TV signals over cat5

[YoshiSato]

to have TV transmission streamed over ethernet to my PC?
I really don't want to buy a TV tuner and then have to run coax cable into my room(a real pain in the butt + all the cable mess, no thank you)

 

[Fardringle]

It is possible to carry broadcast TV signals over Cat5 wires, but that doesn't change the fact that you will still need a TV tuner in your computer to translate the signals into something that the computer can use. Also, you have the potential of losing a LARGE amount of signal quality converting the wiring from Coax at the source into Cat5, sending the TV signals over wiring not designed for it (the Cat5), and then back to Coax at your computer, so it's questionable whether or not the TV tuner card would even be able to read the signals after that.

 

[YoshiSato]

So Why does this work then?

http://www.hauppauge.com/html/mediamvp_datasheet.htm

Sure its a PC soruce to TV over cat5 but still

 

[Fardringle]

That device is actually like a small HTPC (Home Theater PC) that connects to the media files stored on your computer using standard Ethernet specifications and then outputs the video to the TV using SVideo or composite cables. It works exactly the same way two normal computers on a network would share media files. The only difference is that the Hauppage plays the media files on a TV instead of a PC monitor.

The Hauppage device takes normal PC media files and plays them on a TV. It's a neat device, but it doesn't do what you are wanting to do. You are asking to take normal TV signals, transmit them over ethernet cables, and then play them on a PC that doesn't know how to understand the TV signals (without a TV tuner). What you are wanting to do is possible based on what I said before, but you'll be much happier in the long run just pulling a coax cable to the PC's location. If you don't want a coax cable running across the floor of your house, just run it outside the house and back in through a window (or drill a small hole in the wall), or run it through the walls, or under the carpet, or through the ventilation ducts, etc.

edit: You CAN use something like these to convert the Coax TV signal to a format that can be sent across Cat5 cables, but you'll need one at each end (one to convert from Coax to Cat5, then one to convert back at the PC to attach to the TV tuner in the PC), and the cheapest ones listed there are $200 or more per unit.

 

[YoshiSato]

On well guess I'll have to run same cable.

I live in an apartment so it's not like I can just start drilling holes or run stuff out side.
I just can not believe they have phone line hook ups in every bed room but no cable.
I've never had a phone in my bed room but always had a TV and computer.

 

[cmetz]

YoshiSato, try MythTV. Another approach would be to get a Gefen HDMI<->2xcat5 converter, and an IR<->serial converter, and carry a HD signal digitally that way - but that needs 3 x cat5. There is probably an easier converter out there.

I have a Radio Shack TV over phone line sender and receiver, it sends composite + audio. Its quality on cat5 leaves a lot to be desired, but if there's a cheap product that does it poorly there just might be a more expensive product that does it better.