Combined RF Output on DS230

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BelaGuez

2 posts

Wannabe Geek

#76180 29-Jan-2011 20:12

Some relatives just bought a LCD TV after decades of using a 4:3 CRT. They live in a retirement village with shared, pre-wired aerial connections.

Prior to getting the new TV their setup used an ancient Zenith DTH-310-4 decoder. This decoder had a connection coming in for both the Sky Digital Dish and a "normal" RF IN for standard television. The Zenith box then appears to have combined the RF OUT to be both the currently viewed Sky channel and the standard over air stations.

That RF OUT was then split via spliters into other rooms in their appartment.

With the new LCD TV it has a very limited type on inputs as its expecting HDMI, Displayport and the like. None of which their old DVD/VCR, Zenith STB has etc. So I swapped the Zenith with a Pace DS230 Sky box I had left over from when we had mySky installed. This allowed them to have Component into their new TV (which the Zenith doesn't do) and all seemed fine.

Problem is though that on the Pace STB it appears that if I plug in both the Sky Dish and RF IN at the same time something goes south and the Sky Picture instantly disappears!!

Anyone come across this before and have any advice or is it simply a case of the Zenith combining the RF signal while the Pace STB doesn't have that functionality?

Niel

3267 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#432690 29-Jan-2011 21:45

Which picture "disappears"? The one on component out or the one on RF out? Does it say "rain fade" or does it completely disappear?

The Pace STB will do what you want. Something is wrong. Your are also not supposed to swap your box with another customer. Put the Zenith back and phone Sky. Tell them you've got a new LCD which does not have the right connections. An installer will come out and set it up for you.

You are also not supposed to have an STB "left over".

You can never have enough Volvos!

BelaGuez

2 posts

Wannabe Geek

#432693 29-Jan-2011 21:49

The sky reception disappears, the STB is still working (i.e. I can still see the decoder menu's on component) just the signal on the Dish input is gone. Shows unlocked, yet the moment you pull the RF IN it comes straight back.

And as for "having a box left over", when we had mySky installed we did the couple month free multiroom thing with the old decoder. Sky has never asked for it back and I certainly have better things to do than call them up and do their asset management for them :)

Spyware

3761 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#432698 29-Jan-2011 21:55

Most likely just an over the air UHF channel conflicting with the RF out frequency, simply change the Sky boxes output channel.

EDIT: Ignore this as I just read your reply.

Spark Max Fibre using Mikrotik CCR1009-8G-1S-1S+, CRS125-24G-1S, Unifi UAP, U6-Pro, UAP-AC-M-Pro, Apple TV 4K (2022), Apple TV 4K (2017), iPad Air 1st gen, iPad Air 4th gen, iPhone 13, SkyNZ3151 (the white box). If it doesn't move then it's data cabled.

Niel

3267 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#432752 30-Jan-2011 08:41

(The RF channel should not interfere anyway, it gets filtered out and also overpowered by the modulator.)

Is there a way you can test it without component connected and using a different (preferably the original) TV? You've introduced a new TV and component, perhaps there is now an earth loop or broken earth or other fault highlighted which was previously masked. Can also be a faulty STB, those silver boxes are nice but they are also the ones that give the most trouble (was told by installer when he swapped my faulty one).

You can never have enough Volvos!