Technology retard WLTM PHers that can help

[shnozz]

ok, techno spazzer here but I need to learn fast.

I will shortly be decking out the new pad and need to know whats out there and possible these days. I am planning on having 2 plasmas in the lounge, 1 for the TV and 1 for Playstation. The PS one I was going to go basic and not HD ready or anything too flash. The TV one I was going to go with a built in tuner and HD ready? Necessary?

If I get Sky to the main TV in the lounge, how can I then receive Sky in the bedroom and office? Is there some sort of transmitter device that gives a good picture?

Surround sound. Is there a way I can get both TVs in the lounge operating with 1 surround sound system. I assume these DVD surround sound systems are too basic and it will mean an amp and speakers? Can you then wire in 2 inputs from different TVs? Can you then also wire in a stereo to that surround system? Someone mentionned it may be worth just upgrading to a PS3 as this would do a lot of the things I would want from a surround system.

I really am clueless on all this. Basically I want the 2 TVs with surround sound and a laptop docking set up to one of them. In the other rooms I want Sky. How do I go about achieving this?

Ta muchly

[clairey]

Have you bought and sold then mate??

[shnozz]

clairey said:

Have you bought and sold then mate??

Touch wood, the house is sold. Small chain but they seem to be moving quick and have paid for a survey etc so its clear they are 100% wanting it. Haven't found anywhere yet but a place I viewed a few months back has come back on the market and off to see it today. 99% certain if the price remains similar to when it was previously for sale I'll go for it. Thought I better get some knowledge of the whole technology thing in advance though as I feel I may have to do an OU degree to understand any of it before I get out the wallet!

[krusty]

Phil
Go down to Skate city to Novatech and get your tv's there. They'ev bought Phillips and LD stuff and re boxed them. They're 450 quid cheaper for the same thing. I bought the 32" at Christmas. 750 quid

[Plotloss]

Phil, theres a few options, I'll drop you a line later today.

To help me prepare are you doing any work on the property or are you just moving in and living in it as is?

[RobM77]

Sky: If you have TV aerial feeds to these other rooms then it is easy. We have a basic system supplied by our Sky installer that works a treat - you just plug into the aerial socket and Sky appears on a TV channel anywhere else in the house with an aerial socket. Inline to the aerial lead at the receiving end is a little pickup for the TV Remote about the size of a packet of dental floss Obviously the Sky receiver can only pick up one channel at a time, so everyone in the house has to watch the same channel, but this rarely causes us a problem as we don't watch much TV.

Surround Sound: I would have thought that amps are available with more than one input, though I've never owned a surround sound system so I can't comment.

Playstation: You might want to think about making your PS display HD ready: here for independant comment or here for Sony comment.

[shnozz]

Plotloss said:

Phil, theres a few options, I'll drop you a line later today. To help me prepare are you doing any work on the property or are you just moving in and living in it as is?

Its likely that I will leave my stuff in storage and stay elsewhere for a while as I adapt the new place to how I want it - far easier to do without things getting in the way.

Cheers mate.

[shnozz]

krusty said:

Phil Go down to Skate city to Novatech and get your tv's there. They'ev bought Phillips and LD stuff and re boxed them. They're 450 quid cheaper for the same thing. I bought the 32" at Christmas. 750 quid

Was going to have a look at Novatech, Ebuyer and Richer sounds. Cheers Mark

[shnozz]

RobM77 said:

Sky: If you have TV aerial feeds to these other rooms then it is easy. We have a basic system supplied by our Sky installer that works a treat - you just plug into the aerial socket and Sky appears on a TV channel anywhere else in the house with an aerial socket. Inline to the aerial lead at the receiving end is a little pickup for the TV Remote about the size of a packet of dental floss Obviously the Sky receiver can only pick up one channel at a time, so everyone in the house has to watch the same channel, but this rarely causes us a problem as we don't watch much TV. Surround Sound: I would have thought that amps are available with more than one input, though I've never owned a surround sound system so I can't comment. Playstation: You might want to think about making your PS display HD ready: here for independant comment or here for Sony comment.

cheers for that mate. Not worried by the one channel on the sky throughout the hosue as I live by myself. Do you have to pay anything for the extra service from Sky or just a one off fee when installed?

[rich1231]

RobM77 said:

Sky: If you have TV aerial feeds to these other rooms then it is easy. We have a basic system supplied by our Sky installer that works a treat - you just plug into the aerial socket and Sky appears on a TV channel anywhere else in the house with an aerial socket. Inline to the aerial lead at the receiving end is a little pickup for the TV Remote about the size of a packet of dental floss Obviously the Sky receiver can only pick up one channel at a time, so everyone in the house has to watch the same channel, but this rarely causes us a problem as we don't watch much TV. Surround Sound: I would have thought that amps are available with more than one input, though I've never owned a surround sound system so I can't comment. Playstation: You might want to think about making your PS display HD ready: here for independant comment or here for Sony comment.

