Dreambox Multi Room (kinda)

stephendevlin

I am now using an rf modulator from my DM800HD to send the signal to all the other rooms which has an aerial port from the aerial splitter in the attic.

Dreambox sends signal through scart and hdmi at the same time! so HDMI on the main TV and then the scart is converted to RF which is connected to my coaxail aerial port behind my TV (which I dont use as I have all channels on the box) which is then connected to the IN port on the splitter in the attic. cheap workaround! :cool:

Only downfall is you have to use the same channel as downstairs but you can watch it on any room.

An app for iphone solves the remote issue or you can use IR remote extenders ! :cool:

rlogue

An iPhone? Now that's one expensive remote...

stephendevlin

rlogue wrote: »

An iPhone? Now that's one expensive remote...

Obviously if you already have one its not

But the ir extenders work a treat too. My iphone is in for repairs so I use this most of the time anyways.

cormacl

The same app will also run on an ipod touch and for those of you in Android land, there's some great options there also. I use Enigmoid on my HTC Hero. I use it mostly to remotely programme recordings.

Enigma2 has a web-based admin interface. To the end user, its a GUI, but underlying that is a whole API of different options for controlling the device, programming timers, etc.

See here for the full API..
http://dream.reichholf.net/wiki/Enigma2:WebInterface

On the RF distribution, I used more or less the same setup of RF relaying the dreambox to a bedroom. But I used a Sky Eye solution in the 2nd room back to a TV-Link+ device on the dreambox end. That device powered the RF line (to drive the Eye) and also provided the IR transmitter wedges to get the signal blasted to the dreambox.

But in the end, the only real use for me was in watching recordings upstairs. Nowadays with HD on the rise, RF no longer cuts it. I've got a separate box (Freesat) upstairs. I might eventually install a DM500S-HD and network it to share the hard-drive from the dreambox. That would allow for access to the recordings etc... but as said.. its not a big priority TBH.

stephendevlin

cormacl wrote: »

The same app will also run on an ipod touch and for those of you in Android land, there's some great options there also. I use Enigmoid on my HTC Hero. I use it mostly to remotely programme recordings.

Great for all!


On the RF distribution, I used more or less the same setup of RF relaying the dreambox to a bedroom. But I used a Sky Eye solution in the 2nd room back to a TV-Link+ device on the dreambox end. That device powered the RF line (to drive the Eye) and also provided the IR transmitter wedges to get the signal blasted to the dreambox.


Thought them magic eyes only worked with a distributer the same brand?? I have one of those but never tried it out. I have my scart going to the modulator then its fed up to the splitter and down into the rooms. so your telling me if I hook up the magic eye to my aerial at the other tv and it will work?

cormacl

Thought them magic eyes only worked with a distributer the same brand?? I have one of those but never tried it out. I have my scart going to the modulator then its fed up to the splitter and down into the rooms. so your telling me if I hook up the magic eye to my aerial at the other tv and it will work?

You need a distribution amp that is Sky-Eye friendly.. in that it passes some part of the signal in the other direction and also provides the required DC power to drive the Eye devices on the outputs.

In my case it was a single direct cable room to room without an splitting in the middle or use of a distribution amp. But I know that there were Eye friendly amps around from SLX and others. But that said, I think in this day and age of HD.. RF distribution is getting old. A separate box in each room with either a quad/octo LNBs or multi-switch solution is just much better

stephendevlin

Yeah no good in my situation. I knew ya can get ones that work together. I have my DM800 going into the (which I dont think is magic eye friendly) Ah well I get my iphone back this week so wont need to use either
:pac::D:pac::D:cool:

MacGyver

you can try this if your dreambox is connected to a network
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dreamote/id303313900?mt=8

stephendevlin

MacGyver wrote: »

you can try this if your dreambox is connected to a network
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dreamote/id303313900?mt=8

Did reference this at the start of the post! :P

dec2000

Can someone post a link to an RF modulator they are using?

When I looked at this before, wasn't too sure about the whole scart to rf aspect, and am I right in saying this has to be separately powered?

Looking for similar solution to allow magic eye to work in the bedroom.

stephendevlin

dec2000 wrote: »

Can someone post a link to an RF modulator they are using?

When I looked at this before, wasn't too sure about the whole scart to rf aspect, and am I right in saying this has to be separately powered?

