[addacumen]

I am planning to install a web based TV service and view the images on two PC screens. They will be screens provided with HDMI input socket. Planned screen sizes about 19" and 24" - very small apartment!

Please could you advise me?

1. Will I be able to connect wirelessly?
2. As an alternative I am offered connection across the power lines. Is that OK? What if I use this method to send images to both screens at the same time?
3. Will the screens display HD television streams?
4. Are any brands better than others for this purpose?
5. Anything else I should consider?

Thank you for your help

Tony Davis

[mike7]

I think you are asking rather a lot. Transmitting wireless HD signals is an expensive business and I don't know of any equipment in the UK capable of doing this reliably. Most people use a RF SD based system which can be adequate for a second TV set. A magic eye device can be used to remotely change channels.

If you are connecting by long HDMI leads then they need to be fairly good quality to screen out any interferance. This will add to your budget.

You will have to go back to your Computer to change the programme or webstream you are watching. Not very practical.

Have you considered how you propose to pick up the sound on your monitors? I have never been able to get sound through the HDMI socket on my laptop.

Unless anyone has any better ideas I think you are going to run into a big budget for a not very ideal system. If it is regular channels you are after I assume that you have aerial problems. I understand you live in Switzerland and equipment may be available there which is not legit in the UK. If you are using the set-up to get UK based programmes ( like BBCi) I know this can sometimes present problems bypassing local ISPs.

[addacumen]

Thank you for that Mike.

The service I am planning to use is Bluewin Plus described here.

The phone terminal is in the main living room of our small apartment. I propose to leave the VDSL modem router and TV boxes in the same place as our existing ADSL modem router. There will be two boxes one for each set.

While there is a wide range of options for connecting to the Bluewin TV boxes it appears that an HDMI cable will be needed for connection from the TV box to the TV. The distances are - respectively - 3m and 5m. The potential problem is drilling a hole (we are tenants) through a wall for one of the cables although all alternative routes require more holes and a longer cable.

What I thought was that we might substitute a PC monitor for a TV screen since all TV screens seem to include terrestrial or satellite tuners, presumably at additional cost.

So my question seems to reduce to 'Would using a PC monitor interfere with performance as a screen? For normal TV? For HD?' Perhaps with the supplementary of 'Can one purchase TV screens without inbuilt tuners?'

I am also advised that this configuration will allow a remote controller to provoke channel changing through the screens. Would this be true for both PC monitor and TV screen? Our present Sky box being used as Freesat requires the remote controller to activate it directly.

My guess is that this all must be possible since it is a Swisscom offering but I would prefer that my understanding of how it all connects and works to be rather better.

Thank you for your help

Tony Davis
ex pat in Switzerland

[mike7]

Most TVs perform quite happily as a Computer monitor and can easily switch from one job to another. I think you would find it difficult to find a Tv that had no tuners at all. Bluewin seems an interesting concept. I am not sure how the 'channel changing through the screens' might work. As you say a Freesat box has to be controlled directly by the remote.

Perhaps a chat with another Bluewin customer will give you some clues. It seems that a 'wire-less' link is not going to be a very practical solution for you. I hope that Swiss Broadband performance is up to the job of supplying a reliable and consistant service for this system. As you probably know BT lines would not be up to the job for a lot of people here.

[addacumen]

Thanks again Mike

Swisscom provide between 12 and 20 Gbits/sec depending upon the time of day. I think that is going to be OK. I have - transiently - had various TV streams shown on my laptop without image degradation.

Tony