Extra TV points in bedrooms

Pope John 11

Proposal:
I am looking to put in extra tv points into 5 rooms including an attic room. I have done a bit of research, but would like to keep the drilling to a minimum.

Materials:
1. http://www.freesatireland.ie/proddetail.asp?prod=DAMP08
2. CAI Approved PF100 cable
3. Coaxial plugs
4. Faceplates for each room

Plan:
1. Disconnect the aerial & connect it to the input point in the distribution box.

2. Plug the distribution box into the socket behind the tv (this is only 0.5m away from where the distribution box is located anyway.

3. Take outputs to all 5 bedrooms & decide suitable locations for the tv faceplate points.

Questions:
1. Any suggestions & comments on the above & have I left out any materials required.
2. Where to buy a distribution box, Maplins etc, any comments.
3. Is this sufficent work to be carried out or do I need some box as well so that I can change the channels in each bedroom (seperate channels in each bedroom).

All comments welcome

campo

might be better to get a mod to move to the Satelitte section you will get all the answers you need there

JDxtra

Would it be easier to have the distribution box somewhere else, such as the attic room?

In your suggested scenario you will have 1 aerial feed to the living room, and 5 outputs to other rooms. It will look messy and you may use more cabling than necessary.

I assume this is for terrestrial channels e.g. RTE1, RTE2 etc. If so, then you would normally not need anything else in order to change channels on the bedroom TVs.

Different story though if you want to include the output from a Sky box in the living room, or are interested in the not yet launched DTT service (SaorView).

Pope John 11

JDxtra wrote: »

Would it be easier to have the distribution box somewhere else, such as the attic room?

In your suggested scenario you will have 1 aerial feed to the living room, and 5 outputs to other rooms. It will look messy and you may use more cabling than necessary.

You might be right on this one, I will have a look at it. Where can I buy a decent distribution box?

JDxtra wrote: »

I assume this is for terrestrial channels e.g. RTE1, RTE2 etc. If so, then you would normally not need anything else in order to change channels on the bedroom TVs.

Its for RTE1,RTE2, TV3, MTV, CH4, TNG, BBC1, UTV etc. However I do not have an NTL box. Will I be able to still get all different channels in all the rooms?

JDxtra

Oh, it looks like you have a basic cable TV connection (UPC?) and want to distribute this around the house? You mentioned an aerial in your original post though.

Pope John 11

JDxtra wrote: »

Oh, it looks like you have a basic cable TV connection (UPC?) and want to distribute this around the house? You mentioned an aerial in your original post though.

What I seem to have is an aerial connected to an old box (the size of a single socket box), with the markings "Cablelink". The tv is connected to this box. I think the aerial connected to the front of the house at eaves level to the NTL/UPC point

Pope John 11

JDxtra wrote: »

Oh, it looks like you have a basic cable TV connection (UPC?) and want to distribute this around the house? You mentioned an aerial in your original post though.

The aerial is connected to a single white box marked "cablelink" (The box is the size of a single socket box). The aerial is connected to the external UPC/NTL point at the front of the house at eaves level.

If I have basic UPC, would I have only RTE1,2, TV, TNG.
However I have all the channels RTE1 & 2,TV3,TNG,CH4,UTV1, BBC, MTV,E4, MTV, SKY 1, SKY NEWS, COMEDY CHANNEL

Pope John 11

See photograph below

IMG_0867.JPG

JDxtra

You have basic analogue TV from UPC - http://www.upc.ie/television/basictv

Through no fault of your own, are you receiving this service without being billed?

Many people distribute this service around their homes using their own internal cabling. I have no experience of this and would personally ask the provider to patch up the additional rooms.

Pope John 11

JDxtra wrote: »

You have basic analogue TV from UPC - http://www.upc.ie/television/basictv

Through no fault of your own, are you receiving this service without being billed?

Many people distribute this service around their homes using their own internal cabling. I have no experience of this and would personally ask the provider to patch up the additional rooms.

Appears so, even though they keep sending letters to get connected to their packages.

Here is a photograph of the box inside. I wonder if I connect a distribution box to the other blank connection as shown, & feed from their to the rooms, would it work?

Pope John 11

Forgot to attach the photo

IMG_0868.JPG

BostonB

Pope John 11 wrote: »

The aerial is connected to a single white box marked "cablelink" (The box is the size of a single socket box). The aerial is connected to the external UPC/NTL point at the front of the house at eaves level.

If I have basic UPC, would I have only RTE1,2, TV, TNG.
However I have all the channels RTE1 & 2,TV3,TNG,CH4,UTV1, BBC, MTV,E4, MTV, SKY 1, SKY NEWS, COMEDY CHANNEL

You don't have an ariel. You're cabled to UPC.

That what you get on the basic UPC analog. http://www.upc.ie/television/basictv/

Pope John 11

BostonB wrote: »

You don't have an ariel. You're cabled to UPC.

