Two inputs for Sky+

On Tue, 22 Aug 2006 18:19:50 GMT, "BJ" wrote:


| Short explanation; there might only be one thing stuck on the front of the
| dish but it actually has four modes it can be in to pick up four different
| kinds of signal, with the digibox telling it which mode to be in.

So if one has a quad LNB, each one receiving a different mode, it should be
possible to feed four coaxes to each STB, and with a little redesign of the
STB, to choose the correct coax rather than sending signals to the LNB.
That way you could distribute Sat TV to as many homes as one wished with a
single dish. Quad CT100 anybody ;-)
--
Dave Fawthrop dave hyphenologist co uk Google Groups is IME the *worst*
method of accessing usenet. GG subscribers would be well advised get a
newsreader, say Agent, and a newsserver, say news.individual.net. These
will allow them: to see only *new* posts, a killfile, and other goodies.

BJ wrote:
Thanks for the replies. I think/hope that I understand the answers. But
there is one thing that bothers me. If I got one of those sat signal
splitters from Maplins, according to the Maplin website I would be able to
have 2 standard sky boxes off one feed (the Maplin website makes it clear
that this splitter is not suitable for Sky+).
I could then stack the boxes on top of each other and have one feed the
telly/VCR and one feed a DVD recorder (all off one cable). I could watch one
channel whilst recording another channel. I could even record 2 different
channels at once (VCR and DVD/Hard drive). I would even be able to timeslip
live TV if I bought a DVD recorder with this facility. I would have all the
facilities of Sky+ with the ability to archive to DVD or tape thrown in. I
also wouldn't have the cost of additional installation (for the extra feed)
and ongoing subscription.

I suspect that either you're misreading what Maplins is saying or
Maplins is wrong (if you give us the reference we can probably tell
which is the case). Exactly the same thing applies to two Sky boxes as
it does to one Sky+ box. You can split the signal from one single LNB to
two Sky boxes with no problem, but when one box is looking at one
channel the other box can only tune to the channels that are transmitted
in the same mode, as mentioned earlier; i.e. 1/4 of the channels. The
LNB can still only be in one mode at a time.


--
Angus G Rae Science & Engineering Support Team
Computing Services
University of Edinburgh
The above opinions are mine, and Edinburgh University can't have them

"Angus Rae" wrote in message
...
BJ wrote:
Thanks for the replies. I think/hope that I understand the answers. But
there is one thing that bothers me. If I got one of those sat signal
splitters from Maplins, according to the Maplin website I would be able
to have 2 standard sky boxes off one feed (the Maplin website makes it
clear that this splitter is not suitable for Sky+).
I could then stack the boxes on top of each other and have one feed the
telly/VCR and one feed a DVD recorder (all off one cable). I could watch
one channel whilst recording another channel. I could even record 2
different channels at once (VCR and DVD/Hard drive). I would even be able
to timeslip live TV if I bought a DVD recorder with this facility. I
would have all the facilities of Sky+ with the ability to archive to DVD
or tape thrown in. I also wouldn't have the cost of additional
installation (for the extra feed) and ongoing subscription.

I suspect that either you're misreading what Maplins is saying or Maplins
is wrong (if you give us the reference we can probably tell which is the
case). Exactly the same thing applies to two Sky boxes as it does to one
Sky+ box. You can split the signal from one single LNB to two Sky boxes
with no problem, but when one box is looking at one channel the other box
can only tune to the channels that are transmitted in the same mode, as
mentioned earlier; i.e. 1/4 of the channels. The LNB can still only be in
one mode at a time.


--
Angus G Rae Science & Engineering Support Team
Computing Services
University of Edinburgh
The above opinions are mine, and Edinburgh University can't have them

Thanks for the replies Angus.
This is the Maplin splitter

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?...=9273&doy=22m8

I think it was this part of the FAQ's that made me think it would work:
Q) Hi i have two receivers and a single dish if i use the "2-Way Satellite
Splitter" will i be able to watch different channels on the two receivers at
the same time?
A) Yes you could watch different channels.

I suppose the Maplin answer should be "Yes, you could watch different
channels but only a subset of channels on the slave box depending on the
channel selected on the master box".

Thanks for your help.

On Tue, 22 Aug 2006 21:39:37 GMT, "BJ" wrote
in :

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?...=9273&doy=22m8

I think it was this part of the FAQ's that made me think it would work:
Q) Hi i have two receivers and a single dish if i use the "2-Way Satellite
Splitter" will i be able to watch different channels on the two receivers at
the same time?
A) Yes you could watch different channels.

I suppose the Maplin answer should be "Yes, you could watch different
channels but only a subset of channels on the slave box depending on the
channel selected on the master box".

If you read the description at the cited web page - the bit before you
get to the FAQ...

"In the case of most systems, this master receiver will also select
polarity, and thus determine the channels available to the slave
receiver. Although an inexpensive method of running two receivers from a
single dish, it is not as flexible as a twin LNB which allows two
receivers to select channels of either polarity independently."

--
Owen Rees
[one of] my preferred email address[es] and more stuff can be
found at http://www.users.waitrose.com/~owenrees/index.html

"Owen Rees" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 22 Aug 2006 21:39:37 GMT, "BJ" wrote
in :

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?...=9273&doy=22m8

I think it was this part of the FAQ's that made me think it would work:
Q) Hi i have two receivers and a single dish if i use the "2-Way Satellite
Splitter" will i be able to watch different channels on the two receivers
at
the same time?
A) Yes you could watch different channels.

I suppose the Maplin answer should be "Yes, you could watch different
channels but only a subset of channels on the slave box depending on the
channel selected on the master box".

If you read the description at the cited web page - the bit before you
get to the FAQ...

"In the case of most systems, this master receiver will also select
polarity, and thus determine the channels available to the slave
receiver. Although an inexpensive method of running two receivers from a
single dish, it is not as flexible as a twin LNB which allows two
receivers to select channels of either polarity independently."

--
Owen Rees
[one of] my preferred email address[es] and more stuff can be
found at http://www.users.waitrose.com/~owenrees/index.html

You are absolutely right, Owen. This reminds me.............some time ago, a
friend of mine bought a second hand dish and sky digibox, just a few pounds,
in order to watch the free channels. After connecting it all up, he finds
that he can only receive a subset of channels. For example, he can't pick up
ITV, although he has a valid £20 viewing card. (I don't think you need the
card for ITV anyway).

From the info I have been given on this thread, it seems like he is only
receiving channels of one frequency type. Where lies the most likely fault?
Faulty LNB? Faulty connection to LNB? What is the most likely thing for a
DIY installer to get wrong to cause this problem? I suppose it could even be
a mis-match of dish and digibox?

BJ wrote:
I suppose the Maplin answer should be "Yes, you could watch different
channels but only a subset of channels on the slave box depending on the
channel selected on the master box".

The actual device blurb says exactly that; "One of the outputs has DC
pass, and the receiver connected to this supplies power to the LNB. In
the case of most systems, this master receiver will also select
polarity, and thus determine the channels available to the slave
receiver. Although an inexpensive method of running two receivers from a
single dish, it is not as flexible as a twin LNB which allows two
receivers to select channels of either polarity independently."

--
Angus G Rae Science & Engineering Support Team
Computing Services
University of Edinburgh
The above opinions are mine, and Edinburgh University can't have them