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Installation of
Integrated Reception System for Brentford Dock
Compiled from Data Dragged Out of People
by Neil O'Dwyer

 

See also TV Options and TV Channels.

 

This is published to help residents decide where they want SCCI to install sockets (wall-boxes) in their flats.  Additional information will be provided on what you can receive on the new wall-boxes.

If anyone notices any errors in this document please convey them immediately to editor@brentford-dock.net

 

The pre-installation information SCCI distributed to Otho Court residents (the first to have the new system installed) on 9th September 2001 was misleading and inaccurate!

Your Existing TV Socket

Your existing TV socket receives TV and FM radio channels.  The TV signals you receive on your existing socket are analogue signals.  What this means does not really matter, other than the fact that, at some time in the future, the government will no longer allow transmission of analogue signals.  This will not occur until 80 or 90% of the country is receiving digital TV.  No one knows when this may be: 2005, 2010 or even later.

 

Our existing TV (and radio) distribution system is (20 years?) old.  SCCI, the people we use to repair our existing system, have told Brentford Dock Limited's board that the system is difficult to maintain.  This may or may not be true.

New Wall-box

You cannot use your existing TV socket to receive the new radio and TV distribution system.

The installers of the new system will install a new wall-box in your flat.

 

The new wall-box is made of white plastic.  It is 85 mm (3¼ inches) wide, 85 mm (3¼ inches) high and will "stick out" 42 mm (just over 1½ inches) from your wall.  It has three sockets, marked FM+DAT, TV and SAT.

Socket Marked TV

The socket marked TV is almost "identical" to your "old" aerial socket.  It delivers exactly the same analogue TV signals as you receive now.

 

BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Ch 4 and Ch 5

You can plug the aerial cable of your existing television set into the socket marked TV and view BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 for free exactly as you do now.  You will not be able to receive SkyNews or EuroSport from this socket.

 

Used in this way, the socket marked TV is free. There are no monthly subscriptions to pay. You will have to continue to buy a TV Licence.

 

FreeView

Since Autumn 2002, the socket marked TV also delivers digital TV channels transmitted by Freeview.

 

You can plug a Freeview set-top-box (£90-£100 to buy) into the socket marked TV and receive 25 or so TV channels and BBC and commercial radio stations.

 

If you have an "old" ITV-Digital or Ondigital set-top-box you can use it to receive FreeView. You must remove the Smart Card.  You may also need to re-tune the set-top-box.

 

Used in this way, the socket marked TV is free. There are no monthly subscriptions to pay. You will have to continue to buy a TV Licence.

   

For some of the interactive facilities of digital television, it may be advantageous to connect your set-top-box to a telephone socket.  You must connect your set-top-box to a telephone socket if you use your television to send and receive email messages or to view internet websites.

 

Socket Marked FM+DAT

The socket marked FM+DAT delivers radio signals.  You can plug your existing FM radio receiver or tuner into this socket and receive all the FM radio stations that you currently receive (e.g., Capital Radio, Classic FM, etc.).

 

If you have a DAB receiver or tuner, you can plug it into this socket and receive Digital Audio Broadcasting channels.  DAB stands for Digital Audio Broadcasting.

 

The socket marked FM+DAT is free. There are no monthly subscriptions to pay. There is no additional licence to buy.

 

Socket Marked SAT

The socket marked SAT delivers digital TV channels transmitted by Sky, also known as BSkyB.

 

If you subscribe to Sky, they will loan you a Sky set-top-box (they call it a digibox) which you can plug into the socket marked SAT and view Sky TV channels and hear Sky radio channels on your existing television set.

 

You can also use the Sky set-top-box to send and receive email messages and view some (not all) internet websites on your existing television set.

 

Sky require you to plug their set-top-box into a nearby telephone line. This will not interfere with your telephone line or bill. The desk-top-box dials a freephone number and collects information from Sky during the night.

 

If you don't subscribe to Sky, you can buy your own Sky set-top-box (new or second hand) and view the free-to-view channels transmitted by Sky, including BBC 24hrs.

