ATT: Watty Home Cable Network

DTV

Hi,

I was browsing your homepage and came across 'Connecting your Home Cable Network'.

Is this tutorial going to be completed in the near future as i am interested in making one.

If not do you have any suggestions I would like to connect 7 TVs, 1 VCR, 1 DVD Player and two Digital MMDS/Sky Digiboxs to make a home network. I am intersted in getting a very good quality distribution amp with F-Connectors but I have searched around but to no avail. probably cos I dont no where to look ? I need one which supports VHF/UHF. Can you help?

watty

I have feeding all the TVs via a distribution amp and 1 TV not via distribution amp:
2 x Digiboxes
1 X VHS
1 x S-VHS
2 x Analog Sat receivers
1 x VHS with PC Sat receiver connected to AV in

So Channels on TV
1.. 4 Aerial
5 VHS #3 usually TV out of PC Satellite receiver
6 Digibox #1
7 BBC World TV via Hotbird 13E Analog
8 CNN via Astra 19E Analog
9 Digibox # 2
10 S-VHS, shows front security camera via 4 Way SACRT switch when no tape.
11 VHS #2

Making sure all the boxes are on different RF channels that don't interfere is tricky.

I am meaning (for over a year now) to wirte it up and do diagram.

You CAN get very expenisive amps with F connectors, but mine just as ordinary TV connectors.

Do you really need VHF?
RTE's VHF feeds are seriously inferior to UHF ones.
Or are you thinking analog cable or VHF-FM Radio?

(My "UHF" distribution amp actually does manage BandIII / Hyperband OK, but not BAND I)

The 4-way distribution amp gives enough signal that I can split any output in two with a Y-Adaptor (kind with coil in it not ones with resistors). A Digibox feeds the distribution amp, so it's other soket has everything too.

So up to 9 TVs.

DTV

I have following:

1st Room
TV
Digital MMDS/ Digibox x1(Undecided which to get Chorus or Sky)
VCR x1
DVD x1

2nd Room
TV
Digital MMDS/ Digibox x1 (Undecided which to get Chorus or Sky)

4 Other Rooms TVx1

My local transmitter is Mount leinster
VHF Aerial: Band III
UHF Aerial Group A (Red)
RTÉ One: F; Network 2 i; TV3 26; TG4 23
Polarisation: Horizontal
Nominal Max ERP Vision: 160 kW (VHF); 500 kW (UHF)
Site Height: 2160 ft A.S.L.
Mast Height: 350 ft

I want to install two aerials UHF and VHF distributing the terrestial to the TV x6.

Then distribute Digital MMDS/Digibox/VCR & DVD from 1st and the Digital MMDS/Digibox from 2nd Room to the 4 other TVs.

Is possible though distrute the DVD Player (AV.)

I would like a Distribution amp preferably with F-Connectors (willing to pay good money for decent one.)

Drisbution box Prefs: Line in x4 ? = UHF x1 VHF x1 Digital MMDS/Digibox x2 DVD/VCR (unsure how to connect VCR/DVD, can you connect AV equipment ?) and line out x6 = TV x6

Where do you buy good equipment - Peats/Maplin looked not great

Samson

Originally posted by DTV
Hi,

I was browsing your homepage and came across 'Connecting your Home Cable Network'.

Is this tutorial going to be completed in the near future as i am interested in making one.

URL?

watty

Embarrising so long ago:
http://homepage.eircom.net/~watty/satellite/satellite.htm

Don't get Chorus Digital MMDS, though it is same price as SKy

1) If you cancel you still have Sky box with all these

Sky Digital channels without a card:
(Below are extra channels with a Free card or Cancelled Sky UK card)
The FTA BBC Radio and BBC Parliament are gone from EPG since March due to BBC/ Sky EPG row presumably

