Hi,
My current set up is that I have

Sky+
Dual LNB feed
Second TV in study running from RF2 on sky box

I'm more than happy to have same channel on both TVs, I live alone, just move between rooms.

I'm looking to ditch SKY subscription and go down Freesat route to save money and get HD and BBC Iplayer on my new TV.

I was thinking of getting a Humax Foxsat HDR Twin Tuner Freesat 320GB Recorder , or similar.

Reading specs, reviews and forums I have identified 2 potential problems and would appreciate advice on solutions.

1.
I watch a lot of SKY NEWS which i have leaned is not available on Freesat EPG. I have also read it is available as FTA and you can access it by tuning in via a number of key strokes. What is not clear is how easy it is to access the channel on later occasions. Do you need to tune in every time, or can you save the channel and access easily in future, and is it comfortable to switch between SKY news and the Freesat EPG channels ?


2.
My second TV takes its input from the SKY RF2 feed , as i SAID I DO NOT need multiroom , type services, happy to watch same channel on both TVs.
I have read that the Humax does not have a RF output , is that correct ?

I have read for the first time today about something called LNB loop back, which I confess to not understanding.

Could I loop to the SKY+ box and use RF2 from there.

Also , could I loop to SKY+ box and get SKY NEWS on there ?

Upgrading to a quad LNB is not simple (i.e. not cheap) as i live on top floor of 4 storey building and had to speak to SKY very nicely to get their height team to do original install.

One other thought, Could i put one LNB feed to sky box and one to the freesat pvr ? I realise that I wouldn't then be able to record while watching , but could I still record when not watching another channel ?

That would allow me to get sky news and feed second SD TV from the RF2.

Thanks for any ideas, I'm not well versed in this technology, so please go easy on me.

2. The Foxsat HDR does not have the UHF modulator needed to feed its decoded signal to a remote TV over RF. You can use an external UHF modulator box connected to the SCART output of the Foxsat available from the likes of Maplin. Or you can use any old VCR (or DVDR) you may have laying around to perform the same function. You would not be able to control the Foxsat from the remote location to change channel etc unless you also add a (wireless) IR extender also available from the likes of Maplin.

Alternatively use a wireless video sender, also connected to the SCART output of the Foxsat. These include an IR extender but the results may be patchy depending on your situation. Using the existing RF lead will give better results as above.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Modulator-RF-9...item19c42802bb

thanks, is this the type of thing you mean ?

Looks like it though you may want to see if there is one that includes a built in IR extender if you would like to control the Foxsat from the remote location.

David_now

A possible solution to your RF problem is to use scart. I have a very similar situation to you, in that I have a small telly in the kitchen and just want to follow the program while I put the kettle on.
Pro's - cheap, picture quality far superior to RF, easier to run as (it can be) thinner than RF cable.
Con's - You have to know which end of a soldering iron gets hot.

Mine is 15 metres, and is perfect, even thought the tv is on top of a fridge (no interference).
Last December I was snowed in (and bored) and just tried it with stuff I had around. An old scart lead and cat5 computer network cable. Details are on a forum somewhere (either here, or avforums) but from the original idea I just got the pin outs from wikipedia. There are more than enough cores in cat5 for basic tv viewing, but you may run into problems if you want every thing like stereo wide-screen switching etc. but this was not required in my case.
Hope this helps, let me know if you need more.
KC

I'm not looking for any control at the second TV.

It is a small SD TV , on a shelf in my study, just want it to duplicate what is being shown on main hd tv in the lounge.

image quality, control not an issue for second tv.

I usually have sky news on in background while I'm pottering on in study.

Unless you add Freeview I think the only option that gets you Sky News is to cancel your Sky sub and go to Freesat from Sky using your existing equipment. But this means you still need to pay them a tenner a month the be able to record on the Sky+ box. For the cost of the Foxsat that will get you roughly two years worth by which time the broadcasting landscape may well have changed.

But then you are left without HD and iPlayer ...

I considered freeview, but my ariel socket only seems to deliver analogue signal.

My new samsung 46 inch hd tv has freeview built in and I tried autotune from ariel, and it only picked up analogue.

The ariel is in the roof space somewhere and is a communal installation for the block of flats. I can't go hacking it, but could perhaps get a new ariel fixed to wall.

However, if i go to that trouble, I may just as well upgrade to quad lnb and run both freesat and freesat from sky, which would solve all the problems I've described so far.

But would like to find a solution which avoids getting someone up a very high ladder (4 floors). A regular installer refused to install sky for me a while back.

ah , the scart solution sounds interesting.

I 'm not a soldering type of person , but ebay shows 10m scart cables for very low prices. I guess the problem is I'd have to make a bigger hole in the stud partition wall to get the connector through. I currently have a small hole through which I have an ariel cable and an RJ45 ethernet cable.

