How to broadcast TV around house?

[z3]

I'm having an extension built at the moment. The builders will have to remove my current short tv aerial which is on the side of my house. I don't really use this aerial as I have Sky but I thought I might take this opportunity to try and get a new aerial fitted so I could somehow get freeview pumped around the new rooms in the extension. Also, now is a good time to get things fitted to conceal any cables.

Seems a really simple idea, but what do I need to do to achieve this?

I wasn't sure where to post so I thought I'd try in the DIY section first!

Thanks.

[Set Square]

Are you planning on distributing it in analog or digital form? If in analog form, you simply need something like a Wickes (Labgear) distribution amplifier - which has 2 inputs (TV and FM radio) and a number of outputs - each of which you connect to a socket in a different room using low loss coax or better. One thing to bear in mind is that most Freeview set top boxes can only output one channel at a time - so if you want to distribute Freeview round the house from a single box, that's fine as long as everyone is happy to watch the same channel. If that's the way you want to go, you'll need a set top box with an RF output - which you connect to the aerial input on the distribution amplifier. [Many only have a Scart output for direct connection to a TV].

If you potentially want to watch different channels in different rooms, you'll need a separate set top box in each room, so you'll simply need to distribute the signal from the aerial, and de-code it at each TV location.

Distributing digital TV signals is outside my experience but, if you only have one decoder, you'll still be stuck with all watching the same thing - so maybe analog and separate decoders is best.

If you're installing a new aerial, make sure it's one which can handle all the Freeview frequencies being transmitted in your area - you may need a wide band aerial, even though you don't need this for terrestrial stations.

[John Cartmell]

uk.tech.digital-tv will give you good answers and includes participants who are experienced aerial fitters.

[Ophelia]

Thomson video sender. You must have the main set on the channel you want to watch though. We paid around £25 for a pair but of course you can add more

Ophelia

[Ophelia]

[Harry Bloomfield]

Set Square explained on 07/01/2006 :

Some are fitted with a antenna in and out sockets, but do not actually produce any output on the out socket - they simply pass the antenna signal through the set top box.

[Set Square]

OK, thanks for the clarification. The sort to which I was referring need to be able to modulate the decoded digital signal (in analog form) using an otherwise unused RF channel.

[z3]

Thanks for the info. I haven't thought about whether I will go for analogue or digital, but I'm guessing I should stick to digital as it will be more future proof?

I'll be happy with everyone watching the same channel as they are only bedrooms and they can fight it out amongst themselves!

Saying that though, there will be 3 rooms so it might make sense to explore the option of getting a feed from the aerial and decoding it locally via a TV and freeview decoder. In this scenario, I would have to get three cables connected to the aerial and some kind of booster or something?!

As suggested by Ophelia/John Cartmell, I'll post a message up on uk.tech.digital-tv and hopefully get advice from there.

Thanks for the info on the new aerial.

[The Natural Philosopher]

don't mess around. Simply distribute the lot via a dist. amp, and the bedrooms can plug in to what they like.

[Set Square]

You'll need a Labgear distribution system - as sold by Wickes, etc. - like I said in my previous post. This is the sort of thing . . .

may be an idea to have a trawl around Labgear's website generally - there's lots of distribution stuff, including some which is suitable for digital signals. Screwfix sell some of this - such as

[Ophelia]

Please will you explain that for me please. My knowledge of such things is limited

O

[Mungo]

In days before Freeview there was also the trick of wiring the aerial signal through the video recorder *before* the distribution amplifier.

This allows view of the video output on any telly connected to the amplifier.

As long as you can tolerate any viewer (such as a kid) watching what mummy or daddy is watching on the video of course...

Mungo ;-)

[Set Square]

How are you defining "the lot" - and how, in particular, how are you proposing that the Freeview digtial channels should be decoded and distributed?

[z3]

and sends them down one cable into each of the rooms. Quite like the idea of the CCTV - never even thought about that option!

I guess I could also take a RF feed out of my Sky box and feed that into the distribution box too.

[Dave Fawthrop]

It is a little box with a power supply which takes an RF signal, amplifies it a little and pushes this out to several different coaxes. Bill Wright on uk.tech.digital-tv recommends the Global F104 with "F" connectors.

=20 I also have one which works fine for me.

--=20 Dave Fawthrop

17,000 free e-books at Project Gutenberg! Yorkshire Dialect go to

[Set Square]

Yes, in principle, provided that:

• the distribution box has enough inputs of the correct type

• the Sky box can provide a modulated output on a UHF channel not being used for anything else

[Dave Fawthrop]

| In an earlier contribution to this discussion, | z3 wrote: |=20 | >

| > I guess I could also take a RF feed out of my Sky box and feed that | > into the distribution box too. |=20 | Yes, in principle, provided that:

In practice also.

| * the Sky box can provide a modulated output on a UHF channel not being= used=20 | for anything else

Sky boxes provide exactly this sort of output on RFout2. I use it with no problems.

| * the distribution box has enough inputs of the correct type

If you send the UHF aerial feed to a Sky box, it mixes the analogue, digital, and Sky signals nicely and sends it out on RFout2. so you need only one input into the distribution box. Mine is running nicely ATM.

--=20 Dave Fawthrop

17,000 free e-books at Project Gutenberg! Yorkshire Dialect go to

[Set Square]

But is it settable to any channel you like in the 22-68 range? I know that many VCRs only have a small range of adustment - usually chan 37 plus or minus a few - which isn't always enough to avoid clashes with terrestrial channels and digital multiplexes.

Fair enough. I had assumed that the Sky box was driven by a satellite dish, and would not have a UHF aerial input. But then, I haven't got one!

[Ophelia]

It is a little box with a power supply which takes an RF signal, amplifies it a little and pushes this out to several different coaxes. Bill Wright on uk.tech.digital-tv recommends the Global F104 with "F" connectors.

also have one which works fine for me.

thank you.

[daddyfreddy]

This is how I'd do it:

Use CT100 cable or equivalent and run the main aerial cable to the lounge (or wherever you keep your receivers). Then run another cable (the distribution cable) from that location to a central point (like the loft) and run all cables to each room from that central point via a distribution amplifier.