181 Travel Channel
182 Travel Ch 2
184 S4C Digidol
202 Life TV
208 Showcase
220 Fashion TV
223 Game Network
229 You TV
235 AVAGO
238 BEN/Emma
241 Reality TV
247 Classics TV
259 Performance
265 Rapture TV
268 Friendly TV
327 TCM
414 redbuttonraces
416 Motors TV
422 Extreme Sports
455 Chart Show TV
464 Classic FM TV
467 Channel U
501 Sky News (including Sky News Active)
508 BBC Parliament
513 CNN
519 S4C2
525 ITV News
528 EuroNews
534 CCTV-9
630 QVC
631 TV Travel Shop
632 TV Travel Shop 2
634 TV Shop
635 Ideal World
636 Screenshop
637 Shop America
638 Travel Deals
639 Simply Shop
640 Best Direct
641 Simply Home
642 Simply Hols TV
643 Simply Ideas
644 TV Warehouse
646 Shopping Genie
647 bid-up.tv
648 Thomas Cook
649 TelSell
650 letsgoshop+
651 Auctionworld
652 Shop on TV
655 Thane Direct
656 Shop Smart
658 TVWarehouse Select
659 Shop 24/7
660 Stop + Shop
661 YES
662 Screenshop 2
663 TV High Street
664 JML Direct
666 Phoneworld
667 Vitality
669 Going Places
670 Factory Outlet
671 GOD Channel
672 GOD Channel 2
673 Wonderful
674 TBN Europe
675 Christian TV
676 Revelation
683 TV Jobshop
684 Community
685 Dating Channel
686 txt me tv
687 Open Access
688 Dating Channel 2
681 TX1
695 Create & Craft
801 B4U Music
805 PCNE Chinese
807 mta - muslim tv
824 Abu Dhabi TV

851 BBC Radio 1
852 BBC Radio 2
853 BBC Radio 3
854 BBC Radio 4 FM
856 Classic FM
857 Virgin Radio
859 Classic Gold
860 The Storm
861 Planet Rock
862 Core
863 Capital Gold
864 XFM
865 BBC World Service
866 BBC Radio Scotland
867 BBC Radio Wales
868 BBC Radio Ulster
869 BBC Asian Network
870 BBC Radio 4 LW
872 WRN Europe
873 Premier
874 Heart 106.2
875 UCB Europe
876 Cross Rhythms
877 Oneword
879 Solar Radio
880 Panjab Radio
882 PrimeTime
883 Sunrise Radio
884 talkGospel
885 TotalRock
886 UCB Insp
887 The Mix
888 TWR
890 UCB Bible
891 UCB Talk
892 RTE Radio 1
894 SBN
895 Club Asia
896 Real Radio S Wales
897 EWTN
900 Sukh Sagar
901 Asian Gold
902 BBC World Service Extra
904 BBC Radio Cymru
908 Gaydar Radio
909 Family Radio
911 BBC 6 Music
913 Apna Radio
914 2FM
915 Lyric FM
916 R na G
917 Jazz FM
918 Akash Radio
919 BBC 1xtra
920 BBC R n Gael
921 Galaxy 105
922 BBC 7
923 Mean Country
924 Century Radio
925 Capital 95.8
996 Channel Line-up audio

A free FTV card or cancelled Sky UK subscription gives:
ITV on 103 (all other ITVs via "Other Channels", manually, but not ITV2)
C4
Five.

Currently BBC1NI, BBC2NI, BBC2W, BBC2Sc, BBC2Lo, Cbeebies, CBBC, BBC3, BBC4, BBCNews24, 5Live and 5 Extra need the card like ITV/C4, but after mid july they will work with no card, also BBC1Lo, BBC1W, BBC1Sc and other BBC1 regions.

To get a reduced EPG with only free channels on it turn card upside down and unplug box, plug in again. DO NOT REMOVE card.

A minute or two and the box can be turned on again.

Ignore error messages

Press Guide AllChannels or 181 and browse...

2) Chorus signal less reliable than Satellite

3) You can even get a few other satellites by moving dish...

4) Much more Radio

5) All BBC free soon (Mid July ?), maybe ITV next year.


Yes what you want can be done.

Combine UHF and VHF with VHF/ UHF diplexer

daisy chain aerial cable from diplexer through VHS then Digibox RF ins and outs.

DVD usually have no RF. Often the macrovsion upsets VHS so you can't use it as a "modulator". A 2.4GHz video sender, the receiver can easily be plugged into any TV remotely. Or you can get multiple receivers (AEI Argos).

Maplin rather than Peats. I suppose Peats was the Dublin place for Electronics in the 1970s, but seem overpriced and poor range these days.

You don't need F-Connector distribution amp (You get a model with one input and 4 out). Most UHF models will handle the Band III Mt Lienster (Are you sure you can't get the better UHF RTE1 / NET2 from any place?).

byte

Originally posted by watty

DVD usually have no RF. Often the macrovsion upsets VHS so you can't use it as a "modulator".

I have Sky digibox and my Manhattan Skyline connected to the home network which feeds an additional 4 TVs. I have Playstation 2 connected to Video Scart on Skyline and noticed a strange thing about a week ago. Whatever is played on the PS2 is somehow modulated by the Skyline and broadcast to all the other TV's on the Skyline channel! So basically, I can have a DVD playing around the house!