The RF feed works but its crap quality!

[minimax]

shnozz said:

ok, techno spazzer here but I need to learn fast.

nice turn of phrase

[RobM77]

rich1231 said:

RobM77 said: Sky: If you have TV aerial feeds to these other rooms then it is easy. We have a basic system supplied by our Sky installer that works a treat - you just plug into the aerial socket and Sky appears on a TV channel anywhere else in the house with an aerial socket. Inline to the aerial lead at the receiving end is a little pickup for the TV Remote about the size of a packet of dental floss Obviously the Sky receiver can only pick up one channel at a time, so everyone in the house has to watch the same channel, but this rarely causes us a problem as we don't watch much TV. Surround Sound: I would have thought that amps are available with more than one input, though I've never owned a surround sound system so I can't comment. Playstation: You might want to think about making your PS display HD ready: here for independant comment or here for Sony comment. The RF feed works but its crap quality!

I believe we have an amplifier somewhere, I'd have to check. However, yes, the quality isn't amazing. I should have mentioned that - thanks for bringing it up!

[jamieboy]

We've got a little Philips wireless system that transmits the Sky signal upstairs from the Sky box in the lounge. We bought a spare Sky remote so we can change channels from either upstairs or downstairs - it sends the remote signal back down and uses a little IR transmitter wart thing that we've stuck on the Sky box. 70 quid or something, works a treat, no cables, no wiring. I'll see if I can find a link.

Edit - Can't find a good link, so maybe discontinued, but it's a Philips SBC VL1200.

>> Edited by jamieboy on Friday 17th February 10:20

[jas xjr]

no problem with an amp to take more than one input.my amp is pretty old and will take 2 digital inputs and loads of analogue ones. most new amps will better that on the digital side i would imagine.
hth.
have you considered a projector insted of a plasma?

[']['![]V[] W]

Go down richer sounds in southampton for your Tv's... we got our plasma there. about all the other stuff, theres just jacks/adaptors that would do all that, if you go down to some specilized sound/tv place they should tell you how or something...

[scorp]

jamieboy said:

We've got a little Philips wireless system that transmits the Sky signal upstairs from the Sky box in the lounge. We bought a spare Sky remote so we can change channels from either upstairs or downstairs - it sends the remote signal back down and uses a little IR transmitter wart thing that we've stuck on the Sky box. 70 quid or something, works a treat, no cables, no wiring. I'll see if I can find a link. Edit - Can't find a good link, so maybe discontinued, but it's a Philips SBC VL1200. >> Edited by jamieboy on Friday 17th February 10:20

Ive got something similiar, a philips one, unfortunately it inteferes with my wifi network (or more precisely, the wifi signal interrupts with the picture)

[polus]

On the amp question; mines a couple of years old now but as you can see takes a few inputs (5 digital, 9 analogue) and has outputs for all 6 channels (to pass onto another amp in a different room). Theres also outputs for two extra front speakers (e.g. you might want a couple of speakers in the kitchen). Modern amps have enough connections to do whatever you wish, all depends on your burdget.



Decide on exactly what you want to do and your overall budget, then cost the plasma screens and see what’s left to get which bits




>> Edited by polus on Friday 17th February 21:22

[Don]

You need one of these mate...



Also: Why could you possible want TWO plasmas. Are you going to watch TV AND play on yer PS2 at the same time? Get an HD ready TV.

Something you might want to consider is a "media center" (essentially a PC under the TV) which can take the place of your DVD player etc - although you might want to put off getting one of those until they fit a HD-DVD drive in 'em. If you do get one - get a HUSH so that its silent - rather the piece of crap I bought which hums away horribly. That way you can play serious games on the huge screen, as well as watch TV, record etc just like Sky+.

[SS2.]

shnozz said:

I am planning on having 2 plasmas in the lounge, 1 for the TV and 1 for Playstation. The PS one I was going to go basic and not HD ready or anything too flash..//.. Necessary?

Not really, Phil - that's just being plain greedy

You've seen my Panasonic - its got multi picture-in-picture display so you can split the 42" screen with whatever inputs you choose ie Sky on the left half of the screen and PS on the right. Unless you're a trained Apache pilot, it sounds like visual overload trying to watch both though mate..

Mine isn't HDTV ready but the multi PIP is probably available on plasmas that are...