What is skylink

[Richard42]

Hi,
after many years of TIVO with Freeview I've been given a sky box setup. I've heard things about using a skylink rather than the IR blaster but can't seem to find exactly what the benifits are ( I did do a search here, honest ), can someone enlighten me please

Thanks

Richard

[ndunlavey]

TiVo comes with two devices for changing channels on an STB - the IR "Blaster", which is an IR lamp built into the front of the TiVo and works by bouncing the IR commands of the room, and the IR wands, which you can place fairly precisely in front of the IR receiver on the STB. Many people find the Blaster works, others (most, I would guess) find the wands more reliable; both, however, can fail because of the vagueries of IR transmission. All that you already knew :)

A Link device (I believe there are several now, although the original was rf2link IIRC), usable only with Pace Sky boxes, replaces the IR connection with direct plug into the back of the STB. It's a wired connection that doesn't rely on IR transmission and reception. When I had Sky, I found it 100% reliable, while I had been getting maybe 95% relaibility with the wands. (FWIW, my current Freeview setup with the IR wands seems to be every bit as reliable, for some reason).

SkyEye originally was a device that sat infront of the Sky STB and sent a "backup" command every now and then in an attempt to get ride of the red dot.

I believe there are now combined link/eye device that do both jobs - pictures here: http://www.skyeye.force9.co.uk/skyeye.htm

[aerialplug]

The original SkyEye is now obsolete as Sky (thankfully) listened to their customers and provided a menu option that allowed the "red dot" to automatically turn off after 30 seconds. I used to use one of these as I was fed up of watching entire programmes with an unrelated banner on the top reminding me that there was an interactive service available that may or may not be related to the programme I was watching. Channel 4 were one of the worst culprits a few years ago as, when Big Brother was on, they had a banner through all their programming indicating that there was an interactive application available to support big brother, regardless of what was on at the time.

As to rf2link only working with Pace boxes, this is a new one on me. It may well be true but it's also surprising to me as Sky ensured that all Sky boxes behaved in exactly the same way as far as external peripherals are concerned - the same remote for all brands and also Sky's own Sky Link (to enable remote controls to work down a UHF cable) works on all brands - the same technology I presumed rf2link and similar devices used.

[kitschcamp]

I've used mine on Pace and Panasonics, no problem at all, so I don't think there is any truth in the "pace only" story, either.

[katman]

I've used mine on Pace and Panasonics, no problem at all, so I don't think there is any truth in the "pace only" story, either.

I use mine on a Panasonic with no problems whatsoever.

The "Pace Only" thing may be a misunderstanding because the company that sell the RF2link are called "PaceLink".

Just looked at the page http://www.pacelink.co.uk/rf2link.htm and the first paragraph is as follows...

rf2Link
The rf2Link connects the TiVo Infra Red command signals directly to any Sky Digibox (or a Sky+ Box) through the RF2 connector.

... I see the price has now dropped so I may end up buying another couple for remore control of my other SKY boxes.

Reading this thread has just cost me money !!!!

[Pete77]

Is there any way to split the IR plug output on the back of the Tivo so I can use both the RF2Link for my Sky Digibox and the IR leads to control my Freeview box? I have a dual source setup.

Sky Digibox channel changing on the Panasonic TUCT20 is pretty high but every once in a while a digit does get missed by the Panny box.

[kitschcamp]

Yup, it's called a mono headphone splitter

[Pete77]

Yup, it's called a mono headphone splitter

And that would carry the signal here?

Presumably Maplins is the place although no doubt a Google can show me.

[kitschcamp]

Yup, that's where I got mine from when I was doing exactly that in the UK.

[frogster]

I wholeheartedly recommend the devices made by the SkyEye chap. I've been using mine for ages. (And we are not related.)

PaceLink don't seem anywhere near as good to me.

[kitschcamp]

I wholeheartedly recommend the devices made by the SkyEye chap. I've been using mine for ages. (And we are not related.)And the aftersales is great. When I was interested in a special to for a particular purpose, he did himself out of an extra sale by saying "you don't need to buy a new one, what you need to do is..." and gave me a solution that gained him nothing.

[ndunlavey]

I've used mine on Pace and Panasonics, no problem at all, so I don't think there is any truth in the "pace only" story, either.
Apologies - not sure where I got that idea from!

