTA channels on 2-20, especially handy when the satellite signal was out because of severe weather (can't be missing that 'round-the-clock weather radar!). So this one additive signal, from the antenna, the dual DVR, and the driveway cam, all got piped out on the same coax throughout the house.

Okay, I admit we're heathens and all, but we're in no hurry to change our TVs to HD. Honestly, we used to listen to our TV band radio as much as anything. The picture isn't all that important to us -- if the TV is on, we're usually using the computer or cooking or doing something else at the same time and we just don't look at the picture all that often. So we're in no hurry to oust the analog sets. We figure attrition will do its part.

All that being said, we'd like to get back to being able to get OTA channels. I'm sure there's several ways to do it but my real question is can I convert the HD to analog at the anntena connection and distribute the downgraded channels en masse, or am I going to have to go to converter plus antenna for each TV? If the latter, how do I get both signals, OTA and my "proprietary" combined feed into the TVs? There's only the one "coax in" on the boxes I've looked at...

Hope this makes sense. Please let me know what I forgot to include. Thank you!

All OTA signals are now digital, not necessarily HD. You will need a digital tuner for each of your older TV's with analog tuners. They can be purchased at places like Walmart and Best Buy.

What you suggested will not work as digital tuners ARE now required.


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All OTA signals are now digital, not necessarily HD. You will need a digital tuner for each of your older TV's with analog tuners. They can be purchased at places like Walmart and Best Buy.

What you suggested will not work as digital tuners ARE now required.


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<smacking head> Doh! I knew I'd forgotten something and that was the difference between digital and HD :o Not very bright, I'm afraid! <eek> Thank you for your very helpful post!

So what we're looking at is something very like the satellite feed, really... so, could I do something like put in the antenna, have it go to two digital tuner boxes, modulate each one of those to a "channel" and then, by tuning into that "channel," be able to get the feed from that one box on any or all TVs? Then there would be need for remote control of each tuner, preferably UHF, as I keep all this stuff in the basement. Only two different OTA channels could be watched at one time, but that's usually sufficient around here.

Gosh, it just occurred to me, this isn't so much about HD, now, is it? Is there somewhere else to which I should take my inquiry? Thanks!

Hello MysteryPoodle,

So if I have this right, you want to split your OTA antenna feed into two digital converter boxes with a 2-way splitter. One box will be set to output on ch3, the other on ch4. Recombine using a 2-way and feed this combined analog output into your DVR antenna IN as before.

So on any of the TVs you will have ch's 3, 4, 18, 21, & 24. and be using either the DVRs or the converter boxes to tune a channel. Or tune a TV directly to 24 & watch the driveway. (How is that driveway cam hooked in btw, RCA line inputs?)

Sounds like it should work, I think. Providing your signals are strong and the 2-way doesn't cause you to go over the digital cliff, as they say.

And don't concern yourself with HD - the converter box will also down convert the HD to 480 for your analog TV's. (That's actually all they put out.)

Not sure how you'd work out the RF remotes though. I suppose you'd have to buy two different converter boxes, and a bunch of rabbit repeaters. And a few learning remotes might come in handy.

Did you buy extra remotes for your Dish DVR, or do you carry them around? I actually have an old RCA learning remote that is infrared and RF, and came with a repeater so you could use it outdoors or whatever.

This is quite an unusual setup.:)

Hello MysteryPoodle,

This is quite an unusual setup.:)

Thank you. I think. I came up with it, myself. Can you tell? :D

I'll look into the remotes part of it, now that I've finally got it into my head how it needs to work. I did buy a bunch of extra DISH remotes, one for each TV, and they either work on DVR A or B. It has come in handy when the puppy chewed up one for the "main" TV upstairs -- instant spare, already programmed.

The Driveway Cam is coax right out of the camera and then on into the modulator. It's probably 100' of coax or more, but, thankfully, we put the power and coax in when we built. The driveway is about 1000 feet long so it is kinda handy. After we first moved in, we left Mom alone for a while and when we came back, she said "What is this 'Country Road' channel? It never changes... it's just a picture of a gravel road."

I guess the good news is that, according to the website, we're about 4 miles from ALL the digital transmitters that one can get in our general geographic area. Who knew? Signal strength inside may be a whole 'nuther ballgame. I know I've fallen off the analog signal strength cliff before and recall just randomly inserting and moving around attenuators and all sorts of other hardware until I got a decent picture everywhere. A new challenge -- oh, boy!

I like the sound of that RCA remote! Thanks for mentioning it, and for your comments!

The Driveway Cam is coax right out of the camera... The driveway is about 1000 feet long so it is kinda handy. After we first moved in, we left Mom alone for a while and when we came back, she said "What is this 'Country Road' channel? It never changes... it's just a picture of a gravel road."

Hey Poodle, LMAO!:lol:
That's just too funny!

That RCA remote I have is pretty old and I don't know if you'll be able to find it.
http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Products/RCA/RCU1010RF.htm
Maybe there's something similar currently avail?

Being only 4 miles or so from the transmitters & needing to purchase that many RF repeaters or remotes you may be better served by just splitting your antenna & distributing a signal and getting a converter box for each TV, as Loves2Watch suggests. Then you'll have the availability of any OTA channel on any TV, simultaneously with no conflicts.

But then you'll have problems getting the DVR output unless all the TVs have multiple RF inputs. If the TVs have line in RCA inputs, the converter boxes have RCA line outs, so this would work.

The other choice would be to get converter boxes that have analog pass thru, modulate the DVR & driveway cam on unused low freq channels and mix the the two feeds before the box. Check www.tvfool.com to see exactly what transmissions you have, and their signal strengths. (Much better than antennaweb.)

I'm curious to see how this turns out, keep us posted!:)

What model dish receiver do you have? Some of them have built in OTA DTV converters. If yours has this you could connect the antenna to the receiver (sounds like you already have), scan for the locals, and then they will be added to your program guide. Then you could watch them through the DVR on ch 18 or 21. It also gives you the added benefit of being able to use the DVR functionality on your ota locals.