Coax cable splitter question

[txmt]

Hi! I have a cable box in my living room, and we put a splitter to run just basic cable without a box into the other rooms. All the channels work great except one channel on each of the added TVs doesn't work now. Does anyone have any idea what we did wrong or how to fix it? Thanks in advance!

[jagabo]

That channel is probably encrypted.

[usually_quiet]

There is another possibility. The signal for the missing channel is a little weaker than the others, and once split and attenuated further by a longer cable run, it is too weak to tune. I have seen that happen myself.

[intracube]

There is another possibility. The signal for the missing channel is a little weaker than the others, and once split and attenuated further by a longer cable run, it is too weak to tune. I have seen that happen myself.

That was my thought as well. The OP doesn't say if its digital or analogue cable, but if the digital signal is on the limit anyway, it would be more susceptible to a drop in signal level if a non powered splitter was used.

If the splitter is a powered device, it might be that the unused outputs are unterminated. Not sure how much of an impact this has on the signal in practice, but I remember reading about it when installing my loft distribution system. I didn't bother to terminate the outputs though...

[txmt]

We have digital cable, and it's a non-powered splitter, so I guess that's the problem. We're pretty low-tech and consistently about a decade behind the times around here Thank you all for your input!

[jagabo]

We have digital cable, and it's a non-powered splitter, so I guess that's the problem. We're pretty low-tech and consistently about a decade behind the times around here Thank you all for your input!

That's trivial to test. Instead of the splitter just send the cable signal directly to one of the TV that's having problems. Or just disconnect the other outputs of the splitter.

[Pinstripes23]

That's trivial to test. Instead of the splitter just send the cable signal directly to one of the TV that's having problems. Or just disconnect the other outputs of the splitter.

I would just use the direct cable test. IIRC there is no transfer of signal even if you disconnect the other outputs from the splitter.

[Megahurts]

@txmt

Is it an analog channel and what is the channel number?

[txmt]

In one room, Oxygen Channel doesn't come in at all and CBS is fuzzy. I think it might be a different channel in another room. I'll check in the morning

[Megahurts]

Please give the cannel numbers. Some older TV's don't recieve the higher cable channels.