Home > Consumer Reviews > 2-Port Bi-Directional Cable TV HDTV Amplifier Splitter Signal Booster with Passive Return Path (NOT FOR SATELLITE SYSTEMS)

I have a couple of the PCT Amplifier in my set up. They do a great job of keeping the DTV signals strong. I have one station that is 90 degrees from the other stations that with out a distribution amp, the signal degrades to the point where I'm lucky to get 20-30%. With these amps, i'm getting 80-85% signal. I'm also occationally getting out of market stations that I was not getting without them.

To be clear, these help keep the signal from degrading along the long runs from the antenna to the tv/reciever - they are not boosting the antenna power.

I purchased this amplified splitter to amplify and split my coaxial cable TV coming from the wall to both an HDTV and a Media PC (with a built in TV tuner). The PC can record programs off the cable and route the signal back to the same TV thru a DVI-HDMI cable. Previously I was using a standard splitter and I was getting some channels with low signal strength on both the TV and PC. After I removed the old splitter and installed this amplified splitter, I rechecked the signal strength and WHAT A DIFFERENCE! Previous channels with a "1" or "2" (out of "10") signal strength jumped to a "7" or "8". All my digital and HDTV channels now have either a "7" or "8" strength and come in much clearer (no digital breakup) along with better audio. This worked much better than a model that I had purchased at a local retail store. You can tell the electronics in this item is very well made (very solid) and has a LED green light that indicates the power amplification is working. You will need to provide your own coax from the "wall wart" plug to the amp/splitter in the length you will need it. In this case, this coax carries the power to the product. I would recommend good quality RG6 quad shielded coax cable for all connections to keep the connection and signals strong. Good coax is not expensive, so don't try to do the "el cheapo" on your coax connections.

I have a Silicon Dust HDHomeRun dual QAM/ATSC tuner feeding a Mac Mini that is hooked up to a HDTV. The same cable feed is used for a cable modem and a direct connection to the HDTV. A passive 4-way splitter was doing the job for over a year, but the HDTV and internet performance was slowly declining. The cable guy replaced the drop cable to house, but unfortunately, the signal strength did not improve significantly. The signal going into the house was +10.5 dBmv (typical expected value), but after a fifty foot run and a final 4-way split, the signal was -8 dBmv at the cable modem (the signal typically varied between -9 and -7 dBmv). The HDHomerun tuners were detecting a signal strength of about 80%, which is at the extreme low end of providing a reliable QAM signal. In fact, many recorded shows were less than perfect. After doing some additional research and reading the reviews of all the PCT amplifier products here at Amazon, I decidied to purchase the 2-port PCT amplifier.

My final setup is a passive two-way splitter where the cable enters the house followed by the PCT amp followed by a fifty foot run, and finally, the original passive 4-way splitter (2 HDHomeRun tuners, HDTV, and terminator on fourth output). As it turns out, the cable modem should either be dirctly connected to the cable (impossible if you have a TV) or at the MOST, after a 2-way split. The outgoing (upstream signal) is often overlooked. Thus, the cable modem has a separate feed from the initial passive 2-way splitter. The upstream cable modem signal went from 53 dBmv to 48 dBmv (below 50 dBmv is great) and the downstream signal varies between -2 and 0 dBmv (-5 to +5 is ideal; note that the cable modem was NOT amplified). The HDTV has been spectacular! Both signal strength and signal quality register well above 95%, more often at 100%. And the bonus is that I have an unused amplified output, that currently has a terminator, that will eventually be used for future expansion of coaxial outlets in other rooms.

The no-brainer is to purchase an inexpensive PCT amp, but do your research on how much ampification is required and if necessary, how to deal with signals for both a cable modem and HDTVs. An excellent source is the supplier of the amps at CableTVamps.com.

Thanks to everyone who posted the previous reviews of PCT amps and inspired me so solve my cable problem.

I recently bought a HDTV antenna and needed to split it between two TVs. The signal was not adequate without a booster. This is a good choice. I think its better quality and a cheaper price than other ones I saw at local stores. It has a power light which helps when trouble shooting. For some reason, connecting 2 coax cables together will not work for the plug in cable. There is a definite signal boost with this product, but I dont think these boosters are adequate for more than one split.

Didn't help my signal at all. Plus the design requires a coax cable for power input. Not worth the $$$ at all.