Anybody Know About Tv Distribution In The Home

[IanF]

I'm trying to distribute the TV signal from a digibox to 2 other TVs in the house.

The main signal comes directly into the back of the digibox from a wideband aerial and masthead amp, with a 12v power supply fitted into the coax cable to send power up to the amp.

The RF signal is then daisychained out of the digibox, into a VCR, and then split into 2 - one for the back of the TV and one is sent up to the loft. In the loft, the signal is split into 2 again for 2 bedrooms.

Because the bedroom signal has been split twice, the quality isn't very good by the time it get to the TVs. I'd like to put a second amp in the loft for the 2 bedroom signals - but when the aerial and masthead amp were installed, the rigger mention something about not putting any further amplification in the system, becuase the 12v power on the coax would blow it.

I've put a multimeter onto the coax line in the loft, and I can't detect a 12v signal - so was his warning related only to the stretch of coax between the aerial and digibox? - or is there something more subtle I'm missing out on?

Cheers guys

Ian

[MacRS200]

You should only have the 12v on the co-ax from the loft to the digibox this is generated by the box input.

If you want to add another amp onto the output of the box that is no problem, if I were you I would put the amp at the back of the TV before you send it back up to the loft to the bedroom splitter. Much easier to get power and you don't have the losses/additional noise of the riser cable run.

[Pip]

This has been doing my tree in as well. My upstairs LCD tv has integrated digital. I cant get a decent signal half the time with the indoor aerial. What boosters etc could i use without having to split the existing aerial and having to drill holes??

[dlayen]

pip the best way to get a decent picture is to use a scart adaptor and run signal down cat5 cable that way you can get a far better picture than through the tuner

maplins sell a good one

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?Module...2&ForceUpdate=Y

[Pip]

I dont understand how this would work dlayen?? Explain mate.

run the scart from where?

Obviously i dont have access to roof aerial as that point is downstairs.

[dlayen]

from either sky box or digi box.

if your only running from roof aerial then this is no use to you

[eXOBeX]

Here's the way mine runs:-

Aerial goes through a CB filter (because the cops play hell with my TV) to a booster ('cos the signal's crap) and goes to RF IN on my CCTV

From RF OUT on CCTV it goes to RF IN on my VCR

From RF OUT on my VCR it goes to RF IN on my DVD recorder

From RF OUT on my DVD recorder it goes to RF IN on my Digibox

From RF OUT 1 on my Digibox it goes to the main TV

From RF OUT 2 on my Digibox it goes upstairs to RF IN on a tvLINK T180 8-way booster (this is compatible with magic eyes, some amps require bypass kits)

From the T180 it goes to the a load of SLx magic eyes, each on their own TV

This gives me the following channels:-

0 Aiwa VCR (one room only - it's got its own VCR)

1 BBC1

2 BBC2

3 ITV1 Wales

4 S4C

5 Sky

6 VCR

7 DVDR

8 CCTV

In this setup the 12V output from the Digibox is switched OFF, as the T180 will power the eyes itself.

I would NOT recommend using the SLx8B amplifier. I had one of these, it overheated and the transformer melted its way through the case!

T180 was purchased from CPC, you may be able to find it cheaper elsewhere though.

As an aside, I picked up this little tip earlier. If you've been let down by one of the big high street electrical retailers, go in and find the Sky remote. Chances are they'll have magic eyes dotted around that pick up the signal and beam it back to the digibox hidden in the back room. Click SERVICES, 4, 0, 1, SELECT, enter the RF menu and switch the "2nd outlet power supply" OFF. This'll shut down all magic eyes and chances are nobody in the building will know how to switch them back on. Or change the RF output channel which'll require either resetting (if they have a TV hooked up with SCART) or a retune of every TV set on display (if they don't).

For less chance of being caught, use a PDA with IR remote software instead of their Sky remote.

Oops what have I started?!

[IanF]

Cheers for you help everbody.

I've now got it setup like this:

I can now watch video, recorded digital or the baby monitor on any TV in the house. The quality is pretty good too - not digital quality obviously, but good enough not to be noticable. The next step is to add IR links back to the lounge so I can control the PVR from upstairs.

Ian