NTL Samsung box - boosting the signal from TV out connection

[clench]

Hi
I've just switched to NTL from Sky.
Everything seems to be OK, however I am having difficulty getting the signal to a second tv in my bedroom.
I've tried using a wireless sender, but the picture quality is not great and there is a crackling in the background on the audio - can anyone suggest a sender that works well (it is about 15metres and through the floor and two walls - I've tried swithing channels on the sender/receiver and moving the unit around).
The other option I've tried is through coax (which was already there for the Sky). I've put a Y splitter on the TV out connection of the stb, connected the coax direct to tv 2 and the other to tv1. The problem is the signal is poor. Both tv's now have poor terrestrial signals and the ntl signal to tv2 is poor. Can anyone suggest a way to boost this signal? Would I be better running the tv out from the stb to a signal amplifier and then running tv1 and 2 from this??
I've got a Samsung 2100c stb.
To summarise the current set up is:
stb > scart out 1 direct to tv1
stb > scart out 2 to DVD recorder > dvd recorder scart out to tv
terrestrial coax in to stb tv in
stb tv out > Y splitter > one coax to tv2 other coax to tv1.

hope this all makes sense.

Thanks

ps - for info, the sender sends the remote control signal without problems from tv2 in the bedroom (I wasn;t sure this would work for the Samsung box)

[MovedGoalPosts]

to Cable Forum

I don't think you can boost the output from the scart lead - i'd have a look at the quality of the cables you are using and make sure everything is pushed soundly home. A ticking or cracking sound suggests your wireless may be picking up interference. Can you set it to a different channel? IS the scart output compatible with the sender i.e. RGB, Composite? The re should be a menu in the STB's user setups.

I'm doing very similar to you with the co-axial fed from the STB to another bedroom. I use a digisender device to allow me to change the STB channels remotely. I don't see any problems with picture quality, RF is never as good as scart, but you wouldn't really see that on a smaller screen. But do try an amplifier, if the signal is OK via RF to the TV downstairs when you only have one TV connected. Make sure the Y splitter you are using is designed to split, not combine signals, oddly their resistance may work the wrong way round for you.

[clench]

Rob C
thanks for the advice.
I've just bought a signal amplifier and will try it tonight.
What kind of Digisender are you using to change the channels from the second tv?

cheers

[MovedGoalPosts]

Actually it is a Digieye, not digisender, made byt the same people who do Digisender, but possibly discontinued as I can't see it on their web site. Digieye used to be about the only thing that would work to contorl ntl STBs remotely as the original Pace STBs used IrDA signalling, rahter than the more standard RC5. Samsungs use a standard Rc5, so most senders should work, but if you buy, make sure you can take it back just in case.

[clench]

OK
I've tried the following:
1)Wireless sender (tried two types). Both were very sensitive to interference so not happy with this option.
2) RF out from stb in to signal amplifier, then out from amp in to TV2. If I have the terrestrial going in to the RF in on the stb the signal on both analogue terrestrial and ntl at tv2 is poor. If I do not have the analogue going in to the RF in on the stb the ntl signal is much better on tv2 (although not perfect). This means, however, that I can't get the analogue terrestrial channels on TV2.

This is starting to drive me crazy!!

Any other suggestions as to how to get a perfect picture for both analogue terrestrial and ntl signal to tv2???
Would running a scart cable to TV2 do the trick (and splitting the TV out scart from the stb)? If so, any idea where I could get a very long scart cable (20m+)?

[rdhw]

Originally Posted by clench

RF out from stb in to signal amplifier, then out from amp in to TV2. If I have the terrestrial going in to the RF in on the stb the signal on both analogue terrestrial and ntl at tv2 is poor. If I do not have the analogue going in to the RF in on the stb the ntl signal is much better on tv2 (although not perfect).

This suggests to me that your problem might not be with signal levels, and indeed the signal amplifier might be making things worse rather than better. Is there a conflict between the RF channel number used for the NTL output from the STB, and the channel numbers of your local terrestrial TV services, either analogue or digital Freeview? If so, you need to change the output channel number of the NTL STB. For the Samsung, you:
a. Press TV and hold, then ...
b. Press OK and hold, then ...
c. Press RIGHT ">", then ...
d. Release all three buttons.
The STB display will then show rfxx where xx is the output channel number. Adjust this with the UP and DOWN keys to a value which is well clear of any of your local analogue or digital channel numbers (say, at least 3 channel numbers away from any of them). Please note that, even though your TV might not be able to decode digital Freeview channels, those Freeview channels can interfere with the analogue output from the NTL STB. When you have set a suitable channel number, then repeat the above key sequence to revert to normal display. Then retune your TV2 to pick up the new NTL channel number.

[clench]

rdhw
thanks - I'll give it a go tonight.
This might seem like a stupid question, but how do I find out what the RF channel numbers of my local terrestrial TV services are??

thanks

[rdhw]

Originally Posted by clench

how do I find out what the RF channel numbers of my local terrestrial TV services are??

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/reception/trans...ns/index.shtml and follow the links