Excuse ignorance - aerial for old 17" Sanyo TV?

Goffie

Hi
We have sky digital downstairs and are still paying for ntl cable to have tv in one of the bedrooms for an insomniac. We really only want a few channnels and dont need ntl for downstairs at all.

Someone suggested we get an aerial for the old tv upstairs. Would these be still available, are they indoor What I want really) and where to buy? We're located in Bray, Co Wicklow.

We're trying to cut back on bills and it galls me to have to pay ntl just for this!!

Amy suggestions very welcome.
G

Ulsterman 1690

An indoor aerial will only get 3-4 channels with a lousy picture

An outdoor aerial will give a much better picture but youre still probably limited to 4 channels

have you considered running a cable from the Skybox up to your other TV

Goffie

Ulsterman, you'll have to bear with me here...to run a cable from the box downstairs would involve drilling a hole in the ceiling, I suppose? The bedroom is right over the living room.

Wouldnt have a notion where to start or what cable to buy...excuse female helplessness here. Cant image any handy man would be bothered with such a small job.

Also would I have to pay extra to sky for this?

Thanks a mil
G

byte

If you don't want to start cabling, you could get a video sender (Argos sell them for example) which transmit the signal from the SKybox up to TV upstairs.

This would allow the TV upstairs to receive the Sky signal. However, it is not possible to watch 2 different Sky channels simultaneously.

There would be no extra Sky charge for this.

Another option would be to get Sky Multiroom, whereby a Skybox is put upstairs with a card that duplicates the package you have downstairs. This is an extra €15 per month though, so not sure how that would compare to what NTL are charging you.

Another option, would be your external aerial for RTE1, RTE2, TG4 (maybe TV3?) and a Free-to-air satellite box, which would receive free channels, like BBC1, BBC2, UTV, ITV2, etc. You'd need to change the LNB on your dish to allow connection of another receiver, and you'd need a cable running from bedroom TV to the dish.

Goffie

That video sender sounds like an option as its a once off investment and doesnt involve finding someone to change the LNB (no idea what that is!!), getting up on roof and running cables.

Sorry to go on, but what's the reception like with a video sender?
I'm a total tech dummy - if you havent gathered that already - and have a horror of complicated tunings in. Would I need to get another sky remote control?

When I got sky I paid them to set it up for me, same when I got my pc from Dell!! How sad is that...

For me this is all about doing it on the cheap - paying as little as possible to sky and nothing at all to ntl preferably. (Dont really need multiroom, just a few channels upstairs to send the insomniac off to sleep)

Thanks for your patience

watty

The Video sender should be perfect at the distance you are using.

YOu can buy a second remote (You don't need the "magic eye" which costs extra), or take the other remote to bed. The video sender will work with most remotes and equipment. Philips even have a 4 input video sender so you can select DVD, VHS, Satellite etc..

Goffie

Thanks, Watty, that sounds ideal. I was looking at video senders in the Argos catalogue and they're not too expensive.

Are they easy to assemble bearing in mind I'm totally clueless? Dont want to buy something and be able to get it to operate!

Is there a video sender that would be suitable for dummies?

Thanks again to everyone

L1011

The AEI Digisender Argos sell is dummy-proof - you plug the SCART on one unit in to the Digibox and the SCART on the other in to a TV, plug them both in, and go.

Goffie

Thanks, MYOB.

Better check the old Sanyo has a scart socket - I bought it in 1991 and its still going strong. If not I might invest in a little portable tv.

BTW
can SKY detect that you're using a video sender?? Why would people bother with multiroom if they can use one of these easily and with no ongoing bills?

Learning a whole new language here

byte

No, Sky cannot detect usage of Video Senders. Besides, it's not illegal anyway.

The disadvantage of the video sender over Sky Multiroom, is that with Multiroom, you're able to watch 2 different Sky channels simultaneously. Not possible with video sender.

watty

Sky Multiroom is separate receivers each with their own card. That is why phone line is needed or else you could "rent" one to a friend who fits their own dish.

The Sky box is even designed to share the picture for free (2nd RF out) via TV aerial cables.

You can have any number of TVs from one Sky Digibox, all with the same channel. You only pay one subscription.

Sky "multiroom" is separate Digiboxes (each with its own viewing card) that can be on different channels using a multi-output LNB (separate coax cable each box to dish) on a shared dish. Hence the extra charge.

Goffie

Thanks to all
MYOB - checked with Argos and they're not doing the AEI sender any more - could you recommend one that would allow the person upstairs to change channels?

Nearly bought one for €100 (think it was called Oneforall) today in DID but the guy said that it would only show the channel that the tv downstairs was last on when you went to bed, so if we last watched RTE1, you're stuck with that for the night unless you go downstairs to change the channel!!Not exactly ideal:eek:

Watty - I've looked into the multiroom option but as it involves holes being drilled, another cable to the dish thrown over the roof and putting a phone socket in that bedroom, I really dont want to go down that route, especially when its only used maybe a couple of hours a night at most.

Hoping to find that idiot-proof digisender that will allow him to change channels upstairs when other tv is off.
Cheers
S

byte

All the One For All's (current models anyway) also have built in remote extender, so you can change the Skybox from upstairs.

AEI's are listed on Argos.co.uk though not on Argos.ie (as they don't seem to have a way of showing PRF/EMC prices for electrical items so instead don't list them)

Goffie

Thanks, byte - guess the guy in DID did himself out of a sale then, as he swore blind to me the channels couldn't be changed from upstairs - tho maybe it was just that model...and it was the only one they had.

I'll get the current Argos catalogue at the weekend and see what they have - will have a look at the Argoc.co.uk website in the meantime. I was working off and old catalogue and when I rang to check if the Aei Plug n Go (think that's what its called) I was told that was from and old catatlogue and not in stock.

Will watch out to make sure whichever one I choose has a remote extender - thanks for that!!

watty

I haven't seen any video sender in Maplin or Argos that doesn't do remote extend. Some don't work with some NTL cable boxes though.

fuzzball

watty wrote: »

Sky Multiroom is separate receivers each with their own card. That is why phone line is needed or else you could "rent" one to a friend who fits their own dish.

The Sky box is even designed to share the picture for free (2nd RF out) via TV aerial cables.

You can have any number of TVs from one Sky Digibox, all with the same channel. You only pay one subscription.

Sky "multiroom" is separate Digiboxes (each with its own viewing card) that can be on different channels using a multi-output LNB (separate coax cable each box to dish) on a shared dish. Hence the extra charge.

watty, thats excellent detail. saved me hours of looking up websites