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lee989

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Do you need multiple tuners with a cable box if you want to record/watch multiple channels at once?

Since TiVo boxes seem to only have one cable input (based on a quick google image search, and the fact VM only give you a 2 way splitter) but supposedly can record up to 3 channels, i presumed i wouldn't need to worry about the number of tuners in a cable box. However reading a few threads on here and other places seems to indicate that i still need to have one tuner per concurrent recording (although i may have just not understood).

Can someone confirm:

1. Do i need multiple tuners for recording/watching multiple channels with a cable box (VM line specifically if that makes a diff)
2. If Yes to the above, how do i go about splitting the cable? Do i need to get another two way splitter than connects to the "set-top box" output on the VM supplied splitter? And doesn't that cause the signal level to basically half which would cause problems (another thing i dont really understand right there).

Cheers
 
you have got it spot on but just get 3 way splitter ask one of the virgin guys iam sure they will give u 1 plus u will need 2 lines also not found any virgin with multiroom yet and splitting signal again u would lose about 3db taking 2 way away and adding 3 should be fine if level are ok just now
 
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Cheers alcable. I don't know any virgin guys (assume your talking about engineers?) but i presume the cheap splitters off ebay like this one will do the job : 3 Way Aerial Splitter + 4 F Plug Connectors - Split Freeview Virgin Media Box | eBay

Noticed the twin cable tuner boxes are much more expensive than the twin sat boxes (wonder why that is?), so i'm going to have to work out if its worth it i guess. I can afford a VU+ Solo4K or a Mutant box with loads of tuner space, just got to work out if i'm really going to benefit from it (its nice having the ability to record and watch different chans concurrently, but then again with catch up and +1 channels i don't think we've used the second tuner on our temporary sat box in the month we've had it).

Anyways i'm rambling, thanks for your reply. At least i know what im doing which is a step forward :)
 
Vu+ have twin tuner cards so that you can have two cards = 4 tuners. not sure if all the cable tuners do it but you can loop through from one tuner to the other without the use of a splitter.
 
xtrend 8000 ass kicking box with 3 swappable tuners or xtrend 10000 with 4 2 sat + 2 cable + 1tb hdd

should only need 1line for twin cable or/and 1 line for sat.
 
TiVO box has 3 tuners in it. Only needs one line in as it just splis it between the 3 internal tuners (instead of using loopback cables with 3 separate inputs). This allows simultaneous recording of 3 channels at once. My Vu+ Solo SE has only one line in, yet it has 2 tuners which internally split the line, allowing me to record 2 channels at once. So yes, #1 is a yes. #2 Depending on if your tuner card is a dual (twin tuner) OE not. If it has only one line in, and is twin still, then no need to split.
 
So with the VU+ range for example (DUO2 specifically), they dont have a twin cable tuner, but there cable tuners has a loop out. So rather than messing around with multiple cables from a spitter i would go into the first cable tuner (RF IN), then connect a second short cable from the LOOP OUT on that card to the RF IN on the second cable tuner card?

Knowing this, i'm now torn between a cheap zgemma and upgrading later, or getting the vu or xtrend with an additional tuner card and having twin sat and twin cable.... Hate having to make choices :P
 
No loop needed on a hybrid tuner also zgemma have issues from what I have read with cable tuners but don't rule them out on my say so as not got a cable zgemma myself the sat zgemma does the job ok tho
 
Hi Lee989 the Vu+ tuners are available as twin if you're looking at the Duo 2 it's a great box as I can speak from experience with one twin tuner and a single supplied by one cable looped from the twin to the single.
 
Hi All,

So to clarify. Im getting a mutant hd2400 with 3 hybrid cable tuners tomorrow. Does that mean that instead of splitting the line I can loop out? So one line into tuner 1, loop into tuner 2, then loop into tuner 3? Should I expect any quality loss and should I notify the provider of this when I choose a line?

thx
 
That should work fine yes, on my Vu+ I'm doing line in to a hybrid twin tuner, then line out into a USB turbo tuner giving me 3 tuners worth - running lovely
 
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