Remove need for aerial

[Bram]

Hi all,

I managed to install my new TV and DVD recorder and can easily record from NTL.

However, the antennae in this new house is really cr*p and I don't see the point (yet) to pay to get someone in to look at it do something about the signal.

So, my question is: can I get rid of the areal all together and get the 5 terrestrial channels through cable? (This to be able to tape something on an NTL channel and watch something else at the same time on channel 1 - 5).

Cheers

Bram

[Tezcatlipoca]

I think so...

Some STBs have an "analogue pass through" at the back, which allows you to take a feed from that into your TV/VCR to watch/tape the standard 5 analogue channels.

If there's no pass-through, it may be possible to have an NTL tech fit an external pass-through for you, to split the cable, so you have one part going to the STB for the cable channels, & another cable going to the TV/VCR for analogue 1-5.

But...not having NTL TV myself, I'm not totally sure. Although I think the above is correct, from what I remember reading here in other threads.

Hopefully one of the NTL people here will be along & be able to give a fuller answer

[Derek]

What area are you in?

The Langley fed areas can provide 1-5 as an analogue bypass to avoid the need for an outside aerial.

[Matth]

As far as I understand from the forums, they don't offer an external bypass unless replacing a box that had bypass.

Neither can you purchase the official bypass unit yourself - so an awful lot of people cobble together a solution with a MAPLIN F-type splitter and an F-F and F-TV cable.

So the TV gets signals it doesnt want from the cable, and crap from the TV can go back down the cable - a normal splitter has no isolation beyond its inherent loss.

It would be far better if they offered this as an option to purchase, or even as an extra £1 a month rental option (preferably free after cost covered).

[Bram]

Originally Posted by dezzo

What area are you in?

Wouldn't know the 'area'. Live in St Albans though.

Also, I can see the box has an aerial -in and aerial-out socket on the back, but when I connect a cable from the aerial-out onto to the TV there is no signal (even tried manual tuning and went through all the channels, but only the STB signal came through).

[eoin.miskell]

Originally Posted by Bram

Wouldn't know the 'area'. Live in St Albans though.

Also, I can see the box has an aerial -in and aerial-out socket on the back, but when I connect a cable from the aerial-out onto to the TV there is no signal (even tried manual tuning and went through all the channels, but only the STB signal came through).

I live in St. Albans (Langley area) as well and you can recieve channels 1-5 via cable but from the sounds of it your box does not pass though the analogue signals so you will need to get a signal splitter installed.

Originally Posted by Bram

Wouldn't know the 'area'. Live in St Albans though.

Also, I can see the box has an aerial -in and aerial-out socket on the back, but when I connect a cable from the aerial-out onto to the TV there is no signal (even tried manual tuning and went through all the channels, but only the STB signal came through).

I have that too, but my stb is analogue, not digital - I have to connect an aerial to the 'aerial in' for 'aerial out' to work, if your 'aerial in' is no good, on a similar connection, it's the aerial that needs replacing -

[Derek]

If you call up CS they can arrange for a combiner or analogue bypass to be fitted.

If a tech visit is required there may well be a charge but CS will be able to confirm this.

[browneggsandham]

Would this be possible in Bromley areas aswell, or is it just Langley??
'Cos we have no aerial!!

Cheers,
Browneggsandham

[Nemesis]

It's available in both areas, although I think that Bromley only supply channels 1-4

[Bram]

Originally Posted by eoin.miskell

...but from the sounds of it your box does not pass though the analogue signals so you will need to get a signal splitter installed.

What exactly does this mean? (sorry if this questions sounds stupid)

Does this mean another cable running through my lounge? Does it mean another visist from an engineer?

Am not good with all this techno stuff...

[Nemesis]

What he means is that the box (STB) only supplies Digital TV as an output. The boxes used to allow "passthru" which meant that there was an aeriel socket on the back of the STB that you could feed other televisions with an analogue signal.

The Main NTL cable that comes into your house terminates on a silver box generally hidden behind a platic cover on the wall. That cable carries both Digital and Analogue TV.

What needs to be done, is the signal leading to that silver box, either before or after, needs to be split. Once split, the signal can carry on it'snormal path to your STB, and a second cable would carry the analogue signal to wherever you wanted it.

[Bram]

Thanks for explaining that. Probably will live with the crappy signal as I prefer not to run another cable through the lounge...

[Matth]

The "bad" way uses 3 items from Maplin
1. QQ69A - 2 Way F splitter
2. BM89W - F plug to Fplug 1.5m
3. QQ74R - F plug to coax plug 2m

This WILL lose you a little forward and return signal, and more importantly, risks feeding noise back into the cable, and it may get you in trouble with NTL if they find it, so be sure to remove and stash away if requiring a service call!