kevw - 2W0KAW

We’ve recently changed the layout in our lounge and got a new Samsung Smart LED TV.

The new layout offers a great viewing position that is parallel to the screen.

However, the new position for the screen is on the other side of the room from the cabling for the Sky box (dish feeds) and the wall socket that comes from our Loftbox (supplies TV aerial, CCTV and sends the Sky RF out to other Rooms).

So, my current project is to run cables to the new location. I need to do this neatly so have devised a route through our downstairs toilet that is adjacent to the lounge. The cables all come from the loft so they will partly run outside before entering the toilet and then through the wall and into the lounge.  I’m aiming for minimal disruption in the lounge, I can close the door to the downstairs toilet and commision it “out of use” while I do this!

I can run one of the Sky LNB’s through the Loftbox as it is, which means there is only one down cable along with a return cable needed to the lounge.  The down cable basically has all the signals combined (TV aerial, Sky LNB, and modulated CCTV) and removes the need for multiple cables, the signals are combined in the Loftbox and seperated in a special wall plate at the other end in the lounge.  The return feed allows the Sky RF-out to be sent to the Loftbox and distributed to up-to 8 other TV’s in the house.  The use of “Remote Eyes” at each other TV allows the Sky box to be controlled by a remote.  As I said, the Loftbox can take one LNB as it is but Sky+ uses 2 LNB’s so it can record one channel while watching or recording another.  I noticed that there is a product called a Loftbox Expander which allows the second LNB to be combined through the Loftbox and keep to the single down lead option. Another product called a DIP1 is used to seperate the second LNB signal out at the Sky+ box. This will cost about £20 + P&P and I worked out it is cheaper to run a second cable straight from the LNB’s to the new location in the lounge, I am going to all the trouble of making holes etc so an extra twin WF65 cable won’t be too much hassle.  There’s also less chance of any problems that way.

I started tonight by cutting a hole in the lounge for one of the faceplates (there will be 3) and a hole on the other side of the wall in the toilet, I’ll drill through tomorrow. Scary stuff! At least I know I can fix (read: hide) any of this with plaster/polyfilla!

I’m also going to mount the TV to the wall and use brush faceplates to hide the cables between TV and the devices below.

There’s also the cabling for the surround sound too, sometimes I wonder what I’ve started!

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