Confused about extenders...

[Hamslay]

I currently have Sky through an old Pace digibox in the lounge. RGB scart 1 goes to the TV, scart 2 goes into a wireless Digisender unit. Up in the bedroom I have the other Digisender unit, along with a 2nd Sky remote. This setup works great, and the TV upstairs gets a good picture and the remote controls the Sky digibox. It's not a problem that you can't watch different programmes in each room.

I've just been given the go-ahead to build an MCE PC, as long as the budget for the build is no greater than the saving we'll make by cancelling Sky with Sky Sports and going with Freeview!! Luckily, I have the usual box of PC bits and am well on my way, and within budget.

However, I have no idea how to get the same functionality as I currently have of a good TV signal upstairs, and a working remote to change channels. One option seems be to use a PCSender, and take the signal from the VGA on the PC. Based on my experience with the Digisender from the company, I expect the TV image to be OK. However, I have no idea whether a 2nd MCE remote would work over the PCSender.

The other option seems to be the MCE extender, but it seems no-one in the UK actually sells anything, even though they seem to have been out overseas for over a year. I also suspect that getting full MCE functionality on the bedroom TV, despite being great fun, would take me way over budget. I definately DO NOT want to buy an Xbox of any type just to get the TV upstairs!

All I want is to be able to watch TV in another room. Nothing too complex. But I just can't find out how to do it. What's the "normal" method???

Originally Posted by Hamslay

All I want is to be able to watch TV in another room. Nothing too complex. But I just can't find out how to do it. What's the "normal" method???

As you will only have the freeview channels why not spend thirty quid on a freeview set top box?

If you don't have the aerial feed upstairs then just install it downstairs and use the digisender as you do now!

In fact, why not just keep the sky box and use it as a freesat receiver with the same connections as now?

[Hamslay]

Hi Dave

Good thinking, and good suggestions!!

However, there are a couple of reasons why your suggestions are not ideal. You're right in assuming that there are no aerial points in the bedroom. That means I'd be keeping the digibox set up in the lounge just for the bedroom TV. I'd really prefer to lose the digibox if possible to clear away some space and cables. More importantly though, I have one aerial point neatly on the wall, with the feed to it coming from under the floor. If I keep the Sky connection via this aerial point, I will need to run another cable for Freeview. This would be a real pain as I'd have to pull up the wood floor to lay another coax cable, or drill through the external wall and have 15ft of coax tacked to the skirting. If I could easily run a 2nd cable I might just go for Sky+ instead. Switching to Freeview meant I could use my existing single coax feed for Freeview instead of Sky, but use two tuners to watch one channel and record another. Hope that makes sense!

Tim

[JonMace]

Depending on what vidoe card you have it is possible to get a VGA -> Scart cableat which point you could use you origional set up.

Originally Posted by JonMace

Depending on what vidoe card you have it is possible to get a VGA -> Scart cableat which point you could use you origional set up.

I'm sorry but that is not true. You cannot send RGB via a video sender, you can only send composite.

[JonMace]

I was not saying that he would get RGB he does not at present, What I was saying is that he could use his cuuent set up and be able to use the remote in the bedroom due to the return path that his digisender has.

[sanderton]

Originally Posted by Hamslay

The other option seems to be the MCE extender, but it seems no-one in the UK actually sells anything, even though they seem to have been out overseas for over a year. I also suspect that getting full MCE functionality on the bedroom TV, despite being great fun, would take me way over budget. I definately DO NOT want to buy an Xbox of any type just to get the TV upstairs!?

???? The 360 is the extender which is available. You don't have to play games on it if you don't want to - why is the fact it's labelled Xbox a problem?

[lisag]

There are some V1 extenders available in the US which you may be able ot pick up on ebay. Or use a V1 modded xbox and the MCE extender kit. Or use an xbox 360.. they are the only options currently available for MCE extenders in the UK. I tried the digisender thing, and personally thought it was really poor quality.

I use a modded xbox in the bedroom, connected to my home network via ethernet, you get full access to live and recorded tv and scheduling. It does not playback ripped DVD's or divx files, but there is a free app called xbmc (xbox media center) which runs on a modded xbox and will play back all file types, including the ones Microsoft does not support. The only problem is that there is some stuttering on Channel 4, it is a recent thing and apparently to do with the way C4 is broadcast - not compatible with the xbox.

Just to clarify a point that you made in your reply to my post: You cannot use the same cable for freeview that you use for sky unless you intend to replace the dish with an aerial.

Dave

[Hamslay]

Originally Posted by sanderton

???? The 360 is the extender which is available. You don't have to play games on it if you don't want to - why is the fact it's labelled Xbox a problem?

Ah, I didn't know that Microsoft had decided that the Xbox is the only extender for the UK. I really didn't/don't know anything about extenders, hence the post!

My reason for saying I don't want an Xbox 360 is really just price. Including the wireless adapter, £300 is a lot of money to get the TV stuff upstairs, when added to the cost of the MCE PC in the first place.

If I do end up going the Xbox route eventually, might it make sense to have the PC in the bedroom to really keep things quite in the lounge, which is where we watch 99% of the TV, and have the Xbox in the lounge? That way I could use the Xbox for hi-def gaming too on my 32" LCD. Or would I get too much signal degradation over wireless?

[Hamslay]

Originally Posted by lisag

There are some V1 extenders available in the US which you may be able ot pick up on ebay. Or use a V1 modded xbox and the MCE extender kit. Or use an xbox 360.. they are the only options currently available for MCE extenders in the UK. I tried the digisender thing, and personally thought it was really poor quality.

I use a modded xbox in the bedroom, connected to my home network via ethernet, you get full access to live and recorded tv and scheduling. It does not playback ripped DVD's or divx files, but there is a free app called xbmc (xbox media center) which runs on a modded xbox and will play back all file types, including the ones Microsoft does not support. The only problem is that there is some stuttering on Channel 4, it is a recent thing and apparently to do with the way C4 is broadcast - not compatible with the xbox.

Thanks Lisa.

Does this C4 stuttering occur on all systems extended using an Xbox, or only with a V1 Xbox?

[Hamslay]

Originally Posted by DaveP

Just to clarify a point that you made in your reply to my post: You cannot use the same cable for freeview that you use for sky unless you intend to replace the dish with an aerial.

Dave

Yep, I know that Dave. Thanks. What I have is an NTL cable, an old roof aerial cable and a Sky cable all coming into my dining room next to each other, and available at 3 distinct sockets in a row. I then have a 20ft long piece of coax going from any of these 3 sockets, under the wood floor and up behind the skirting board in the lounge to another wall socket. With this solution, I can just move the coax in the dining room from the Sky socket to the aerial socket and Voila, a Freeview signal arrives in the lounge socket instead of a Sky signal. The downside is that to get Sky+, Sky HD or get Freeview and Freesat with the same neat cabling, I'd need to replace the run of coax between the two rooms with 2 pieces of CT100 or 1 piece of CT63. Neither of these are possible without taking the floor up!

[lisag]

Originally Posted by Hamslay

Thanks Lisa.

Does this C4 stuttering occur on all systems extended using an Xbox, or only with a V1 Xbox?

It happens with V1 xbox, not heard of it happening with xbox360, and don't know about v1 non-xbox extenders.

[evolution400]

I can confirm that this stuttering occurs on E4 or E4 +1(I cant't recall) and C4 on all version 1 extenders including the non xbox stand alone link sys extender you are correct lisa it is somthing to do with the broadcasting and even the recorded tv from it will not play back so I have no idea what it could be.