NTL with Freeview ?

[Mike Cais]

I'd like to use freeview on a second TV upstairs. Unfortunately I'm not in a freeview area, but I have been told that it is possible to feed the stb from the ntl box (either the one on the wall or my stb - samsung) and use the ntl feed as an aerial. I don't want to do this if it's illegal, but I am a legit subscriber to ntl, but don't want to fork out even more money to hire another box if I could buy one.
Is this possible / legal ? & does it make a difference that I now receive from a digital source rather than analogue (upgraded last year)
I am told that an ntl engineer has wired my friends bungalow so that 1 tv is fed from his stb and 2 others are fed directly from the wall socket to receive free channels - he does not have any aerial ? - can this only be done on an analogue feed ?

[sollp]

Originally Posted by Mike Cais

I'd like to use freeview on a second TV upstairs. Unfortunately I'm not in a freeview area, but I have been told that it is possible to feed the stb from the ntl box (either the one on the wall or my stb - samsung) and use the ntl feed as an aerial. I don't want to do this if it's illegal, but I am a legit subscriber to ntl, but don't want to fork out even more money to hire another box if I could buy one.
Is this possible / legal ? & does it make a difference that I now receive from a digital source rather than analogue (upgraded last year)
I am told that an ntl engineer has wired my friends bungalow so that 1 tv is fed from his stb and 2 others are fed directly from the wall socket to receive free channels - he does not have any aerial ? - can this only be done on an analogue feed ?

You can use the RF output of the STB, but do not use the input cable to the STB box to achieve what you want as this will degrade the signal into your STB and also cause noise, interference on the cable network that will degrade the service for others.

All you have to do is either buy an amplifier with one input and 2 outputs or more, put the RF output of the STB into the input of amplifer send one output upstairs and one to your TV downstairs. This will enable you to send the Channels that is on the STB around house. Also if you have a terrestrial ariel you can combine this with the input to amplifier and you will also send around the terrestrial channels.

[paulyoung666]

hi and to the site , you cannot buy another box , they are only available to rent , as for the free channels , it will be 1 to 5 and you would need to alter the incoming feed / split it , and that is against t&c's , having said that , i am sure someone will pop along and tell you how to do it in a moment

[Mike Cais]

Thanks for that Sollp, but I think you misunderstood - I don't want to just transmit the channel on the downstairs stb to the rest of the house, I'd like both upstairs and downstairs to select their own channels. 1 via ntl stb & 1 via freeview stb. I'd like the freeview box to use the ntl feed as an aerial (if possible)

to Cable Forum, btw

ok - to answer your main question, you won't get a freeview box to see anything other than the unencrypted channels from your cable. The analogue/digital question is a red herring as both signals are present down the cable - just at different frequencies.

It is possible to split the cable before the stb & tune in the 'terrestrial' analogue channels (sometimes more - depends on the TV), but no encrypted ones - however as sollp has pointed out, there are potential problems doing this.

Sollp's advice about using a distribution amplifier to split the signal after it comes from the box is probably the easiest way - the obvious downside being you can only watch the same thing on both televisions.

[sollp]

Originally Posted by Mike Cais

Thanks for that Sollp, but I think you misunderstood - I don't want to just transmit the channel on the downstairs stb to the rest of the house, I'd like both upstairs and downstairs to select their own channels. 1 via ntl stb & 1 via freeview stb. I'd like the freeview box to use the ntl feed as an aerial (if possible)

Just to reiterate again what has been said, NTL do not supply freeview or freeview STB's, do how i have already advised. Unfortunately if you want to have each room with the ability to have independent channels you will have to have a STB in each room as required.

[rdhw]

Originally Posted by Mike Cais

I'd like both upstairs and downstairs to select their own channels. 1 via ntl stb & 1 via freeview stb. I'd like the freeview box to use the ntl feed as an aerial (if possible)

A Freeview box requires a terrestrial aerial: it cannot use an NTL cable feed as an aerial input. The Freeview signals are not present on NTL cables.