Viewing HD Television on multiple TV's

[markw]

I currently have on HD Television and am using a Samsung HDTV Receiver (DirecTV) for it. As soon as the HD TIVO is out I plan on upgrading it to that. I plan on getting a second HD Television around the holidays and within a couple years or so when prices go down a lot may look into a 3rd for another area of the house.
The problem, I know a simple way to get HD Television on all TV's is to get a box foe each one but the boxes are expensive and that's a monthly $4.99 fee for each box. As well, I want to be able to watch the TIVO recorded programs on each TV. Currently what I do is have one DirecTV box and run the coaxial cable out into a splitter and run it to each other TV in the box. It's just me and my fiancee and often only one of us watches TV at the same time. Of course with the coaxial you don't have the best quality and not stereo sound. I know with a HD TV I could do the same but I will not get HD television (just standard) on the other TV's and the only use I'd get out of them althougth not HD TV is when I watched a dvd on a dvd player connected to them.
My question, is there any type of box that can be used as a splitter from a HD box that would send the HD signal over preferably DVI cable but at least component as well as the stereo sound through RCA Cables? I know it would need a amplifier considering the distance some cables would run but is anything like this in the works or out now?

[namechamps]

Easiest way would just pay $5/month and get second directTV tuner.

However.

DVI. You can't use a splitter. It would have to be switchbox. They are expensive ($250-$400). Reason you can't use a splitter is DVI HDCP creates a secure point to point connection. More than 1 reciever on the line it will confuse the transmitter because it is getting information from more than reciever at same time and likely will not transmit at all. *Note: it might work if all TVs were exactly same, set up same, but it was not designed to do that so you would just need to try and see.

Component. Switchbox again. A splitter would reduce image quality. same power signal pushes through more cable, connections and tv = lower quality signal. A switchbox would allow only 1 TV to recieve the signal at a time but would improve the signal quality. Good news is component switchboxes are more common and cheaper. Usually ($100-$250).

So I guess it could be done.


BTW I would wait for ReplayTV to come out with HD recorder. Reason why I have tried both ReplayTV and Tivo. Tivo is better in most aspects but I found ReplayTV easier to use when sharing shows between 2 units. (I am not tying to start a Tivo vs Replay war here just my 2 cents).