Combining UHF outputs from two (or more) freeview boxes

"Steve Terry" 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

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

Scart sockets? What manner of new fangled things would these be? ;-)

Tim

In message , Tim Downie
writes



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

'A few' - yes. 'Plenty' - no.

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.

You have no control over the bypassed off-air channels. They stay on the
same frequency (input = output).

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.

In which case, you solution should work fine.

If the TV has buttons, I presume it's pretty old, and a 4:3 CRT. If so,
check that the two STBs can output the correct aspect ratio (which, of
course, the almost certainly do).
--
Ian

In message , fred writes



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.

This would indeed prevent the 'two lots of bypass channels' effect.

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.

That's a good point. It could happen after a factory reset. I don't
think I've seen my handful of STBs do this, but I probably haven't
looked..
--
Ian

"Ian Jackson" wrote in message ...
In message , Tim Downie
writes



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

'A few' - yes. 'Plenty' - no.

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.

You have no control over the bypassed off-air channels. They stay on the
same frequency (input = output).

Sorry, not really following you. She's been through the DSO which is why she's in this pickle. Won't tuning the Freeview boxes to output on different frequencies avoid problems?

Tim

"Tim Downie" wrote in message ...

"Ian Jackson" wrote in message ...
In message , Tim Downie
writes



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

'A few' - yes. 'Plenty' - no.

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.

You have no control over the bypassed off-air channels. They stay on the
same frequency (input = output).

Sorry, not really following you. She's been through the DSO which is why she's in this pickle. Won't tuning the Freeview boxes to
output on different frequencies avoid problems?

Tim
Yes that is true, but have you understood the proviso voiced by Ian Jackson
that only a very small proportion of Freeview boxes on the market actually
output the Freeview sound and picture on the "RF Out" socket.
The ones that do will have the magic words "RF modulator" in the spec
(and hopefully on the packaging too).

--
Graham.

%Profound_observation%

On Tue, 07 Dec 2010 14:16:57 -0000, 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.

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 use 3 boxes which output UHF that are setup in a chain feeding through a
VHS recorder into the TV using standard UHF TV cables for my Wifey who
gets channel Five on No.5, More 4 on N0.6 and Fiver on No7.

On the VHS video which is controlled by a Gemstar VideoPlus handset, (God
knows how old that is but I have 2 of them put away as backups), Fiver is
also tuned into on channel 13. These correspond to the videoplus numbers
which are still printed in the Radio Times. I do not know when they will
stop printing out the videoplus numbers.

Now before any of you buggers get sniffy I LIVE IN A PART OF KENT which
gets unreliable coverage of at least half of the digital channels and will
continue to do so until 2012.

I do own both Humax and a Topfield PVR which I use upstairs for Dave, (Why
do you watch that stuff it's not funny). But get extremely ****ed off when
I get rain or fog fading the signal to crap. Do not tell me to use
satellite, I can, but her indoors does not want one on our 16th Century
Cottage. (I have one hidden down at the side of my shed that has triple
LNB's for 28/19/13 east).


--
http://www.madgetwits.tk Madges Links

http://home2.btconnect.com/kibo/PhotoAlbums/madgesphoto

In article ,
Tim Downie wrote:

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.

Have you considered getting her two televisions?

-- Richard

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?
Scart sockets? What manner of new fangled things would these be? ;-)

An alternative approach might be to find an old VCR with two scarts or
composite video inputs, and up/down channel buttons on the front panel.
Mask out all the buttons and controls that the old lady doesn't need
to know about, and put the VCR on a table next to her chair. She'll
appreciate not having to get up to change channel. Connect the STB
outputs to the VCR inputs, and connect the modulator output from the VCR
to the TV through as long a length of coax as is needed. Likewise
connect UHF from aerial to one STB, and daisy-chain to second STB.

"Graham." wrote in message
...

"Tim Downie" wrote in message
...

"Ian Jackson" wrote in message
...
In message , Tim Downie
writes



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

'A few' - yes. 'Plenty' - no.

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.

You have no control over the bypassed off-air channels. They stay on the
same frequency (input = output).

Sorry, not really following you. She's been through the DSO which is why
she's in this pickle. Won't tuning the Freeview boxes to output on
different frequencies avoid problems?

Tim
Yes that is true, but have you understood the proviso voiced by Ian
Jackson
that only a very small proportion of Freeview boxes on the market actually
output the Freeview sound and picture on the "RF Out" socket.
The ones that do will have the magic words "RF modulator" in the spec
(and hopefully on the packaging too).

The only Freeview box I've seen with an RF modulator did not pass through
RF, but I'm sure that do exist as well.

--

Brian Gregory. (In the UK)

To email me remove the letter vee.

In message , Tim Downie
writes

"Ian Jackson" wrote in message
...
In message , Tim Downie
writes



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

'A few' - yes. 'Plenty' - no.

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.

You have no control over the bypassed off-air channels. They stay on the
same frequency (input = output).

Sorry, not really following you. She's been through the DSO which is
why she's in this pickle. Won't tuning the Freeview boxes to output on
different frequencies avoid problems?

Yes indeed. All I'm pointing out is that, if you ever wanted to use the
bypass channels (those intended for direct reception either on a TV set
or a recorder), they will be a mess if you use an external 2-way
combiner.

As 'Fred' has been pointed out, a loop-through daisy-chain connection
(one STB output connected to the input of the other) will avoid this
effect, and should also work fine for the two modulator channels. The
UHF output channel of the first STB will bypass through the second STB,
which will add the second UHF channel. It also save you a combiner! A
proviso which 'Fred' also mentioned is that STB's can accidentally lose
the tuning of the UHF output channel because of the occasional hiccup
which they seem to experience from time-to-time. If this happens, you'll
have re-tune them. But, hopefully, this won't happen.
--
Ian