Hi all

I've just had Sky installed and have a few questions that I hope someone will be able to help me answer.

My setup in my lounge is:

- Avant 28" VCR in lounge

- DVD1 connected to Avant by SCART

- Link cable and Coax cable connection to Bedroom

Setup in bedroom is:

- MX4002

- Link cable and Coax cable connection to Lounge

At the moment I have a SCART connection from the Sky box to the Avant. With the VCR SCART and the DVD1 SCART already in place, the Sky Box has gone into the rightmost socket (as I look at the back of the set from the back).

I have added "V.TAPE2" to my Beo4 and this brings up the Sky picture. So far, so OK.

QUESTION: is there a better socket to plug in my Sky box? I seem to recall there's a "DECODER" socket, but I haven't had a good look for it yet.

In my bedroom, I can't get a picture on the MX4002 (I always could when I was using good old terrestrial co-ax into the Avant downstairs). I have added V.TAPE2, L-V.TP2, P-V.TP2, A-V.TP2 to the bedroom Beo4. A-V.TP2 gives me the audio from the Sky box but grey snow on video. L-V.TP2 gives me nothing (no audio, grey snow on video) except that when I then press the SAT key, I momentarily get the Sky picture (for about half a second) before it is frustratingly replaced by grey snow again. The other options don't even do this.

QUESTION: How do I get the Sky picture on my bedroom TV?

I'm content to have no direct control over the TV channel in the bedroom for the time being, but I'd like to be able to see the TV picture. (I've seen a gadget made by On-For-All, the SV-1100, that appears to allow me to control the sky box in the lounge from the bedroom, but won't buy it until I've got myself a picture to watch!)

Any help gratefully received.

Thanks in advance.

Neil

If your Avant has a set top box module then you will be able to set this to control the Skybox via the Beo4 (with the link in place between the Avant and Skybox sensor.) I can't remember which scart you need to use for this as I've just moved my Avant to another house. If you have the STB module then any Skybox will be controllable as they all use the same coding regardless of date of manufacture.

On the question of viewing Sky in another room I can only say that this can be a problem. You can set up a coaxial link with a Sky 'Eye' (or whatever it's called) for controlling the box from the second TV. However, in a previous non-B&O set-up I had the Sky signal could not be handled by the aerial amplifiers we had for transmitting terrestrial TV around the house. I suspect you may find the same issue with B&O equipment...... but someone more knowledgeable than I on these forums will I am sure confirm this or otherwise.

Graham

Thanks for your help Graham. I do not have a Set-Top Box Controller module. And I'm not worried (yet!) about controlling the Sky box in the lounge from the bedroom.

Cheers

Neil

Sorry Neil if this exposing my lack of familiariaty with the Avant as I have the BV3, but can't you connect it in such a way that by pressing the Sat button on the Beo4 you get the Sky picture on your Avant? Seems more logical that having to access it via V.tape2.

Neil,

Just to clarfy previous note, with my previous system the Sky link to the second TV had to be through it's own coaxial cable, separate from the terrestrial cable. 

Graham

@kokomo: thanks for the reply. Exactly my point! That's what I want to be able to do, just press SAT and see the Sky picture on the Avant. But pressing SAT does nothing at the moment, hence my question whether there isn't a better place to connect it.

@Graham: I have a separate coax link from the RF output on the Avant to my bedroom MX, and a separate Link cable connecting the two. As I said, this works beautifully for terrestrial TV and the DVD picture, but not, it seems so far, for the Sky picture. [EDIT: Sorry, having re-read your post I see that you mean a separate co-ax cable from the Sky box to the second TV. I shall try it!]

Neil

Hi again Neil, I realise that my total lack of Avant knowledge here is probably not helping at all, but on the BV3 there is setup menu for connections which allows you to designate a Sat decoder for one of the scart connections. Pressing Sat on the Beo4 then accesses this  connection and the Sky box plugged into it.

If this is no help, then please feel free to ignore it and wait for someone who can really assist!

Good luck anyway.

@kokomo: Thanks. I suspect that my Avant is a bit old (1999 vintage I think). In the Setup>Sources it just lists a setting for "AV" and this is set to DVD. I tried setting it to "Special Decoder" but that doesn't seem to do anything.

@Graham: connecting the coax lead for the bedroom to the RF Out on the Sky Box works a treat... except I now can't see the DVD playback on the bedroom TV!

Ho hum

Neil

We first came across a similar problem when we asked Sky to extend the Skybox system to a second location (with 'Eye' control via the coax.) Unfortunately our second location was actually our main TV (Avant with Freeview via STB) with the terrestrial signal looped through a VCR and then distributed around the house. (All now out-of-date and modified.)

The chap from Sky had a lot of trouble trying to get it all set up and spent a lot of time on the phone seeking advice. He eventually announced that all was working and off he went. We then discovered that he had disconnected all the terrestrial cabling (inc Freeview) and had left us with just Sky. He had fulfilled his contractual obligation (Sky in second room) by disconnecting everything else. I subsequently discovered that this was a frequently encountered Sky problem.

Graham

If you are mot watching analog TV any more, and you are not using a STB conrtroller, you might as well tune channel 1 on the Avant to the frequency given off by the Sky box.
That way, you can switch it on by pressing TV. (It will work with your A9 keyring too)

Andy T.

@Andy: Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately I prefer the picture quality through the SCART connection. I'm a fussy s*d I know!

Neil

I found a blue SCART socket at the base of the rear panel of the Avant. I tried plugging the Sky box into this, but got nothing.

Any suggestions anyone? Can't believe I'm the only person who's ever plugged a Sky box into an Avant without using the STB controller...? Or am I?

Neil

I have two avants and sky connected

 On the Avant make sure that the DVD is connected to the AV Scart Socket, Sky should be connected to the socket marked decoder - in the setup menu and under sources switch decoder to SAT. You should then be able to access it on your Avant by pressing SAT and on the MX also by pressing SAT - Check that your MX TV doesn't have anything configured on it's AV sockets - as if one of those is set to SAT it will look at the MX scart socket instead of the Avants.

If I was you I would get a STBC fitted though as it gives you full control of Sky through your Beo4 and works seemlessly.

@ajames: Thanks for that. I'll see if I can do what you've suggested.

Neil