V+ HD multiroom? what type of wiring / equipemt?

tony58_3

Hi guys,

i am just in the process of getting my whole house rewired in a weeks time, while at it, i thought it would be a good idea to install Cat5 cable for home network (ps3, etc) in all the rooms, and also tv points in each room too.

i am looking to have V+ HD in the house, the connection will come in the living room, where the original V+ HD will be installed, from there the wiring will then run to 3 of the bedrooms.

Now my questions are,

- if i buy V+ HD my self (off ebay maybe) would i then beable to connect that upstairs in the bedroom, to the connection coming from living room? And watch different channels to those from downstairs?

- What sort of cable will i need to use to carry the HD signal? from what i gather its RG6 Quad Shield?? is this the best to use?

- what other equipment will i need? i gather i need some kind of amplifier?? or splitter?? what makes are available?? and which is the best one to use?

- if i install cable to carry HD signal, but later decide to use SD box in the bedroom, would that work??

- if i for any reason decided to have Sky HD instead of Virgin V+ HD box, would the same wiring carry signal for SKy to the bedrooms??

Thanks in advance :T

Nilrem

1: No.
VM equipment belongs to VM, and they simply will not authorise/activate it if sourced elsewhere.
You would need to get VM to supply the STB and pay the fee for the second box (that would allow you watch different things on that box to the main one).
VM only allow access to boxes supplied by them, and linked to your account, anything bought off Ebay would be a hightech doorstop.

2: VM will run, and install the correct cable as part of the setup fee.

3: All the equipment/connections will be supplied by VM, as per 2.

4: If you ever changed your mind and dropped down to a standard V box, it would work off the same cabling (as will cable modems etc).

5: It probably would for one of the Sky tuners, if you disconnected it from the VM feed and connected to a dish, but it wouldn't work for both (VM use a single cable to carry all the channels, the LNB in a sky dish can only send one channel per cable effectively as the receiver has to power the LNB/tune the LNB in, hence Sky HD boxes normally have 2 cables).

Basically get VM in, it's the only way you'll get a box that will work (especially as they are implimenting a new encryption system that is killing off access to any of the unofficial boxes that used to be able to work).

tony58_3

Really? if i tell VM to install a socket in each and every room, they will???

i been reading the best cable to use is, RG6 quad sheilding? is that correct? is that what they will use?

Nilrem

They probably won't install a socket in every room (although they might if you ask/pay an install fee), but they won't connect up equipment that is not supplied by them at all, and any STB's you buy from Ebay will be doorstops (any STB you use with them has to be rented by them, and the cost includes any wiring).
They also will not generally connect the equipment they supply to wiring that they have not fitted/terminated (as they have no way of knowing what that wiring is, and low quality cabling, or termination can seriously affect the signal for you, and potentially others).

If you just want to share the SD output from the lounge V/V+ box then any standard good quality wiring would be fine, it's only if you are talking about wiring that potentially connects between the cable supply and cable equipment that there might be a problem.

Re the RG6 cabling, I think that is what they normally use, however if the signal to the property is weak they will use better quality cabling.
They may also need attenuators to get the signal correct for the STB's, which is something you won't generally be able to test for yourself, as they have meters which check the signal levels and quality across the frequency rage (iirc they have different ones depending on if the signal is weaker in a specific range.

Basically, before you do anything if you wish to connect VM boxes up, give them a ring (you may need to get through to someone who does more than just standard install bookings), as they are rightly quite fussy about both the equipment and wiring that connects to the network.