All posts by jb38
Below are all of jb38's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Craig: This is simply because that its achieved by using a sophisticated device called a radial multi-switcher, the dish used on this type of system having to be fitted with a quad LNB for standard operation (Quattro for Sky+) the four inputs from the dishes LNB only being used to supply the multi-switcher with a H & V signal on the low band and exactly the same on the high band, these inputs being buffered from being altered by any commands that might be made from a Sky box by an isolation circuit within the multi-switcher, the reason they do not require to be altered on the dishes LNB in the same way as they normally would be in a normal installation being that each of the numerous outputs on the multi-switcher acts as though it was an individual port on an LNB, this meaning that the actual LNB on the dish never changes.
By the way, in cases where a Sky+ box is being catered for this is done using a special wall pate in conjunction with the multi-switcher.
Whats said being somewhat simplified to save an over legthy posting.
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jj thompson: Should you be referring to Freeview channels continually dropping out because of poor reception then you do NOT require to keep carrying out an auto-tune, as the channels will not have been lost from the TV's memory but have just dropped under the level required by the TV or box to resolve a picture, meaning if you do not touch anything they will come back of their own accord.
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c mcneil: It should not be necessary to do anything more than simply connect it up as Sky and Freesat are technically identical in this respect, however if it does not work then neither could have any Sky box that might previously have been installed in the property, further advice given should this be found to be the case.
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Deano: If you are just replacing Sky+ HD boxes with Freesat+ HD types and which by their very nature does not require a subscription, then the answer is yes as its a direct swap over, but though if you have a TV in another room working from any of the Sky boxes RF1 or 2 analogue outputs then it will not work, as Freesat boxes do not have RF modulators.
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P Thompson: Just a couple of little points to note regarding the query made on reception with a Freeview box in line between the aerial and your TV.
A Freeview (or any) box connected in line will in the majority of cases reduce a signal, although exceptions do exist and which might possibly apply in your case, and so just to confirm which one of the two mentioned applies you should carry out a signal level check on a programme (pref BBC or ITV for stability of signal) with the Freeview box in line and make a note of the level seen indicated, then "whilst still on the signal check screen" take the aerial out of the Freeview box and connect it directly into the TV and observe if the level has increased or dropped.
If by any chance its the latter then that suggests that your signal requires lifting and with this being most easily achieved with the aid of variable booster, as this type can adjusted to suit the conditions applying at the time, a link to a suitable type seen at the end of this posting.
It would though have been of assistance to know the model of Hitachi you are using, as Hitachi can use chassis made by different manufacturers across their range of equipment.
Argos item number: 534 / 4235 (£11.99)
Buy Plug-In 1 Way TV Aerial Signal Booster at Argos.co.uk - Your Online Shop for TV aerial boosters.
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Iso: Unfortunately I am not really acquaint with that particular box nor do I have the manual for it, and so I'm unable to check if it has a manual tuning facility or not, however if you can receive BBC and ITV OK then I suspect that the cause of your problem is really down to the signal level received being on the low side, this affecting the commercial channels more so as the mux transmitters used by the missing programmes are only radiated on half the power of the main PSB channels.
Have a look in the set up menu / tuning and see if only "auto" is mentioned, because if it is then I doubt that the box will have a manual option, but though if by any remote chance it did then Dave is on mux Ch59 and with Dave ja vu on mux Ch55, but though it should be noted that according to the reception predictor Ch55 (and only it) is indicated with the status of "variable" in your area, the station involved being Dover ( @16 miles / 101 degrees) all other stations seen being predicted with the status of variable or poor over the entire mux channels used by them.
By the way BBC1 South East (mux Ch50) is Dover, and with ITV (mux Ch51) being Meridian (East Micro region)
Just out of interest what kind of aerial system are you using? because depending on what a booster could well help rectify the problem, further advice dependant on reply.
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Anne: With regards to using your Humax Freesat box to feed the programmes being viewed into other rooms on either an old analogue TV or alternatively a Freeview TV but with it set on analogue, then the only way to do this is by using an RF modulator such as shown in the undermentioned link.
However, unfortunately your magic eyes will become redundant as they will only work with an actual Sky box and nothing else, this is because that the circuitry involved with switching the channels is associated with the Sky boxes tuners circuitry.
