TV problems; how do I sort it out?

[KatyMac]

What I would like is:
The ability to watch (Sky?) in 3 rooms (only ever 2 at a time)
The ability to record TV

What I have is:
Flat screen dodgy sky box in lounge
Old portable & broken digi box in Kitchen with a plug in thingie that gets the signal from the bedroom (but we have to run upstairs to change channel)
Old portable & very dodgy sky box in bedroom (we move the sky card around from lounge to bedroom & back)

So what do I need to buy & can I afford it?

I am not very technically ept and this is beyond me; if I go to a shop I will be sold top of the range necessities which are not in any way essential.

Help

Bump

can you ask Sky to upgrade you to a new Sky box for the lounge? afaik there's no charge now for the Sky+ functions, which will let you record TV there. They may well do this for free, depending on who you speak to. You could then pay £10/month for multi-room which will give you a second Sky card to use upstairs, with the same channel options as on your lounge box, but it probably won't be a sky+ box. You can then continue to use the channel sender to watch in the kitchen, as you do now.

Hmm that could work - then I can put the old sky box in the kitchen (or will they take it away?)

Can we address the running up & down stairs to change channels at all?

If you are feeding the kitchen using a UHF (coax) cable from a TV out socket, then I've recently seen a 'remote control' method which plugs in at each end.

You'd have the kitchen end with a sort of infrared 'eye' and the signals get sent up the coax to the bedroom, to switch channel. Asda near me were flogging them off at 4 quid instead of 7 so hopefully you can find similar locally or on Ebay. A second Sky control to use in the kitchen would then be needed.

New they are about 15-20 quid in Asda, but I bought a Sky+ box with a remote for around 30 quid in a local CashGenerator or similar (CEX / CashConverter) where they buy stuff cheap and add a markup... (I have not used that Sky box yet, except to check it powers up [may use only the hard drive from it!] not sure how easy it will be to get going - I will need a new Sky card, or a Sky "FreeSat channels only" card at least.)

I will see if I can find a similar r/c on Ebay for the kitchen/ bedroom problem.

The kitchen (& bedroom) have 2 little dishes that talk to each other (& don't work when the microwave is on)

It looks like <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?start=238&hl=en&cr=countryUK|countryGB&sa=X&biw=1440&bih=737&tbs=ctr:countryUK|countryGB&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=raafmlTm2B2_xM:&imgrefurl=www.pricesavvy.co.uk/a/productlist/idx/9999999/mot/Twin_dvd_player/productlist.htm&docid=heZjljYe9lgnNM&imgurl=csimg.pricesavvy.co.uk/srv/GB/00002541b0039rwft0/T/340x340/C/FFFFFF/url/rmx-58ghz-audio-video-sender.jpg&w=340&h=340&ei=Wi1SUMGtAoj80QWu2IGIBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=217&vpy=309&dur=443&hovh=225&hovw=225&tx=86&ty=102&sig=115555562984374516776&page=11&tbnh=167&tbnw=218&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:238,i:185" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this

Sky want £109 to upgrade

So that's not ideal

If you put the old sky box in the kitchen, you will need to connect it to the satellite dish, and then you can use it as a Freesat box, so you'll get the basic channels here and will then not need to run upstairs to change channels.

You will need to check that your dish can accept 4 connections, as Sky+ uses two, and then the two other boxes use one each, but you could get a local installer to check this for you, and it is not expensive to have them change it (it will be if you get Sky to do it).

That makes sense - except I can't get a new sky box

have a look on ebay, there's absolutely nothing to stop you buying a second hand one and getting a new card for it - they will not charge £109 for the card.

Sky were offering some deals and go through quidco for money back too.

If you get sky+ in the front room and then multi room, you get another sky+ box for the second room.

The little dishes you're using are a one-way microwave link (TV Sender is popular name).

How important are Sky programmes to you ?

Asking because Tesco has been selling a FreeSat HD box and will install a dish (or upgrade to 4 LNB, or add a second dish) at total cost of £90.

You'd need a Sky+ box to record Sky. If you watch the main free to air (Freeview) channels and not bothered about full range from Sky then a FreeSat recorder may be enough.

I think I am starting to understand.....maybe