Virgin Media Community

[chops]

Can a redundant VM cable installation consisting of one short cable length going to a splitter then 2 longer lengths into 2 rooms be used for a normal UHF freeview installation instead by just changing the F plugs to co-ax plugs (or using adaptors) or will there too much signal loss compared to the usual standard 75 ohm cabling and splitter ?

[apcyberax]

no

[chops]

What's the technical explanation why it won't work though ?

[apcyberax]

vm is a closed network. All channels are encrypted and require a VM box and subscription to view. you can't use it for freeview

[chops]

You have misunderstood the question - it is just a piece of old cable remaining from when the VM box and outside connection were removed a long time ago. There is no longer any connection to the VM closed network.

[apcyberax]

then it should work

[chops]

What about the impedance and loss of the VM cable and splitter compared to normal co-ax and if the terminator resistor should remain on the spare outlet of the splitter ?

[nodrogd · Accepted solution]

Virgins coax network runs at 50 Volts. The input required from a Freeview TV aerial needs to be around 550 microvolts to drive one TV set. To run two TVs without additional amplification being required needs an input of at least double that amount to offset the splitter & cable runs. Obviously, the longer the cable runs the more loss is incurred.

So the question is, how strong is the TV signal from your rooftop aerial? Can you measure it? The size of the aerial, your location, the transmitter power & how far you are from the transmitter are all a factor in whether it will work or not.

[DJ_Shadow1966 · Accepted solution]

Hello

You can use the cable, but the splitters will need to be removed as they are only designed for the Virginmedia frequencies and will filter any other frequencies as well as removing any terminators as these are not needed for a standard UHF feed. I have used some old VM cable in this way that is not connected to any VM equipment.

Regards Mike

[nodrogd · Accepted solution]

---

@DJ_Shadow1966 wrote:

Hello

You can use the cable, but the splitters will need to be removed as they are only designed for the Virginmedia frequencies and will filter any other frequencies as well as removing any terminators as these are not needed for a standard UHF feed. I have used some old VM cable in this way that is not connected to any VM equipment.

Regards Mike

---

Virgin's splitters do pass the entire VHF & UHF range (including Broadcast Bands 4 & 5 which you need for Freeview) plus a bit more on top. Be aware though, that they also pass the new 4G & 5G mobile phone signals too, so if TV broadcasts in your area border these channels they will let the interference through as well as the wanted signal. They also do not isolate between the outputs like aerial splitters, so it is possible for equipment on one output of the splitter to interfere with the signal to the other.