[Richard42]

Thanks for all the useful information - looks like I shall be buying one :)

Richard

[Pete77]

Yup, it's called a mono headphone splitter

So its definitely the mono mini-headphone splitter I want then and not the stereo mini-headphone version as Maplin seem to have both at the same price using the same size headphone jack and sockets. It would make sense that the Stereo version would probably do something nasty to the signal that would be undesirable when transferring IR output as an electrical current.

See www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?criteria=headphone%20splitter&doy=12m12&source=15

[kitschcamp]

Definitely mono. Don't try the stereo one, you probably won't get it to work reliably, as I found to my cost. I had a stereo one kicking around in my box of bits and tried that, and only then did I buy a mono one and it worked reliably.

[Pete77]

Definitely mono. Don't try the stereo one, you probably won't get it to work reliably, as I found to my cost. I had a stereo one kicking around in my box of bits and tried that, and only then did I buy a mono one and it worked reliably.

But looking at the products the SkyEye chap sells it seems that his SkyEye RF2T and his SkyEye T-Link products send the channel number down the RF2 connection but that if you also want a Sky key sent before this when the recording starts (to bring the box out of standby) then you have to buy the Acme version at £39.99 which still sends the Sky key via the IR leads and IR dongle? So you are still dependent on the potentially dodgy IR leads and IR transmission.........

Whereas the IR leads presently already send the Sky key to wake the box and then the channel number down the IR leads (code 20008). And since I power the box off at 5am every day for 5 minutes to reset it on a timer I need the Sky key sent for the first recording after the power off to wake the box up. In fact I have a Manual timed 2 minute recording at 5.15am every day that does just this since the Sky box bootup sequence is rather protracted and wouldn't have completed before a real recording started.

To achieve all this with a SkyEye it seems I would need the SkyEye Acme version at £40 and the Maplin RF splitter too at £5 (a total cost of around £45). But as the existing RF transmission to the Sky box (which runs at Fast) almost never fails and as apparently the SkyEye or rather a Sky Digibox apparently only likes Medium transmission of the codes via RF2 I'm not altogether convinced its worth it now the Red Dot problem no longer exists.

Or do I not need the Acme version but only the SkyEye RF2T version if I use code 20008 as this also sends the Sky key via the RF leads perhaps? Or can the Sky key not actually be sent via the RF2 lead because RF2 output only works once the Sky box has come out of standby which needs an IR code Sky key sent?

Any light you can shed on the matter would be appreciated.

See www.skyeye.force9.co.uk/skyeye.htm for the SkyEye various options.

[kitschcamp]

But looking at the products the SkyEye chap sells it seems that his SkyEye RF2T and his SkyEye T-Link products send the channel number down the RF2 connection but that if you also want a Sky key sent before this when the recording starts (to bring the box out of standby) then you have to buy the Acme version at £39.99 which still sends the Sky key via the IR leads and IR dongle? So you are still dependent on the potentially dodgy IR leads and IR transmission.........Only if it is essential to you that the Sky button is sent via the front IR port rather than the RF port.

[Pete77]

Only if it is essential to you that the Sky button is sent via the front IR port rather than the RF port.

And sending via the front IR port has something to do with the Widescreen switching mode or RGB mode working properly?

What down sides exactly are there to sending the Sky key via the RF2 connector on the Sky Digibox? Or is this just for people who don't know about the 20008 Tivo IR codes set?

[Rob Nespor Bellis]

Yes, you are spot on Pete77. If you wake up the sky box over the rf2 rather than the IR it does not do widescreen switching and from memory also only composite out rather than RGB.

Rgds,

R.

[Pete77]

Yes, you are spot on Pete77. If you wake up the sky box over the rf2 rather than the IR it does not do widescreen switching and from memory also only composite out rather than RGB.

Bang goes the idea of using Sky Eye then unless I want to splash out on the Acme version.

By the way Rob why do your 556 posts seem more like 5,000. It must be the weighty and technically profound content of the posts you usually make.

[Rob Nespor Bellis]

My post count ( and that of a few others ) got reset during one of the board upgrades :(

By the way the guy who does the Sky Eye stuff is a top bloke, even did me a custom acme version to overcome a problem with my sky box. Highly recommended.

Rgds,

R.