One for all you techno people.

[virusa]

Hi, hope this is the right place to post this.
I have an analogue virgin cable box fed by a cable coming out of the wall, then there is a (RF?)cable coming out of the box which goes into my video recorder. There are no other sockets in the cable box. I've just bought a new video/hdd/dv etc,etc which has freeview built-in but problem is, to get the freeview, I have to connect the video to the roof aeria which is already occupied by the virgin cable. Any ideas how I can get round the problem without having to keep swapping cables ?

I know this is all a bit low tech nowdays but I'm ok with that

Many thanks.

[Turkey Machine]

Get a cable splitter. Maplin do them, order code QQ69A. http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?moduleno=29530.

[Kymmy]

I'd personally get a twin output booster, means that you won;t get any loss from the split signal

[spiderplant]

You need one of these: http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?...ce=14&doy=1m11

There are two problems with an unswitched splitter. Firstly, there's a good chance there will be a frequency clash between the output of the cable box and the signals from the aerial, and second, there's a risk you could end up transmitting the output of your cable box from the aerial, which is a big no-no.

Or if you are in an area where VM provide digital service, another solution would be to switch to digital cable. You can then use SCART to connect the cable box.

[virusa]

Thanks for the quick replies.

I've already tried one of these

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?...=1625&DOY=1m11

but it didnt work! the cable signal seems to overide the aerial signal

Is the 2 way F splitter different?

Dont forget I'm trying to feed two signals into one & not the other way round

Cheers

Thanks

---------- Post added at 19:48 ---------- Previous post was at 19:40 ----------

Thanks spiderplant,

I think I got frequency clash

I'ts not looking good


Is there not such a box of trix as RF - scart converter thingy

[altis]

http://mediacables.co.uk/shop/index....products_id=26

[virusa]

Wow! Altis, that looks promising. If only I knew what it all meant

[Turkey Machine]

Originally Posted by virusa

Wow! Altis, that looks promising. If only I knew what it all meant

That looks like what I could be after too, now you come to mention it!

[spiderplant]

Originally Posted by virusa

Thanks for the quick replies.

I've already tried one of these

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?...=1625&DOY=1m11

but it didnt work! the cable signal seems to overide the aerial signal

That's why you need the switched splitter I mentioned. It turns off whichever input you are not using.

Originally Posted by virusa

Is there not such a box of trix as RF - scart converter thingy

Not that I know of. Wouldn't be cheap if there was.

Altis's combiner might be another way to go, if you have a GI STB.

[virusa]

Ok, I guess stb= set top box but whats the GI bit mean?

[joglynne]

Originally Posted by virusa

Ok, I guess stb= set top box but whats the GI bit mean?

I assume spiderplant is referring to the maker of the Set-top box being the General Instrument Corp as opposed to a Samsung STB.

[virusa]

Ah! I see, thats what I have, a General Instrument STB.

Looking more & more promising - thanks all

Virusa