Two problems with my New UPC

dillo2k10 · 16-07-2011 1:20pm #1

Hi,
I just got my new UPC Fibre Ultimate Package.
My first problem is that I chose the self install option and installed everything. My broadband wasn't working and so I rang them up and they said that it wasn't activated yet and I will have to wait until Monday or Tuesday.

My second problem is that if I wan't them to install multi-room for me it's €50 and I don't want to pay them for that. (Not exactly a problem with UPC, just trying to save money.) Last time UPC were here they let me have an extra wire, a long UPC wire that would connect straight from the splitter that they installed to the multi-room box. So thats connected and the quality on some of the stations on the second box is broken. Does anyone know how to improve the quality?

Thanks

dillo2k10 · 16-07-2011 1:42pm

I have all stations working now except MTV base

coylemj · 16-07-2011 9:32pm

dillo2k10 wrote: »

So thats connected and the quality on some of the stations on the second box is broken. Does anyone know how to improve the quality?

Thanks

I assume by describing the quality as 'broken' you mean it's poor, can you say if the second box is HD or non-HD?

If it's non-HD then you're probably using a SCART cable so you could try a different cable and see if it makes a difference. With HD the data is digital so it's unlikely to be a cable problem.

dillo2k10 · 16-07-2011 9:53pm

coylemj wrote: »

I assume by describing the quality as 'broken' you mean it's poor, can you say if the second box is HD or non-HD?

If it's non-HD then you're probably using a SCART cable so you could try a different cable and see if it makes a difference. With HD the data is digital so it's unlikely to be a cable problem.

Its a HD box, with A HDMI cable. But the stations with the problems are non-hd. There is about 10 music stations that don't work, at first they just break up, squares all over the place and after a few sec it comes up no signal on those stations.

coylemj · 17-07-2011 10:27am

dillo2k10 wrote: »

Its a HD box, with A HDMI cable. But the stations with the problems are non-hd. There is about 10 music stations that don't work, at first they just break up, squares all over the place and after a few sec it comes up no signal on those stations.

That could be a cable problem if you're seeing squares all over the place. I assume that your main box is also HD and you may even have a Blu-Ray player so swap out the HDMI cable on the second box, try one of your other HDMI cables on that box and see if it makes a difference. If that makes no difference then it's probably that you have a poor signal on the second box because you're using a splitter and a long cable.

dillo2k10 · 17-07-2011 2:18pm

coylemj wrote: »

That could be a cable problem if you're seeing squares all over the place. I assume that your main box is also HD and you may even have a Blu-Ray player so swap out the HDMI cable on the second box, try one of your other HDMI cables on that box and see if it makes a difference. If that makes no difference then it's probably that you have a poor signal on the second box because you're using a splitter and a long cable.

I was looking at Signal Boosters on ebay, would they help. The signal quality is High but the Signal Strength is low. The no-signal message appears on some of the music stations.

Thanks

coylemj · 17-07-2011 5:18pm

dillo2k10 wrote: »

I was looking at Signal Boosters on ebay, would they help. The signal quality is High but the Signal Strength is low. The no-signal message appears on some of the music stations.

Thanks

I'm not qualified to talk about boosters but as it's a digital signal I doubt that they would make any difference. Zero is zero and one is one, no amount of boosting is going to repair a bad digital signal.

Try swapping the cable first, in problem determination you change only one thing at a time.

dillo2k10 · 17-07-2011 7:17pm

coylemj wrote: »

I'm not qualified to talk about boosters but as it's a digital signal I doubt that they would make any difference. Zero is zero and one is one, no amount of boosting is going to repair a bad digital signal.

Try swapping the cable first, in problem determination you change only one thing at a time.

Well I know that its not the cable, because when the cable is plugged into the connection point directly it works, just not when its connected to the splitter.

Il just give the booster a try. There's one in Argos for €17, it says its for digital and analogue signals. If it doesn't work I can always brink it back and get UPC out to install a new point.

