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General => Random Chat => Topic started by: rdfcpete on December 21, 2011, 10:01:08 pm

Title: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: rdfcpete on December 21, 2011, 10:01:08 pm
Guys,

Need to pick your brains here please - bit of a television situation that needs sorting.

In short, since Sky Sports News was removed from freeview  :fighting: :fighting: I've been getting serious withdrawals with the lack of football injection in my daily life not forgetting unlike nearly all of you, my football club went bust, never mind also missing the sight of the SSN girls like Miss Jackson, Miss Thompson and Miss Clode  :love:

There's a Virgin media box downstairs with the family pack deal which is paid monthly, including phone & internet etc...
A short phone call to Virgin last year at some point revealed that I could get a second wired Virgin media TV box upstairs in my bedroom for around £8 a month, as well as a £50 installation fee (these prices may have changed now...).

That's fine on paper, but to run the cables upstairs is going to be a ballache and makes it become a real hassle job with the layout of the house.

In short, is there a better option, ideally a wireless one that would allow me to have independent channel control over the same TV package within Virgins terms and conditions, bearing in mind they didn't offer me a wireless solution?

If there's anything aftermarket that gives me Sky1/SSN or a comparable package for no more than £8/month and say £100 up front/installation, then I'd appreciate any suggestions that you've got?  :happy2:

Thanks.
Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: sub39h on December 21, 2011, 10:34:24 pm
my parents house have a splitter, that allows your regular freeview channels and then has another 2 channels for whatever's playing on the 2 sky boxes

AS IN

it's just a feed. you can't change the channel, just watch whatever the channel is set to.

if you can find a way to put a splitter into the system so that all your TV aerial sockets have access to your virgin media box, then just put the 2 boxes together, and get one of those infra red signal things that allows you to extend the range of your remote

i dunno if that makes sense to you, but that's probably how i would do it
Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: biilyb on December 21, 2011, 10:34:47 pm
Hi
  Can you not get virgin out to run a cable around the side of your house and into your other room. Sky is 50 pound plus free box   to do that to get another box but its  10 pound a month for multiform. Apart from that i think BQ have something about a 100 pounds for wireless but i don't know how it works.
  I know sky is desperate to keep there customers  i got an updated  3d box and multiroom for 50 pound fitted  without to much arguing. its just a case of getting the right person i always feel.
Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: rdfcpete on December 22, 2011, 08:02:03 pm
my parents house have a splitter, that allows your regular freeview channels and then has another 2 channels for whatever's playing on the 2 sky boxes

AS IN

it's just a feed. you can't change the channel, just watch whatever the channel is set to.

if you can find a way to put a splitter into the system so that all your TV aerial sockets have access to your virgin media box, then just put the 2 boxes together, and get one of those infra red signal things that allows you to extend the range of your remote

i dunno if that makes sense to you, but that's probably how i would do it

Won't that mean I've still got to run an uber long cable upstairs? That's the key bit I'm looking to avoid if possible fella.
I understand the bit re. the remote change  :happy2:

Hi
  Can you not get virgin out to run a cable around the side of your house and into your other room. Sky is 50 pound plus free box   to do that to get another box but its  10 pound a month for multiform. Apart from that i think BQ have something about a 100 pounds for wireless but i don't know how it works.
  I know sky is desperate to keep there customers  i got an updated  3d box and multiroom for 50 pound fitted  without to much arguing. its just a case of getting the right person i always feel.

The cable round the house and upstairs simply is the 'hassle' item Billy, hence asking for a wireless solution where possible  :happy2:
Sky also isn't an option as not only am I tied into Virgin for a while yet, Sky is also not cost feasible.

What's the BnQ component you mentioned? Ta.
Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: PDT on December 22, 2011, 08:33:27 pm
Upgrade to a tivo box downstairs (well worth the extra £3 a month) and then ask for the free tivo installation and activation (you do need to ask for it for free as they wont offer) and they will fit the virgin box upstairs for an extra £5 a month. They will still need to run a cable but you may avoid the installation cost doing it this way.
Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: MarkMarked on December 22, 2011, 08:43:27 pm
All the newer VM boxes don't have any type of aerial socket so its a lot harder to split a signal

VM don't offer a wireless solutioon for TV

VM are really good at installing the cable to a second point, they listen to the home owner and do their best, unlike some of the Sky cowboys  :fighting:

don't forget if you have Sky Movies and Sports in HD on the main box, its free to have the same HD channels on the second box (used to be a £7 a month extra forced on VM by Sky)
Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: rdfcpete on December 22, 2011, 09:13:20 pm
Upgrade to a tivo box downstairs (well worth the extra £3 a month) and then ask for the free tivo installation and activation (you do need to ask for it for free as they wont offer) and they will fit the virgin box upstairs for an extra £5 a month. They will still need to run a cable but you may avoid the installation cost doing it this way.

