• TV
  • MOVIES
  • MUSIC
  • SHOWBIZ
  • SOAPS
  • GAMING
  • TECH
  • FORUMS
  • Follow
    • Follow
    • facebook
    • twitter
    • google+
    • instagram
    • youtube
Hearst Corporation
  • TV
  • MOVIES
  • MUSIC
  • SHOWBIZ
  • SOAPS
  • GAMING
  • TECH
  • FORUMS
Forums
  • Register
  • Login
  • Forums
  • Gadgets
  • TV and Home Entertainment Technology
DigiSender / VideoSender advice request
gloriousglenn
11-11-2007
I have read various articles on this forum regarding DigiSenders / VideoSenders and I have some good information about what not to get (i.e. my wireless router and phone may create havoc with an IR Sender).

Here's my setup: I have Sky+ in the lounge and had multiroom in the bedroom. After 12 months I cancelled the multiroom as I didn't think I used it enough to warrant the £10 a month. Now the mrs has decided she misses Sky One, Comedy Channel etc etc and wants it back.

I would rather pay for a way of linking the Sky+ box to the bedroom TV than have to pay £10 a month again to Sky.

The only other thing I would like to be able to do is to change channel whilst in the bedroom.

I live in a bungalow so the distance from the lounge to the bedroom is not far, so if any wires are required it wouldn't be a problem.

Any advice on the best way of doing it?
Batch
12-11-2007
There are basically two ways of doing it:

digisender - this is a wireless way of sending the signal from the box to the bedroom. The advantage is you plug it in and off you go. Almost all digisenders relay the remote control signal back to the Sky box these days. I prefer the ones with a plug in IR dongle (a lot have this now) as this makes it easier to position the dongle to operate the the digibox via the remote, but it may not be an issue.

As you say there are a few potential pitfalls - interference from devices such as wireless network, microwaves and people walking between the sender and receiver. Obviously this is lessened over shorter distances (stronger signal) and can sometimes be eased by changing the 'channel' the videosender is working on. I have to be honest, I did get a bit of interference from the wireless network, but reposition boxes, and changing channels the network and digisender worked on mostly resolved this (the microwave is the real killer!).

My digisender worked quite well until.....

The issue I had was a clash with the neighbours. Their digisender was sending their IR remote signals to our digibox and vice versa! There was no way of stopping this happening - I think this is low risk and I guess it depends on how close your neighbours are and of course whether they use a digisender. AEI have a device which would resolve this, but it's a tad pricey (£99)

Another tip - get one from Argos and try it out to see if you are happy. If not, take it back! I don't have a recommendation, the AEI unit that avoids remote clashes was argos 534/3614 (£99), but there are a lot cheaper out there for less 534/4273

The second option is the magic eye. This is a cabled solution and so is more of a pain in the bottom to install,depending on your point of view!. You run a coax link from the Sky box RF2 out, the other end plugs into the magic eye. The magic eye is a small IR receiver that is self powered from the digibox (you need to enable it which takes 20 seconds!). The magic eye relays the remote signals back to the Sky box via coax to control the digibox and works well.

The advantage is the magic eye and coax are inexpensive (10m coax + 2 connectors = £8 (maplin, low loss coax on offer right now) , magic eye = £6 (ebay)). And obviously you don't get interference either. You can even control the box from multiple magic eyes in different rooms if you use the right splitter or amplifier (must be magic eye compatible).

The disadvantage is mainly the installation takes longer (depending on how tricky it is to run the coax). Also you don't get stereo sound from the Sky box using coax .
gloriousglenn
12-11-2007
Many thanks for your lengthy and very informative reply.

I still have all options available as like you said I can go to Argos, try it, and if I don't like it, return it.

The disadvantages for all are workable by the sounds of it. Perhaps the none AEI unit wouldn't be wise incase one of my neighbours has a similar setup.

The cost of an AEI unit isn't too bad if you think that within 10 months of ditching multiroom I would have already have made that £99 back!

But of course with the 'Magic Eye' option...That would've paid itself back within a couple of months. The wiring isn't a problem as I've already had a look at my options and it's straight forward.

Can I assume that the cable from the Magic Eye into the TV in the bedroom is a 'bog standard' TV aerial cable?

Cheers
Glenn
Batch
14-11-2007
I think I confused you somewhere in my ramble!

The £99 AEI unit will solve any clash with the neigbours. In effect has 16 channels that you can select from so if you and your neighbour have an IR clash, just use a different channel!

The magic eye - you are right. Normal aerial coax from the back of the sky box rf2 to the bedroom. Plug the magic eye into the other end of the coax (in the bedroom). Connect from magic eye to TV using normal aerial flylead . Job done. The coax (10M) and magic eye should not cost more than £20 (e.g. ebay )

Actually there are a couple of things to look our for regarding the magic eye . I'll put them in this thread just in case you go down this route and then you can find them out later -

- You need to enable the 'power' on the sky box RF2 before the magic eye will work (the eye has a red led on it, if it isn't lit , it isn't working) - press SERVICES on the sky remote and then 4, 0, 1, SELECT. Go to the RF menu and select 'Power' to 'ON' and save settings.
- If you need to put an amplifier between the Sky box RF2 you need to either buy a compatible one that will pass the 'power' to the magic eye, or bypass the amplifier using an cheap bypass 'thingy'. If you are going to just one TV in the bedroom over a short cable run then I don't see why you would need to do this - if you decide you want sky in multiple rooms with multiple magic eyes then you might!
- If you cable everything up and the magic eye doesn't work (no red LED) then try isolating the 'fault'. Plug it directly into the digibox, then the end of the cable, etc. etc.
- On my old digibox during installation I somehow managed to 'short' the coax cable and the red light did not come on on the magic eye. I needed to reboot the digibox and all was well.

I don't think they will be an issue for you mind. My cable runs from the digibox to a wall plate (original TV areal point) using a cheap Asda flylead. This goes up to the loft. A new cable joins the old aerial cable to some newly bought stuff. This runs to through the loft our bedroom (new extension) where it plus into yet more coax down to a wallplate inside the new bedroom. Another cheapo fly lead connects from this to the magic eye, and then from the magic eye to the TV! Yes with so many connections and 25M of coax and it needs a boost (amplifier) but it works just fine with a bedroom portable TV!
gloriousglenn
14-11-2007
Yet again 'thank you' for spending the time in giving a detailed reply.

This has helped me out tremendously and I hope any others that may 'search' in the future.

Cheers
Glenn
VIEW DESKTOP SITE TOP

JOIN US HERE

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Hearst Corporation

Hearst Corporation

DIGITAL SPY, PART OF THE HEARST UK ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK

© 2015 Hearst Magazines UK is the trading name of the National Magazine Company Ltd, 72 Broadwick Street, London, W1F 9EP. Registered in England 112955. All rights reserved.

  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Complaints
  • Site Map