Satellite TV

[kotecki]

Apologies for posting here but I cannot post on the DIY thread

Has anyone any idea, or experience of fitting a satellite TV in a vehicle?

When travelling I am stuck on a stretcher looking at the roof of my stretched limo (Sprinter van) Do satellite televisions really work on a moving vehicle and if so what type of aerial would they need and what gadgetry would aIso be needed?

 

[JBell]

Probably better using your phone as a WiFi hot spot and streaming on a smart TV

 

[kotecki]

How much data would that use please if I had it running for perhaps four hours?

 

[JBell]

How much data would that use please if I had it running for perhaps four hours?

No idea. A friend of mine has satellite TV in his Caravan and he has to have the dish up to use it which would be a problem when travelling

 

[rf065]

Might be best asking on one of the motorhome forums. They seem to have more experience of TV's.

 

[kotecki]

No idea. A friend of mine has satellite TV in his Caravan and he has to have the dish up to use it which would be a problem when travelling

Apologies for asking about data but I think my phone has has a 2gb data allowance per month. I am asking questions on a topic way above my pay-grade and is satellite tv the same or similar to DAB TV?

 

[JBell]

Apologies for asking about data but I think my phone has has a 2gb data allowance per month. I am asking questions on a topic way above my pay-grade and is satellite tv the same or similar to DAB TV?

You would need more than 2Gb

 

[Blobcat]

I’ve fitted digital television (free view) to the VW Caravelle I had. It was a twin tuner Kenwood model and worked remarkably well.

The reason you can’t post in the DIY section is that is for. “How to” guides. You need to post questions in the regular technical areas. (I’ve moved this thread for you)

 

[kotecki]

I’ve fitted digital television (free view) to the VW Caravelle I had. It was a twin tuner Kenwood model and worked remarkably well.

The reason you can’t post in the DIY section is that is for. “How to” guides. You need to post questions in the regular technical areas. (I’ve moved this thread for you)

Thank you for shifting me to the correct location and if you do not mind me asking, what model Kenwood, do you have a separate monitor and what type of aerial does the system have please?

 

[LostKiwi]

Satellite TV will not work in a moving vehicle for the simple reason the dish needs to be accurately pointed at the satellite to receive the signal. Even a bump in the road can upset this.

Digital Terrestrial TV is more likely to work but coverage on the move will be patchy and frustrating.

Streaming using a data SIM is likely the best solution.

Data usage is around 700MB to 1.5 GB per hour depending on picture quality assuming you aren't streaming 2k or 4k).

 

[Botus]

they had freeview capable TV tuners as an option in Mercedes since 2006 - but this is early tech and doesn't cope well these days as they wound back signal strength and split 35 functioning channels in to 135 weak signals - it might work on newer better higher sensitivity tuners and antennas but not the ones Mercedes used circa 2006 to 2011

the intriguing bit is my car has 4 separate antenna feeds into its OEM TV tuner, how they set them up to work I'm not sure.... one way might have been 4 separate tuners and the programming is all delayed as it tries to mix and match the best picture each is receiving and join them back together.... it doesn't work - which makes you wonder how cheap Chinese stuff with one tuner and one antenna copes. Did the tech in tuner sensitivity really go from £1000 quid non functioning in 2006 to 25p that does in 15 years ?

 

[kotecki]

they had freeview capable TV tuners as an option in Mercedes since 2006 - but this is early tech and doesn't cope well these days as they wound back signal strength and split 35 functioning channels in to 135 weak signals - it might work on newer better higher sensitivity tuners and antennas but not the ones Mercedes used circa 2006 to 2011

the intriguing bit is my car has 4 separate antenna feeds into its OEM TV tuner, how they set them up to work I'm not sure.... one way might have been 4 separate tuners and the programming is all delayed as it tries to mix and match the best picture each is receiving and join them back together.... it doesn't work - which makes you wonder how cheap Chinese stuff with one tuner and one antenna copes. Did the tech in tuner sensitivity really go from £1000 quid non functioning in 2006 to 25p that does in 15 years ?

I must have somehow missed that option. My 'stretched limo' is a November 2012 model with COMAND but I cannot recall that option... My bad.

I do have a freeview set-up in the vehicle but it is useless, so no sense going back to that company..

I like the idea of going onto a mobile home forum but if possible,

 

[Blobcat]

Thank you for shifting me to the correct location and if you do not mind me asking, what model Kenwood, do you have a separate monitor and what type of aerial does the system have please?

Can’t remember the exact model, I got the tuner separate to the head unit, I’d have a search on the Kenwood site and see if they have a newer version.
Antenna wise there are 2 semi-directional, I pointed one forwards in a side window and the other backwards in another side window on the other side of the car.
I was very impressed with it.
The VW came with a 10.5” drop down TV, I wired the Kenwood head unit into it. I could play something different in the front and have the TV or iPod with movies or anything else playing in the back. I occasionally put the sat-nav up to show distance to destination- was just like being on an aeroplane but without the standing around waiting…

I did a thread on it here, although it’s too old now for our search engine to find it.