# Max length of a directivo RCA composite connection?



## summerall (Aug 5, 2001)

I've got a directivo in the family room but I also want to watch it in the kitchen on a small tv. 

Can I run 75-100 foot of RCA composite cables to the kitchen tv from the living room directivo without any major picture loss/degradation?

It is my understanding that both the s-video and rca composite connections are on at the same time.


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## dtremain (Jan 5, 2004)

They are both on at the same time.

You would certainly experience some signal degradation over such a long length of cable. Whether it would be unacceptable to you or not is up to you. There is always signal loss over cable.

Are you married? If so, what is the Spouse Acceptance Factor on running 75 - 100 feet of RCA cable (Given that length, I'm assuming that we are talking about baseboard through a couple of rooms.)


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## summerall (Aug 5, 2001)

Yes, im married so I'll be running it through the attic and down the wall into the kitchen.


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## mike_flood (Nov 16, 2004)

summerall said:


> I've got a directivo in the family room but I also want to watch it in the kitchen on a small tv.
> 
> Can I run 75-100 foot of RCA composite cables to the kitchen tv from the living room directivo without any major picture loss/degradation?
> 
> It is my understanding that both the s-video and rca composite connections are on at the same time.


While it surely will degrade the picture quality to run a long (greater than 25 feet) feed, to me a bigger concern would be a hum bar (dark horizontal bar moving slowly thru the picture. The longer the run the less detail and definition you'll have at the distant end. 
If you are running audio along with that then hum heard in the speaker at the distant location might be a problem.
A better solution I think would be to consider using one of the little boxes that takes audio and video from a DVD player and modulates Ch3 or Ch4 RF. 
Radio Shack sells one that I have used and it works well. I don't have model number handy right now.
Then run co-ax to the distant viewing point. (This of course assumes that you are sending the show to a TV and not a monitor.)


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## dtremain (Jan 5, 2004)

summerall said:


> Yes, im married so I'll be running it through the attic and down the wall into the kitchen.


Too much work for me. I'd just burn anything I wanted to watch in the kitchen to DVD and watch it that way.


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## msommer (Apr 4, 2005)

Can't you just run rg6 coax to the kitchen TV? If the rf output is available on the DTIVO you could just use that. I have an rg6 run from my DTIVO in my basement to my TV in the living room which is about 70 feet. This allows me to essentially have four live tuners available on my living room TV. I just use a Harmony remote to control the basement DTIVO. I don't see any signal loss or interference from the 70+ foot rg6 run.


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## rlj5242 (Dec 20, 2000)

The composite output of my GXCEBOT runs 60' over RG-6 quad shield from my theater to my living room without any loss of quality. Buy the closest length of coax that has the built in F connectors and do a test without even unrolling the cable. If you have less that satisfactory results, take the cable back for a refund.

-Robert


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## dishrich (Jan 16, 2002)

mike_flood said:


> A better solution I think would be to consider using one of the little boxes that takes audio and video from a DVD player and modulates Ch3 or Ch4 RF.


WHY would he need to do this, when the Tivo already have a 3/4 out - or are you talking about an HD Tivo. (which I do not believe the op has) 

OP-Since this IS only a kitchen TV, why don't you just run a single coax from the RF out (ch 3/4) out of the Tivo to the kitchen TV & be done with it. You most likely are NOT going to see a great difference between doing it this way & composite video & the RF signal WILL travel a lot better through that length of cable.

Also, if you ever decide to run another TV in another room, you could use this same feed, but you might need a cheap RF amp before the splitter. (about $10)


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## drmike29 (Sep 22, 2004)

Some people are now putting flat screen LCD's in their kitchen. The RF out on the back of the Tivo boxes do not transmit in stereo. If you want stereo on the kitchen tv, you will need to use the RCA cable route OR if you prefer wireless, can use a Wireless Video Extender such as

www.kaanzastore.com/92-avs-5811.html

http://kaanzastore.com/92-avs-5811.html

This wireless system uses the 5.8 frequency, staying out of trouble from the 2.4 GHz interference from a microwave oven or home network wireless system.

Mike


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## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

i feed 2 tvs with the old rg59 already in my house...it's more than adequate for a remote viewing tv


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