Combining UHF outputs from two (or more) freeview boxes

What's the simplest way of combining the UHF output of two Freeview boxes
(that would be pre-tuned to BBC1 & 2) to enable a very elderly lady to
select channels using her very elderly telly's own channel selector buttons?

She only ever watches BBC1 & 2 but just can't cope with remote controls &
the plethora of buttons that they have. I think if the output of two
freeview boxes tuned to different UHF frequencies could be combined, it
would go so way to restoring her ability to watch television.

This plan might of course be scuppered if freeview boxes don't return to the
last channel selected if they are powered down. Do they remember the last
channel selected or do they all revert to BBC1?

Forgive me if this is a very naive question, it's not my field.

Tim

"Tim Downie" wrote in message
...
What's the simplest way of combining the UHF output of two Freeview boxes
(that would be pre-tuned to BBC1 & 2) to enable a very elderly lady to
select channels using her very elderly telly's own channel selector
buttons?

She only ever watches BBC1 & 2 but just can't cope with remote controls &
the plethora of buttons that they have. I think if the output of two
freeview boxes tuned to different UHF frequencies could be combined, it
would go so way to restoring her ability to watch television.

This plan might of course be scuppered if freeview boxes don't return to
the last channel selected if they are powered down. Do they remember the
last channel selected or do they all revert to BBC1?

Forgive me if this is a very naive question, it's not my field.

Tim

I'd be tempted to buy here a cheap freeview TV and a "big remote". There
are various of the "big" remotes around.

Paul DS.

On Tuesday, December 7th, 2010 at 15:05:13h +0000, Paul D Smith suggested:

I'd be tempted to buy here a cheap freeview TV and a "big remote".
There are various of the "big" remotes around.

And to do it before the increase in VAT in January 2011.

In message , Paul D Smith
writes
"Tim Downie" wrote in message
...
What's the simplest way of combining the UHF output of two Freeview
boxes (that would be pre-tuned to BBC1 & 2) to enable a very elderly
lady to select channels using her very elderly telly's own channel
selector buttons?

She only ever watches BBC1 & 2 but just can't cope with remote
controls & the plethora of buttons that they have. I think if the
output of two freeview boxes tuned to different UHF frequencies could
be combined, it would go so way to restoring her ability to watch
television.

This plan might of course be scuppered if freeview boxes don't return
to the last channel selected if they are powered down. Do they
remember the last channel selected or do they all revert to BBC1?

Forgive me if this is a very naive question, it's not my field.

Tim

I'd be tempted to buy here a cheap freeview TV and a "big remote".
There are various of the "big" remotes around.

I can't disagree. However, the direct answer to the question is that you
need to ensure that both Freeview boxes actually have UHF modulators
(quite rare these days), and that both of the UHF channels are set well
out of the way of the bypassed off-air channels (which will eventually
be only the digital). All obvious stuff.

The two UHF outputs can be combined easily using a 2-way splitter, in
reverse.

However, the two sets of bypassed channels will be on the same
frequencies, but because they are arriving by two different routes, when
they combine, they will tend to interfere with each other (possibly
seriously). As a result, they will themselves be unusable for tuning
directly on the TV set (even if you switch one STB to standby) -
although you might be able to use them if you switched off at the
mains). However, as the elderly lady won't need them, this won't be a
problem.

But this is indeed a messy solution. As suggested, it would be better
(and not much dearer) to get a Freeview TV set, and teach the elderly
lady how top use it - with a different remote control, if necessary.
--
Ian

In article ,
Tim Downie wrote:
What's the simplest way of combining the UHF output of two Freeview
boxes (that would be pre-tuned to BBC1 & 2) to enable a very elderly
lady to select channels using her very elderly telly's own channel
selector buttons?

She only ever watches BBC1 & 2 but just can't cope with remote controls
& the plethora of buttons that they have. I think if the output of two
freeview boxes tuned to different UHF frequencies could be combined, it
would go so way to restoring her ability to watch television.

If she still has the sort of TV where you have channel selection buttons
on the front of it - how long will it last?

But yes, if you have two Freeview boxes with RF outputs that can be set to
different channels and the TV tuned into those, it should work. You'd need
a combiner.

--
*Honk if you love peace and quiet*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Tim Downie" wrote in message
...
What's the simplest way of combining the UHF output of two Freeview boxes
(that would be pre-tuned to BBC1 & 2) to enable a very elderly lady to
select channels using her very elderly telly's own channel selector
buttons?

She only ever watches BBC1 & 2 but just can't cope with remote controls &
the plethora of buttons that they have. I think if the output of two
freeview boxes tuned to different UHF frequencies could be combined, it
would go so way to restoring her ability to watch television.

This plan might of course be scuppered if freeview boxes don't return to
the last channel selected if they are powered down. Do they remember the
last channel selected or do they all revert to BBC1?

