One roof aerial but want Freeview in two rooms

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steve181

114 posts

Master Geek

#61350 14-May-2010 17:18

Hi.

I can get Freeview perfectly on the lounge TV using the roof aerial. I've just built a new desktop (Windows 7) for my room. I bought a Pinnacle PCTV nano stick for the computer.

I tried the PCTV out using the small supplied aerial. The picture is good but breaks up frequently, I then tried my DSE Indoor UHF aerial & it's not much better. I'm certain the issue is the aerial.

My first thought was I could get someone to come out & install a second aerial cable into my room but that sounds expensive. I read about splitter/distribution amplifier which sends out more than one signal?

I couldn't find much information about it so was wondering if you guys could help? Do you plug a box into the aerial cable (in the lounge) & it sends out a wireless signal or would i need to run a cable into my room?

Thanks for your help.

Deev8

481 posts

Ultimate Geek

#330207 14-May-2010 18:47

steve181: Do you plug a box into the aerial cable (in the lounge) & it sends out a wireless signal or would i need to run a cable into my room?

You will really need to run a cable into your room to connect to the PC. A two-way splitter can be installed anywhere between the aerial and the current TV. Then one cable will run from the splitter to the TV and a second one from the splitter to your PC. That's all you will need if you have a reasonably strong signal - a two-way split doesn't drop the signal strength too much. However if your signal is only just OK now, you may need an amplifier as well as a splitter.

By the way, before you tackle any of that you ought to try temporarily setting-up the PC next to the TV and borrowing the TV's aerial cable to try it out.

steve181

114 posts

Master Geek

#330233 14-May-2010 21:39

Thanks Deev8. I don't want cables running through the house so it looks like my only option is to get someone out who can run another cable from the roof aerial & up through the floor of my room.

I can see Sugerloaf from my yard, I'm close to it but I bet it's that bloody house next door thats stopping me picking up perfect Freeview using rabbit ears!

mentalinc

3238 posts

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#330283 15-May-2010 06:42

Deev8:

By the way, before you tackle any of that you ought to try temporarily setting-up the PC next to the TV and borrowing the TV's aerial cable to try it out.

Do this before you call anyone to make sure its not issues with the setup you have e.g. a graphics card that cant handle the signal or you may not have hardware accelleration working and the cpu cant cope.

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juliant

96 posts

Master Geek

#330385 15-May-2010 14:14

If there is crawl space under the house, then rather than run another cable from the aerial, as prevous poster suggested, just cut the exising co-ax under the house, put a 2 way splitter in, then run another length of coax from the spitter up into your bedroom

steve181

114 posts

Master Geek

#330389 15-May-2010 14:44

Thanks for the advice guy's, good idea juliant. I would set the PC up next to the TV (as logistical as that would be) BUT after moving my rabbit ears about late last night I discovered that if they're in a certain position I can get all the FreeView channels running well apart from C4 which keeps cutting out.

I might just stick with the status quo for now, I won't loose sleep over C4.

Now I've just got to figure out how to improve the EPG in Windows Media Centre because it doesn't show much of whats on in the future.

Deev8

481 posts

Ultimate Geek

#330593 16-May-2010 11:47

steve181: Now I've just got to figure out how to improve the EPG in Windows Media Centre because it doesn't show much of whats on in the future.

This utility to get data from the Freeview broadcast EPG wouldn't be a bad place to start looking.

eracode

Smpl Mnmlst
8860 posts

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#330599 16-May-2010 12:46

Just wondering if this thread about wireless AV senders/receivers might help you?:

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=106&topicid=61128

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steve181

114 posts

Master Geek

#330609 16-May-2010 14:07

Deev8:
steve181: Now I've just got to figure out how to improve the EPG in Windows Media Centre because it doesn't show much of whats on in the future.

This utility to get data from the Freeview broadcast EPG wouldn't be a bad place to start looking.

Thanks I'll look into it!