Looking for similar solution to allow magic eye to work in the bedroom.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RF-MODULATOR-Convert-Scart-Phono-Coax-Aerial-TV-/280576869003?pt=UK_Computing_CablesConnectors_RL&hash=item4153af428b

This is the one I purchased! It needs power and it doesnt work with a magic eye! only way magic eye works is with a straight run of cable ( or a splitter that works with magic eyes) :pac:

cormacl

it doesnt work with a magic eye! only way magic eye works is with a straight run of cable ( or a splitter that works with magic eyes) :pac:

I had my modulator working fine with such a setup. The last component on the sequence before the cable runs off to the other room and eye must be the one that powers the line for the eye.

So if you were using an independent tvlink+ (or equivalent) to power the line and retransmit the IR signals, you would put it last....

scart/composite video signal -> rf modulator -> powered tvlink+ -> line to next room.

You could even run it through a VCR or similar device with an RF in/out..

scart/composite video signal -> rf modulator -> RF though on other device -> powered tvlink+ -> line to next room.

If you were using a Sky digibox and its powered RF2 out, you would route the modulators RF out through the Sky box...

scart/composite video -> rf modulator -> Sky digibox RF2 -> line to next room.

If like me in the past, you had both a Sky box and non-Sky receiver downstairs and wanted to have the RF signal upstairs for controlling both devices.. then this would be required..

scart/composite video -> rf modulator -> Sky digibox RF2 -> passive tvlink+ ->line to next room.

In the above setup, the tvlink+ didn't need power as it drew it from the powered RF2 from the Sky box.

In all cases, the last on the link is the device that juices up the line with the required DC for the eye on the other end. Most devices in this regard..digibox, most receivers with UHF modulators, VCRs etc, all tend to have UHF in/out sockets to facilitate the daisy chaining. You could even have an aerial at the very start of the chain in an attempt to have the national 4 on the other end as well.

stephendevlin

Tried to use the eye last night doesnt work. Peice of crap. Even plugged it into the modulator the power light comes on but no changing channels on the DM800 doesnt seem to work with this box. :mad:

James__10

I have a dreambox DM500S will my exising sky eye work on this dreambox? Is it just a case of plugging it into the dreambox?

Newtown90

James__10 wrote: »

I have a dreambox DM500S will my exising sky eye work on this dreambox? Is it just a case of plugging it into the dreambox?

You need an rf modulator as the 500 doesnt have an rf out..

James__10

Glenviewjf wrote: »

You need an rf modulator as the 500 doesnt have an rf out..

How much would it cost? I've actually got 2 eyes on out in the back kitchen and one in the front sitting room.

Newtown90

James__10 wrote: »

How much would it cost? I've actually got 2 eyes on out in the back kitchen and one in the front sitting room.

Here mate: http://www.ebay.ie/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110730844504

The lads over at Foreign Sat got them from there working great:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056448999

James__10

Glenviewjf wrote: »

Here mate: http://www.ebay.ie/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110730844504

The lads over at Foreign Sat got them from there working great:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056448999

And they will allow me to watch the dreambox out in the kitchen and use the remote control up in the sitting room as well?:pac:

Newtown90

James__10 wrote: »

And they will allow me to watch the dreambox out in the kitchen and use the remote control up in the sitting room as well?:pac:

Yup... You can view one channel at a time of course..

Slipshaney

sorry to post on an old thread - but is there any way to relay a HD signal from a Dreambox DM800 to another room?

cormacl

Slipshaney wrote: »

sorry to post on an old thread - but is there any way to relay a HD signal from a Dreambox DM800 to another room?

You didn't clarify what you want to relay to..

If you meant the satellite coax feed.. no.. you need a separate cable per receiver.

If you meant a PC/Mac.. then yes.. it is possible to stream a HD signal from the receiver to a computer in another room using something like VLC to play the stream. You could invoke the stream from the web interface of the dreambox.

Another way to do this if you have 2 networked dreambox receivers is to install the partner box plugin which lets one receiver stream from the channel lists of another.

Both of these will work on cabled LANs and work as 100Mbit speeds (max speed of Dreambox LAN ports).

They might work on wifi ..but for HD, you really need wireless N.. standard G will struggle with the bandwidth of a HD stream. Even an N network will struggle at longer distances.

My dreambox is in the living room cabled to a dual-band wireless-N router. I've managed to get it to stream HD using VLC on a Macbook Pro, and specifically on the 5Ghz channel. It even works in the garden but can cut out occasionally. SD streaming works fine all the time.

Lastly.. you need a decent PC/Mac to playback a HD stream without issues.. so after getting the connectivity sorted, you may still find its not perfect.

Slipshaney

Thanks for that

I like the sound of getting an additional dreambox and networking them. Is there much involved to get this done?

cormacl wrote: »

Slipshaney wrote: »

sorry to post on an old thread - but is there any way to relay a HD signal from a Dreambox DM800 to another room?