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/5344235/Trail/searchtext%3EBOOSTER.htm

Thanks .

coylemj · 17-07-2011 7:41pm

dillo2k10 wrote: »

Well I know that its not the cable, because when the cable is plugged into the connection point directly it works, just not when its connected to the splitter.

It was the HDMI cable I suggested you change, the one going from the second box to the TV.

dillo2k10 wrote: »

Il just give the booster a try. There's one in Argos for €17, it says its for digital and analogue signals. If it doesn't work I can always brink it back and get UPC out to install a new point.

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/5344235/Trail/searchtext%3EBOOSTER.htm

Thanks .

Did you read the disclaimer on the product page on the Argos website that you provided the link to ....

A signal booster used on its own however, will not resolve local reception problems or cure ghosting.

lucernarian · 18-07-2011 11:21am

coylemj wrote: »

I'm not qualified to talk about boosters but as it's a digital signal I doubt that they would make any difference. Zero is zero and one is one, no amount of boosting is going to repair a bad digital signal.

Try swapping the cable first, in problem determination you change only one thing at a time.

With all due respect, that idea of a "digital signal" is nonsense. All signals sent down UPC cable are inherently analogue, it's just that nifty equipment is used to take the analogue signals that make up a DOCSIS internet channel or a DVB-C TV channel and convert them into pure 1s and 0s. The same happens with mobile phones, wifi, DSL on phonelines etc. Even an ethernet cable! Only for very short and cost-effective uses would pure 1s and 0s be used. E.g. USB cables.

Just like an analogue signal can show black and white TV, so can an analogue signal "carry" a binary number through the use of special modulation (one tyoe of which: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadrature_amplitude_modulation)

lucernarian · 18-07-2011 11:24am

dillo2k10 wrote: »

Well I know that its not the cable, because when the cable is plugged into the connection point directly it works, just not when its connected to the splitter.

Il just give the booster a try. There's one in Argos for €17, it says its for digital and analogue signals. If it doesn't work I can always brink it back and get UPC out to install a new point.

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/5344235/Trail/searchtext%3EBOOSTER.htm

Thanks .

I'm a bit confused here. I assume there's some sort of wall outlet for UPC currently? And then a cable comes from the TV output of the white UPC box, to a two-way splitter to supply the broadband and the main TV/box? How is the second box and this long cable connected to the splitter also?

dillo2k10 · 18-07-2011 11:30am

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

I'm a bit confused here. I assume there's some sort of wall outlet for UPC currently? And then a cable comes from the TV output of the white UPC box, to a two-way splitter to supply the broadband and the main TV/box? How is the second box and this long cable connected to the splitter also?

Its not a two way splitter, its a 4 way splitter.

I got it working anyway. I just used the booster from Argos, and it works perfectly now.

lucernarian · 18-07-2011 11:35am

Ah, well then a booster was definitely needed! a simple, compact 4-way splitter would substantially reduce signal strength. There's just one thing: is the broadband modem working okay while connected to the booster? Which booster in argos did you buy?

dillo2k10 · 18-07-2011 11:43am

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

Ah, well then a booster was definitely needed! a simple, compact 4-way splitter would substantially reduce signal strength. There's just one thing: is the broadband modem working okay while connected to the booster? Which booster in argos did you buy?

It doesn't work when I connect the booster from the Mains to the Splitter, but it all works perfectly when I connect the booster to the splitter and from the booster to the second box.

It was a small bit of hassle, but it saved me about 33 euro. The booster I bought was http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/5344235/Trail/searchtext%3EBOOSTER+TV.htm

There is also one that has two outputs for the same price but it doesn't amplify the signal as much.

lucernarian · 18-07-2011 1:20pm

What do you mean by the mains? And what you linked to is a booster (aka an amplifier), not a splitter.

dillo2k10 · 18-07-2011 1:38pm

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

What do you mean by the mains? And what you linked to is a booster (aka an amplifier), not a splitter.

By the mains I mean the UPC Point (the white point on the wall in the house)

I just typed the wrong thing, I knew it was a splitter. The booster should be connected so as the broadband is not running from it, as it won't work.

Two problems with my New UPC

Comments