VM kit options

[athegn]

Just had a VM offer of £9 per month + £11 phone line. It looks like the "L" tv package

Before I consider which/if any package I need to understand the VM cabling options. My set up as follows:-

My home setup is a freeview/video/DVD driven TV in lounge (any broadband by wireless). A freeview/video/DVD driven Plasma/full sound setup in upstairs back room (any broadband by wireless). BT master socket in upstairs front study. Home network/broadband routed by mix of Cat5 cable/wireless to all floors/out buildings.

I want the cinema room to have the widest TV choices so the VM cable should go to the cinema room. However this causes problems if I want to add broadband and/or phone line. Not all computers are wireless enabled; why cat 5 is used. Expense of adding wireless cards or even new computer for some of my oldest! Wiring from cinema room to study difficult but not impossible.

If I want VM in lounge I assume I need another VM box fed from cabling in cinema room; very difficult but not impossible.


Any advice please?

[oliver1948uk]

They fix a brown box to the outside wall of the house. From there, they run wires, attached to the walls, round the outside of the house and then through the wall to the rooms where you want it. On the inside wall, they fix a white box with cables to TV and/or modem.

For £9 a month, they would only connect up one room, I think.

[athegn]

Sorry to come back to this after such a long time.

I can see how it works but I do not want wires strung round my rooms. The cinema room and study connections will be ok just coming through the wall; the gubbins is against the outside walls.

However the lounge would have the white box on an outside wall and then a cable tacked round the walls and over a door to reach the TV which is on the middle wall of the house. I have very high quality cable (I think it was Maplin RG59B/U 75 Coax Cable) feeding the TV from the loft. This cable is chased into the walls so is invisible. I would like the VM box put in the loft and this cable still used to feed the TV.

Would this be possible?

[saabmania2]

I would like the VM box put in the loft and this cable still used to feed the TV.

Would this be possible?

Just a question? how do you expect to change channels with the box in the loft? if you are having a v+ box surely you would want an hdmi connection or if it's a standard box you would have a scart connection? or am i missing something here:confused:

[athegn]

Actually I thought of that soon after I posted. I don't suppose it uses Wifi, like the rest of my computers? E.g. using Palm VNC I control a pc that feeds my hifi amp, from anywhere in the house.

How about Virgin taking the wiring in the loft and connecting that to their brown box then connecting the VM box to the socket in the lounge (The coax cable terminates in a wall socket; the cable from the roof aerial feeds a manifold that then feeds the various rooms in the house.)?

[saabmania2]

no unfortunatly it doesn't have wifi but then sky boxes don't either, the wall socket you might be able to use that as long as it has a 'F' type connector on it.
from the roof where does the other end of the cable go? it will need to be accessable outside near where the virgin tech can fit the brown box on the outside of the building, not sure if you can have the roof aerial feeding through the same cable as i think i'm right in saying you would get feedback which could damage the equipment, someone will correct me if i'm wrong there.

[athegn]

".......then sky boxes don't either......" Sky is not an option at present; they use the same, in my case, poor (several Open Reach engineers, including one who is a neighbour who shares the same cabling to our far off street cabinet, confirm we have poor wiring) external cables as any other ISP.

The wall socket can be changed.

I could disconnect the feed to the lounge from the manifold and run it to anywhere; right to where the brown box is situated; there would then only be the Virgin feed on that cable.

[saabmania2]

".......then sky boxes don't either......" Sky is not an option at present; they use the same, in my case, poor (several Open Reach engineers, including one who is a neighbour who shares the same cable, confirm we have poor wiring) external cables as any other ISP.

The wall socket can be changed.

I could disconnect the feed to the lounge from the manifold and run it to anywhere; right to where the brown box is situated; there would then only be the Virgin feed on that cable.

well i think you now know how you can do it, just be nice to the tech when he comes and i'm sure he will try and be as helpful as possible to you, oh and remember to offer him a cuppa (they like there tea do vm techs!!) :D

[zing_deleted]

I am sure they would like a £20 note as much as their tea ;)

[saabmania2]

I am sure they would like a £20 note as much as their tea ;)

:rofl::rofl: i'm sure they would, so would i like it if customers gave me £20 for each visit in my job i see about 40 customers a day i could give up working if i saved it for a year:D

[zing_deleted]

I mean if you want the guy to go slightly above and beyond a small bung goes a long way ;)

[athegn]

Going back to the cinema room and study. I take it that it would be ok for me to drill the holes where I want, in the outside walls? These holes will be on the 1st floor; both cinema room and study are up there. The Virgin tech. would only then have to make the connections.

[saabmania2]

Going back to the cinema room and study. I take it that it would be ok for me to drill the holes where I want, in the outside walls? These holes will be on the 1st floor; both cinema room and study are up there. The Virgin tech. would only then have to make the connections.

no that should be ok, afterall it would make the techs job easier (and i'm sure he would be happy with that along with the cuppa and £20)
starting to wish i was a tech :D

[fixerman]

Going back to the cinema room and study. I take it that it would be ok for me to drill the holes where I want, in the outside walls? These holes will be on the 1st floor; both cinema room and study are up there. The Virgin tech. would only then have to make the connections.

Prior to my installation I drilled all the holes I needed and strung some strong cord throughout the hose where the cables were to go. The installer could not believe his luck. He just had to attach his cable to the cord and pull. He was in and out in 30 minutes. Even after tea and biscuits. Most of these chaps respond to a friendly smile and a show of kindness.