You didn't clarify what you want to relay to..

If you meant the satellite coax feed.. no.. you need a separate cable per receiver.

If you meant a PC/Mac.. then yes.. it is possible to stream a HD signal from the receiver to a computer in another room using something like VLC to play the stream. You could invoke the stream from the web interface of the dreambox.

Another way to do this if you have 2 networked dreambox receivers is to install the partner box plugin which lets one receiver stream from the channel lists of another.

Both of these will work on cabled LANs and work as 100Mbit speeds (max speed of Dreambox LAN ports).

They might work on wifi ..but for HD, you really need wireless N.. standard G will struggle with the bandwidth of a HD stream. Even an N network will struggle at longer distances.

My dreambox is in the living room cabled to a dual-band wireless-N router. I've managed to get it to stream HD using VLC on a Macbook Pro, and specifically on the 5Ghz channel. It even works in the garden but can cut out occasionally. SD streaming works fine all the time.

Lastly.. you need a decent PC/Mac to playback a HD stream without issues.. so after getting the connectivity sorted, you may still find its not perfect.

Slipshaney

would something like this work?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wireless-Transmitter-without-qualitylost-1920x1080pixel/dp/B0053B4OIA/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1341310390&sr=1-2

cormacl

Slipshaney wrote: »

Thanks for that

I like the sound of getting an additional dreambox and networking them. Is there much involved to get this done?

Of course its easy for me to say this.. but in general its not difficult to do if you have a home LAN and know how to deal with networking computers.

The first question I'd ask.. is the current dreambox wired to a LAN (broadband router) at home?
If so, then you need to get box#2 wired to the same LAN.. by running an ethernet cable from it to the same router.

The two boxes should then be able to see each other on the LAN.

You should assign fixed IP addresses to box-A or configure a static DHCP address. If your router supports static DHCP leases (sometimes called reserved DHCP), then it may be possible to leave box-A setup for DHCP where your router always gives it the same IP address each time it is powered up.

Then from box-B, you go to plugins and download the partnerbox plugin and configure the partner box.. entering the IP address of box-A. From there you can access tv services from box-A on box-B and also access its timers. The reason we want box-A to get a fixed address is to ensure that once box-B is configured, that it does not need to be changed each time box-A gets a new IP address.

This video here demonstrates the plugin being installed and configured.. its in German.. but if you play it through, you see screen by screen steps on how it is installed and configured.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLOgiCAu4l0

Another thing you can do with two dreamboxes on the same LAN is share the hard disks. In this case, you would set up a mount point (like a mapped drive in windows speak) on box-B for the hard disk of box-A.. meaning that recordings made on box-A can be played from box-B.

Slipshaney

Ok that sounds manageable enough. Thanks a million.

How about the link I posted above...I could use a hdmi splitter to wireless transmitter and get same result?

cormacl

Slipshaney wrote: »

Ok that sounds manageable enough. Thanks a million.

How about the link I posted above...I could use a hdmi splitter to wireless transmitter and get same result?

You probably could. In this case the 2nd room sees exactly what the 1st room sees. I didn't check the product in detail but it probably also includes a means of re-transmitting the remoter control IR signals.

The 2nd receiver solution is really best for a scenario where you would that room with its own satellite feed but still want to share recordings and services between rooms

Slipshaney

So the setup would be

Hdmi from my amp to the splitter....and then from my splitter to both my tv, and the wireless sender. Is that correct?

Quote=cormacl;79537171]

Slipshaney wrote: »

Ok that sounds manageable enough. Thanks a million.

How about the link I posted above...I could use a hdmi splitter to wireless transmitter and get same result?

You probably could. In this case the 2nd room sees exactly what the 1st room sees. I didn't check the product in detail but it probably also includes a means of re-transmitting the remoter control IR signals.

The 2nd receiver solution is really best for a scenario where you would that room with its own satellite feed but still want to share recordings and services between rooms[/Quote]

Slipshaney

would another option be to JB an apple TV, install XBMC and stream through this? or would quality suffer?

ouncer

have i this all messed up in my head. lets take a case where i have dual lnb with both cables fed to two separate dm800s that are in a central location away from the two tv locations. So I want to provide both tvs with remote control and satellite tv channels. So i plug a tvlink like such
http://www.tvlink.co.uk/tvm.htm
into the back of both the dm800s. The two separate RF outputs are then connected into
http://www.tvlink.co.uk/tvlinkplus.htm
and from there into the house main rf distribution feed. So now what goes at the TV end of the equation. I'm totally confused?????