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Live Cable TV on computer

mackcranemackcrane Member Posts: 1,869 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited July 2015 in General Discussion
I am a resident at a Health Care Center at the present. My roommate and I both have our own TVs mounted one above the other. The center can't-wont run any cable to separate sides of the room. Is there a sending unit that can be connected to the incoming cable to send wireless signals to my laptop so I can watch live cable TV on the laptop? Thanks.
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Comments

  • ChrisInTempeChrisInTempe Member Posts: 15,562 ✭
    edited November -1
    First things first. If you live in an area with good broadcast TV signal strength you can plug a USB TV Tuner into your laptop. This gets you local stations. If you are lucky a small indoor antenna will get you local HDTV channels.

    Enter your address in here to check on what signals are available, and how much antenna you will need:
    http://www.antennaweb.org/default.aspx

    Next, this link opens a search on NewEgg.com for "usb tv":
    http://tinyurl.com/og43c5y

    And this link opens a search for the "tv antenna indoor":
    http://tinyurl.com/opbleyy

    I do see some search hits for "wireless cable tv extender" as well. Not sure these are what you are seeking though. Take a look at some:
    http://tinyurl.com/otejozy
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  • jimdeerejimdeere Member, Moderator Posts: 26,274 ******
    edited November -1
    We used to get WOAY on rabbit ears.
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  • mackcranemackcrane Member Posts: 1,869 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by jimdeere
    We used to get WOAY on rabbit ears.

    Us too. Upstairs: me, mom, pop with ears. Downstairs: Auntie, grandma, grandpa with electric powered rotary antenna on 2in. galvanized 30ft. long. pipe. Great unless it rained, snowed or sun shined. Located at 514 Jones Avenue, Oak Hill, WV. We have Wi-Fi here at the center about 50ft. away from the room and I want a unit that will "beam" me a signal 10ft. from cable box to laptop. Thanks for all the help. I will check them out.
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  • wpagewpage Member Posts: 10,201 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Ahh the good old days with aluminum foil on the rabbit ears. 3 snowy chanels and pliers to change them![:o)]
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  • nmyersnmyers Member Posts: 16,892 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Relax fellas, Mack doesn't need to wax nostalgic on the '50's; he needs some computer age suggestions.

    Mack, the answer to your question is "no". There is no "sending unit". Even if there were, you couldn't use it because your laptop doesn't have a TV tuner.

    The coax now wired to your fixed TV only carries TV signals. If you can use the wifi system, you may find the signal strong enough so that you can logon from your room. If the center's ISP is Comcast or Verizon, you will be able to watch some channels live & some on demand, but not the full line up. Or, if you subscribe to Hulu or Netflix, you can watch many channels. If you can't get a signal, the center may be willing to install a repeater in the hall outside your room.

    Sorry, just no way to do what you want.

    Neal
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  • MBKMBK Member Posts: 2,918 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Try google TV Sender. That will move signal to the room. But you might need a cheap TV to use it instead of the laptop.

    I have one from the low-def days about 2002....it worked.
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  • ChrisInTempeChrisInTempe Member Posts: 15,562 ✭
    edited November -1
    What I was talking about isn't 1950's, it's the high definition digital broadcast that all TV stations are required to provide. For that you need an HDTV antenna, which is much smaller than the old days.

    But now, knowing Mack's address ...

    Sorry to have to say it does not look promising for local stations using a USB TV Tuner and a small indoor antenna. Here's the broadcast TV station map for "514 Jones Ave, Oak Hill, WV 25901":
    http://tinyurl.com/pb3v5wm

    Mack, if you are ten feet from a cable TV service box, will the management there allow you to pay for a second cable box? A signal splitter will have two boxes working. You would have to ask the cable company if they can provide a remote on a different channel than the other cable box in the room, that part may be tricky.

    Whether you can have your own cable box split off from the existing one or not, there are plenty of wireless transmitters out there which will send to a TV set. Some are in the link I posted. Problem is they are designed to send whatever channel is coming out of the cable box to a TV set. So you have to be able to control the cable box remotely, and you have to connect the signal to a TV not to a laptop.

    This wireless device will extend the output of a cable box and the IR signal of the remote control:
    http://tinyurl.com/qfuzgbd

    Manufacturer's web page about it:
    http://tinyurl.com/nden5f4

    After that you would need a small TV set that has RCA jack inputs. There are many options out there of 24" and smaller.
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  • 1911a1-fan1911a1-fan Member Posts: 51,193 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by wpage
    Ahh the good old days with aluminum foil on the rabbit ears. 3 snowy chanels and pliers to change them![:o)]




    don't forget 2 TV's, one with only sound, one with only a picture stacked on top
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  • mackcranemackcrane Member Posts: 1,869 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I don't live at 514 anymore, I'm about 2mi. on the backside of the WOAY (Worst On Air Yet) tower. I think I can get different stations from here. I dunno. The head of maintenance said the company can't put new boxes in the rooms where everybody wants them and can't run cables out in the open due to injury issues, so I can see their position. What I did the other night was drape a towel from one curtain to the other to block out his screen and stuffed rolled up Kleenex in my ears, (don't have wireless earphones yet). Have seen Tremors so many times I think I can read lips, especially the Worms. Have new Boss here recently, so maybe a few changes. Thanks everybody. See you soon.
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  • jimdeerejimdeere Member, Moderator Posts: 26,274 ******
    edited November -1
    Mack, I bet you know Shirley Love, Arnell Church, and the Saturday night wrestling crew.
    Jean and Jan Madrid, Wahoo McDaniel, etc.[8D]
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  • ChrisInTempeChrisInTempe Member Posts: 15,562 ✭
    edited November -1
    Two miles from the TV tower? Heck you should be able to at least pull in that station with a whim and a gentle breeze. Short of having a mountain between you.

    Plug your current address and zip code in, see what it maps out for you:
    http://www.antennaweb.org/default.aspx

    You may also want to give the cable company a ring. See if anybody there can offer a hardware solution your manager will accept. Looks like this is the local cable outfit:
    http://www.suddenlink.com/node/15966
    For general, billing or technical support: 877-794-2724
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  • grumpygygrumpygy Member Posts: 48,464 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by 1911a1-fan
    quote:Originally posted by wpage
    Ahh the good old days with aluminum foil on the rabbit ears. 3 snowy chanels and pliers to change them![:o)]




    don't forget 2 TV's, one with only sound, one with only a picture stacked on top


    Had a big stereo tv that the tube was bad and it was only black and white. We would hook both up watch TV on a color one on top and the sound coming out of the bottom. Only did stereo if we listened to the radio. But the one speaker used for tv was way better than any tv speaker.

    Something like this for the Bottom part.

    old_console_tv.jpeg
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