By the way the price mentioned on the link is a bit out of date and may actually be lower that this.
Programmable Universal Modulator : Video Switches : Maplin Electronics
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Anne: I really am sorry to somewhat complicate what up to now may have appeared as being a relatively straightforward task, but unfortunately what you are suggesting brings certain complications into being, because "if" you have your normal (roof or loft mounted) aerial connected into the Sky boxes aerial socket for the purpose of passing a Freeview signal through the Sky box, picking up the Sky boxes analogue RF signal in the process, and then feeding "both" to your other TV's than that can be a bit of a problem with what you are suggesting.
The first problem being that your dish will have to be fitted with a quad LNB as the Humax box being a twin tuner device will require two coax connections from the dish, and with another single feed being necessary for the Sky box, the single feed being suffice as no recording will be involved, and so does your dish only have the two output connection facilities, or can another two unused output ports be seen if you look up at where the coax cables enter the dishes LNB? which of course might well apply as the cost difference is minimal between the two and four output types and Sky engineers frequently just installed quad blocks as standard, quad kits being available for only around £10.00 or so from various e-bay suppliers although obviously another coax cable would required from the dish to the Sky box.
The second problem is concerning the Freeview signal passing through the Sky box, the problem there being that the RF analogue output from the Humax's additional modulator will have to be combined with the Sky boxes similar output to enable the signals from both devices to be fed to the other rooms, and although as far as the RF side of the equation is concerned this is relatively easy to arrange, BUT because you are understandably wishing to retain the magic eye facility on the Sky box the RF coupler used to combine the signals from both devices might either block the eyes 9 volt supply from the Sky boxes RF2 output or alternatively short circuit it, and so the device used to combine the signals would have to be carefully chosen.
By the way, the only reason that a combiner has to be used is because that neither the Humax box nor the RF modulator has an RF loop through facility.
Maybe you could give an update on the subject of your dish, and confirm (or not) that you are passing a normal aerial through the Sky box for Freeview purposes, further info / advice dependant on reply.
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Anne: Thanks for the update and I'm pleased to hear that your new Humax box has been installed OK, albeit though with the standard method of installation having been used whereby it can only be viewed in your main room, but as far as my query on the LNB type used on your dish is concerned, if the Sky box is also operational in exactly the same way as before then that answers the question, as it must have!
However, should you decide in the future that you would like to have the choice of either Sky, Freesat or Freeview in all your rooms fed via the single coax from the Spider box in the loft then the method I suggested is the only way that this can be easily achieved with the minimum of expense, and as aforementioned, if the magic eye facility is also to be retained then this is the only aspect of set up that adds a complication to an otherwise easy task, as this requires certain measures to be taken so as NOT to kill off the 9 volts DC voltage from the Sky boxes RF2 output, as this is the power source for the magic eyes internal circuitry.
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Sunday 13 January 2013 8:18PM
Keith: Yes, I fully agree with what you say regarding the HD version being somewhat sluggish in operation, this basically caused by the processor being stretched to its limits in the same way as experienced on some older PC's when a more complex task is attempted, of course the Vestels deficiency will be made to appear even worse by you also using a Sky HD box which has the latest circuitry, but you are quite correct about Vestels SD versions insomuch that any commands that might be made on the remote control gets an absolutely instant response.
But you should keep your eye on the DRG's download site as I feel that its on the cards that a software update will be made for that chassis at some not too distant point in time, of course the only thing there being that some of Vestels updates can have an element of hit and miss attached to them, but though that can also apply to more than Vestel devices.
Anyway I'm pleased that the replacement box turned out OK, because in my experience once anyone has used a Vestel boxes menu system for a short time they generally get spoiled for using any other Freeview device, and although I have always been an admirer of Humax devices this is purely on their technical merits connected to the devices reception abilities, and most certainly NOT their long winded menu systems.
Cheers / jb.
PS: I know what you mean about the a boxes hard drive capacity getting rapidly used up by other than yourself, as I noticed that one of my PVR's HDD has been loaded up to 92% of capacity with dozens of Flog it's / Bargain hunts and Dickinson's real deals, I really will need to delete the series link, albeit this being done in a subtle fashion!