Home Automation FAQ
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(Answer) (Category) Home Automation FAQ : (Category) Audio/Video : (Category) Video :
How can I send a video signal to the TVs in my house?
Most video devices like security cameras, on screen display boxes, and others, output video signals in Composite Video format. The connector is generally an RCA/Phone jack with a yellow collar.

You generally connect these devices to one TV or VCR via video input jacks. However, there are times you want to send video signals to multiple TVs. The best way to do this is to use a video modulator. Video modulators take video and often audio and convert them to a format that can be transmitted to multiple TVs. The video is 'broadcast' on a preset channel.

For example, if your cable system has an unused channel at, say, channel 75 (you get snow if you switch to it), you can use a video modulator to transmit video signals on your TVs using channel 75. This requires a modulator that allows you to set the output channel. The signal is sent to your TVs via your existing cable infrastructure in your home using a high quality combiner (a splitter connected backwards)

This method works for small installations. However, if you have many TVs, the signal strength may not be good enough to maintain a quality picture. In this case, you should use a video distribution panel which will take multiple RF based TV signals (the kind transmitted via coax cable), and will amplify or attenuate them for retransmission to multiple TVs in your home that are certain distances away.

NetMedia and ChannelVision make excellent modulators. Channel Vision also makes very good video distribution panels.

Another important point is that modulators come in various types. There's mono modulators which transmit audio which accompanies the video as mono sound. There's also stereo modulators which are capable of transmitting full dolby stereo. Your choice will often be based on if you plan on having whole house audio in addition to the video distribution solution or not. With whole house audio you may use it for the audio instead of the audio transmitted over the coaxial cable. Also if the video you wish to distribute is only for a camera at your front door you would only need a mono modulator for it.
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