# Can I use cable input for OTA on Premier?



## sackreiter (Mar 29, 2011)

I live in a small town between OTA markets. I want to hit two cities in different directions (90 degrees out) and I need to use a preamplifier because of the distance to one of the cities but not the other. This creates all kinds of problems when combining antennas with a preamp. Basically the only way I know to do this is to combine the antennas first with the same length of cable and then use the preamp. The problem is I have too much signal loss from the distant city when I combine them.

A great answer would be if I could run each of these antennas separately to to my Tivo Premier and let it do the selecting of signals. Is there a way to use the Cable Input as another OTA Input without needing to use a Cable Card?

Thanks,

Jim


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## classicsat (Feb 18, 2004)

Really no.

If you can get both lineups in one guide, you can combine the antennas.


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## sackreiter (Mar 29, 2011)

classicsat said:


> Really no.
> 
> If you can get both lineups in one guide, you can combine the antennas.


I'm a little confused by this post, but it has made me realize why using the Cable Input for OTA won't work. Your answer made me realize that the Tivo probably looks for a Cable lineup that matches my area on the Cable Input, so it might find OTA stations but would try to match them to the Cable lineups.

Does that sound right?

Does anyone know of a commercial grade 75 ohm combiner that I can get with a very very low signal loss?


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## unitron (Apr 28, 2006)

sackreiter said:


> I'm a little confused by this post, but it has made me realize why using the Cable Input for OTA won't work. Your answer made me realize that the Tivo probably looks for a Cable lineup that matches my area on the Cable Input, so it might find OTA stations but would try to match them to the Cable lineups.
> 
> Does that sound right?
> 
> Does anyone know of a commercial grade 75 ohm combiner that I can get with a very very low signal loss?


Get a low loss splitter and use it backwards? That's what I'd try first.

edit:

And put the pre-amp into the distant city leg before it and the other one hit the backwards splitter.


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## orangeboy (Apr 19, 2004)

sackreiter said:


> I'm a little confused by this post, but it has made me realize why using the Cable Input for OTA won't work. Your answer made me realize that the Tivo probably looks for a Cable lineup that matches my area on the Cable Input, so it might find OTA stations but would try to match them to the Cable lineups.
> 
> Does that sound right?


Not exactly. You can't use the Cable in with antenna for the same reason you can't listen to FM on a AM radio: They're just different.

I believe what classicsat is referring to is if you can get both OTA market's Guide Data to the TiVo, then possibly combining two antennas into the Antenna input may be what you're looking for.


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## shwru980r (Jun 22, 2008)

sackreiter said:


> Basically the only way I know to do this is to combine the antennas first with the same length of cable and then use the preamp. The problem is I have too much signal loss from the distant city when I combine them.


The preamp should be attached as close as possible to the antenna. Then combine the two coax cables after the preamp.


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