Virgin or Sky multi-room, much mess?

longwalks1

Currently with virgin but considering a switch to Sky (depending on what their broadband is like), and want either my Virgin extending to 2 bedrooms upstairs, or Sky installing in lounge (Sky+ box), and also in both bedrooms upstairs

Thing is I've just decorated THEN decided to get multi-room, do the guys come round drill holes and fit it the quickest way? or do they take into account the decor etc? (within reason)

I live in 2nd floor flat so not sure if they'll be happy climbing ladders etc

preable

If you do they will go to drill the holes (sky) But if you talk to them before they start then most will find the best route for min disruption

Gillyo_2

Why don't you just by a 'Sender' and skip the extra boxes/expense?

Kurtis_Blue

Cant give a 100% answer for all installers but most will go the quickest route possible and are not interested in your decoration, they have another 5 jobs that day alone.

Some however will of cause follow instructions if there is no technical/H&S/Insurance reasons why not, but watch them all like a hawk and plenty of tea and chocolate hob nobs .

remember you are getting the cheapest possible installation (free even) if you wish to have a premium service you need to employ an independent.

I just had VM package around the house and the cabling was fantastic, but 2 of my logo'd company vans on the drive probably focused his mind.

longwalks1

cheers people

Is the cable they use a standard cable? Im thinking could i buy a reel of it and route it through my house then get them to just come in and connect up

If it is, what cable should i look to buy? And where?

Thanks again

Kurtis_Blue

http://www.google.co.uk/products?hl=en&q=wf100&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wf

spike7451

britishboy wrote: »

cheers people

Is the cable they use a standard cable? Im thinking could i buy a reel of it and route it through my house then get them to just come in and connect up

If it is, what cable should i look to buy? And where?

Thanks again

The cable used by VM is not standard coaxial cable.it's much denser due to it's use.Normal Sky or Airail cable is no use.The cable Kurtis linked to is only use for short runs &,in all likelyhood,not cable installations.I have had tons of faults where non standard cable has been used,mainly signal loss over quite short distances being quite high.
We use a RG6 cable;
http://www.markertek.co.uk/Catalog/Coax-Video-Cable/BL-1694A-31
Secondly,unlike Sky,the are no TV links available for VM installs & the facility on the boxes is disabled.The only way VM will connect up the other bedrooms is if you take a second/third cable box.
Your best bet would be to go the wireless sender route for VM & Sky as they charge £85 per TV link-up.
As you live in a second floor flat &,I gather,your bedroom is on the third floor,Sky will refer you to an outside installer as the height may well be over the maximum height Sky can go up to on ladders.
Spike (ex NTL/VM Service ENgineer/Sky Engineer)

Kurtis_Blue

C'mon Spike WF100 is far higher spec than RG6, and is higher spec than Virgins own in-house cable, there is nothing better except fibre optics.

TV link is easy just use some thing along these lines: http://www.tvlink.co.uk/tvlinkplus.htm

spike7451

Kurtis,
If it's a solid core & not honeycomb,then it might be OK. (I've not used the WF-100,only CT-100 when I was with Sky or RG59/RG6/RG7/RG11 at NTL/VM )
I know for a fact that honeycomb core cabling is no use at all for Cable but OK for Sky.Had quite a few homeowners who had sparks wire up the new extension with cheap cabling that wasn't worth jack.

Kurtis_Blue

Its the best spec of cable in standard TV coax size, it is is twice the price (@£45/250m) of RG6, but even then cable is pretty cheap, no idea why people purchase anything less.

Sparks, well only poor sparks, still seem to use the cable with voids to save about £40 on a whole house fitting but I do try to educate, water transit is not such a major issue internally but cheap cable is a !!!!! with crimp fittings and the increase chance of kinking, if that's a word.

spike7451

I had one fault where the homeowner paid over £150 for a spark to run a length of cable from the front living room,where the NTL isolator was,to the new TV point in the new extension,all underfloor & then laminate flooring on top.
His levels at the Isolator were not bad,something like +7Db at the isolator but -16 at the TV.Nothing I could do apart from increase the signal at the cab,but even then they were too low.It would've been cheaper if he'd paid NTL to run the cable properly!
As you know yourself,CATV & 90degree bends don't mix!
Best one I had tho was a spark who had lifted the carpet around the bedroom &,instead of clipping the cable,stuck it to the carpet gripper rods using the gripper barbs,then relaid the cable leaving a ridge all around the room,as it would be hidden by furniture,I think he thought no one would notice!!!!