Greetings all


I had Sky installed a month or so ago. I'm using a Thomson digibox connected
to a 10 year old TV via an RF cable (the TV doesn't have a SCART socket).
The picture, sound etc on my Sky system is wonderful, but I can't help but
notice that ever since we had Sky installed it seems to be intefering with
our terrestial TV signal.........wheras before we used to have a pretty
clear picture, we're now watching BBC1 from behind a wall of snow.......


Now granted, most of the time this isn't a problem, as all 5 terrestial
channels are available with a crystal clear picture via the Sky box, but it
does tend to be a problem in instances when we want to tape a program from a
Sky channel and watch a terrestial channel at the same time.......with the
kind of crappy picture we're suffering, Albert Square looks even grottier
than it does normally!!!


So is this a common problem when using a Sky system with an older TV, or is
there some re-wiring trick I can perform to sort the situation out?

My current set up is that the TV aerial plugs straight into the back of the
Sky box, which is in turn connected to both the VCR and the TV. All
connexions are coxial. Any advice very gratefully received.

"Real Mardin" wrote in message
...
Greetings all


I had Sky installed a month or so ago. I'm using a Thomson digibox
connected
to a 10 year old TV via an RF cable (the TV doesn't have a SCART socket).
The picture, sound etc on my Sky system is wonderful, but I can't help but
notice that ever since we had Sky installed it seems to be intefering with
our terrestial TV signal.........wheras before we used to have a pretty
clear picture, we're now watching BBC1 from behind a wall of snow.......


Now granted, most of the time this isn't a problem, as all 5 terrestial
channels are available with a crystal clear picture via the Sky box, but
it
does tend to be a problem in instances when we want to tape a program from
a
Sky channel and watch a terrestial channel at the same time.......with the
kind of crappy picture we're suffering, Albert Square looks even grottier
than it does normally!!!


So is this a common problem when using a Sky system with an older TV, or
is
there some re-wiring trick I can perform to sort the situation out?

My current set up is that the TV aerial plugs straight into the back of
the
Sky box, which is in turn connected to both the VCR and the TV. All
connexions are coxial. Any advice very gratefully received.



Try changing the digibox RF output preset (via Services-4-0-1 Select menu)
to a different value based on your broadcast RFs (ie if you're channels are
21-40 range, set your RF to 50 or 60. It might not totally solve the
problem, but it might improve it.

--
Carl

So is this a common problem when using a Sky system with an older TV, or is
there some re-wiring trick I can perform to sort the situation out?

Some Sky boxes are faulty in that they do not pass the signals from the aerial
through to the TV properly. Put the Sky box on standby (to eliminate the
possibility of interference from the box's modulator) and see if the picture
improves if you pull the two coaxes out of the back of it and join them
together (they just plug together). If all channels become less snowy the box
is faulty.
Bill

Nothing suggested seems to work, but my deepest thanks to everyone who
replied. Wrighty was closest in so far as what he suggested changed the
pattern of the inteference, but didn't eliminate it (for example, the lines
of interference on BBC1 were horizontal before, after I performed Wrighty's
trick of connecting the two coxial cables the lines became vertical.....).


Thanks all.

OK. Unplug the Sky box from the mains and also bypass it as before with the
aerial connections. If the interference stops the Sky box is radiating like a
bugger and should be punished - well, mended anyway. If the interference
doesn't stop the Sky box is exonerated and should be given compensation and
counselling for stress.
Take no notice of the interference lines changing orientation and spacing on
the screen. You don't want to know why, but this isn't usually relevant to your
sort of problem.
Bill

"QrizB" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 19 Jul 2003 21:51:24 +0100, "Real Mardin"

I sound like I know what I'm talking about, but don't
be fooled.

We are not - he said he did not have a SCART on the TV!

"Vernon" wrote in message
...
"QrizB" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 19 Jul 2003 21:51:24 +0100, "Real Mardin"

I sound like I know what I'm talking about, but don't
be fooled.

We are not - he said he did not have a SCART on the TV!



lol

"Real Mardin" wrote in message
...
Nothing suggested seems to work, but my deepest thanks to everyone who
replied. Wrighty was closest in so far as what he suggested changed the
pattern of the inteference, but didn't eliminate it (for example, the
lines
of interference on BBC1 were horizontal before, after I performed
Wrighty's
trick of connecting the two coxial cables the lines became vertical.....).

Plug your aerial directly into your tv and see how that looks. If it is
clear then you made need to replace your CoAx fly leads for better quality,
shielded ones to stop interference that you digibox may be radiating. This
is pretty common as the more kit you add the more chance of interfence and
radiation there is.

If the picture is poor when your aerial is plugged directly into your TV
then you may need to get your aerial/aerial cable replaced.

In my experience you should keep all you fly leads as short and straight as
poss.

js