TV Digital Satellite Receiver Connections

A diagram would be very useful Gary.

However a few queries first.

1. does your DVD recorder have a receiver built in?

2. Is it a base band satellite receiver. You can tell this because it will have a screw in F type aerial connector.

3. Why are you using composite video? You will get MUCH better results even with standard definition using

component video or HDMI. Almost all STB's have component video outputs often via a multi pole SCART connector.

4. I presume you are "daisy chaining" the satellite signals to the STB's. Most of them have built in provision for this. Certainly all the Freeview boxes I have seen do.

5. I have to presume that the STB's in question are for Sky and Freeview. Until recently I had this myself then I went over to MySky and put the Freeview STB on another TV.

So without further info I can only suggest daisy chaining your STB's and upgrading your video beyond

composite PAL. If you post more info it may be possible to make more concrete suggestions.

Hi crite40

Many thanks for your reply. Firstly, I'll answer each question as well as I can and then insert an image of the setup I'm using.

1. does your DVD recorder have a receiver built in? Yes, but it has only VHF/UHF antenna input.

2. Is it a base band satellite receiver. You can tell this because it will have a screw in F type aerial connector. The inputs are F-type. You will note that there is a satellite receiver only as we do not have VHF/UHF coverage. There is an in-built tuner however.

3. Why are you using composite video? You will get MUCH better results even with standard definition using

component video or HDMI. Almost all STB's have component video outputs often via a multi pole SCART connector. I am using HDMI from the UltraPlus direct to the TV (good images) and component from the Pioneer recorder to the TV. The leads setups used are basically dictated by the sockets and leads available. I do have a spare component lead but no suitable outputsockets available.

4. I presume you are "daisy chaining" the satellite signals to the STB's. Most of them have built in provision for this. Certainly all the Freeview boxes I have seen do. I am not "daisy-chaining" as I am unsure of how to set this up. You will note that the STB-A has no antenna output.

5. I have to presume that the STB's in question are for Sky and Freeview. Until recently I had this myself then I went over to MySky and put the Freeview STB on another TV. I am using the two STB's so that I can record/view on separate Freeview channels. I don't have Sky.

I hope the diagram below helps to explain the setup. Your further comments would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers
Gary

Well Gary, I misunderstood your use of "composite", your setup is not too dissimilar to mine then.

Now, are you absolutely sure that neither STB has a type F output to another STB. I have used several different types and must confess that I have NEVER come across a recent one without. If one has all you need to do is to run a "hardline" type F to type F cable from the output to the input of the other STB. That is exactly what I used when I had 2 STB's on my main TV.

Failing that I believe that oufits like Jaycar and Dick Smith have splitters to feed 2 STB's from one dish. This seemed to work Ok in one setup I tried.

Ultimately though, it might be preferable to use 2 dishes and LNB's. There are heaps of them around cheaply.

I have 3 dishes on my house and 2 of them (in good order) cost me only $5 each. This enables me to receive 2 different satellites and also have a separate freeview feed to a bedroom TV. Setting up a dish is easy with a cheap satellite finder (around $20).

This would make your recording and viewing systems totally independent.

Crite40

Hi crite40

At present I am using the splitter from the antenna to feed both STB's.

The IF IN (STB-A) and the LNB IN (STB-B) are F-Type connectors, as is the LNB OUT on the STB-B.

It would be possible to remove the splitter and connect the aerial direct to the STB-B with the LNB OUT then connected to the STB-A IF IN, but I am unsure as to how this will affect the STB-A functions. I still need to be able to view one channel while recording another. Any suggestions.

If I purchase a new SCART Component (or S-Video) lead, I could make the STB-B the primary decoder and connect it to the Pioneer recorder instead of the SCART Composite from the STB-A. I would need to add audio leads (?) as well.

I have been advised that the HDMI connection from the STB-B and the TV is the reason that the Teletext doesn't work as HDMI doesn't support Teletext.

Cheers
Gary

Well Gary I must confess that I am not too clear myself about multiplexing 2 different channels from one dish.

Unless of course they are both on the same digital carrier,

which they often are.

You are correct of course both on HDMI not supporting Teletext (which is really quite primitive by modern standards ) and also you will most definitely need stereo audio cables with component video. That's the biggest hassle with that whole system (so many wires).

For now you can experiment with the dish LNB connected to STB(b) input and the output of STB(b) connected to STB(a) input. When I had my dual STB setup I got some very interesting results and you might just find that this will do what you need, it all depends probably on how many satellite carriers are used for the freeview channels.

However for the belt and braces approach and for absolute certainty and flexibility 2 dishes and LNB's would be the way to go.

Good luck with your trials!

Regards.

Hi All

I am still on a steep learning curve, but I'm starting to come to grips with all the technical terms and what each component can do (or not do).

Cheers
Gary

I don't claim any expertise in this but I easily replaced the LNB in my satellite dish with a 4 way version which has 2 feeds to the Sky recorder plus feeds to 2 other rooms for free-sat, it all works well.