Some TV questions

[imago]

First the current set up. It's my home that this all relates to, and it's getting changed around a bit inside so now is a good time to sort out the TV issue.

The house is a two storey semi, and the chimney stack was removed some years before we moved in. So there's an aerial in the loft which has reasonable freeview reception and feeds down into the back bedroom where the teenager lives when he's not at school. On the back wall of the house is one of those cheap freesat dishes and the cable runs down into the rear living room.

What I'd like is either freeview or freesat to feed the back bedroom, front bedroom, back living room and front living room. Running the cables internally is no issue as there's a fair bit of plastering going on, floors up here and there for heating and electrical changes.

So to my questions, should I go for a new freesat set up? Or a new aerial and freeview? For whichever set up is chosen I'd like recommendations for the kit I'll need. Where should I split the signal for the various rooms? Will I need a booster? Any other information or suggestions are welcome (polite ones anyway )

I haven't been involved with any TV stuff as you can no doubt tell. I have no intention of paying a monthly subscription for TV, but apparently 'we' have to have it, or so I'm told. :90:

 

[telectrix]

distribution amp in attic. then feed each point from that. you will need a 13A socket in attic for power to the amp.

 

[UNG]

For Freesat you would need a dish with a multi output LNB and coax cables from this to each room you require freesat for future proofing if you might go down the Sky+ or similar route the you will need two cables from the LNB to the Sky+ box

For terrestrial (freeview) TV then a distribution amp in the loft and cables to each TV point will do

While you have all the work going on given the move towards video on demand (iPlayer etc) and video streaming from the internet you may want to consider installing data network cabling from your router position to you TV's or conduits that you can use later without chasing walls or having surface cabling ruining the decoration

 

[Octopus]

If you go down the freeview route make sure you get a contactless "splitter" so that the aerial signal is not reduced.

Labgear do such devices and you can have the power supply in one of the rooms as it sends the 12v "up" the aerial lead.

We have a 4 way splitter like this which I installed about 3 years ago and it works very well.

 

[yellowvanman]

Try this:

 

[imago]

Thanks gents.

I don't have a preference for freesat or freeview, both have the key word in them I guess the freeview option is the easiest.

I have considered data cabling, but it's not something I've dealt with beyond running it from point A to point B. Presumably the best thing to do would be to install a hub and run the cables to the rooms from that? We're getting a BT broadband infinity set up fitted later this month, so if I site that reasonably centrally I can then run a data cable from that to a couple of rooms and just plug in whichever one I need in a sort of patch panel arrangement. Alternatively, and probably the better solution as suggested, would be to run data cables to each room from a central loacation.

Yellowvanman, what's the unit in the centre of that lot?

 

[yellowvanman]

I think its one of these

http://www.screwfix.com/p/labgear-hdu681-s-home-distribution-unit-8-way/69457

 

[lee foster]

Go to "Grax" they have a branch in Birmingham , they are a TV system wholesaler and will be able to run through what equipment you need and at a much cheaper rate than your wholesaler , better quality kit too.

 

[imago]

Thanks for that, I'll look them up.

Following a fair bit of internet research, and help from here via PM and posts (thanks again) I've run the first room's cabling in now.

For anyone interested it's shaped up like this. In each room at the most likely TV site there are fronts terminating two CAT5e cables, and two sat/coax cables, and a HDMI cable along with power outlets. There is an additional single front point elsewhere terminating a third CAT5e cable. All cables are run back to a central location (under the stairs) where any splitters, switches, patch panel, modems, WiFi, server, cable TV or whatever will be located.

This should provide enough provision to get video, music, data networking, network printer or whatever. It's OTT for current requirements as we only have one TV plus the one in the teenager's room. But having the cabling in place means we can add whatever 'we' are reasonably likely to need as and when required.

 

[ian.settle1]

Try this:
View attachment 14586

What is the make of equipment in the middle feeding the TV's?

 

[Robotstar5]

If you're running a BT homehub system consider installing your own firewalled router/hub "downstream", google "port 161 issues" for reasons.

 

[UNG]

What is the make of equipment in the middle feeding the TV's?

Looks like one of these to me

Triax - Domestic Distribution Unit (DDU)

 

[Mark Trevena]

The best thing to get would be a vision 8 way multiswitch which would combine sat and tv together down the same cable (you need two feeds for sky+ and recording) this item costs about £35 and you can pick up tri plates for about£5 each I prefer vision to triax as it is made in uk for the uk as triax is made for other counties aswell and freq ranges are different also my option freesat is far far better than freeview

- - - Updated - - -

Sat solutions supply the multiswitch's

 

[Adam]

Thanks for that, I'll look them up.

Following a fair bit of internet research, and help from here via PM and posts (thanks again) I've run the first room's cabling in now.

For anyone interested it's shaped up like this. In each room at the most likely TV site there are fronts terminating two CAT5e cables, and two sat/coax cables, and a HDMI cable along with power outlets. There is an additional single front point elsewhere terminating a third CAT5e cable. All cables are run back to a central location (under the stairs) where any splitters, switches, patch panel, modems, WiFi, server, cable TV or whatever will be located.

This should provide enough provision to get video, music, data networking, network printer or whatever. It's OTT for current requirements as we only have one TV plus the one in the teenager's room. But having the cabling in place means we can add whatever 'we' are reasonably likely to need as and when required.

Just out of interest, as I am still upgrading my connections, how have you run / terminated HDMI cables?

I am looking to distribute HDMI to multiple displays in the near future.

 

[imago]

The cables themselves come made up, so at the switch/panel/hub/node one end they plug in as and where required. At the outlet end they plug into the back of the data fronts so that there's a flush mount plug in keeping with the RJ45 connectors.