Forgive me if this is a very naive question, it's not my field.
Tim

If the TV has two scart sockets feed one DVBT box into Scart1,
and the other into Scart2
Then all she has to do is switch between EXT1 and EXT2 which on most
TVs are the first two channels below channel 1

Steve Terry
--
Quidco cashback Sign-up Bonus of £1.25 when you signup at:
http://www.quidco.com/user/613515/55307

In article , Dave Plowman (News)
writes
In article ,
Tim Downie wrote:
What's the simplest way of combining the UHF output of two Freeview
boxes (that would be pre-tuned to BBC1 & 2) to enable a very elderly
lady to select channels using her very elderly telly's own channel
selector buttons?

She only ever watches BBC1 & 2 but just can't cope with remote controls
& the plethora of buttons that they have. I think if the output of two
freeview boxes tuned to different UHF frequencies could be combined, it
would go so way to restoring her ability to watch television.

If she still has the sort of TV where you have channel selection buttons
on the front of it - how long will it last?

But yes, if you have two Freeview boxes with RF outputs that can be set to
different channels and the TV tuned into those, it should work. You'd need
a combiner.

Daisy chaining sounds a better bet.

All the boxes I have had will come back up on the same channel they went
off in (when taken out of standby) but don't forget the inevitable
crashes that appear to afflict freeview STBs, someone will need to
recover them back to the right channel after those.
--
fred
FIVE TV's superbright logo - not the DOG's, it's ********

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message ...
In article ,
Tim Downie wrote:
What's the simplest way of combining the UHF output of two Freeview
boxes (that would be pre-tuned to BBC1 & 2) to enable a very elderly
lady to select channels using her very elderly telly's own channel
selector buttons?

She only ever watches BBC1 & 2 but just can't cope with remote controls
& the plethora of buttons that they have. I think if the output of two
freeview boxes tuned to different UHF frequencies could be combined, it
would go so way to restoring her ability to watch television.

If she still has the sort of TV where you have channel selection buttons
on the front of it

Yep.

- how long will it last?

Hopefully longer than her. She's 98.

But yes, if you have two Freeview boxes with RF outputs that can be set to
different channels and the TV tuned into those, it should work. You'd need
a combiner.

Just one of those "Y" shaped bits of plastic with sockets or something fancier?

Tim

"Paul D Smith" wrote in message ...
"Tim Downie" wrote in message
...
What's the simplest way of combining the UHF output of two Freeview boxes
(that would be pre-tuned to BBC1 & 2) to enable a very elderly lady to
select channels using her very elderly telly's own channel selector
buttons?

She only ever watches BBC1 & 2 but just can't cope with remote controls &
the plethora of buttons that they have. I think if the output of two
freeview boxes tuned to different UHF frequencies could be combined, it
would go so way to restoring her ability to watch television.

This plan might of course be scuppered if freeview boxes don't return to
the last channel selected if they are powered down. Do they remember the
last channel selected or do they all revert to BBC1?

Forgive me if this is a very naive question, it's not my field.

Tim

I'd be tempted to buy here a cheap freeview TV and a "big remote". There
are various of the "big" remotes around.

Not possible. Can't work out how to point a remote.

Tim

"Ian Jackson" wrote in message ...
In message , Paul D Smith
writes
"Tim Downie" wrote in message
...
What's the simplest way of combining the UHF output of two Freeview
boxes (that would be pre-tuned to BBC1 & 2) to enable a very elderly
lady to select channels using her very elderly telly's own channel
selector buttons?

She only ever watches BBC1 & 2 but just can't cope with remote
controls & the plethora of buttons that they have. I think if the
output of two freeview boxes tuned to different UHF frequencies could
be combined, it would go so way to restoring her ability to watch
television.

This plan might of course be scuppered if freeview boxes don't return
to the last channel selected if they are powered down. Do they
remember the last channel selected or do they all revert to BBC1?

Forgive me if this is a very naive question, it's not my field.

Tim

I'd be tempted to buy here a cheap freeview TV and a "big remote".
There are various of the "big" remotes around.

I can't disagree. However, the direct answer to the question is that you
need to ensure that both Freeview boxes actually have UHF modulators
(quite rare these days), and that both of the UHF channels are set well
out of the way of the bypassed off-air channels (which will eventually
be only the digital). All obvious stuff.

Still plenty of boxes available with UHF output for use with older televisions.


The two UHF outputs can be combined easily using a 2-way splitter, in
reverse.

However, the two sets of bypassed channels will be on the same
frequencies, but because they are arriving by two different routes, when
they combine, they will tend to interfere with each other (possibly
seriously).
As a result, they will themselves be unusable for tuning
directly on the TV set (even if you switch one STB to standby) -
although you might be able to use them if you switched off at the
mains). However, as the elderly lady won't need them, this won't be a
problem.

Um, I'd obviously be setting up the freeview boxes to output at different frequencies so I can't see why there should be a problem.


But this is indeed a messy solution. As suggested, it would be better
(and not much dearer) to get a Freeview TV set, and teach the elderly
lady how top use it - with a different remote control, if necessary.

As I've pointed out elsewhere, the lady concerned just can't cope with a remote control. She can however press the buttons on her TV. Unfortunately the sound quality on modern flat screen TVs also tends to be poorer than on her old CRT set which is another reason to keep it.

Tim