View Full Version : Freesat aerial setup
JB001D7606
29-06-2008, 15:22
Hello all - I have a virgin media XL package and also have a digital aerial which goes straight into the 'in' socket on my V+ box and then from the 'out' socket up to a tv signal amplifier in the loft and the outlets from this are then distributed around the house to tv's in other rooms. With this system, I can watch any cable channel on any of the other tv's. I now wish to get the latest Panasonic TV that includes 'freesat' already built in. to enable you to get the freesat channels - you need a sky dish. Question if I get the dish mounted - can I 'join' the lead off the dish into the lead from the digital aerial and just join the telephone cable part anywhere in the telephone cable system? I would be grateful for any advice. regards harford
Surely the virgin cable will still go into the V+ box,
Your digital aerial will still go into the V+ box then out around your house,
The New satellite dish will connect to a satellite input connector on your new tv,
All 3 will be seperate inputs
The panasonic TV (with freesat) will not have any analogue throughput and you'll need to find some way of distributing the freesat signals via a A/V sender or similar.
Kymmy
JB001D7606
01-07-2008, 16:23
To alex 250 and Kymmy.
thanks for your replies. The virgin cable does go into the V+ box as well as the co-ax from the outdoor aerial and when this is joined into the amplifier in the loft - I am able to watch any virgin transmitted programme on any other TV. I was hoping to splice the Signal from the sky dish into this system but apparently it cannot be done. The cable from the sky dish needs to be sent straight to the back of the new 'freesat' TV (I've since been advised). It would have been great if it could be done but never mind! regards harford
Totally different formats...
Sat uses DVB-S, cable uses DVB-C and freeview uses DVB-T, although as you found out the V+ box will accept the co-axial from the T and C Components the DVB-s is totally different as the LNB on these systems need a switching voltage for differing polerizations as well as different tuning specs...
Kymmy ;)
Totally different formats...
Sat uses DVB-S, cable uses DVB-C and freeview uses DVB-T, although as you found out the V+ box will accept the co-axial from the T and C Components the DVB-s is totally different as the LNB on these systems need a switching voltage for differing polerizations as well as different tuning specs...
Kymmy ;)
Which, in English, means that you can't distribute a signal from a satellite dish via a splitter or amplifier because every individual TV or set-top box that is attached to the dish has to have its own cable, and its own LNB (the widget on the end of the dish's arm). :p:
You can still have Freesat on, say, four TVs around your house, but you'll need to cable each one of them to the dish separately, and attach the four cables to a quad-LNB (that's four widgets in one, sitting on the end of the arm attached to the dish).
You can get all the bits you need to do this in Maplins or even a sufficiently large branch of B&Q. If you already have a correctly positioned Sky Digital minidish you shouldn't need to get a sat installer involved. Just be careful not to knock the dish out of alignment while you're messing with it.
JB001D7606
01-07-2008, 20:46
Kymmy many thanks for that - it's all very interesting and you obviously know your stuff. My set-up is that we have a 32inch original Phillips pixel plus which is now about past it's sell by date. So when this new Panasonic with the built in freesat came on the scene - it seemed appropriate to have a look. in the bedroom we have a JVC 26 inch HD ready and in the kitchen a 20inch Sony also HD ready. Silly me - I thought that With one sky dish I could get freesat on them all! The picture on the JVC and the Sony is already great but if I didn't have the sky dish facility - I wouldn't have the range of 80 or so channels that would be available. I'll have to have a serious think about this. All serious TV viewing is done in the lounge so I may just stick with that one outlet. I'll keep you posted. many thanks again regards harfordhttp://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/images/icons/icon14.gif
As I said the TV should have an output for attaching to something like a VCR/PVR, just put that on a video sender and send it to the rest of the house..
Kymmy :)
JB001D7606
02-07-2008, 10:09
Hi Kymmy - again thank you but I do not understand the last message about sending the signal around the house - could you please explain? What is it that we are talking about please? regards harford
You can get a box that plugs into the SCART or A/V out of the TV and it uses a wireless signal to broadcast the audio/video around the house. You can get multiple receiver boxes and they just plug into the SCART/AV in of the other TV's, only problem is that you can;t change channels unless you go back to the original TV..
Just a thought
Kymmy
JB001D7606
02-07-2008, 16:34
kymmy - this gets more interesting all the time. Having to go back to the main source to change the channel is not a problem - I'm in that situation anyway with my present virgin set-up. Are you saying that with this gadget that plugs into the scart facility I will be able to send say a freesat programme from the main TV in the lounge to the one in the bedroom? If the answer is yes - could I also have another one by the TV in the kitchen to complete the set-up? I' certainly pleased that I came into contact with you! regards harford
Just type in video sender in eBay, just beware though that not all are legal in the UK (mainly due to the power output)... Places like Maplins also have them in and all of theirs will be UK legal.
Some even have a remote extender built in.
I know I have seen sets before that have one sender and 2 or 3 receiver units, but you can get the same effect using multiple sets, in fact because you can select a different signal channel you could have a sender for freesat and a sender for your V+ box and then have a receiver in each room, just by flicking a switch o the reciever you can then have freesat or V+
Kymmy
JB001D7606
02-07-2008, 18:19
Hi Kymmy - you have certainly cheered me up with all the info that you have supplied. I went into Maplin's website and they do them quite reasonably as well as two pages of FAQ to explain what they do and don't do - so I think that they would be my preferred port of call. I am very grateful for all the info and thank you most warmly - well done and thanks. regards harford
Sharing information is what this forum is all about...Glad I could help...
You'll have to let me know how you get on :)
Just one word of warnign though, check to see if the internal freesat receiver will still output a signal with the TV display turned off, otherwise you might have to have the TV on so that others in the next room can also receive the channel. If it does need the display on then you might consider buying a cheap sat receiver and having a multi ouput LNB installed, but in the end that's a whole other thread ;)
Kymmy
JB001D7606
02-07-2008, 20:06
Kymmy - yes, sharing info is what it's about and you have responded in what can only be described as 'in the best tradition' I did not think about the fact that the 'sender' might not work if the Tv is switched off. I most certainly will let you know - but it might be some time yet - I am very grateful to you and wish you all the best. regards harford
Another thought regarding the VCR output. On my Sky+ box, the output from this connection is significantly worse quality than the normal RGB signal to the TV. So it may give you the connections you need but you could suffer some loss of quality. And free HD is one of the appealling things about Freesat.
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