 

Location of New Wall-box

The new cables are being laid outside your windows on the non-walkway sides of the blocks.  A hole will be drilled through the wall in order to connect the cable to the new wall-box.  In some flats, the hole will be drilled through windows or their wooden mountings.  The hole will be drilled outwards from the inside of your flat.

Additional Wall-boxes

Generally you need additional wall-boxes if you want to:

 

In addition, currently both the Freeview set-top-box and the Sky set-top-box only allow you to watch one of their channels at a time.  This means:

 

·         You cannot watch one Freeview programme in the lounge and a different Freeview programme, at the same time, in the bedroom  - unless you have two Freeview set-top-boxes.  You can plug two Freeview set-top-boxes, via an adapter, into the same socket marked TV.

·         You cannot watch one Freeview programme and record a different Freeview programme at the same time  - unless you have two Freeview set-top-boxes.  You can plug two Freeview set-top-boxes, via an adapter, into the same socket marked TV.

 

 ·          You cannot watch one Sky programme in the lounge and a different Sky programme, at the same time, in the bedroom  - unless you have:

        Sky works differently to Freeview.

·          You cannot watch one Sky programme and record another Sky programme at the same time
 - unless you have:

        Sky works differently to Freeview.

However:

·         you can install additional slave wall-boxes yourself

·         you can just run an extension aerial cable from a wall-box in one room to a television or radio in another room

·         there are other wire-less methods of watching (the same programme) on different televisions in different rooms (£80 to £90).

 

"Master" and "Slave" Wall-boxes

An additional wall-box connected directly to the cable outside your window is said to be a "master" or "primary" source (of radio & TV signals).  Each master wall box has its own separate cable. If you have two master sockets you will have two separate cables outside your window.  The cables go directly to the roof.

 

A "slave" wall-box is a wall-box connected to "master" wall-box and not directly to the cable outside your window.  The slave wall box "shares" some of the signal from the master wall-box.  Ultimately, if you connect umpteen slave wall-boxes to one master wall-box, the signal will become too weak.  In practice, this is unlikely to happen.

 

If you ask SCCI to install an additional wall-box on an exterior non-walkway wall, whilst they are cabling your flat, the wall-box will be a "master" wall-box.  All the wiring will be outside your flat.  SCCI will charge you £117.50

 

If you ask SCCI  to install an additional wall-box on an exterior non-walkway wall, after they have finished cabling your flat, the wall-box will be a "slave" wall-box.  They will run an additional cable along the skirting boards of your flat. SCCI will charge you £99.87

 

If you ask SCCI  to install an additional wall-box on any wall, after they have finished cabling your flat, the wall-box will be a "slave" wall-box.  They will run an additional cable along the skirting boards of your flat.

 

The SCCI pre-installation notice distributed on the 9th September 2001 was misleading and inaccurate.  There are no wall-boxes that are satellite only.  All wall-boxes have sockets marked FM+DAT, TV and SAT.  You can receive analogue TV, digital TV (ITV Digital and Sky), FM and DAB radio on all their wall-boxes.

 

Additional Telephone Sockets

If you want a "free" set-top-box from Sky, they insist that you permanently connect the set-top-box to a telephone socket.  This will not interfere with your telephone line or bill.  In the early hours of each night, the desk-top-box dials a freephone number and exchanges information with Sky.

 

Sky charge you a £100 "installation fee" for the free set-top-box but it is yours to keep forever.

 

If you refuse to permanently connect the Sky set-top-box to a telephone socket, Sky will charge you for the set-top-box (maybe the full price of £288).

 

For some of the interactive facilities of Sky, it is advantageous to connect your set-top-box to a telephone socket.

 

The set-top-box must be connected to a telephone socket whilst you are using Sky to send and receive email messages and view some (not all) internet websites.

 

You do not have to have a nearby telephone socket for Frieview or Sky. You can use an extension telephone wire to a telephone socket anywhere in your flat.   If you don't like untidy cables you may prefer to install another telephone socket.

 

SCCI will install an additional telephone socket for between £35 and £55.

You can install your own.  British Telecom and others sell kits to do so.

 

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See also TV Options and TV Channels.

 

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