Customer Reviews

OPEN HOUSE H838BID 3 x 8 Video Distribution System with Infrared Engine

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Open House line of networking/telephony products is an excellent entry level line if you're looking to network/wire your own home.

I've been consistently using them since 2001 and have had little to no problem with the entire line.

Per the other reviewers comments about power surges, I've never had that issue with any of the 3 (1 HHR and 2 BID's) I own. I've also only used them in new construction where the grounding of the electrical system is adequate.

Note, if you have a box from your cable company that requires two-way communication back to them (eg... Pay Per View, On-Demand) then you must have the H838BID and not the H838HHR. The BID model is bi-directional which means the cable box can talk back to the cable company computers.
If you are looking for just the cable splitter aspect then the HHR model is fine, and works well for DirectTV or Dish where the communication is one-way only. That being said you can find 8-way cable splitters much cheaper than these around the net.

The OpenHouse products also perform signal amplification which is why they cost more than your standard splitter. You can also inject a second video feed (eg. Security Camera) into your cable lines using Open Houses channel injector. This will allow you to view your security cameras on Channel 1.
All-in-All I haven't found another integrated system that comes in near the $ value for what you get from the Open House products.

This worked great for our HD cable on Insight. Unfortunately, like the other reviewer the first thunderstorm to go by and it was dead.

Exactly what was ordered and quick shipping. Lightning can affect these hubs, so make sure you invest in a good surge protector. We've learned the hard way: This is the fifth hub we've purchased.

I was looking for a video distribution system whereby I could take two or more inputs, like satellite system inputs and program out put to what ever channels I wanted to my network in my home and shop. This product does not do this.
GTNesvold