chann 1-5 help

[bob_builder]

Originally Posted by leeswin

hope you dont mind have adapted your pic to try and ilistrate better its the link from cable box to vid i think is failing.

im getting nothing through 1-5 just a plain blue screen

The modern STBs come with a combiner to mix the decoded digital RF signal with the aerial RF signal. As you do not have an aerial all you are getting is the single decoded digital channel hence all the other analogue channels are just white noise (which your TV detects and converts to a blue screen).

[planetgong]

Originally Posted by bob_builder

The modern STBs come with a combiner to mix the decoded digital RF signal with the aerial RF signal. As you do not have an aerial all you are getting is the single decoded digital channel hence all the other analogue channels are just white noise (which your TV detects and converts to a blue screen).

Do all ntl areas (eg SW London) pass an an analogue signal down the cable? I ask because I've just connected a lead from aerial out on STB to TVs aerial in but can not tune in to any analogue channels. My STB is Pacebox is DiTV1000+ so presumably is old enough to have an RF bypass?

Its a shame as I don't have a decent aerial and this would have been a great solution.

[bigitup_j]

it's only original ntl areas, not ex-cwc (like london, etc...)
which is rather lame, i want it as well

[andyf]

Originally Posted by altis

I would suggest that you pester customer services for a thing called a bypass. This does the same job but lies outside the STB.

For more discussion about this try this thread.

I also have recently been "upgraded" to a new box (Di4001NC) and lost all the UHF/RF channels. Is this external bypass a freebie? Are there simple alternatives from Maplins etc?

BTW your link to another thread seemed to be broken now?

Thanks.

[bob_builder]

As far as I am aware you do not have to pay for the bypass, but you will probably have to pay for installation.

The only "alternative" I have seen is not for sale to the general public.

[baz8755]

Hi,

I too am looking to get Free to air Via RF. I have a Pace 4000 box and tried calling NTL about obtaining a bypass adaptor unfortunately they knew nothing of such a device and informed me that what I was trying to do was illegal due to OFTEL regulations (Don't you just love NTL support).

I have now opted for simply using a splitter on the cable feed to the STB.

Can anyone help in obtaining a bypass adaptor or is a splitter an acceptable solution.

Cheers

Baz

[Nemesis]

Originally Posted by baz8755

Hi,

I too am looking to get Free to air Via RF. I have a Pace 4000 box and tried calling NTL about obtaining a bypass adaptor unfortunately they knew nothing of such a device and informed me that what I was trying to do was illegal due to OFTEL regulations (Don't you just love NTL support).

I have now opted for simply using a splitter on the cable feed to the STB.

Can anyone help in obtaining a bypass adaptor or is a splitter an acceptable solution.

Cheers

Baz

A Splitter will do the job fine

[Ricky]

A related question. I do not have a STB (though I have modem and phone subscriptions), but looking through this thread it appears that I could, with suitable cabling and a splitter, obtain the usual analogue channels through the ntl cable. So the questions are

a. Am I right in thinking I can get the terrestrial channels through the cable connection without an STB
and
b. is it acceptable to do so?

[ntltech32]

Originally Posted by Ricky

A related question. I do not have a STB (though I have modem and phone subscriptions), but looking through this thread it appears that I could, with suitable cabling and a splitter, obtain the usual analogue channels through the ntl cable. So the questions are

a. Am I right in thinking I can get the terrestrial channels through the cable connection without an STB
and
b. is it acceptable to do so?

Yes you could get free to air channels by connecting suitable RG6 screened coax and F's.

As to (b) not really as extra splits etc without use of correct ntl approved CATV equipment can cause SNR noise on the ntl network.

The best option is to hassel a ntl for a bypass for the stb or book a service call for a cs tech @ £25 I belive to do this correctly for you.

Splitters are not always a good idea as they degrade the signal pass through by 3.5db tp 6 db per connection, They operate at different frequencies and can cause ingress. plus the connection to you stb when it was installed had the signal readings set correctly. dbv loss by splittin could cause operating problems with return paths etc so interactive services freeze or even fail to operate.

Phase 2 4000 seris stb's don't require an analog bypass as they are built in.

failing that fit a twin data/tv isolator and run correct spec coax as a seperate TV input.

[peejay]

I've just had my analogue stb swapped for a Pace 4001 digital stb. I don't have an external tv aerial, and got channels 1-5 through the rf out on the analogue box.