Not a bad shout Dave. What would Tivo give me that Virgin media wouldn't with a fairly basic TV package?

All the newer VM boxes don't have any type of aerial socket so its a lot harder to split a signal

VM don't offer a wireless solutioon for TV

VM are really good at installing the cable to a second point, they listen to the home owner and do their best, unlike some of the Sky cowboys  :fighting:

don't forget if you have Sky Movies and Sports in HD on the main box, its free to have the same HD channels on the second box (used to be a £7 a month extra forced on VM by Sky)

I'll bear in mind the HD part, cheers.

I appreciate VM don't offer their own wireless solution, but the thread really was to find out if there's an affordable aftermarket wireless option?  :smiley:
Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: edd666999 on December 22, 2011, 09:19:22 pm
Dont virgin do a online service where you can watch the channels you pay for on a pc? like sky player?
Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: rdfcpete on December 25, 2011, 05:42:22 pm
^ Don't know in honesty Ed, what's it called if there is one? I'll try and login if I know where to go.
Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: edd666999 on December 25, 2011, 05:56:58 pm
When I get to work I will take a look for you
Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: rdfcpete on December 25, 2011, 06:04:44 pm
I think it's this: http://www.virginmedia.com/player/

When I signed in, it said the account holder hasn't enabled your account for media player use  :confused: Hmm.
I'm not sure whether the player is past stuff, or whether you can watch channels live (which is what I'm looking)?  :chicken:
Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: edd666999 on December 25, 2011, 06:11:53 pm
If its live, you might have to pay a little extra for it but could be the cheapest solution
Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: rdfcpete on December 25, 2011, 07:51:23 pm
Fair enough, I can't seem to find where to enable it anyway. It seemed to hint at enabling it online.

It's Sky Sports News and Sky One that I'm particularly after. What other options are there that require only a box and standard cabling to the TV that would give me these options (in an upstairs room)?

Is there a Tivo package that includes these two with a monthly subscription?

Thanks.
Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: edd666999 on December 25, 2011, 09:54:07 pm
sky have:

http://www.sky.com/shop/tv/sky-go/get-it-now/

But the cheapest package is £15 a month and has sky one not news

You have to pay £35 a month for news.

Virgin will stick a tivo 500gb box in a 2nd room for a installation charge of £40 and a monthly cost of £10.

The virginmedia.com/player you need atleast XL tv package and to stream live i think your need the XXL package?


Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: rdfcpete on December 25, 2011, 10:12:43 pm
sky have:

http://www.sky.com/shop/tv/sky-go/get-it-now/

But the cheapest package is £15 a month and has sky one not news

You have to pay £35 a month for news.

Virgin will stick a tivo 500gb box in a 2nd room for a installation charge of £40 and a monthly cost of £10.

The virginmedia.com/player you need atleast XL tv package and to stream live i think your need the XXL package?


Sky isn't an option I'm afraid.

The Tivo box is a strong contender but the wiring will be a nightmare up through the house & floorboards.
I think we've got the XL package so that buggers the live media player  :grin:

What I need is a box only or wireless solution. There must be another digital option, Sky aside?
Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: edd666999 on December 25, 2011, 10:19:44 pm
sky have:

http://www.sky.com/shop/tv/sky-go/get-it-now/

But the cheapest package is £15 a month and has sky one not news

You have to pay £35 a month for news.

Virgin will stick a tivo 500gb box in a 2nd room for a installation charge of £40 and a monthly cost of £10.

The virginmedia.com/player you need atleast XL tv package and to stream live i think your need the XXL package?


Sky isn't an option I'm afraid.

The Tivo box is a strong contender but the wiring will be a nightmare up through the house & floorboards.
I think we've got the XL package so that buggers the live media player  :grin:

What I need is a box only or wireless solution. There must be another digital option, Sky aside?

Why not sky?

