4x TV's from one sky digital box?

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oysterman

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Wannabe Geek

Topic # 32136 14-Apr-2009 11:41

Is it possible to get good sky reception if you use a splitter to go to 4x TV's from one sky digital box? (channel changing from main tv only)

I have installed cable into a house renovation = I have 2 lines (sky aerial, and uhf,vhf aerial) incoming to the main tv location. And have 3x feeds going to the 3 other tv locations from the main tv -
the sky box will be located at the main tv.

Is it as simple as spitting to the tv's after the sky connection?

I currently have 2x tv's with the the second running sky via a video recorder - this works all cool - so I fired ahead with laying miles of cable - as above - now a friend tells me my reception will be crap split to 4 tv's.

If this is the case (crap reception!) could I setup so I could manually switch the TV in use, manually (unplugging, plugging in the tv feed to suit?)

cheers

sbiddle

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Reply # 206813 14-Apr-2009 12:00

I'm assuming you're just using the standard RF output from the box? If so there will be no issues with doing this however just remember RF based distribution is the lowest possible quality output on the box so if you're plugging it into a flat screen TV it will look terrible and should be avoided.

The best way of distributing video these days is to use cat5e cable and fit baluns to each end - this means you can distribute composite, svideo or component video around your house from a standard Sky box and future proof yourself if you ever move to MySky HDi so you can also distribute HDMI video around the house.

oysterman

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Wannabe Geek

Reply # 206815 14-Apr-2009 12:23

cheers sbiddle

it would be RF output (as this looks like the only option?)
I have run RG6 cable throughout -

and have 1x 52" + 3x 32" tv's - all flat screen - hdmi :(

AV stuff is not my ballgame - as you can see.

so would I need to replace the existing cable?

bobmeister

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Reply # 206818 14-Apr-2009 12:33

I have four TVs running off the one Sky box.

I have the main input split to three TVs including a old Video machine which runs to a Panasonic PT100 projector, with no discernable reduction in quality.

I do however, have an amplifier on the end of the cable coming from the Sky box to the Video machine. That amplifier has two outputs and one of those outputs also goes off to my Office where it goes to another TV.

The quality on the Projector setup was not so hot until I boosted it. Mind you that might have been the normal broadcast channels.

The main TV has a superb quality picture.

sbiddle

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Reply # 206822 14-Apr-2009 12:43

oysterman: cheers sbiddle

it would be RF output (as this looks like the only option?)

I have run RG6 cable throughout -

and have 1x 52" + 3x 32" tv's - all flat screen - hdmi :(

AV stuff is not my ballgame - as you can see.

so would I need to replace the existing cable?

RF based distribution is very much an obsolete method of distributing video, simply because of the poor quality. Splitting the signal will work and will give you a picture that you may be happy with but using a RF input to connect a STB to a TV is very much an old school way of doing things. The only advantage of RF based distribution is that it's a lot cheaper.

There isn't a lot you can do if you've already put the cable in. To distribute a composite, component or HDMI signal around you need baluns for each end of the cat5e cable (which range from $40 - $100 for each end) and a amplifier/splitter to split the composite/component/hdmi output from the STB to run to each TV.

oysterman

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

Reply # 206831 14-Apr-2009 13:26

All I want is to watch sky tv as clearly as poss. on all TV's.

I am not keen on replacing over 100 metres of cable - especially with the cost of equivilent in Cat5

what is the best possible scenario - working with the situation as it is? - how effective are amplifiers, boosters etc at improving reception - and what would be the best to use? if I use 'f' connectors where ever possible - would this help?

what about the idea of setting up main TV, and one other sky split only - then plugging in the individual TV that is to be viewed - as it is needed. so manually changing the tv feed. in this way only 2 TV's at a time would be split from sky. As from what I understand the signal quality is reduced for each tv added.

also - how effective are - wireless AV sender recievers? - and which would be the best to use?

moral: don't listen to your electrician in regard to AV installation - no matter how convincing he sounds!

bobmeister

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Reply # 206835 14-Apr-2009 13:31

Hmm.

I had RG6 cable and Cat6 run when I renovated a year or so back, to all locations where there are TV outlets.

I was wondering how I was going to get HD quality when I upgraded to My Sky and Full HD TVs.

Very useful information.

sbiddle

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Reply # 206836 14-Apr-2009 13:44

The issue of quality isn't the splitter. It's the fact that RF outputs are the lowest possible quality output from a Sky (or infact any) STB.

If you have a modern TV with component inputs you should be using this to connect the Sky STB to your TV. If you have an older STB that only has svideo or composite you should be using this as it will deliver a significantly better picture than using the RF output.

Other than ensuring you use good quality F connectors and a good quality splitter there isn't anything else you can do. The picture quality across all 4 TVs will be exactly the same as it is with 1 TV connected - the real issue here is really that RF offers the lowest possible picture quality output. If you're using this at present and are happy with it then you won't notice any detoriation in picture quality.

Many electricians are not up with the play when it comes to home theatre, data or phone cabling. It's still fairly common to see electricians looping phone cables in series when this practice has been superceded many years ago and has the potential to start causing all sorts of issues, primarily with ADSL. They keep up to date with electrical regulations which change regularly but don't seem to want to upskill when it comes to phone and data work even if their work practices will potentially cause all sorts of grief for the homeowner in the future.

oysterman

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Wannabe Geek

Reply # 206844 14-Apr-2009 14:25

many thanks sbiddle.

the sky box seems to only have RF connections ? - and 2x blue (scsi like?) connections. (audio,video)

I am currently viewing on older TV's.

the 4x TV's I am going to be running are all latest gen. sony's - (currently in storage)
so can I use the component inputs on the tv's to connect the Sky ?

so would it be possible to link tv's without using RF output?

as I said - AV stuff is not my ballgame:)

mjb

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Reply # 206848 14-Apr-2009 14:40

If you're used to coax connectors, then I guess they'll all look like RF.. Composite and Component typically use RCA connectors, the wikipedia articles actually have decent pictures:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composite_video
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Component_video

Both of those usually come with 2 audio connections too (red and white, for right and left stereo audio respectively)

The older RF connector that people are talking about here are these: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belling-Lee_connector.

edit: I should add, that the F Connectors people talk about are used by your Sky box for satellite connection: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F_connector. The centre 'pin' is actually the centre conductor of the coax being used.

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mjb

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Reply # 206855 14-Apr-2009 14:48

And to answer your link-without-RF question...

you could get something like one of these:

http://smartvm.com/Component-Video-Splitter-C1455.htm

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trig42

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Reply # 208927 24-Apr-2009 07:56

If you can run more cable, do it.

And run twice as much as you need.

Cat5E cable is cheaper than RG6. ANd if you ever go HD (MySkyHDi or MyFreeview|HD), then those nice TVs you have will be wasted. In Fact, even if you used Composite video (Red, White and Yellow plugs) you will get a much beter picture than using RF (RG6) cable.

If I had the walls off in my house, there would be heaps of cables going in. At least 2 CAT 5 to each TV location, plus another one (or 2). Some of the HDMI baluns need 2x cat 5 cables. You never know where you may need data (Playstations/XBOXes PCs)