# How to combine RF and HDTV?



## mhowie (Sep 30, 2006)

I have a 625 whose "TV2" output is sent to a TV I recently had to replace. My new "TV2" is an HDTV, and although I can not get HD signals from the RF signal (or the 625 in general, for that matter), I am able to get HD signals from the cable I am using for the TV2 output as I have combined a rooftop antenna signal with it.

My new TV has separate HD and SD RF inputs. Naturally, I run the TV2 output to the SD input and watch my Dish programming and can also tune the TV to my local channels (via the rooftop antenna signal also being fed on the TV2 cable) and watch my local networks in SD. I can also move this TV2 cable to the HD input and watch my local networks in HD. This is cumbersome having to unscrew the cable and move it to the other input each time I want to switch back and forth between Dish and HD local channels on this TV2 cable.

So, I wonder if I were to get a signal splitter, along with a couple of short RG6 cables, would this be the recommended way to feed both RF inputs and avoid the need to unscrew/plugin, unscrew/plugin, ..., in order to enjoy both Dish and HD local feeds? I am assuming the signal strength would not be degraded enough by this split to remove my ability to get the local network HD channels.

Thoughts?


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## scooper (Apr 22, 2002)

Assuming your TV2 output channel isn't being used by an OTA channel - that's one way to do it.

It would probably be better to not be shaing the same cable though.

Also -have you tried to tune to your local DTV stations when the cable was on the "SDTV" RF input ?


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## mhowie (Sep 30, 2006)

scooper said:


> Also -have you tried to tune to your local DTV stations when the cable was on the "SDTV" RF input ?


The local HDTV stations will not appear when the cable is plugged into the SDTV RF input. There is a discrete HDTV RF input and the local HD channels can only be displayed (I presume as the HD tuner is part of this path) when a cable is connected to this input.

Thanks,


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## scooper (Apr 22, 2002)

So the TV probably uses the SDTV cable input for analog cable and the HDTV one for your ATSC.. So yes, using a splitter like you asked SHOULD work ok.


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