SKY HD + Freeview Installation Problems

blacky165 · 23-05-2011, 13:22

Hi All,

Just joined this forum in the hope that one of you can help me with my installation problem. I'm having difficulty getting Sky and Freeview to travel down the same coax. Please see attached diagram.

As you can see I have Sky+HD installed downstairs and would like Sky upstairs + Freeview (loft mounted aerial) in the master bedroom. I already have an RF2 coax from the Sky box running into the loft, but any attempt to join this cable with the coax from the aerial (by means of a simple Y splitter) results in a loss of freeview and a poor quality sky picture. Running the RF2 Sky coax straight into my tv does however give an acceptable Sky picture - Although obviously this means I have no freeview.

So how do I get both Freeview and Sky in my master bedroom WITHOUT running the aerial cable into the Sky box downstairs (which isn't practical for my house).

I'll also want to install a magic eye for the TV in the master bedroom for channel switching, but already have a magic eye downstairs for cosmetic reasons (my sky box is hidden in the living room) can you run multiple magic eyes on the same line?

Oh and I also need to consider that I'll be adding TV's in a further 3 bedrooms at a later stage, so the solution needs to expandable. Again I'd like these bedrooms to have access to Sky with magic eye and freeview. (perhaps an amplifier with magic eye bypass?!

)

I'm not that technically minded so please keep your replied fairly idiot proof. Thanks everyone! - James

Kymmy · 23-05-2011, 13:39

Can you not use freeview via the scart and just use the sky via the RF??

---------- Post added at 13:39 ---------- Previous post was at 13:38 ----------

As for further expansion I'd suggest a distribution amp that can handle two feeds or get two distribution amps (single feeds) run the freeview again via scart to TV and Sat via the RF

blacky165 · 23-05-2011, 14:01

Thanks for the reply Kymmy. Great solution, however I don't think it would work as the TV in the master bedroom has an integrated freeview tuner. The freeview aerial cable plugs straight into the aerial feed on the back of the tv.

The only amps I know about have TV and FM input - I dismissed these as I thought the FM input would be insufficient to carry the signal from either the Sky or the Freeview. - Ideally I suppose I want an amp that had two inputs labeld "Sky" and "Freeview" with 4 outputs and magic eye bypass.

I suspect I'm showing my ignorance lol.

Kymmy · 23-05-2011, 14:07

Distribution amps are designed to take a signal (or sometimes more) and feed to more than one source, they not only amplify the source but also isolate it so one TV can not interfere with another.

The problem you have atm is that a standard Y adaptor will join both inputs thus allowing one signal to run to the source of the other, in other words it does not isolate the outputs. Also this will reduce the signal strength. You may be able to get away with a cheap Isolating Y splitter but as you add more and more TV's the signal will drop hence the suggestion of a distribution panel (If you can't find a two input one then you'll need a separate one for the Sky and the Freeview.)

Something like this is perfect for you (though slightly over spec as it will allow you to use more than one sky box in the future)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Labgear-HDU681...item4cf746a777

blacky165 · 23-05-2011, 14:22

Cheers for the link, that distribution panel looks ideal! Really appreciate your help!