You can get a sling box? or a wireless tv sender, you would need the same channel in both rooms though
Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: rdfcpete on January 03, 2012, 12:11:12 pm
Virgin is far cheaper for what I need in terms of a package Ed  :happy2:

Relatives have Sky + HD - I understand if I get myself an XBox that I can stream Sky via XBox live?
Ta.
Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: WolverineMAc on January 03, 2012, 12:28:57 pm
Can you not ask them for their account details and watch on Sky Go.
Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: rdfcpete on January 03, 2012, 12:40:04 pm
Can you not ask them for their account details and watch on Sky Go.

That's more or less what I'm asking Mac - how's it work?
Xbox would take preference over the laptop/PC streaming  :happy2:
Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: WolverineMAc on January 03, 2012, 01:02:57 pm
I have an XBOX and sky at home, I will try it tonight and let you know, have yet to try on the xbox
Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: rdfcpete on January 03, 2012, 03:23:43 pm
^  :happy2:

I've been round a mates to watch a Charlton game before where he had that setup, but how he achieved it, I don't know. Be useful to see what you find?  :happy2:
Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: WolverineMAc on January 17, 2012, 05:06:44 pm
Tried this last night, will need to take a device of my sky go system on-line and try again.
Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: rdfcpete on January 17, 2012, 07:11:24 pm
Tried this last night, will need to take a device of my sky go system on-line and try again.

You mean 'take a device off my sky go' MAC? Does that imply you can only have a set number of devices using Sky Go?

If that's the case that's fine as the XBox will be the only device using it  :happy2:
Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: WolverineMAc on January 17, 2012, 09:43:54 pm
you are allowed two appliances (pc/xbox/ipad etc..)
Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: rdfcpete on January 17, 2012, 10:49:11 pm
I'm running 10MB Virgin broadband with a Belkin Wireless Cable G Router 54Mbps router which will feed the net to the Xbox 360 - will this stream the Sky player stuff adequately?  :scared:
Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: edd666999 on January 18, 2012, 05:45:11 pm
I'm running 10MB Virgin broadband with a Belkin Wireless Cable G Router 54Mbps router which will feed the net to the Xbox 360 - will this stream the Sky player stuff adequately?  :scared:

should be ok, and go here: www.virginmedia.com/doublespeed

find out when your being upgraded for free to the 20mb service
Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: rdfcpete on January 18, 2012, 06:53:10 pm
^ Indeed Ed, good shout. I'd had an email about that and decided not to mention it in my last post assuming 10MB is enough :happy2:

My upgrade won't be till October, although I haven't got any experience with Xbox 360 performance on a wireless connection.
Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: rdfcpete on January 29, 2012, 06:01:41 pm
...Just learnt that that the Sky player idea only works if you have either Sky multi-room (which I don't), or unlimited Sky broadband internet (which the Sky account does).

A friend who's got the fairly basic sky package has 59 channels to view on sky player through their Xbox 360.
I presume if you have sports/movies, you'll be able to see some of these channels in your Sky player channels?  :happy2:
Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: edd666999 on January 29, 2012, 11:05:56 pm
...Just learnt that that the Sky player idea only works if you have either Sky multi-room (which I don't), or unlimited Sky broadband internet (which the Sky account does).

A friend who's got the fairly basic sky package has 59 channels to view on sky player through their Xbox 360.
I presume if you have sports/movies, you'll be able to see some of these channels in your Sky player channels?  :happy2:


£10 a month for sky player
Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: rdfcpete on January 30, 2012, 07:29:06 pm
What, for any Sky users Ed? I wasn't aware of any subscription cost, just that you either had to have multiroom or unlimited broadband in your package  :sad1:
Title: Re: TV Options - Second Room
Post by: rdfcpete on January 31, 2012, 07:18:52 pm
...Just learnt that that the Sky player idea only works if you have either Sky multi-room (which I don't), or unlimited Sky broadband internet (which the Sky account does).

A friend who's got the fairly basic sky package has 59 channels to view on sky player through their Xbox 360.
I presume if you have sports/movies, you'll be able to see some of these channels in your Sky player channels?  :happy2:


£10 a month for sky player

Verified with Sky, there's no cost for it if you have a Sky account with either multiroom or unlimited broadband.

If you don't have a Sky account or have a Sky account with either of the above options, Sky Player/Sky Go is £15 a month, not £10.

Had me very worried there for an evening :fighting:  :P