1st time Satellite setup

Thumper Long

Folks have been following the forum for a while as I try and decide what to do about TV for the house. Virgin contract expired last week but need to get a solution in place and tested before cancelling for health and safety reasons.

I have followed the 2 main threads on the Tiviar (thanks to NCM & THHB very informative) but I don’t want to make this about hardware. I will probably go for a pair of Zgemma h7s boxes good balance of features and price and am confident I can figure it out, it’s just Linux after all . Not sure on ATV or VIX but I think I can reflash and try both, happy for any reasons to pick one over another.

What I need some help with is deciding what to get installed, house has never had satellite or saorview so greenfield setup. I’m sorted for networking so internet connections to the boxes not an issue.

If I have understood the previous threads I am going to get pricing for a quad LNB & dish (2 sat connections to each box as they are twin tuner), a high gain Saorview aerial (wrong forum I know) with a connection to each box, my aim to have a single 7 day epg for everything.

So really I’d like to get your opinions on whether this is the best approach? From a satellite perspective should I be going quad lnb 2x2 connections, or should I be going unicable (not really sure how it works or if it’s compatible etc). Will also get a connection from the saorview aerial to both locations.

I don’t ever see us having more than 2 TVs in the house so octo lnb etc would be overkill.

Finally if anyone can recommend a reliable and neat installer to supply and fit in Dublin 15 I would be very grateful for a PM with the details, or if rules allow please post here.

Many thanks in advance

TL

Thumper Long

Cheeky Bump, could really do with a steer on this before I start looking for installers.

TIA

Gerry Wicklow

PM sent

Thumper Long

Gerry Wicklow wrote: »

PM sent

Very helpful thanking you kindly

Johnboy1951

As you are "sorted for networking" maybe you should consider centralising the tuners and distributing the TV channels over the network.
Ideally you would need some space (press) to which all the network connections go, and bring in the two coax cables from outside to there for feeding the tuners.
Distribute on the network from there.

Thumper Long

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

As you are "sorted for networking" maybe you should consider centralising the tuners and distributing the TV channels over the network.
Ideally you would need some space (press) to which all the network connections go, and bring in the two coax cables from outside to there for feeding the tuners.
Distribute on the network from there.

Would love to centralize everything into a cab but my life is in danger if this doesn’t work, I have enough of the house digitized (some people think complicated) so I think I’ll go the easy route

Johnboy1951

Thumper Long wrote: »

Would love to centralize everything into a cab but my life is in danger if this doesn’t work, I have enough of the house digitized (some people think complicated) so I think I’ll go the easy route

Maybe bring in a couple of coax cables to the central location for future experimentation.

dubrov

Here are a few things that might help you.

Standard satellite installations require a feed direct from the satellite dish to the receiver.
Aerial (Saorview) and cable (Virgin) feeds can be split.
In general, you would require two satellite feeds to allow a receiver to record one channel while watching another. A quad LNB would provide 4 feeds that could be split between your receivers as needed. An octo would provide 8 feeds.

The biggest advantage of Unicable is that you send multiple satellite feeds down a single cable from the dish which can be later split to each TV location. See a good guide here.
The receiver would need to be compatible with Unicable (check the manual/settings). Pretty much all satellite boxes are compatible but mostly only recent TVs are.
A special Unicable LNB or on the satellite or Unicable multiswitch is needed to make it all work.
Chances are your satellite installer may not be that familiar with Unicable as it doesn't seem to be widespread in Ireland.

You will need an aerial to get Saorview but the Satellite and Saorview feeds can easily share the same cable as well.
I am not sure if Virgin cable can though as you might need it to still work for the test period.

Given you had Virgin already, that suggests you probably have a single cable split to each TV Point. Unicable could potentially save you the cost of laying additional cables.
Also, check your TV specs as they may already be able to tune Satellite and Saorview channels without the need for a set top box.

