Remote Control help

[Energizer Bunny]

Hi Guys,

I've recently moved into a new flat which, oddly, has a looped AV system meaning that any feed being piped in to the TV in the living room can also be viewed on the TVs upstairs in the flat.

I have no idea why it's set up this way, but it gives me the useful benefit of effectively being able to have Sky multiroom without having to pay for it. All I have to do is switch Sky on downstairs and I can see it on the TVs upstairs. Thats great, but the downside of course is that I cant change the channel on the Sky box from upstairs, so I'm therefore looking for some way to get around this.

I've been scouting online for a day or so and see lots of talk of using infrared extenders and the like. However, I'm not really sure how good these are and wonder if anybody has any advice? Will they really work through the floor? Are there any particular products anybody would recommend?

Worth mentioning that I have tried a 'magic eye' product that was meant to work by sending the signal back down the aerial cable, but it didnt work. The bloke in the shop speculated that if might be due to there not being 'DC passthrough' on the line, though I have no idea what that means. Basically I think I need something that works over the airwaves.

Any help much appreciated

EB

 

[logiciel]

Hi.
This is a normal thing to do, but it wouldn't usually be called a looped AV system, and it's quite different from Multiroom.
It takes an output from the Sky receiver of the channel that's currently selected and sends it by cable to the TV in another room.
If that's done with a single cable then a device called a "magic eye" can be attached at the receiving TV to return the remote control.
If it's done by connecting the receiver's RF2 Out socket to a wallplate that may prevent the control, which is what the shop guy meant.
In that case you get an IR extender and send the control wirelessly.
Powermids are the most usual but there are many alternatives that a Google search will find for you.
Multiroom uses a separate receiver with its own connection to the satellite dish and requires an additional subscription.

 

[nvingo]

The Sky Magic Eye works by sending the remote commands from the eye installed near the second TV, back along the coax (aerial cable) to the RF2 socket of the Sky receiver.
In the OPs case there is a RF distribution box in this path, which allows the TV signals (from aerial and Sky receiver) to be received on TVs in multiple rooms.
The suggestion to investigate DC-pass is correct, this is required on the input and one output (to the second TV) of the RF-distribution to allow the remote signals to pass the distibution. Common, and if the shop-guy brought it up he probably knows where to source the device. The only hurdle is to access the distribution to fit it.

 

[logiciel]

OK - as OP says "the TVs upstairs" - plural - it IS some sort of "system" and a distribution device IS involved, rather than a single connection.
There's no need to go to the lengths of making any changes to that though - the IR Extender is the simple way to go.

 

[Energizer Bunny]

Thanks gents. Looking at the Powermids on Amazon as we speak.

Much obliged

 

[logiciel]

That's OK and the pyramid shaped ones are fine, though these days I'd probably go for the newer design: Extender: Amazon.

 

[Linx08]

Just a quickie, you have turned on the pass back on the sky box? I guess you must have done, don't mean to treat you as thick, but I've put the Rf 2 connection into the Rf1 output a few times and then wondered why it didn't work.

Cheers Linx

 

[Energizer Bunny]

Yes, I have done that, but thanks for asking. Believe me when it comes to me and this sort of thing there is no such thing as a stupid question

 

[Linx08]

Yes, I have done that, but thanks for asking. Believe me when it comes to me and this sort of thing there is no such thing as a stupid question

No worries, it's the sort of thing I do on occasion and I do it for a living. Lol

Just another quick thought has your magic eye got an led light on it? If so have you tried it plugged straight into the rf2 output to confirm that, A your sky box is outputting the signal correctly and B the magic eye works? I know in the past there were different types of magic eyes and some wouldn't work with sky+ boxes. Don't know if that's the case these days as I don't really ever use them now.

Cheers Linx

 

[Energizer Bunny]

Not sure if I tried that actually. I'll give it a go tonight.