Using existing rf cable to distribute dvd and sky HD throughout the house

shuggy

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If anyone has any experience of this could they advise if the following will work.
Having just embedded in wall 7 .1 speaker cables the wife will not tolerate any significant further drilling!

1. I propose to link both my DVD and Sky hd rf output into the single existing rf wall plate socket using an rf splitter

2. I hope to also attach the sky magic eye device to allow remote control

3. In the attic I will recatch this rf cable in the loft, confirm the 9v output from rf2. Attach it to an slx 4c magic eye compatible distributor and attach it to the already present RF cable to my kitchen and 2 bedrooms.

I think this should be OK but would seek advice on several points

a. I have read about shielded and non shielded wall plates interfering with ir remote control signals but I am ignorant of what the difference is and what to do if they are shielded.

b.Further does the magic eye transmit HD as well as standard HD remote control signals

c. I also have a spare sky ordinary digibox. Could i somehow use this so I could watch a seperate SD channel upstairs independant of what is being watched in the lounge by taking the sat cable 2 to the hd box and splitting it to both the HD and standard box. Is this possible?
I realise only freeview would be available but thats ok.

d. Can i send the DVD signal and the sky signal up the same common cable to the distribution box or would there be too much interference

e. Does any one kow if the magic eye or indeed any other ir device can be used to control the dvd player as well as the sky box.

f. My house is atypical new build with stud walls . I am just considering attaching string to the RF cables and pulling them back into the loft then repulling x3 cat 5 cabling and the rf back down through using the string.
It would be over 3 stories of pulling (Ground,1st,attic conversion and miniscule attic. In your general experience should this be easy enough or will I likely be committing wiring suicide!

Im sorry to bombard you with so many questions but I would like to get this right first time.
 
First and obvious but daft question: what DVD do you have that outputs its picture over RF? Not many DVD's actually output their picture over RF?

2nd. if the DVD has RF in and out (is it a Freeview DVD recorder), then I'd just loop the RF into the DVD, DVD to Sky RF iN, SKY RF2 to your wall plate and avoid the "splitter".

The magic eye for Sky only works the Sky box via the aerial connection back to the RF2 socket (which is powered by the Sky box). The magic eye should work for any Sky handset you use to operate the box; nothing more.

Difficult to know what is shielded and what is not. Suck it and see. I do know however that some wall plates are directional and won't allow a signal to be squirted back up the cable. Again, suck it and see.

In order for the Sky SD box to get a Sky picture, it needs a separate feed from your LNB from your Sky Dish. You cannot squirt a sat signal back up ther same RF cable without additional equipment. Even then, I'd bet that the magic eye and the LNB voltages will interfere with one another.

Cable pulling over three stories is likely to be a tall order. Why 3 Cat cables anyway?
 
Thanks for the input
Id better clarify
1. I was going to use a modulator to get the rf feed from dvd
www.letsautomate.com/11104.cfm?CFID=954260&CFTOKEN=99d1cd-50dfb570-a133-4748-b233-696fab70ec98
2.I'm sad the magic eye only works for sky. I wonder if this will work?
www.letsautomate.com/11067.cfm?CFID=954260&CFTOKEN=99d1cd-50dfb570-a133-4748-b233-696fab70ec98
3. ill take the shielded issue on the chin as I have found a source of unshielded face plates.
4. Will a satellite installer be able to fit another LNB and cable run from my satellite dish to allow me to use my old digibox while preserving my HD feeds?
I realise I could just get sky multiroom, but all I want is the freeview channels and I am unwilling to pay an extra £10 a month just for those.
5. Ill abandon the plans for pulling through the wires. I wanted the twin cat5 cabling to allow me to transmit HD pictures from the component output of my sky hd box to the HD TV in the bedroom

Thanks again for for advising me
 
(1) Ah, right. Modulator makes sense.
(2) That would work for Sky and two additional IR controlled units.
(3) I'm sure you'll be OK.
(4) If it's freeview, probably cheaper and easier to get a set top box for about £30. I have one on the lounge and use the VCR's modulator to pipe the Freeview picture around the house. Your exisiting LNB may already be a 4 outlet unit if you have HD installed. I had Sky+ installed and they changed my single LNB for a quad LNB.
(5) You would need extra equipment at both ends (Baluns) to get the signal on and off the cat5 with the correct timing.
 
