Cable Distribution problem

[bax]

I have a problem. My home was built 20 years ago and the cable that goes to my main TV is a single coax from the outside of the house and trust me when I say there is no way get an additional line to the TV. I recently got dish network and the cable that comes in my house is now connected to the dish outside. Well, now here's the problem.... I also want to get my local HD channels, but I don't have an additional line to go outside to an external HD antenna. I have tried inhome antennas, but the signal is also sketchy as people walk around the house. Is there any way I can have the HD antenna and the dish network dish on the outside of the house and connect them both through a single cable to my tv? Splitters? amplifiers? any suggestions at all?

[Otto]

bax wrote:

I have a problem. My home was built 20 years ago and the cable that goes to my main TV is a single coax from the outside of the house and trust me when I say there is no way get an additional line to the TV. I recently got dish network and the cable that comes in my house is now connected to the dish outside. Well, now here's the problem.... I also want to get my local HD channels, but I don't have an additional line to go outside to an external HD antenna. I have tried inhome antennas, but the signal is also sketchy as people walk around the house. Is there any way I can have the HD antenna and the dish network dish on the outside of the house and connect them both through a single cable to my tv? Splitters? amplifiers? any suggestions at all?

Hi bax, and welcome to the Shack!

I don't know if there's an easy way to do that, because I don't know the bandwidth used for each set of signals. Right off the bat, I'd say "no." I know it's an extra cost, and I know that it "may not be available in your area," but have you considered getting your locals from Dish?

I tried a similar setup as yours: Dish plus OTA for local channels. At the time, I was using a 942 receiver. It worked "OK," but the signal was weak and the channels became intermittent. Are you sure that if you mount your antenna outside that your reception will be consistent for your locals?

When Dish made locals available in my area, I took them up on it and have never looked back. I gave away my HD antenna and uninstalled the cable I'd run for it. IIRC, it's $5 per month.

If that's not an option for you (and I know you said it's not possible), is it possible that you could run a coax cable in a "creative" fashion? As you know, the second cable doesn't have to follow the first. Consider anything: up walls, down walls, through the floor, tucked under the trim, etc.

Just some thoughts....

Good luck!