Sky + and freeview in different rooms

webpal

In short, I'm trying to watch sky + and freeview in all rooms, hopefully I can explain my situation and why it's not working. A couple of years ago I had multiroom, had 2 sky + boxes and was able to watch either in 3 rooms but was only ever to change 1 with the magic eye. One of the boxes blew up and sky wouldn't replace it so I told them I didn't want multiroom anymore and started using an old freeview box I had.

Currently the setup is as follows, the sky + box is in the attic and fed directly from the satellite dish. On the rf out there is a cable going from rf out to a small rectangular splitter (excuse the terminology) and split to three rooms, everything works perfect. I've also got a freeview box in the sitting room which is fed directly from the satellite dish ( as was the old second sky + box) however I want to be able to watch this in other rooms too. I'm pretty sure what was done previously was that on this rf out a cable went to the wall socket (double socket) and back up to the attic to the second sky + box which in turn went around the house as above but when I try this with the freeview box everything goes. The minute I connect the cable to the second box in the attic, it's like I lose the signal and it's fine when I remove.

Is this possible? Am I doing something stupid? Hopefully I've explained it properly and apologies but I'm not technically minded.

The Cush

What RF channel does the FTA sat box and Sky box use? If the are the same you get co-channel interference that'll kill both signals.

webpal

How would I find that out?

The Cush

Sky box - http://www.ukfree.tv/helpme.php?faqid=1107051117

For your FTA sat receiver it'll be somewhere within the menu, dig out the receivers manual.

webpal

I've checked that and the sky + is 30 and the freeview box is 68. Can I change these? Thanks

Peter Rhea

Presumably, this 'freeview' box is another Sky box?

You're connecting 1 of its RF-outs to the RF-in of the box in the attic?

The Cush

webpal wrote: »

I've checked that and the sky + is 30 and the freeview box is 68. Can I change these?

There is no conflict between those receivers.

Do you use Saorview at the main TV?
Where in the country are you located approx.?

Some of the Saorview frequencies use UHF Ch.30, if this is being carried on the cable to the Sky box or being picked up by the cable to the Sky box it could be conflicting with the Sky RF output. Three Rock in Dublin and Holywell Hill in Donegal use Ch.30 for example.

Edit: Maybe change the Sky+ RF output to Ch.65.

webpal

I don't have saorview at all, it's just another sky box that I had years ago with the card removed

webpal

When I change it to 65 and press any arrow key to go to save settings it shuts off the box for some reason.

Peter Rhea

Does the 'freeview' sitting room box have anything connected to RF-in?

The Cush

webpal wrote: »

When I change it to 65 and press any arrow key to go to save settings it shuts off the box for some reason.

The TVs connected to the Sky+ in the attic will have to be retuned to the new frequency.

webpal

Peter Rhea wrote: »

Does the 'freeview' sitting room box have anything connected to RF-in?

Yes the cable from sky + box in the attic. it's not called rf in though it's aerial in

webpal

The Cush wrote: »

The TVs connected to the Sky+ in the attic will have to be retuned to the new frequency.

But I can't change the frequency, it keeps shutting off

The Cush

webpal wrote: »

Yes the cable from sky + box in the attic. it's not called rf in though it's aerial in

So its in a loop, Sky+ RF 2 out to Sky "freeview" in to Sky "Freeview" RF2 out to Sky+ RF in = conflict. Can you connect the Sky+ RF2 directly to the main TV's aerial in?

Peter Rhea

webpal wrote: »

Yes the cable from sky + box in the attic. it's not called rf in though it's aerial in

Plug it out of the Sky box & directly into the sitting room TV's aerial-in.

webpal

Ok thanks both, I'll have to await til tomorrow to get up in the attic, so I'll let ye know

Peter Rhea

No need to go to the attic: just remove the cable from the sitting room box aerial-in.

The Cush

Peter Rhea wrote: »

No need to go to the attic: just remove the cable from the sitting room box aerial-in.

and tomorrow connect the Sky "freeview" RF2 out to the attic's Sky+ RF in, there should be no conflict and no need to change RF out channel.

webpal

Thanks all this worked a treat. Along the same lines, is it possible, do you know, if I change the channels on the freeview box using magic eyes? I currently have 3 and they work for the sky + box. Thanks again.

Peter Rhea

You can't use the eyes with the 2nd box in a chain like that. The RF2 feeds need to be combined outside of the boxes: an ordinary combiner/splitter might work, if the Sky boxes are different types using different remote control signals.

There is also a specific combiner available that can deal with remote control signal conflicts.

The Cush

Peter Rhea wrote: »

There is also a specific combiner available that can deal with remote control signal conflicts.

Global SPC4 - http://www.tvlink.co.uk/spc4.htm, http://www.tvtrade.ie/global-spc4-super-plus-combiner.html

riclad

CONNECT the freeview box in the sitting room to the tv, by a scart cable,
or by hdmi cable, if it has hdmi out.
use the rf out 2 port to connect a magic eye for other room downstairs..
scart cable is 3 or 4 euros in powercity or hardware stores, tv shop.
i know someone had 4 freeview boxes in 4 rooms,
ie each room had a cable run direct from a multi lnb unit on the sky dish.
now they have upc cable tv installed.

Peter Rhea

@riclad, if you take a little time to read the thread & understand what webpal is trying to achieve here, you will see that your own contribution is pretty irrelevant.