Crappy Cable signal. Any way to improve this? (1 Viewer)

[Ryan Wishton]

Well, I unfortunately have Crapcast.

You know. The company that charges an arm and a leg, but yet seems to have just dreadful service.

Anyways, I feel that the picture should be very good for such high prices. But, alas we live in reality where such is not the case.

I am wondering if there is any device that would allow me to improve my signal?

This is not for anything illegal. Just to improve my signal on analog stations (Many are just shameful quality for such high prices). The last cable company I had did have fine quality on analog stations. The digitals seem fine.

Thank You.


P.S. Before anyone mentions it, I would dump it as a service, but that is just not an option at this time.

 

[Jon Mahoney]

Have you tried a signal amplifier? They're about $20 at Radio Shack and I've had great success in the past with them. Also, there could a problem with some of your wiring, in my apartment now we had a bad cable that was causing random analog channels to come in poorly, some were unwatchable. We ran a new coax cable and everything is great now, i also have Comcast.

I really have never had a problem with Comcast, besides their prices are a bit too high. Whenever I've had a problem they've been more than willing to help, even sending out techs for free.

 

[DeborahK]

Just a word of caution about signal amplifiers: sometimes the problem is that your signal is too strong, rather than too weak. If this is the case, amplifying it will make the situation worse. I know because this happened to me -- also with a Comcast connection.

In case it helps,

Deborah

 

[Philip_T]

I just got comcast a few months ago and the analog stations were pretty bad as well. I had them send another tech out and he hooked up a signal tester to the line and it reading in the negatives (-2.5 IIRC). He ran a new line from the main box to my house and it improved it +7.5 and the picture is much better now.

 

[Jerome Grate]

Philip_T states a good option, contact Comcast and have them send out an installer or service guy to see what signal gain is. Sometimes it can be the coax wires themselves, and the tech guy would tell you this.

 

[Johnny_M]

...or you could dump cable and get satalite! thats what i did, and i will never go back!

johnny

 

[Gene Severn]

Make sure the drop from the pole and all internal wiring is RG6. Make sure all splitters are 1 GHz. An amp will not help if the incoming signal is crap. An amp helps if you want to drive multiple TV's

 

[Parisis]

Agree with the wiring changes. My picture has improved 200% in the last 6 mos. This included wiring upgrades in the neighborhood and an HDTV install that got me new house wiring.