Is it possible to turn an ethernet cord into a cable for cable tv?

Question

I have this 50 ft ethernet cord. I was wondering if you could just cut the ends off and apply those things that are at the end of the cables for cable tv.

Answer 1

During the early days of networking, coax cable was actually the standard for transmitting large amounts of computer data... and it worked, but was limited by a lot of factors, such as cable length and gauge. There would also be data loss as a result of electrical interference. The ethernet cable you know today (Category 5, or Cat5 for short) is just like coax in that it's a copper medium, but is in a twisted-pair configuration. This allows the transmission of large amounts of data without the same length limitations as coax.

However, it's not not quite as effective as coax at transmitting large amounts of signal which is typically required for your home theater.

Cat5 (ethernet) is made up of 8 wires in 4 twisted pairs. This is what allows large amounts of data transfer with minimal interference. However, I'm not even sure how you would use a coax cable end to match up with each of the 4 twisted pairs. But, if by some chance you did, the television signal would be very low quality, if visible at all.

So, my suggestion... go buy a ridiculously inexpensive coax cable. They usually cost somewhere between $1 and $5.

Answer 2

not very wise, you need co-axial cable for cable tv

Answer 3

The results will be poor compared to using a good coax cable, but the answer is yes - it can be used.