DSTV decoder setup with multiple TVs

[silent_wolf]

Hi everyone, I bought my father a tv for his birthday, after checking in the roof I found it would be easier to redo the entire cable setup as everything was a mess.

After finishing everything my mother wanted to connect the DSTV decoder as well so that what ever is being shown on the decoder can be watched on any other tv in the house.

All the tvs (except the tv with the decoder) are connected to a 6 way splitter and the splitter is connected to to a combiner, which has a normal tv aerial and the decoder connected via coax cable as inputs.

All this works fine but the DSTV is snowy on all the tvs connected except for the tv its connected to via rca

Does anyone have any idea what could be causing this? Is the coax cable between the decoder and the combiner perhaps to long?

 

[D3athD00r]

You need a splitter with a booster that can be adjusted. Ellies makes one. It has a dial you turn with a screw driver to remove the snowy picture.

I know my Superspar even has them in stock. ELLIES SB5F

 

[silent_wolf]

This? http://www.ellies.co.za/aerials_satellite/amplifiers/ABSBF

also do I put it next to the splitter or down by the decoder?

 

[D3athD00r]

This? http://www.ellies.co.za/aerials_satellite/amplifiers/ABSBF

also do I put it next to the splitter or down by the decoder?

Yes, thats it. It goes behind the decoder. We run 2 decoders and 5 tvs. We can pick up both decoders on all the tvs

 

[D3athD00r]

That knob you can turn must be finely adjusted to stop the snow affect. Too much either side will stuff the picture up.

 

[silent_wolf]

cool, thanks for the help will go buy one tomorrow

 

[HAL 9000]

Here's how you connect this setup you have:

1. Outside aerials (UHF & VHF) go to the combiner (to allow a single RF INPUT source)

2. The Combiner's RF OUTPUT then goes DIRECTLY into the 1st DSTV decoder's RF INPUT socket, then the RF OUTPUT of the 1st decoder is fed into the 2nd DSTV decoder's RF INPUT (Make sure that there is no interference from the preset RF channels that the decoders are set to (usually UHF 46 or 52)

3. If you have a VHS VCR, then the RF OUTPUT of the 2nd DSTV decoder goes into the RF INPUT of the VCR and the VCR's RF OUTPUT will go to the Ellies Setback Amplifier's RF INPUT SOCKET (ignore this step if you do not have a VCR!)

4. If there is no VHS VCR in the setup, then the 2nd DSTV decoder's RF OUTPUT is connected directly to the RF INPUT of the Ellies Setback Amplifier

5. The RF OUTPUT 1 (non-amplified signal) of the Ellies Setback Amplifier is then fed to the main TV (usually where the DSTV decoders are situated) and the RF OUTPUT 2 (amplified & adjustable gain RF signal) is then fed to the 6-way splitter - to allow the signal to reach all the other TV's

(You can then adjust both the VHF & UHF gain of the Ellies Setback Amplifier, so that there is no herringbone (wavy) pattern interference visible on any of the TV's fed by the splitter)

You can also connect one (or both) of the DSTV decoders RCA AV outputs (SD DSTV decoders), or HDMI outputs (if they are HD DSTV decoders) - directly to the appropriate inputs on the Main TV - to get a better picture - and also feed the DSTV audio outputs (RCA analog or optical / co-axial for digital audio) - to a Home THeatre setup to get surround sound (Analog - Dolby ProLogic II ) or Dolby Digital (for the co-axial / optical signals.)