But that's ok, I'm better with a tub of pollfilla and tin of emulsion than I am with a soldering iron

My second TV has scart input but also red green white and yellow inputs , forgive my ignorance , are these component or some such thing, and also a port called S-Video which looks something like the old PS2 mouse connector.

Would any of these help ? Ebay shows cables with Scart going to 6 component feeds , 2 x yellow, 2 x white, 2 x red ..... this would be easir to get through small hole in wall if it did the job

see .....
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/10M-Metre-Scar...item3f08efc698


or how about something like

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SCART-Cable-SV...item4a9a098a2f

would that do the job assuming I got a longer one.

Sorry if I sound ignorant on various cable types, not really a audio-videophile.

>> My second TV has scart input but also red green white and
>> yellow inputs

correction red, white, and yellow ....... no green

oh BTW I haven't bought a HUMAX yet.

If there are other freesat+ hd boxes which support BBC iplayer and do have an RF output they would be worth considering.

thanks

I don't think that any satellite HD recorders have an RF output (could be wrong though), but you could get either a scart to rca (white, red and yellow connectors) or if you can't get one long enough, you can get an rca to rca cable and a scart adaptor* which would work fine.

Examples below
scart to rca
http://www.amazon.co.uk/1-5m-Scart-T.../dp/B001NXMCHC

rca to rca
http://www.amazon.co.uk/5m-TRIPLE-RC...778629&sr=1-35

scart/rca adaptor
http://www.play.com/Electronics/Elec...1|prd:17834001

*If both the satellite box and the tv both have rca connections, you won't need the scart/rca adaptor.

You'll love the Humax. RF is not in the freesat standard, so you will be lucky to find a box that has it. Scart to a video recorder, then RF as suggested is an easy solution.

On the scart lead I used what I had kicking about. An old lead made the ultimate sacrifice of its connectors and the cat5 cable (which is computer ethernet cable that goes into RJ45 connectors). The cable is actually smaller than RF and so is much easier to run (as long as you don't have the gigantic connector on at the time). You don't get all the fantastic things that scart can do, but you and I don't want them.
If you go scart to scart you can just use video, rather than RGB.
You may have trouble actually buying a scart lead as long as you want because they don't work more than 5 metres. That is untrue and 15 metres is certainly not the limit, I am considering a link to the bedroom which is probably 45 metres (once you go around the doors etc) and have every confidence it will work.
If you don't like soldering irons this may not be the answer for you.
KC

Thanks Andy380,

would this be ok ?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/10m-Scart-3-x-...item35b150ffe8

Thanks KaySea,

Do you have a HUMAX ?
Can you get sky news on it ?
Is it convenient switching between Freesat EPG and Sky News ?

That should be fine, just remember to select the switch on the scart to either output if on the Humax or input if on the tv.

Just had a look and the Humax does have the rca connection on the back so if you have the rca connection on the tv, the rca to rca would be fine but either will do the job..

This may also be of use.
http://www.humaxdirect.co.uk/prodCat2.asp?cat=Factory

Thanks everyone, it seems like there is a simple low cost solution to problem 2, i can wire up my second TV to take HUMAX feed.

Problem 1 still needs to be addressed.

Anyone got experience of viewing Sky News on a HUMAX ?

Sad I know, but it tends to be my default channel when I'm pottering around the house.

To get Sky news you need to do a non freesat scan, find the one you want (I like the Irish cable version, just to be different) and then add it to a favourites list for easy access.

Switching between freesat and non freesat is simple enough though it is a bit long winded (it's a freesat box!). I don't know about other makes, but on the Hummy, recording can get confused if you are in the wrong mode at the time, though I think you get an on screen warning sometimes, lots of threads on here that explain better than I can.

KC

I hardly ever switch into non-freesat on my Humax although using it a bit more recently as I've been checking out the unencrypted C4HD. Thank goodness that will soon be on the epg, as I find mode switching a pain .I just counted the keypresses and it's a minimum of five needed and then you still have to select the non-freesat channel.

Offtopic, I just noticed for the first time that there is a Sky News +1 channel, as if rolling news wasn't bad enough you can now get your rolling news an hour old!!!

My recommendation if you got the Humax would be to get used to any of
BBC News 24, CNN, euronews or France 24 instead!

With recent events I have been on NHK and Al Jezeera as BBC alternatives for news.

Thanks for that tgabber

Maybe the

Samsung SMT - S7800 Freesat PVR 1080P

or another freesat box allows easier access to non freesat channels.

Anybody watching SKY News on that ?

My new TV is a Samsung 46" Full HD 1080p LCD TV LE46C530 BTW so may lbe good to go Samsung.

I would not tiouch the Samsung until the serious bugs are fixed.

http://www.morlocks.co.uk/Samsung_Freesat_Bugs.htm