New install - questions

rmg · 24-02-2005, 15:25

Hi,

Hope I posted in the right place ;-)

im about to order the full monty from ntl for my new house, but I have a couple of questions...

I must have RGB scart and phono out on my STB, which one will give me this and can I make a specific request for it?

I currently have an old style coax+FM box on the wall in my living room. As I am getting broadband as well can I ask them to put a socket for this upstairs?

(I think I can then plug the cable modem / STB in upstairs or downstairs and swap them around.)

I dont suppose I could also get the downstairs one switched to dual coax? (TV + internet downstairs, dont need FM)

Cheers.

--
rmg.

**Rob** · 24-02-2005, 16:11

As far as i know all ntl STB's have scart sockets that can be set to RGB. As for audio, the most modern Samsung box doesnt have phono out plugs, but you can get SCART leads that have phone break out. Many ntl installers may even have these on their van, and if asked nicely can supply instead of a standard SCART lead.

It depends on the area in which you live whether broadband is supplied via the STB or a separate Cable Modem. When the engineers do the install, you can show them where you will want the box and any separate modmen to be (if you get a separate modem), otherwise, only where one the one ntl connection cable can be put. You can ask them to run the lead a little longer than strictly needed to allow for your future alterations.

If you do want TV in one room and Broadband in another, make sure that ntl's sales team re aware of this prior to the install so the engineers have the right kit with them.

Top tip, offering tea or coffee at an early stage will get you more co-operation from the installers

It's not a practical proposition to keep moving the STB and / or modem from one connectin to the other (if nothing else plugging in unpluggin is pain). Frequently you'll end up with connectivity issues.

Co-axial cable for a TV aerial or FM aerial is often of differing quality to that used for cable connections from the street. You can get signal loss or interference if the cables aren't adequately sheilded. The cables usually run by the ntl installers will be from the road to a box on the outside of your house, and then from that box, to the points of connection of a STB / modem.

They don't usually run cables within the house from where you would put your STB, to allow a connection to a TV in another room, your TV is assumed to be next to the STB. Ntl would expect you to have a second STB if you want to watch TV in two different rooms using cable. There are wasy around this. You can run your own coaxial aerial cable from the STB, or there are wireless solutions.

rmg · 24-02-2005, 16:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by MovedGoalPosts

As far as i know all ntl STB's have scart sockets that can be set to RGB. As for audio, the most modern Samsung box doesnt have phono out plugs, but you can get SCART leads that have phone break out. Many ntl installers may even have these on their van, and if asked nicely can supply instead of a standard SCART lead.

Diddnt think of that, that would be fine :-) RGB is the most important thing, IIRC old PACE box's just used to do compo****e or S-Video.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MovedGoalPosts

It depends on the area in which you live whether broadband is supplied via the STB or a separate Cable Modem. When the engineers do the install, you can show them where you will want the box and any separate modmen to be (if you get a separate modem), otherwise, only where one the one ntl connection cable can be put. You can ask them to run the lead a little longer than strictly needed to allow for your future alterations.

If you do want TV in one room and Broadband in another, make sure that ntl's sales team re aware of this prior to the install so the engineers have the right kit with them.

Im in Stevenage, I really want a seperate CM, (Like I had in my old house in Hertford) I will make sure that they know that the PC is upstairs, and the TV is downstairs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MovedGoalPosts

Top tip, offering tea or coffee at an early stage will get you more co-operation from the installers

That goes without saying ;-)

Quote:

Originally Posted by MovedGoalPosts

It's not a practical proposition to keep moving the STB and / or modem from one connectin to the other (if nothing else plugging in unpluggin is pain). Frequently you'll end up with connectivity issues.

Co-axial cable for a TV aerial or FM aerial is often of differing quality to that used for cable connections from the street. You can get signal loss or interference if the cables aren't adequately sheilded. The cables usually run by the ntl installers will be from the road to a box on the outside of your house, and then from that box, to the points of connection of a STB / modem.

They don't usually run cables within the house from where you would put your STB, to allow a connection to a TV in another room, your TV is assumed to be next to the STB. Ntl would expect you to have a second STB if you want to watch TV in two different rooms using cable. There are wasy around this. You can run your own coaxial aerial cable from the STB, or there are wireless solutions.

Im thinking about having TV and xbox downstairs and PC upstairs. I need to decide whether to have the CM downstairs, hard wired to the xbox and wireless routed to the PC upstairs, or have the CM upstairs, and put a bridge on the xbox.

I *really* want a cable point upstairs so I can hard wire in the CM to the PC if needed, and i will ensure that I make this clear. Changing the dowstairs existing point from coax+FM to Coax+Coax would allow me to view TV & hardwire the CM downstairs to the xbox, If I need to. I could also then plug in the STB upstairs, cap video to the PC and have wireless internet from the CM-Router which was downstairs.

I have plugged a CM into an ntl TV point before, and it worked no bother, but I am right in thinking that I cannot plug a CM into the FM connector?

Hope that all makes sense ;-)

--
rmg.

Earl of Bronze · 24-02-2005, 17:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmg

Diddnt think of that, that would be fine :-) RGB is the most important thing, IIRC old PACE box's just used to do compo****e or S-Video.

Im in Stevenage, I really want a seperate CM, (Like I had in my old house in Hertford) I will make sure that they know that the PC is upstairs, and the TV is downstairs.

That goes without saying ;-)

Im thinking about having TV and xbox downstairs and PC upstairs. I need to decide whether to have the CM downstairs, hard wired to the xbox and wireless routed to the PC upstairs, or have the CM upstairs, and put a bridge on the xbox.

I *really* want a cable point upstairs so I can hard wire in the CM to the PC if needed, and i will ensure that I make this clear. Changing the dowstairs existing point from coax+FM to Coax+Coax would allow me to view TV & hardwire the CM downstairs to the xbox, If I need to. I could also then plug in the STB upstairs, cap video to the PC and have wireless internet from the CM-Router which was downstairs.

I have plugged a CM into an ntl TV point before, and it worked no bother, but I am right in thinking that I cannot plug a CM into the FM connector?

Hope that all makes sense ;-)

--
rmg.

You are correct about the FM not allowing CM useage.

The easy way to sort out your needs is to have the installer fit a two-way splitter behind the tv. That way you have two dedicated TV/ CM feeds in one room. Plus the seperate DTV/ CM feed in the 'puter room. If you bung the installer a tenner this can be quickly sorted for you.

Oh, and be sure to gat them to leave you a couple of barrel connections with 75 ohm terminators attatched. That will stop ingress/ egress of signal.

rmg · 25-02-2005, 08:55

Perfect. Thank you.

rmg · 28-02-2005, 13:32

Well,

I have ordered it.

They are coming on Saturday. Told the bloke I wanted the modem in a seperate room and he said no problem.

I asked about the STB's and he said that they do have Samsungs, but they are getting rid of old stock of PACE boxes as well so he could not confirm what I would get :-(

Really would like a Samsung I think, (thay are better right?)

Fingers crossed the tea and bourbons will make a Samsung materialise ;-)