Contolling Sky Boxes in Two Rooms

[Tosh McCaber]

I don’t know whether this problem has been discussed in previous threads. I have my original Sky box in my Family Room, which is connected via a 4-way amplifier and terrestrial aerial cables to TVs in our Bedroom, Kitchen, Workshop, and Front Lounge. A while ago, we bought a Sky+ box, which is installed with separate Sky dish and terrestrial aerials in my Lounge. It is connected in a console under the tele there, via Scart cables and aerial cables, to a VCR and DVD recorder.

However, most of our viewing is concentrated in the Family Room and Kitchen. What I’d like to do is to connect the aerial cable connecting Family Room and Front Lounge so that I can receive the Sky+ box signals, and watch stuff that we have recorded on the Sky+ box and the DVD recorder. We can control the Lounge box via a magic eye in the family Room. We’re not too concerned with ultimate quality, so long as there’s a reasonably decent picture.

I’m not sure as to what is the best way to make the connection, so that I can watch signals from both Sky and Sky+ boxes in the other rooms. I'm scared that I may dsamage the boxes with the wrong connection.Can I take a splitter from the signal out in the Sky+ box, or should I use an amp? Or would I need to switch between one or the other?

Or what???

[Stevenage Neil]

First off, I presume your DVD recorder has an RF out?

Neil

[Tosh McCaber]

Thanks for the reply- it has in and an out sockets for aerial cables in the back.

[Stevenage Neil]

OK, then basically you have three signals, (terrestrial aerial, Sky, Sky+ plus DVDR) that you want distributing throughout the house.

Can I assume that your Family room TV is connected to the Sky+/DVDR via Scart?

Do you use Freeview in your Family room? (It would make things a lot easier if you do not require a terrestrial signal in the Family room.)

Neil

[Tosh McCaber]

"OK, then basically you have three signals, (terrestrial aerial, Sky, Sky+ plus DVDR) that you want distributing throughout the house."

Yes I have three signals. At present, I can transmit Sky through the house via the Family Room Sky Box. I'm not too worried about transmitting the DVD signal. (I normally only use the DVD recorder to record Sky+ stuff onto DVD).

Whilst I would ideally like to transmit the Sky+ signal throughout the house, I appreciate that I only have the aerial cable presently running beneath the floor between the front lounge, and rear family room. I'll be happy if I could transmit the Sky+ signal to the family room.

"Can I assume that your Family room TV is connected to the Sky+/DVDR via Scart?"

Yes it is.

"Do you use Freeview in your Family room? (It would make things a lot easier if you do not require a terrestrial signal in the Family room.)"

Ther's no Freeview in your Family room, other than Channels 1-4. We don't particularly require terrestrial channels in the Family room.

Hope that this helps?

Thanks,

Tosh

[Tosh McCaber]

Just bringing my query back- anybody can help? (esp. Stevenage Neil)

[Stevenage Neil]

You say you have an "aerial cable connecting Family Room and Front Lounge".

Is that what it is? ie A single co-ax between the Family room and the lounge, (not via the loft amp)?

[Tosh McCaber]

Thanks for the reply.

Terrestrial TV aerial and Sky signal for Family Room to Sky box there. From my Sky box below the tele in the Family Room , I have a single co-ax cable from RF2 to a four way amp, which serves, via single co-ax cables, the TVs in the Family Room, kitchen, bedroom,and the front lounge (with a Magic Eye in the bedroom). A Scart lead connects between the Family Room Sky box and tele.

This was before we purchased Multiroom, and the Sky+ box for the Lounge. There, I have a second terrestrial aerial connection, and Sky+ signal to Sky+ box. Thereafter the usual interconnection of components (DVD recorder and VCR), via Scart leads and terrestrial aerial connections.

I was thinking that signal being carried in the cable between the Family room and the lounge, could be reversed, to be able to transmit recorded stuff on the Sky+ box in the Lounge back to the Family Room via a Magic Eye, (and, if possible, but not essential, to the other rooms).


Hope that clarifies things a bit. Any thoughts?

[Stevenage Neil]

From what I can make out you have two direct terrestrial aerial connections: one in the lounge and one in the family room.

Somehow you need to plug the direct terrestrial aerial into RF in on the Sky+ box. Remove the terrestrial aerial from RF in on the regular Sky box, and RF2 on the Sky+ box should go into RF in on the regular Sky box. This should get all Sky signals to all rooms. You may have to play with the RF channel on the Sky+ box to get the best pictures.
The magic Eye will continue to work as it does now but will not change the Sky+ box.

Get this working for now and we'll consider changing Sky+ channels later.

Neil

[Tosh McCaber]

SN,

Just back from a weekend away. I'll give it a try in the next day or two.

Many thanks for that.

Regards,

Tosh

[Tosh McCaber]

SN,

Brilliant-thanks- followed your instructions, and now have my Sky+ signals from the lounge transmitting to Channel 6 on all my other teles.

Onto the next stage- I would ideally like to control Sky+ signals on the rear Family room tele via a Magic eye

Having experimented on the bedroom tele, the Magic Eye there still controls Channel 5, from the rear Family Room Sky box. However, changing it to Channel 6 (Sky+ signal), using the existing lounge Sky+ remote control, the Magic Eye does not change the Sky+ stations. Does Sky+ require a different Magic Eye from the regular Sky Magic Eye?

You mentioned in your last piece of advice, we could consider changing Sky+ channels later. Any suggestions?

Thanks again.

Tosh

[Stevenage Neil]

Originally Posted by Tosh McCaber

SN,

Brilliant-thanks- followed your instructions, and now have my Sky+ signals from the lounge transmitting to Channel 6 on all my other teles.

Onto the next stage- I would ideally like to control Sky+ signals on the rear Family room tele via a Magic eye

Having experimented on the bedroom tele, the Magic Eye there still controls Channel 5, from the rear Family Room Sky box. However, changing it to Channel 6 (Sky+ signal), using the existing lounge Sky+ remote control, the Magic Eye does not change the Sky+ stations. Does Sky+ require a different Magic Eye from the regular Sky Magic Eye?

You mentioned in your last piece of advice, we could consider changing Sky+ channels later. Any suggestions?

Thanks again.

Tosh

It's confusing to talk of "Channel 5" and "Channel 6", you should refer to the RF channel each box is set to.

If you only want to control the Sky+ box from the Lounge then the easiest solution would be to use a wireless IR transmitter/receiver. If you want to control the Sky+ box from the bedroom as well that is going to be more complicated.

I am off on a 2 week cruise tomorrow so will not be around. I am sure some of the other helpful people here will help you out. If not, PM me after the 1st December.

Neil

[Tosh McCaber]

Thanks for that. Have a good trip.

[Stevenage Neil]

Thinking about this in bed last night, if you simply want to control the Sky+ box from the Family room, all you need is an additional magic eye on the RF in on your regular Sky box.

I'm off now............

Neil