HANDS ON REVIEW: Tech Choice HDMI to Coax adapter

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This is an exciting one, friends, because it’s something I’ve been working with our product people on for quite some time. It’s exciting because I’m able to offer it to some of our more patient customers, just in time for winter when a lot of folks are keeping their RVs at home and doing upgrades on them.

The problem

There are a lot of older RVs out there. And by older, I mean older than ten years old. RVs, properly maintained, will last longer than most cars, and that’s good in general. However, since the 2000s, we’ve seen really big changes in the way video works. We’ve gone from standard-definition, RF-modulated sources to high-definition and 4K devices that connect exclusively via HDMI. This is a problem for older RVs where the only wires in the walls are coaxial cable.

If you have an older RV like this you know what I’m talking about. You’ve probably had to choose a solution you didn’t like, such as wiring outside the walls or trying to shoehorn in a box where it doesn’t belong.

The only solution over all this time was to use a high definition RF modulator. Unlike standard definition ones that tend to run under $50, high-definition modulators often cost over $1,000 and that’s a tough pill to swallow. It’s been a problem for a very long time.

Well, no longer. The solution is here.

HDMI to coax adapters

These little adapters, now available at Solid Signal, convert the signal from an HDMI cable so it can travel over coax. And then, at the TV, they convert it back. So, the effect is like having a long HDMI cable, except that it uses coax instead. You don’t have to turn the TV to a specific channel, just leave it on HDMI like you would if the two devices were right next to each other.

How it works

There are two adapters, and although they look similar, one is labeled “RX” and one is labeled “TX.” The TX one goes by your satellite or streaming box, while the RX one goes by your TV. Other than those letters at the upper left corner they look identical. Both require a power adapter, included, and both have an HDMI connection on one side.

On the other side, there’s a coax connector, which is where you connect to the coax cable in your walls. Depending on your wiring, you may need a short length of coax cable to get from the unit to your wallplate. That’s not included, but any old coax cable you have lying around will do.

“Just works.”

I tried this in the worst possible situation. I used a crummy old coax cable that I would never put in my home theater. I ran 100 feet of cable, and connected the whole thing up without even really tightening anything. Even the HDMI cables were old. And you know what, it just worked. It worked perfectly. And because I was using devices with Bluetooth and RF remotes, it was like I had the box right there. I pointed the remote at the TV and it still picked everything up.

The solution for old wiring blues

I could see a lot of cases where this could be used to fix the “old wiring blues.” A lot of homes, even up into the mid-’10s, were pre-wired with coaxial cable. A lot of times, this wiring is useless. Even the cable company doesn’t want to use it. But you could use something like this to make your home theater a lot cleaner or distribute programming to other rooms. I can’t guarantee that it would work with every home wiring solution but I bet if all your cables terminate in a panel in your bedroom closet, there’s a way to make it work.

Check out this solution at Solid Signal

Solid Signal has thousands of products to help you live you best digital life! Check out this HDMI to Coax adapter and shop for even more products while you’re at our site!

About the Author

Stuart Sweet
Stuart Sweet is the editor-in-chief of The Solid Signal Blog and a "master plumber" at Signal Group, LLC. He is the author of over 10,000 articles and longform tutorials including many posted here. Reach him by clicking on "Contact the Editor" at the bottom of this page.