November 4, 2026, 7:55 am | Read time: 5 minutes
If you use cable TV, you don’t necessarily have to place your TV near the cable outlet. Certain cable routers have a DVB-C streaming function that allows TV programs to be made available throughout the home network. This way, users can watch TV on smartphones, tablets, or computers.
In many apartments and houses, cable connections are only available in a few places. If the TV is to be placed elsewhere, additional wiring is often necessary. However, there is an alternative: Some cable routers can feed the TV signal into the home network and transmit it to other devices via Wi-Fi or LAN. TECHBOOK explains how it works.
Overview
Router with DVB-C
With a suitable cable router, the TV signal received via the cable connection can be made available in the home network. This allows users to watch TV channels on smartphones, tablets, or computers without having to connect these devices to the cable outlet with a coaxial cable.
Fritz, formerly AVM, offers corresponding solutions with various Fritzbox Cable models. These include the Fritzbox 6490 Cable, 6590 Cable, 6591 Cable, 6660 Cable, 6670 Cable, and 6690 Cable. The Fritz!WLAN Repeater DVB-C can also be used to distribute the TV signal in the home network.
In addition, there are specialized network tuners from other manufacturers. For example, Digital Devices offers devices in the Octopus-NET series that can be configured for DVB-C and provide TV signals over the home network. Unlike a Fritzbox Cable, these are not cable routers.
Important: Whether the DVB-C function of a Fritzbox is available also depends on the cable provider. Some cable providers do not support the function. In this case, the “DVB-C” menu item is not present in the Fritzbox user interface.
How TV signal distribution works
The devices receive the DVB-C signal from the cable connection and then make the TV channels available as streams in the home network. Playback can occur via Wi-Fi or a network connection, depending on the device.
With a Fritzbox featuring a quad tuner, up to four different TV channels can be transmitted simultaneously. A maximum of six devices can play TV at the same time, as long as no more than four different channels are used. Each device can play only one TV channel at a time.
Step 1: Connect router to cable connection
The first requirement is that the Fritzbox or the DVB-C-capable device can receive the TV signal from the cable connection.
In a Fritzbox Cable, the integrated DVB-C tuner receives the cable TV signal. The Fritzbox can then provide the received programs as TV streams in the home network. It should be checked in advance whether the respective cable provider supports the DVB-C function of the Fritzbox. If the “DVB-C” menu item is missing despite a generally suitable device, the cause may lie with the provider.
Step 2: Set up receiving device
There are different options available for receiving the programs streamed via the Fritzbox:
On smartphones and tablets, the Fritz!App TV can be used. On computers, a compatible media player like the VLC Media Player can play the TV streams. Suitable TVs can also directly use the signal. Devices with SAT>IP support can access the tuners of the Fritzbox.
This allows the TV signal to be used on various devices in the home network without having to connect each of these devices separately to the cable outlet with an antenna cable.
Step 3: Start channel search
To make the TV programs available, the live TV function of the Fritzbox must be activated.
To do this, access the Fritzbox user interface via fritz.box. The following steps are then required:
- Select the “DVB-C” section in the menu.
- Activate the TV function under “Live TV.”
- Start the channel search.
- Once the search is complete, the found programs are available in the home network.
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Which channels are available
Which programs are actually available depends on the respective cable connection and cable provider. The playback of unencrypted programs is particularly straightforward. There are restrictions, however, for encrypted TV channels.
Encrypted TV channels can only be played via SAT>IP with the DVB-C solution from Fritz. Additionally, the TV used must have a CI/CI+ slot.
This makes DVB-C streaming via the Fritzbox particularly suitable for receiving unencrypted cable programs on various devices in the household.
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Conclusion
The option to distribute cable TV over the home network is still available. Suitable Fritzbox Cable models can receive the DVB-C signal and provide it as TV streams in the network. This allows TV channels to be watched on smartphones, tablets, and computers, among other devices. TVs with SAT>IP can also directly access the tuners of the Fritzbox.
However, users should check in advance whether their specific Fritzbox model and, above all, their cable provider support the DVB-C function. Additional restrictions apply to encrypted channels.