Sky RF versus Dreambox RF

[mrblue]

With a sky box you can distribute the whole house using rf, and can add as many magic eyes as you want to other rooms at a cost of ?2 per magic eye.

Now with dreambox/vu etc that has no rf function you can buy an rf modulator to do this exact thing, distribute the whole house and it is pretty much the same standard of quality. You can also use a vcr if you have one.

But why is it magic eyes do not work on their own with dream box/vu+. It seems you have to buy the tv link global plus and that can only give you 2 magic eyes max.

Could someone explain why this is...

[leez]

the rf 2 on a sky box passes small 9v dc voltage .

dm rf out on some models . or modulator dont

[RuberDuck]

personally i'm bemused as to why people would want to distribute HD content around their house at the lowest possible quality using a rf modulator ?.

[ramjet]

I would assume there is a patent for the built in version in sky boxes, stopping anyone else incorporating the technology into their boxes

but its not true to suppose that only 2 magic eyes can be used with alternatives, if you use something like a 6 way or 8 way slx or global distribution splitter/booster you normally find it will supply power to all outlets which allows for multiple rooms to control the infra red blasters and I have fitted one at my mates house that distributes using a 4 way slx to 4 rooms just to allow a spiderbox to be seen and controlled from 4 rooms on the rf channel. the main room where the box resides is connected using hdmi to the main tv but the spiderbox rf is fed throughout the house with a feed to his 4 way slx distribution box (which could just as easily be a 6 way or an 8 way). the infra red being "blasted" by the bluedelta blaster at the satellite boxes front panels

[mrblue]

Its simple, cheap and effective. HD is not even that great anyway. Im bemused by the HD craze ...

[mrblue]

So ramjet are you saying there is no need for the tv link plus or bluedelta blaster and only magic eyes are required if you have a spltter box in the attic....?

[ramjet]

So ramjet are you saying there is no need for the tv link plus or bluedelta blaster and only magic eyes are required if you have a spltter box in the attic....?

NO

I never said that at all (unless you were referring to using just a sly box in which case yes)

my point is that the dc voltage with bypass can be achieved using an slx or global or similar splitter booster, and this is common in the distribution of a sly box rf system to multiple rooms so that any room can control a sly box over the coaxial system, and that has been around for over 10 years already

now if you apply the logic to a spiderbox 9000 or tm5402 satellite box (one that has rf built in) then all you need is the blaster to send signals to the detector eye on the front of the box (any box can be controlled this way)

the problem with boxes like dreambox or vu or blade is that they have no rf channel modulator included in the box itself (unlike the sly box or a spiderbox 9000 or tm5402) so you then have to factor in adding an rf modulator from the scart or phono output sockets on the rear of the box as well

so to make this work you need the following

magic eyes in every room where you require remote control access

4 or 6 or 8 way slx or global or similar distribution amplifier (usually in the loft) that is magic eye compatible and ideally powers the eyes to

a blaster system setup to "blast" IR into the front panel of the boxes being used (apart from a sly box which has this built in on its rf2 output)

and an adjustable rf modulator to transmit rf over the coax in the range ch21 to ch69 and tuned in using the analogue tuner on the tv (if the box doesnt have this built in or isnt a sly box)

my point here is that in post number 1 you made several assumptions that are not based on facts, whereas I have experimented over the last 12 years or more doing this task, starting with the old original digital slyboxes which only had rf and scart outputs anyway, working out the magic eye requirements to operate the sly box, adding more rooms into the equation using slx mains powered splitters, and then coming up with systems that support non-sly boxes like samsung and technomate and long before dreamboxes were made and sold

but the basic principles hold true

magic eye , dc power , coax cables with dc pass on any wallplates, magic eye compatible splitter-booster boxes , infra-red blasters to control the boxes, and adding rf modulators where none exist

I have successfully overcome all those obstacles over years of fiddling and messing about, and although we now prefer boxes in every room with hdmi connections to our big tv`s , it helps to know the basics of the building blocks that got us to this digital age from the old analogue age we have left behind

[dave-h]

So ramjet are you saying there is no need for the tv link plus or bluedelta blaster and only magic eyes are required if you have a spltter box in the attic....?

No he's not saying that. You can't just use any splitter/booster, you need need the global/slx ones that provide/pass power to magic eyes...

Sent from my HTC using Tapatalk 2

[dave-h]

HD is not even that great anyway. Im bemused by the HD craze ...

That's usually down to people not bothering to adjust settings/set up their TVs properly and leaving them on the out the box settings, i.e set to dynamic, with contrast/brightness cranked right up, and picture 'enhancement' modes on etc etc...

Sent from my HTC using Tapatalk 2

[mrblue]

I understand mostly what you are saying, thank you for your advice.

At the minute I have a sky hd box distributing whole house via rf and have 5 magic eyes in other rooms all working.

Plan is to put in a vu+ duo with rf modulator. Thats gets me sky in main room via hdmi and distributes picture in every other room.

Now to change channels with my magic eyes I need...

a blaster system setup to "blast" IR into the front panel of the boxes being used (apart from a sly box which has this built in on its rf2 output)

Are you talking about a device that sits in direct line sight of the vu+ infrared and kind of mirrors it to other compatible infra red devices.

Had one of these before...trasmitter pyramid that sat in direct line sight of sky box and receiver pyramid was upstairs in my bedroom giving me ability to change channel. Mind you these were powered pyramids, 3 pin plugs on the end....

Obviously I'd prefer not to have a blaster box sitting in front of my vu+ duo but if its the only way then it wont be a problem.

Just to confirm I have an slx 8 way amp in the attic so should be fine..

[mrblue]

These are the infra red senders we had...about 12 years ago...

[johnny yen]

if you have a iphone get the dreamote lite app you can then use your phone as a remote control for the vu over your wireless network

[ramjet]

yes you could use those pyramids , but the global and blueblaster offerings are smaller and more subtle, consisting of either a matchbox sized box that "blasts" IR at the front of the duo, or have wires attached with tiny led emitters that you attach or dangle in front of the duo, the point being these take the magic eye signals and "blast" them into the duo just as if you were sat in front of the duo with your remote control

so you would have rf2 out on sky box connected to the blaster, and then the blaster connected to the modulator for the duo, then to the slx or global splitter-booster, and each rf aerial output going to the various rooms as you have now from that splitter, lighting up the magic eye leds, and the blaster awaits the signals from the eyes, as does the slybox on its rf2

[mrblue]

So its just really either of these I have to order....

GLOBAL INVACOM TV LINK PLUS ADAPTER + PSU + MAGIC EYE | eBay

BLUE DELTA - SMART-BLASTER - IR RELAY, REMOTE | eBay

[ramjet]

So its just really either of these I have to order....

GLOBAL INVACOM TV LINK PLUS ADAPTER + PSU + MAGIC EYE | eBay

BLUE DELTA - SMART-BLASTER - IR RELAY, REMOTE | eBay

the global one yes

as for the blue delta , the one I fitted had the psu, like this

Bluedelta Smart Blaster Universal - Remote IR Relay | eBay

item code 330665040015