What cables and how many to each room for Vu+/GigaBlue?

runswithascript

We are having cables run starting tomorrow to several rooms as part of an extension, and they will be taking routes where they will not be replaceable in the future without major works. I am not sure if satellite has to go in then to not hold up plastering etc, but just in case, if anyone reading this knows the answers to my questions I would appreciate a prompt reply.

Requirements:

1. Saorview and the option of either Freesat or Freeview, whichever I decide on is best for each room (I am a tech and Linux enthusiast but not everybody here is!), in a total of 6 rooms.

2. EPG in every room. The ability to pause, rewind, and record live TV in every room.

3. Record one station while watching another, even if both are Saorview or both are Satelite, in at least the living room. It would be a bonus if we could do it everywhere but hard to justify if it means doubling every cable.

Cat6a network cable is also being run from every TV point back to where a future office will be 5m to 10m out the back garden - I am not sure if that could be utilised or not for what I listed above. The house will be around 7m x 12m.

Questions:

Am I correct we need a single Saorview cable and a single satellite cable to each TV point apart from the living room where we need two of each cable?

The electrician mentioned some people run each TV point back to an indoor hub and then a single cable to dish. Should we do this or am I correct very cable should be run up to where our existing Sky+ dish is on roof, leaving slack maybe for Saorview cables, so that whenever we get an aerial installed it can go anywhere on the roof?

What is the actual name of each cable? Say for satellite, are all the cables the same or should I insist on a certain specification for good HD picture quality or to future proof for when 4K UHD is broadcast, or any other advancement in satellite broadcasting on the horizon?

The Cush

dusf wrote: »

Questions:

Am I correct we need a single Saorview cable and a single satellite cable to each TV point apart from the living room where we need two of each cable?

The electrician mentioned some people run each TV point back to an indoor hub and then a single cable to dish. Should we do this or am I correct very cable should be run up to where our existing Sky+ dish is on roof, leaving slack maybe for Saorview cables, so that whenever we get an aerial installed it can go anywhere on the roof?

What is the actual name of each cable? Say for satellite, are all the cables the same or should I insist on a certain specification for good HD picture quality or to future proof for when 4K UHD is broadcast, or any other advancement in satellite broadcasting on the horizon?

Saorview at each TV point only requires a single co-ax cable as it can be easily split. Satellite tuners require a separate cable for each tuner (cannot be split), so if you plan on having Sky/Freesat/other +PVRs 2 feeds will be required.

I would run a min of 2 cables to most rooms, 1 for Saorview and 1 for satellite ( Saorview and a satellite feed can be piggybacked on the same cable if required). For the main room I have run 4 cables cables to the TV point (1 Saorview/2 satellite/1 spare). If they are required in future better to be looking at them than looking for them.

Run all cables back to a central location. Run the cables for the dish and aerial to there also. Plan for a power socket there, for possible distribution amp/multiswitch use.

Regarding the number of satellite dish cables you require, that depends on the number of TV points you require a single or double satellite feed. 6 TV points would require 6 feeds from an Octo LNB on the dish, 2 feeds in the main room would require 7 feeds to the dish, etc.

If you don't want that many cables running outside then the other option would be 4 dish feeds connected to a Quattro LNB on the dish and a multiswitch located at the central point with the multiswitch combining aerial feed with the satellite feeds to each TV point. This 5x8 switch will feed satellite to 8 tuners together with the Saorview aerial feed combined.

Regarding cable spec, a CT100 standard cable would be recommended for all cables.

Other satellite feed options now include fibre optic and Sat>IP but not widely used.

Delta Lima

That's good advise from Cush.

If I were you, I'd ask your sparky to label the individual coaxes at both ends, including the runs to the dish (especially if you decide to use a quatro LNB / multiswitch). It could save a lot of time later on, when trying to identify cables, while installing your gear.

Also I'd run 2 or 3 Cat 6/5e cables to your main TV point, back to your router, for future proofing.

runswithascript

Thank you for the replies. Electrician came on Friday evening and I walked him through the main points of the job. I am pleased to learn Saorview only needs one cable to be able to watch one Irish channel while recording another. The plan now is to run three cables to each TV point, one for Saorview as I mentioned, and the other two to allow recording one satellite channel while watching another. One extra to the living room for future proofing. All cables will be labelled and I have asked the electrician to run all cables to the attic, with a power socket, near where the satellite is. For now, just two will be connected directly to the satellite, which will run to the living room, so we can use the existing Sky for the time being until we have the Saorview aerial up, the satellite boxes, and satellite switch in the attic. Each TV point will have three cat6a ports, one for Samsung TV Irish and British players, one for satellite box (I have read some can share recordings etc over the network), and one for an XBMC box. A location in the living room corner where we will hide media equipment will have four more ports for HTPC, consoles, future proofing etc. One port will also be put in attic where satellite and Saroview cables run to, in case the future switch or dish can utilize it.

When I asked the Electrician if he could use CT 100 Standard cable he told me he did not know what this was, and had planned to use RG 6U. Cush, on the link you posted I can see RG6 SDU, is this the same thing?

Anything else I am forgoetting?

The Cush

dusf wrote: »

When I asked the Electrician if he could use CT 100 Standard cable he told me he did not know what this was, and had planned to use RG 6U. Cush, on the link you posted I can see RG6 SDU, is this the same thing?

the difference between the 2 is probably the core wire, copper clad steel vs. solid copper. That probably the reason it's on the CAI benchmarked list. The cable will do OK in a standard dwelling but CT100 would be recommended. Electricians use RG6 because it's cheaper than CT100 and I don't believe he hasn't heard of it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coaxial_cable#Cables_used_in_the_UK

runswithascript

The Cush wrote: »

the difference between the 2 is probably the core wire, copper clad steel vs. solid copper. That probably the reason it's on the CAI benchmarked list. The cable will do OK in a standard dwelling but CT100 would be recommended. Electricians use RG6 because it's cheaper than CT100 and I don't believe he hasn't heard of it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coaxial_cable#Cables_used_in_the_UK

Is there a huge price difference? Would you happen to know if RG6-SDU is the best value CT100 standard cable to go for or should I ask him for something else?

The Cush

dusf wrote: »

Is there a huge price difference? Would you happen to know if RG6-SDU is the best value CT100 standard cable to go for or should I ask him for something else?

Don't know what the price difference is, he'll be getting RG6 at trade price.

RG6-SDU isn't CT100, also it may not be readily available where he gets his stock.

Gerry Wicklow

CT 100 is generally more than 2x the price of RG6

runswithascript

Thanks both for clarifying. Unfortunately, as you mentioned, the supplier does not have RG6SDU or any A-certified cable from the CAI list readily available, and as this would hold up builders and we cannot afford to do that he is just going to use RG6SU.

Cush, you mentioned it should be okay in a normal dwelling. What kind of limitations might we encounter, if any? We watch most things now on demand, or streamed etc, but I am hoping these RG6SU cables should theoretically have enough bandwidth for the future when UHD/4K is broadcast by satellite...

Gerry Wicklow

AFAIK RG6 should be ok for the average domestic set up unless you need exceptionally long runs or it's an electronically noisy location.

winston_1

CT100 was made by Radex who went out of business around 7 years ago. That's why the spark had not heard of it, it's obsolete.
Try asking for WF100, that is used now.

winston_1

dusf wrote: »

All cables will be labelled and I have asked the electrician to run all cables to the attic, with a power socket, near where the satellite is. For now, just two will be connected directly to the satellite,

The satellite is 23,000 miles above the equator, and if you presumably mean the dish it won't work in the attic where you say it is.