Hi All
Still trying to get a grip on satellites and aerials etc!
I have two drops of co-ax from the loft to the living room TV, about 7-8m long. Will one to these be OK for satellite? Would it make a difference if the satellite (Sky?) box was located in the loft and the co-ax used downstream of the box only? ie do these boxes have RF out? Also, if I were to site the Sky box in the loft, would the co-ax carry the "magic-eye" signal back to the loft to allow channel control?
TIA
Phil
If it's only ordinary TV coax, then probably not. You really need to have the proper CT100 satellite cable. It might work, but there's a high chance that certain groups of channels at the high end of the frequency range won't appear reliably or at all.
Yes they do. Two of them. This could be a reasonable solution if you can't easily change the coax.
Yes it would. It gives a remote of the remote IYSWIM.
Thanks Andy
Just to complicate things, could I put the output from the Sky box into a (booster?) splitter for distribution to other rooms? If I did, would the remote control of the box still function? Could I take a standard aerial and/or freeview into the same splitter alongside the Sky and still expect it all to function correctly?
Phil
Just interjecting to point out that Satellite is not synomous with "Sky". 'Sky' is the generally -used term for a specific subset of the 'satellite' generality. It is the 'default' system in UK (and now Eire?) which is designed and packaged to capture signals off a cluster of satellite
-relay broadcasters, decode them and provide signals to 'basic' Television receivers. The Sky -' system' contains the Aerial Dish itself, plus the actual receiver(s) themselves (LNB(s)) - this(these) are connected to a 'Sky box' . The Sky box chooses which channel to receive by sending DC signal to the LNB - so the coax-cable connection must be direct and not 'protected'. It is a requirement of the contract that the box must be connected to a land-line telephone. - BSkyB uses the connection to download software to the box.
'Sky box' has SCART and RF outlets. TV(1) is intended to go to the Television set - tune a TV channel to this output and change 'Sky channel' selection on the 'Sky' handset. TV(2) is intended to go to the VCR set- tune the VCR i/p channel to the 'Sky box' o/p and remember to set the recorder to turn ON/OFF and select the channel - while simultaneously remembering to set the 'Sky box' to the display the correct channel at the correct time.
I think the magic-eye repeater is a twenty-quid option ... not sure where it's implemented .
Putting the 'Sky box' up in the loft seem counter-intuitive; the Sky installers will install the aerial and route coax to wherever you want to position the box If the installers need to route cable from the LNB(s) from outside into your loft space - which presumably is at some height - you may need a 'special' installation [The default installation is into the lounge at ground level and they drill hole(s) right through your wall using a SDS hammer drill with a long bit - with feet braced on the ground -it's relatively easy - up a ladder...?]
The kit contains a short co-ax cable intended to connect the box to your Television's RF i/p.
They'll also install a telephone cable from your BT(?) master socket to the telephone dangle at the rear of the 'Sky Box'. I presume that you'll need to provide a telephone point in the loft as they might bilk at the thought of routing this cable through several floors.
You'll have to have a 13A power outlet in your loft
And ... sometimes ... the box needs a three-finger-salute (equivalent) .. aperiodically it needs a reset ... not often ... but sometimes. I'd hate to have to trog up into the loft when this is required.
BTW, opt for Sky+. It has (default) two channels -which is why I've used (s) throughout. You can forget VCR's and setting of ON/OFF times etc. It really is what television should be, it provides/stores the programmes you want so that you view them when you want to.- You can actually view a stored programme while SKY+ box records two other programmes!
HTH
On Mon, 6 Dec 2004 11:01:51 -0000, "TheScullster" strung together this:
Yes, as long as you use a decent amp with digital passthrough. The aerial feed can go into the box which is then modulated through and mixed with the decoded satellite signal.
Using proper satellite coax is recommended for best performance and the cable construction of ordinary TV grade coax may make it difficult to fit the F type connectors properly.
Fitting a digibox in the loft may cause problems in the summer when it may overheat. Also, some models occasionally crash and need a power-off - so you would need it to be reasonable accessible.
Dave
Yes you can, but you must buy the right kind of amplifier with suitable passthrough.
Have a look at
I've bought other satellite stuff from them in the past without problems.
Only if the interactive discount is taken and then only for a year. Also if "Multiroom" is taken - then all boxes have to be connected to the *same* phone line for the duration of the "multiroom" agreement. For obvious reasons really ;)
Also, obviously if a phone line is not provided, then the "interactive" services will not be available.
No it doesn't! ;) It uses the datastream from the default channel to do this.
Lee
B&Q sell an RF amp that will run off the powered second RF output from your digibox and also pass remote commands. No requirement for external power.
Just bought one myself, but haven't got round to fitting it yet - I'll let you know how it performs.
JJ
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