It seems like ever since we enabled HD on our AT&T U-verse account, the picture has been stuttering, stammering, hanging, etc. I called tier 2 support (yes, I have their direct number because the front line flowchart morons are worthless!), and they checked it out, and there was definitely a problem. The technician came out and replaced the outside splitter as well as a couple other connectors. The picture was no different.
As an experiment, I ran a 100-ft length CAT5 cable from the RG to the DVR and removed the coax connection. Instantly the picture was better...and perfect! Obviously there is a problem with the coax connection. It just so happens that the coax to the DVR is a RG6 shielded line, dedicated to the DVR, and only splits at the outset, for household distribution:
RG -> AT&T splitter -> 3 way house splitter -> 1) DVR 2) living room 3) floor 2
My suspicion was the home 3-way splitter, since the tech had replaced the AT&T splitter. I called to get another tech to come out. When he arrived, I gave him the rundown of what was going on and what had been done, so he set out to replace the home splitter, and he discovered a lot of interference on the line coming from the floor 2 line. I showed him the attic access to that line and splitter, where he replaced a couple of the end connectors. In all, he replaced the 3-way splitter and also some end connectors, as well as the end connectors at the splitter in the attic on floor 2. After all that, he could detect no interference on the line, and the picture has been perfect ever since.
