Freeview satellite to COAX ??

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bagpussnz

35 posts

Geek

#65037 28-Jul-2010 09:44

Hi,
I am in a bad reception area for freeview reception (in a valley). However, I do have a sky decoder with satellite connection.
I have a TV (Panasonic TH-P42U20Z) with freeview builtin. The TV has COAX and HDMI inputs.

Question - is it possible to split the satellite from sky on a device with COAX outputs, so I can get freeview on the TV.
Does such a device exist (or possible) - or am I being naive.

At the moment, if I plug my external aerial into the TV and tune, I only get 3 freeview channels and I often get a bad signal message.

Cheers,
Ian.

langi27

683 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 239

#357586 28-Jul-2010 09:55

Have you tried to beef up your UHF freeview signal with a high gain aerial, masthead amplifier and low loss RG-6 coax, if you can get 3 channels with your current setup you can probably get a bit more out of it with additional hardware?

xarqi

727 posts

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+1 received by user: 7

#357611 28-Jul-2010 10:53

As I understand it, but maybe I misunderstand it!

What you want is a splitter on the cable from the dish, with one leg going to your sky box and the other going to a satellite set-top-box which you'd have to buy (say $120+). Each of those then goes to a separate HDMI (or composite or component) input on your TV. You can't just hook the dish to your TV, directly or indirectly, and use the digital tuner in your TV to decode the satellite signal - wrong system - it's for terrestrial.

There may be a way to get the skybox to decode the Freeview channels, but I've never explored that since I've got no interest in Sky.

There may also be some limitations with the approach I suggest, for example, the two tuners "fighting" for control of the LNB. There are solutions to that too.

P.S. How's the 42U20Z working out for you?

cyril7

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#357613 28-Jul-2010 11:02

Hi, the satellite signal (from the dish) will not be of any use to your TV's DVB-T freeview tuner, you require a UHF antenna for that.

It sounds like your UHF antenna needs fixing to provide a suitable FreeView|HD signal.

Cyril

bagpussnz

35 posts

Geek

#357617 28-Jul-2010 11:11

Hi,
Thanks for all that - I agree, it sounds like my UHF aerial is at fault. Will explore that.
Is it worth trying a decent coax cable first (I presume that is what a low loss rg6 is)?

To answer xarqi - it's pretty damn good. Bit annoying on the freeview front - but not the tv's fault. As I have mostly panasonic gear (home theatre/hd recorder) the viera connectivity is really nice.

Cheers,
Ian

xarqi

727 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 7

#357618 28-Jul-2010 11:17

You could *try* to improve your UHF reception, with a high-gain antenna, mast head amplifiers, yadda yadda, but if the signal isn't there, it isn't there. It's because there are places in the country where this happens (like where I am, for instance) that the satellite Freeview option exists.

<break>
Yeah - I was looking at a 42U20 myself, but now I'm lusting after a 46V10 or (chance would be a fine thing) a 50V20!

langi27

683 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 239

#357619 28-Jul-2010 11:21

RG-6 is the same coax that sky uses from the dish to the decoder. Its slightly more expensive but lower loss than your standard RG-59. Its physically a larger more rigid cables well.
First thing I'd do would be to check all your connections from the aerial to the DVB-T,if your aerial connection has water in it or some of the outer wire strands are touching the inner it will destroy your signal, and any rusty screws should also be cleand and/or replaced.

You might find your current setup will work fine if you address the above issues.