Anyway, having figured out that I need to change the scart settings on the STB so the TV will use its RF input when the STB is switched on, it turns out that I CAN get channels 1-5 through the STB. From which I conclude that my STB does have analogue passthru. Hooray!

Problem is, the picture on channels 3,4 and 5 is cr*p. By which I mean it is very noisy, the same as you'd get through an aerial in a weak signal area. Channels 1 and 2 have excellent picture quality.

Does anyone have any ideas what my problem might be here? Is it a fault, or is it just that the analogue passthru is rubbish?

Even better, any ideas what I can do to improve the picture on channels 3-5?

Not sure if it's relevant, but just in case - I have a separate cable modem fed from a splitter - fitted by the NTL engineer who installed cable for me a few weeks ago.

Thanks in advance for any help with this.

[ZIPPY_4]

If you can't get channels 1-5 through tv and can't get teletext go to the link below and this will solve the problem.


http://www.mediachannels.co.uk/usefullkits.htm

[Andy_D]

Hi,

This discussion extends back quite a while but is very relevant to me. I would like to be able to record one of the analogue channels and watch another digital channel. I had just assumed this was not possible without two digital STBs or an aerial feed. I don't have either, only the NTL cable...This would be a wonderful solution.....

There seems to be different views about:

1) Whether you can defintiely get analogue TV over the NTL digital cable in all areas? In my case, NTL cable in London SW18, not sure if ex CWC etc?

2) Whether some boxes that are fitted with RF pass through actually block the analogue frequency from digital cable? I have a pace Di4000-N with RF loop through, I have tried to get analogue TV and can only get the Digital STB signal cleanly through the RF!

3) Assuming answer to 1) is yes for my area and my STB is the problem as detailed in 2), it appears I need a pass through kit or a spliiter kit as put forward using Qamtex VQ1002. Will this work as well as the official bypass kit, the add says as used by NTL, or are there differences regarding noise ingress signal loss etc?

Based on several previous experiences with NTL which I won't go into here, I don't fancy my chnaces of success with a request for a bypass kit! I would prefer to source directly or use the splitter kits if I can do this with the same results?

Hope there is still some help to hand to answer and clear a path to help solve this one for me.

Thanks

[PS1]

Originally Posted by Simon M

The alternative is to split the cable that comes into the STB and use that for channels 1-5

Splitting your cable feed will reduce the signal levels to the dstb,Which should have been set at an optimum level by the enginer.
Do this and it could lead to you having other problems!

[coolea96]

I have been using an NTL splitter for a while now ( i used to have 2 analgoue boxes in old house and the engineers gave me a "splitter" ) - but with varying success .... when i first plug the cable in - everything is fine but then after a couple of hours the signal degrades terribly... I also notice I get some of the freeview channels which is alittle strange...

any ideas on the why the signal fades so badly after a while ... maybe its a loose coonection on the cables - cause i created the cable myself... ?? can you buy a proer cable tv to tv tv aerial ?

[Andy_D]

Just to update my 8/3/06 post for the record.

1. Used an F to Male Pal plug and confirmed that analogue signals are definitely broadcast on NTL in SW18 by plugging the cable signal directly into TV and tuning in using the TV tuner (different frequencies to local analogue signals obviously). Signal not as good as analogue gets but entirely watchable.
2. Clearly the Pace Di4000-n box I have blocks the analogue frequencies despite the box having RF pass through connections.
3. I tried NTL for an anolgue bypass kit and as could be anticipated got absolutley no where after three calls. It took a last resort call to faults, who then called a field service manager, to confirm that there even was such a thing as a bypass. I failed in attemtps to convince CS that there was. Once it was agreed that there was such a thing the response then was that they were only used with old analogue boxes, not available now for digital boxes, when I refuted that they said they would get the field service manager to call... still waiting......even have a name for the person who's call I should be expecting.....apparently a commmon NTL ploy to get rid of those difficult customers....

Shame as this would have tied me over until NTL release their PVR with more than one tuner not to mention capture and recording capabilities.... I can only dream about catching two programs scheduled at the same time until then!

Just an off the wall thought that may be shot down by better informed members of the forum. What would the impact be, of using the spare connection on the NTL termination socket that is provided for a broadband modem, for Anologue TV? I don't use NTL for broadband....