My TV has inbuilt freeview and an RF out. A further separate box would be unacceptable to she who must be obeyed. Would I be correct in thinking if I plugged this rf out carrying the freeview (as opposed to sat derived free to air channels) into the sky hd box then it would be distributed along the rf2 line from the sky box to my loft distributer?

I guess (in plain english!) I am asking could I watch Battlestar Galactica via skyhd on the TV downstairs while the wife watches QVC upstairs(Hows that for stereotyping) tuning into the freeview signals being distributed along the sky rf2 output . I have a horrible feeling it just doesn't work that easily!

If it doesnt work this way i can see no alternative but activating the second box to allow my wife to watch something independant of what i'm watching
 
hi i stumbled upon this site www.satcure.co.uk and did a load of rewiring. i basically started at the dish and ran 4 new ct100 cables to the tv following this guide using silicone grease and the very magic but hard to find self amalgamating tape. the 4 cables are presently used for sky+(2) sky_freeview(1) and an_unused_spare(1). i got a global plus combiner and followed this except i used a f140 instead of the t120 in the diagram (f140 has more secure f connectors 1 in 4 out). i lay 3 more ct100 wires to 3 different rooms and added magic eyes to each room.
the end result is i can control skyfreeview or sky+ in 4 rooms. its not exactly what you want but im sure the answer you want is on the site linked if your willing to do alot of reading. there is a free ebook on the site and they ask you to purchase your goods from them.
p.s. im in no way affiliated to them.
 
My TV has inbuilt freeview and an RF out. A further separate box would be unacceptable to she who must be obeyed. Would I be correct in thinking if I plugged this rf out carrying the freeview (as opposed to sat derived free to air channels) into the sky hd box then it would be distributed along the rf2 line from the sky box to my loft distributer?

Not sure the TV RF out will carry the TV's Freeview signal (picture), but it will carry the Freeview signal(s) as received by your aerial. But in any instance, any RF signal on the Sky HD IN will get distributed on the RF outs (both RF1 and RF2)

I guess (in plain english!) I am asking could I watch Battlestar Galactica via skyhd on the TV downstairs while the wife watches QVC upstairs(Hows that for stereotyping) tuning into the freeview signals being distributed along the sky rf2 output . I have a horrible feeling it just doesn't work that easily!

If it doesnt work this way i can see no alternative but activating the second box to allow my wife to watch something independant of what i'm watching

If you were going to have a Sky SD box upstairs for the "freeview" channels, just get a freeview set top box instead and feed it the (RF) freeview signals so that the box can watch independently of the lounge. I had only made reference to my set top box in the lounge as an example. You may find it preferable to have the freeview set top box in the bedroom (or wherever) so that SWMBO is in charge: and you don't need Satellite cabling done to achieve that.
 
Actually INTV this is exactly what I would like to do. Mr incredible has given very sound advice but I would like to follow the satellite route as I can then upgrade to multiroom if necessary.
I have checked. My minidish is quad LNB with only 2 f points in use. Could you give me a quick run through of how to connect another 2 lines out and back to my digi box
 
Use CT100 or equivalent coax cable and F-Connectors at each end of the run. You need some self-almagamating tape to wind around the f-connector as it connects onto your Quad LNB. This makes the joint water proof and suitable for outdoors. Other than that you just need to find an easy run to lay your cable(s) from the outside to the inside, and once inside add f-connectors and attach one to your Sky box. The spare one could be used for another Sky+ or Sky HD if you wanted if you choose to upgrade beyond the multiroom option.

Looking on www.satcure.co.uk will give all the cable, connectors and tape you'd need.

EDIT:

Coincidentally I had to check my LNB connections today as one of my channels signal strength had dipped and was causing me problems. Anyway, at the bottom of the Quad LNB there was a clip around collar with 4 holes for up to 4 cables. You need to unclip and remove this to gain access to the F-connection points to attach your cable. Although providing some protection from the elements, the collar needs to be supplemented with self-almagamating tape around the connections once in place.

I found the cause of my problem: the Sky engineered had only put the tape around one of my connections and with the vibration from the wind over the years, the f-connector had come unscrewed and was loose. Sorted!

Good luck.
 

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