That what you get on the basic UPC analog. http://www.upc.ie/television/basictv/

Thanks for that BostonB, I think JDxtra has also pointed that out to me.

What are my options with regards to my initial query in trying to get extra points in the bedrooms.

zilog_jones

Pope John 11 wrote: »

Forgot to attach the photo

IMG_0868.JPG

It's a TV/FM isolator going by the description on the splitter, I'd say the other output is for FM radio only.

Sorry, but if you're not paying for cable TV it is theft of service.

Pope John 11

zilog_jones wrote: »

It's a TV/FM isolator going by the description on the splitter, I'd say the other output is for FM radio only.

Sorry, but if you're not paying for cable TV it is theft of service.

Unfortunately, I never understood, how I had the additional channels, until I was checking up on how it all was working, less than a month ago.

I pay my tv licience, so I have a right to the typical 4 irish channels.

Appreciate your comments

BostonB

Actually a TV Licence only allows you to have equipment capable of receiving a television signal. Nothing to do with channels at all.

ted1

just connect the output in to the input of an amplifier distribution box run the outputs to the other rooms. No need for face plates just in straight in to the tv . you'll only ever get analog this way. Not sure when its being switched off. You should look at getting free sat with a 8 output Lnb. It'll cost about fifty euro for each television but will provide digital television with over a hundred channels.

Pope John 11

ted1 wrote: »

You should look at getting free sat with a 8 output Lnb. It'll cost about fifty euro for each television but will provide digital television with over a hundred channels.

Could you explain what you mean by this please, or better again send me a link

lucernarian

zilog_jones wrote: »

It's a TV/FM isolator going by the description on the splitter, I'd say the other output is for FM radio only.

Sorry, but if you're not paying for cable TV it is theft of service.

It's not as simple as that. They may have given UPC a wayleave in the past, which entitled them to free analogue cable.

If someone knowingly tried to access cable services without permission, then it's a crime and should be brought to the attention of UPC and the Gardaí.

Don't UPC charge rental for installing extra TV points anyway? It would be cheaper to get an electrician or else do the work yourself using a distribution amp. I'm not certain if it's fully okay to distribute the signal to other TVs in the house without paying rental to UPC for the extra analogue points. But installing extra points by oneself is commonly done, I do know that much.

BostonB

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

It's not as simple as that. They may have given UPC a wayleave in the past, which entitled them to free analogue cable.

Do you have more details on that. I know people where UPC cables pass through and they have to pay for TV.

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

Don't UPC charge rental for installing extra TV points anyway? It would be cheaper to get an electrician or else do the work yourself using a distribution amp. I'm not certain if it's fully okay to distribute the signal to other TVs in the house without paying rental to UPC for the extra analogue points. But installing extra points by oneself is commonly done, I do know that much.

I'd say a lot of houses were cabled with TV points, over the years, either by the builder or by cablelink. As they didn't charge per point a lot of people are not aware that NTL/UPC charge for each point.

lucernarian

BostonB wrote: »

Do you have more details on that. I know people where UPC cables pass through and they have to pay for TV.

No, any arrangement like that is a matter for any houseowner and Cablelink/NTL/UPC or whoever a contract for a wayleave was agreed with. I have no personal experience. I do know that people on boards have mentioned arrangements with UPC for allowing them to erect equipment and cable on their property. It's quite plausible that on occasion in the past, analogue cable was given for free if it saved the cable provider enough hassle. Generally, it only was an issue when UPC sought permission to put up cable in the first place, like back in the 70s or else when they upgraded their cable (like recently). Basically, if there's an element of doubt in this situation, I wouldn't implicate another forum poster in a crime.

It is a fact however that Chorus NTL (this is in an ex-CMI area I think) do levy a monthly charge for analogue points. I assume this happens if Chorus/UPC installed it themselves. I'm sure that some people got extra TV points put in by the builder of a house or an electrician at some point. I'm not so sure if UPC knowingly allow a cable to be split/distributed to other TVs within a subscriber's house.

BostonB

I was hoping to take advantage of it. They have a fairly big couple of boxes on the wall.

lucernarian

BostonB wrote: »

I was hoping to take advantage of it. They have a fairly big couple of boxes on the wall.

It could be possible to unsubscribe to all their services and demand they remove it or else.

But the houseowner at the time probably gave UPC the right to erect cables etc. indefinitely. You probably aren't in a position to gain from it now.

zilog_jones

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

I'm sure that some people got extra TV points put in by the builder of a house or an electrician at some point. I'm not so sure if UPC knowingly allow a cable to be split/distributed to other TVs within a subscriber's house.

I think they generally don't care about people installing their own extra points in their home, at the end of the day they can't really take control of what people do with their cable connection once it goes inside someone's house. If someone wants digital TV they'll have to pay extra anyway. Just don't go complaining about signal problems if it's something you installed yourself.

It's not as simple as that. They may have given UPC a wayleave in the past, which entitled them to free analogue cable.

Oh yeah, forgot about that.