TV Spider Video Source Extender

TV Spider Video Source Extender
Manufacturer: TV Spider
Product Type: CE

Editorial Review:
Product Description

Cable, satellite, DVD, TiVo, video cameras, home theater systems and PC to TV cards compatible

Perfect for watching digital movies and baby monitoring

Eliminates the need for multiple set-top boxes

Great for watching movies or listening to music from your PC to any/all of your TVs

Ideal use with a front door security camera
Amazon.com Product Description
If you're seeking the convenience of viewing premium digital or analog cable programming on multiple TVs but haven't wanted to invest in multiple set-top boxes or satellite receivers, TV Spider's Video Source Extender may be the affordable answer you've been dreaming of. In fact, the TV Spider kit will let you view signals from just about any single home-entertainment device--be it an audio/video receiver, DVD player, VCR, laptop computer, or baby monitor--on all the TVs in your house simultaneously, without requiring additional TV inputs. It's even designed so you can hook it up yourself rather than having to call in a professional installer.

How does it do it? TV Spider performs some fancy remodulating and signal routing, merging the output from any AV component (stereo analog audio, composite-video) with the analog cable signal from either your standard cable service or your digital set-top box. The AV output from your chosen component will appear in place of cable channel 125 on any connected television (and it blocks channel 124 altogether).

So: before installing, make sure channels 124 and 125 in your area are not channels you care deeply about! Also, be aware that TV Spider ultimately generates a single integrated RF signal, and the job of splitting and routing that signal to multiple TVs is yours. But while a coaxial RF distribution system is not part of the TV Spider system, there's no theoretical limit to the number of sets you can serve.

What exactly, then, do you need? Beyond the RF distribution system just mentioned (essentially an RF splitter and enough coaxial RF cable to get from the splitter to your various TVs), you'll need just two or more connected TVs and the ability for each connected TV to select channel 125 (this rules out older, non-"cable ready" sets). If you only have one TV, you don't need this system.

Will TV Spider really accommodate only one AV component? That's right--but if said component is an AV receiver, you can use the receiver's switching ability to route any number of devices right into the TV Spider, greatly expanding your viewing options. Also, the system features two-way data streaming, letting you hook it up with your broadband cable modem and/or use it with Pay-Per-View features, just as you would with your standard cable hook-up. Beyond losing two channels, the system is completely transparent.

It's also compatible with both DirecTV and Dish Networks systems, plasma flat screen TVs, LCD flat-screen TVs, LCD video projectors, and DLP video projectors (though keep in mind that TV Spider works on at 480i interlaced resolution only). Installation should take less than 10 minutes, provided your TVs are already hooked up to your RF coaxial distribution system.

What's in the Box
A TV Spider video hub (TVS-HUB-125-VAO), a cable-entry signal director (TVS-CESD-125-CER), a 12-volt power pack (TVS-PS-12-200), a video/audio ribbon cable (TVS-RCA-3), two coaxial RF video cables (TVS-COAX-3, TVS-COAX-6), and a user's manual.

Note: If your cable provider uses channels 124 and 125, TV Spider will block channel 124 and replace channel 125. If you need to view these cable channels, TV Spider is not for you.

Electronics:

Electronics

Electronics