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Connecting 2nd Freeview box (& VCR)

  • 06-08-2009 1:26pm
    #1
    mct1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 253 ✭✭


    I'd like your advice please.

    Our current set up is analogue TV + digital hard drive DVD recorder. They work off our old roof arial. We live on a height in Wexford and get very good analogue reception for the 4 Irish channels, BBC1 & 2, HTV and S4C; also good digital Freeview. Though sometimes in muggy weather they can all disappear.

    As Wales is going fully digital this month, we want to connect a 2nd digital box we already have (Freeview) to our setup, so we can record one digital channel while watching another. We also want to connect a VCR - for playback only, not to record.

    Could anyone explain how we do this connection - assuming it's possible. We do have a Scart box and an arial splitter. Just not sure what goes where!

    Secondly, our local electrical store sells a Freeview dish for external wall installation for 99euro. Would that get rid of our occasional "vanishing" reception or do we just need a new/better roof arial? I read on a sticky here that there's no such thing as a digital arial so just wondering what they are actually selling?


Comments

  • #2
    BeerNut
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 11,975 Mod ✭✭✭✭BeerNut


    mct1 wrote: »
    I read on a sticky here that there's no such thing as a digital arial so just wondering what they are actually selling?
    If it's a dish, it's probably Freesat, which would indeed solve your reception problems, and give you HD, and let you buy a DVR to solve your recording problems too.

    You'll get more info on Freesat on the Satellite board.

    My beer blog | The Twitter | My other beer blog



  • #3
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    mct1 wrote: »
    I'd like your advice please.

    Our current set up is analogue TV + digital hard drive DVD recorder. They work off our old roof arial. We live on a height in Wexford and get very good analogue reception for the 4 Irish channels, BBC1 & 2, HTV and S4C; also good digital Freeview. Though sometimes in muggy weather they can all disappear.

    As Wales is going fully digital this month, we want to connect a 2nd digital box we already have (Freeview) to our setup, so we can record one digital channel while watching another. We also want to connect a VCR - for playback only, not to record.

    Could anyone explain how we do this connection - assuming it's possible. We do have a Scart box and an arial splitter. Just not sure what goes where!
    All you need is a good old fashioned distribution amplifier and then cable to as many points are on the d.amp.
    They are about 60 euro's
    The cable and the da is available in argos.
    Just bring the first cable from your psu directly into the d.amp and away you go round the house with the other distribution cables plugged into the DA.

    As for occasional vanishing reception-you need to service your aerial ,replacing old cable and amps/combiners etc and get your aerial peaked with a meter [pm me if you like].
    Also bear in mind that power is increasing from presely by 15 times by october.

    My reception with a whole new cable redo is already 99.9% reliable.


  • #4
    mct1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 253 ✭✭mct1


    Thanks for the advice guys.

    @Beernut, I checked with the electrical shop, and yes, it is a Freesat dish they're selling. We'll keep that as an option.

    @Black Briar: I'm not actually sure whether a distribution amplifier is what we need. We only want to use one TV set and just connect it up so we watch one digital prog while recording a different one on the same TV. Meanwhile I found a TV/DVD/Freeview box/VCR connection diagram on the web which may do the trick.

    Good advice about servicing the aerial. We'll wait and see what the signal's like after the transition, but that will be our first job if we still have blackouts.


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