Bit of a phenomenon, but I'm not complaining!;)

DTV

Right combine UHF/VHF signals using a UHF/VHF diplexer and add to distribution amp, then combine VCR and Digibox and add to amp.

I live near Athy, Carlow & Portlaoise so I think my local transmitter is Mt Leinster maybe Kippure

But what about the second digiboxs as would the two digiboxs not come in on the same signal how do you tune in both on different channels.

Often the macrovsion upsets VHS so you can't use it as a "modulator".
Sorry I’m a beginner here.

What is a Manhattan Skyline can this enable the DVD via Video Scart to be distributed to the TV x5.

swoofer

U can change the RF signal on digiboxes by going into the services menu, so have one at 60 and another at 66 but the range is 21-69.

gb--

byte

To change RF channel, press

Services, 4, 0, 1, Select. This gets you into the installer menu and the RF settings are in here. Default RF channel is 68.

A Manhattan Skyline is a digital satellite receiver which I use for viewing channels on Hotbird and Astra 1.

DTV

That great so I have to configure the digiboxs.

Ok so there is no way I can distribute the DVD from Video scart to the TV x5?

Would it work if I sent the DVD Player video Scart through the digibox like what was done with the manhattan Skyline.

Would I be able to view the DVD on the channel assigned to the digibox?

watty

No the Digibox won't feed SCART in to the RF.

You lose stereo that way, which is why I recommended an AEI video sender (they are stereo).

You can use a UHF RF Modulator from Maplin. Don't be fooled by a L and R rca/phono in, it simply adds them and does regular TV mono. (All RF outs fed by boxes are mono, only the off air aerial signal is Nicam).

You can "daisy" Aerial RF in /outs chain through it too.

I built my own from the modulator RFin /out module taken from broken Samsung VHS.

Greenman

Look Here and scroll down to near the end of the page and maybe you will see something of interest.

watty

maybe you could paste an extract.

The site needs even readers to register

Greenman

This might be better thanks Watty, look here

DTV

Do most UHF distribution systems support VHF Band III, Ive been lookin at the loft Box and could the return link be split for two digiboxes before it enters the loft Box

watty

Daisy chain the Digiboxes.


You don't need the "Loft box" it is just and expensive diplexer.

Yes, most UHF distribution amps will work with BandIII. Any marked for Radio and TV (Radio is Band II) certinally will.

It is only Band I (obsolete) that is difficult to get via distribution amp.

DTV

what do you mean daisy chain the two digiboxs?

byte

Most distribution amps support Band III, though some don't. Just check the frequency range. Some, that dont' support Band III have a frequency range of 470Mhz upwards.

Some other amps (eg SLX, Wolsey) have 2 seperate inputs, one for UHF and one for FM (which would also include Band III)

watty

Originally posted by DTV
what do you mean daisy chain the two digiboxs?

Aerial goes in Rf in of first box
RF out 1 of first box goes into RFin of second box. Then TVs on RF1 or RF2 of second box can tune either box or any aerial channel.

I've experimented with 4 way combiner (Aerial into one box, all 4 boxes connect to combiner which has single out) Vs daisy chain 4 boxs.

There seems to be more "interference" between modulators using combiner route rather than "daisy chain" method.

Most RF modulators give spurious signals at other than the selected channel.

DTV

Hi again, another question I want to combine two VHF signals together TV/FMDoes the reception quality disimprove if I use a splitter such as link below as a combiner to join the two wires together?

http://www.maplin.co.uk/products/module.asp?CartID=030616232728640&moduleno=29530&modulecode=

watty

There are two types of splitter, both work as combiners too.

The nasty ones with resistors inside
The good ones (with or without F-Connectors) that use a specially wound ferrite bead / coil.

The good ones should not affect the signal much as a combiner.

Even the Y adaptors in the ReadyPak bags in Tesco food hall are the "good" kind. I'd be surprised if there is a problem with the Maplin one.

All the "nasty" ones I took apart where a different shape, not a Y, they had 2 x sockets on the front and one plug bit sticking out back, so avoid those, unless you WANT to reduce the signal (as a combiner each signal is halved and as a splitter each signal is 1/4, the "good" Y adaptor has little affect as a combiner and only reduces signal to 1/2 power as a splitter .. conservation of energy, you can't get a free lunch)

DTV

Cheers thanks for everyones help on this thread