Setting a new system, cable questions

[chavo]

Hi

my local rugby club are looking at getting a motorised system. I have to questions.

1. They have several tv's but are planning only one receiver. I am thinking about buying an rf modulator and a 6way signal booster to split the channel between the tv's. Is there a single box that can do this?

2. What cable should I use? Is there any difference between satellite cable and standard terrestrial cable?

 

[Lazarus]

Some boxes have integral RF Modulators, so bear that in mind.

As for cable, yes you must use Satellite Grade Double Screened Cable ............ standard "Terrestrial" coax is designed to work at UHF and will be far too lossy for Satellite use.

 

[chavo]

So if I used sat cable from dish to receiver then standard coax from modulator to the tv's would this be ok?

 

[Robbo]

There's very little difference in cost between double screened satellite coax and cheap nasty normal TV coax crap.

You are better off using the double screened throughout.

 

[Lazarus]

Seconded. Satellite Grade throughout.

 

[chavo]

Ok, thanks. I wasn't to sure how the satelitte cable would perform for just terestrial. How does virgin coax compare? Can it be used for sats?

Any other suggestions on my other problem of splitting the dreambox to several tv's?

 

[rolfw]

An RF modulator and UHF amp will do the trick. What are the TVs fed by at the moment?

 

[chavo]

Only one telly at the moment.

How do pubs do it? Surly someone here has set up a pub? They have one sky dish, or in some cases dreambox, they then have loads of tellys and a big screen usually running coax. How do they do it?

 

[rolfw]

They do them in a variety of ways, some have a Sky HD box, use an HDMI splitter and run HDMI cables, or CAT5 with converters at each end. Some use an RF system as I mention above with a multipoint amp, no modulator required as Sky boxes have a built in modulator.

Some use CAT5 and Scart to CAT5 Baluns at each end of the cable, you'd need a scart distribution box for this.

If you want to retain the choice of having Freeview on the TVs, then you will need an RF distribution system anyway.