sky & cable cabling

[coldunn]

I was a long term cable customer but finally went to the dark side for sky+. The equivalent being offered by virgin has lured me back (finally getting rid of the niggles I have with sky). The only thing that is holding me back is a possible problem with the physical cabling.

My cabling comes inside then down into the cellar across the room and up to the back of my tv. However, last year I had my cellar converted and the cables are now locked into the ceiling. The floor of the living room is varnished floorboards so I am not about to pull them up. This lack of foresight has left the cabling locked away.

So to finally get to my point... If I order cable would I be able to connect using the existing sky+ cable? I have no idea if virgin cable is different to sky or if they require a different number of cables - the sky+ has two - one for each tuner.

I have asked the sales guys at virgin / ntl but they have no idea.

Thanks for any help.

[HDFootyMan]

So to finally get to my point... If I order cable would I be able to connect using the existing sky+ cable? I have no idea if virgin cable is different to sky or if they require a different number of cables - the sky+ has two - one for each tuner.

IMO, no chance. But there are several wise people around here who'll be able to give you the 100% correct answer. :)

[MovedGoalPosts]

Rarely will the existing cabling be suitable. The fact that the incoming cable from the street box would have to be joined to the stuff already inside your house creates additional problems with risks of the signal degrading. I can't see an installer being happy with that option.

[coldunn]

My broadband is still with ntl so I still have a box on the wall with a socket for two cables to fasten to it - one of which is used for the broadband.

I was hoping (slim as it was - that the cable of sky could be snipped and have a connector put on it and plugged into the existing box.

This is looking more unlikely I guess.

[awibble]

Talk to the installer, you might be able to do a manual pull, ive done it a lot with CAT5 and its pretty easy to do if everything was put in well. Basically, cut the adaptor off one end, tie / tape / glue some fishing wire or equlivent to the cable and then pull it from the other end. You then have some nice strong thin wire running through, attach the new cables and preform the same thing backwards. Most experenced installers will of done this, but they may want your help as it wont be normal pratice. You may have to do the pre-pull (getting the cables out) before they get there.

[punky]

Moved to installation forum.

I am pretty sure, as a rule installers are told to ignore existing cabling.

[beemamad]

Talk to the installer, you might be able to do a manual pull, ive done it a lot with CAT5 and its pretty easy to do if everything was put in well. Basically, cut the adaptor off one end, tie / tape / glue some fishing wire or equlivent to the cable and then pull it from the other end. You then have some nice strong thin wire running through, attach the new cables and preform the same thing backwards. Most experenced installers will of done this, but they may want your help as it wont be normal pratice. You may have to do the pre-pull (getting the cables out) before they get there.

This is the best advice that can be given as the installer should def. ignore existing cables for a variety of reasons, particularly sky cabling as they use a different coax cable/connectors.

Sound advice IMO. :tu:

[coldunn]

Thanks everyone - I knew I was clutching at straws, but worth asking anyway.

[coldunn]

Just a follow up on this... I saw an Ntl, sorry, Virgin Media guy getting stuff out of his van this morning so I pulled over to talk to him.

Very nice guy and answered all my questions. I asked him about using sky cable and he said YES! its fine they can reuse that cable and only need the one as opposed to sky's two.

He then told me a few pros and cons of the v+ - the pros being better now and next with info, but the main con he said was that changing channel is very slow - taking 4 seconds to switch. Is this something people are seeing? I thought sky was slow to change!

He said he has been told that they are working on an update to make it faster, but has no idea when it might happen.

[Rhyming Obituary]

Channel changes are slow due to the way that the V+ box has to handle live tv.

They are working on ways to streamline it with code due out later this year though.