Lastly, if you do go for Unicable, go for the Unicable II version as it can send a lot more satellite feeds over a single cable (16 or 32 I think)

Best thing to do is consult your installer and they should be able to advise on the most appropriate setup for you.

Johnboy1951

dubrov wrote:

You will need an aerial to get Saorview but the Satellite and Saorview feeds can easily share the same cable as well.

This might not be possible when using a Unicable LNB?

dubrov

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

This might not be possible when using a Unicable LNB?

I don't think there is any overlap in frequencies but worth checking with the installer.

It will certainly work with a Unicable II multiswitch.
Inverto do multiswitches that take Quattro LNB and terrestrial inputs and combine the signals in all outputs. Some of the fancier ones like this one can even detect if the receiver can handle Unicable and adapt accordingly.

Of course these switches aren't cheap and all add to the cost.

NewClareman

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

This might not be possible when using a Unicable LNB?

I’ve used it with a Unicable I LNB, without issue. From reading the spec, there’s some overlap with Unicable II. This can be avoided by programming the LNB, not to use these frequencies. This requires a special programmer, which an installer is unlikely to have.

If the OP can bear the cost, a Multiswitch, as suggested by dubrov, is the most flexible option. By using something like the Triax TMDS-54C, Sky Q would also be supported, for future proofing.

dubrov

I am thinking of going down the Unicable multiswitch route myself but not willing to spend that sort of cash.
It would defeat the purpose of going Free to air for me.

I came across this multiswitch.

Would I be right in saying that you give it a Quattro LNB and Aerial feed and it will provide 4 outputs each of which can be Unicable (3 feeds) or Legacy(1 feed)?
Would something like this require configuration?

It seems to have BSkyB support as well but I am unsure if that means Sky Q.

Johnboy1951

My attitude is that I can bring in a few cables to the central point where the tuners are located, so I have no problem with using a Unicable II LNB, and a Legacy LNB if needed, and join the aerial to the legacy feed or bring it in separately.
Presently I have a separate coax for the aerial, so 6 coax cables in all going to the media press.
I have only used one of those legacy feeds for Eir Sports last years - which I no longer use.
I could have used twin coax cables if I wished.

There are even LNBs that have inputs for aerial feed so only need to split the signals inside.
With tuners centralised it all becomes so much easier to wire up and manage.

Thumper Long

dubrov wrote: »

Here are a few things that might help you.

Standard satellite installations require a feed direct from the satellite dish to the receiver.
Aerial (Saorview) and cable (Virgin) feeds can be split.
In general, you would require two satellite feeds to allow a receiver to record one channel while watching another. A quad LNB would provide 4 feeds that could be split between your receivers as needed. An octo would provide 8 feeds.

The biggest advantage of Unicable is that you send multiple satellite feeds down a single cable from the dish which can be later split to each TV location. See a good guide here.
The receiver would need to be compatible with Unicable (check the manual/settings). Pretty much all satellite boxes are compatible but mostly only recent TVs are.
A special Unicable LNB or on the satellite or Unicable multiswitch is needed to make it all work.
Chances are your satellite installer may not be that familiar with Unicable as it doesn't seem to be widespread in Ireland.

You will need an aerial to get Saorview but the Satellite and Saorview feeds can easily share the same cable as well.
I am not sure if Virgin cable can though as you might need it to still work for the test period.

Given you had Virgin already, that suggests you probably have a single cable split to each TV Point. Unicable could potentially save you the cost of laying additional cables.
Also, check your TV specs as they may already be able to tune Satellite and Saorview channels without the need for a set top box.

Lastly, if you do go for Unicable, go for the Unicable II version as it can send a lot more satellite feeds over a single cable (16 or 32 I think)

Best thing to do is consult your installer and they should be able to advise on the most appropriate setup for you.

Thanks for the detailed response I think for now I’ll run 4 sat feeds from a quad lnb as the boxes I’m looking at don’t have fbc tuners, I’m trying to justify this as a cost saving exercise when in reality I just have a pain in my hole with Virgin horizon, and like the idea of being able to customize the boxes