Guide to Cable TV Equipment

A complete set of your own cable TV equipment can save you time and money. With the right cable TV supplies, you can outfit your own televisions to bring customers more channels in your bar or restaurant, give your staff more diverse access to news and more. But what kind of cable equipment do you need to make sure all your favorite channels come in crystal clear?

Some items to add to your list: a cable converter, which is likely already built in to your TV; a coaxial cable to connect your TV to an outlet; a descrambler for the reception of premium cable channels and an addressable converter for pay-per-view programming; a power-splitter if you plan to send the cable signal to more than one TV; a signal amplifier to prevent poor reception and a high-pass filter to protect the cable signal and cable modem from electronic noise.

Some other matters to consider when shopping online for what you need:

1. Find good cable TV equipment manufacturers that offer a wide range of products and options.
2. Further back up your cable supplies with reliable accessories.
3. Make sure you have cable TV test equipment to ensure your configuration operates properly.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Locate cable TV equipment wholesalers and manufacturers online

Cable TV supplies and equipment are just a click away online at manufacturer websites that sell quality products at competitive prices.

I recommend: CableWholesale.com sells many cable TV accessories by category, while YourBroadbandStore also sells a variety of essentials. Confluent Technology Group allows you to search for supplies by manufacturer or equipment type, and Applied Telcomm Corporation provides a comprehensive selection of cable TV supplies.

Find great cable TV accessories that prove handy to have around

In addition to the basic components, you need a good selection of cable TV tools to make sure you install and connect correctly.

I recommend: Jonard Industries Corp. sells basic but necessary cable supplies such as pliers, wrenches and kits tailored exclusively for cable TV installation use. Pro Satellite Supply also sells great installation tools like crimpers and compression tools. At the bottom of the page, you can find links to even more cable TV tools.

Find the right cable TV test equipment to make sure everything is running smoothly

Cable TV test equipment could prove to be the most important cable TV tool you purchase for self-installation. Among other features, this equipment tells you how good your signal is and alerts you to any connection problems.

I recommend: Trinet Communications Inc. offers great fiber-optic test equipment--a definite plus in this environment where cable TV connections more than likely bring you Internet and phone services as well. While expensive, MetricTest also offers high-quality test equipment you can rent or lease.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• Cable television supplies will help you customize your cable TV connection, but they should never be used for illegal purposes. Refrain from buying TV cable equipment that enables you to obtain cable services for free.

The official source of Cable TV Equipment is the Cable TV Equipment page at Business.com