Freesat and Saorview to 4 rooms

Wheety

What is the best way of distributing the above to 4 rooms. 3 for now but possibly a 4th in the future.

I don't need advice on the satellite and aerial install. I've a good idea on this.

Would I be right in thinking something like this would sort the Saorview element?

http://www.freetv.ie/proception-4-way-tv-amplifier/

Run cable from aerial to this in the attic/understairs and then a cable to each room?

For the satellite is the best option a multi LNB and then run cables directly to the rooms? Or is there a similar distributor? Maybe even another of the same device?

This is for the folks house. I think the sitting room may be the only one where they would want to record so this will need a triple tuner and 2 sat cables. The others maybe single connections. Would this mean an octo LNB?

Rough idea of cost of this if I was to install it myself? €400, including the boxes? Looks like I may need an offset holder as they would need to be installed on the back of the house but facing towards the front.

Actually reading all this back, maybe they can just pay someone

Gerry Wicklow

Another option is to consider a quad LNB and 5x8 multiswitch. This allows you to piggyback the terrestrial signal onto each of the 8 outputs. You would then need a splitter box or faceplate in each room.

*Links are for examples only. Shop around

EDIT: might seem like overkill but give more options for the future.

Sam Russell

If you only want a single sat cable to each tv, then you could look at one of these. Each of the four down cables carries both the Saorview and sat singnal to be split with one of these at the TV. The fifth connection on the LNB is the Saorview aerial input. There is no power pass through to the aerial so you need a reasonable signal from the aerial, but you can locate the aerial higher and so improve the signal.

This is both neat and reasonably cheap.

Wheety

Thanks. The parents are always recording stuff so will need to sat feeds to that box at least. My brother said that they usually record 1 Irish channel while watching another. Don't ask. There's barely enough programming to watch 1 never mind 2 things being on at the same time!

any of the linux boxes I've been looking at only let you record 1 while watching a different feed. Is there any with 2 Saorview feeds? Would the Saorview Connect be more suited. I know the record function won't be there until later in the year.

Sam Russell

Wheety wrote: »

Thanks. The parents are always recording stuff so will need to sat feeds to that box at least. My brother said that they usually record 1 Irish channel while watching another. Don't ask. There's barely enough programming to watch 1 never mind 2 things being on at the same time!

any of the linux boxes I've been looking at only let you record 1 while watching a different feed. Is there any with 2 Saorview feeds? Would the Saorview Connect be more suited. I know the record function won't be there until later in the year.

To record one sat channel and watch another requires two feeds. This does not apply to Saorview, as the feed can be split. The Saorview Connect box would suit your needs for one box (when recording is in place with it, but it would require two sat feeds).

Now because you need four rooms fed with sat, and at least one with two feeds, you will need a different solution to the one I indicated above. You would need an octo LNB which gives 8 outputs) and could then use combiners for each sat cable going to each room.

Hope that helps.

Tigerandahalf

From what we know Saorview Connect will have 2 tuners (when recording is enabled) so yes possible to watch a programme while recording another. Add a freesat box and you have 4 tuners.

I presume with these unicable lnbs a single satellite feed to the freesat box will allow you to record one, watch one at the same time on all channels.

Sam Russell

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

From what we know Saorview Connect will have 2 tuners (when recording is enabled) so yes possible to watch a programme while recording another. Add a freesat box and you have 4 tuners.

I presume with these unicable lnbs a single satellite feed to the freesat box will allow you to record one, watch one at the same time on all channels.

If you have four satellite tuners, you need four feeds. Why would you need that?

Saorview Connect (when recording is enabled) will need two sat feeds, but will allow watch one channel and record another. It needs an external USB hard drive to record which is not ideal. It also needs a broadband connection to fulfill its full potential, but would be an ideal solution for people who watch a lot of RTE output as it gives simple access to the RTE Player.

I have no experience of the 'unicable LNBs' so cannot comment on them.

Tigerandahalf

I meant 2 dedicated tuners for the saorview box and 2 separate for the freesat box - so most recording needs are met.

Ten Pin

My brother said that they usually record 1 Irish channel while watching another.

Assuming that the TV has a Terrestrial tuner, just loop the aerial through the box (most good boxes have "IN" and "LOOP/OUT" for terrestrial) into the TV. Watch live Irish channel on the TV and record the other Irish channel on the box. They'll only have to change source to TV and back to box.

Johnboy1951

Gerry Wicklow wrote: »

Guys the OP must use Saorsat as there is no Saorview reception. All Saorsat is on 1 TP for the foreseeable future so a single feed for it will suffice.

Think you got this thread confused with another similar one

I don't need advice on the satellite and aerial install. I've a good idea on this.

Would I be right in thinking something like this would sort the Saorview element?

Gerry Wicklow

Doh! It IS Monday isn't it

Wheety

Ten Pin wrote: »

Assuming that the TV has a Terrestrial tuner, just loop the aerial through the box (most good boxes have "IN" and "LOOP/OUT" for terrestrial) into the TV. Watch live Irish channel on the TV and record the other Irish channel on the box. They'll only have to change source to TV and back to box.

Was thinking of something like this. Like on the old UPC boxes. You had the channels on the box on one of the other sources and the Irish channels on the tv.

Tigerandahalf

Do you have good broadband and will your parents appreciate catch up services.
The connect box is very handy to scroll back and see a programme that was missed. Very handy interface for older people and don't have to type in names of programmes into a search with the keypad.

There is a freesat box coming out in the autumn that is similar to Sky Q. There is another thread I think on the satellite section about it. Satellite cables to just one box and over wifi to the other boxes in your house.

It is also possible that saorview connect will allow people to watch rte1/2/tg4 over the internet in the future and eliminate the need for an aerial.