Im totally lost with this so thought Id ask for some advice. Im having my house replastered and have bought all the satellite wiring kits etc from Maplin. I'd like to get as many wires in the wall now as possible. I may have Virgin as I dont like having a dish on the wall, but as the guy in the shop said be future proof if ever Sky + etc was wanted. Basically in the main room where the TV will be what wires will I need to run (a double satellite cable & a phone line (cat 6 cable)? I believe all the other rooms will have the same cables run to them, but a single sat cable? Any help greatly appreciated its all driving me nuts!!
Cables for Satellite etc
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In the main room install the following:
2 x CAT5E or 6 for HDMI
1 x CAT5E for Internet or other use
1 x telephone (maybe 2)
8 x WF100 - with 4 coaxial cables going to two opposite corners of the room from the Loft (or wherever your central point will be). I say 4 because you'll typically need two for Sky+HD or a Freesat PVR plus a return feed to a distribution amplifier to send signals to other rooms, plus a Freeview aerial drop-lead. I suggest duplication because wherever your spouse puts the furniture, she will change her mind after 12 months!
You may not need all this but it's a good selling point should you sell the house.
Spare telephone or Ethernet wires can be used for an intercom or doorbell, or you might install twin flex in addition.
Other rooms can be scaled down a bit, dependent on usage, but I'd still suggest a minimum of 2 x WF100 coax. Actually, for short runs (10m) you can get away with the thin WF65 but it's more easily kinked and has higher losses.
You might feel that WiFi will do some of the jobs but you can't rely on it.
On NO ACCOUNT run signal cables close to mains power cables! You might get away with it but there are safety considerations as well as the possibility of interference. Separate conduits are better.
You might also want to think about running several loudspeaker cables across rooms to cope with surround-sound AND spouse's furniture-shifting whims.
Finally, be sure to draw a plan of the position of all cable runs.
Various eBooks available to assist with planning:
http://www.The-Cool-Book-Shop.co.uk
2 x CAT5E or 6 for HDMI
1 x CAT5E for Internet or other use
1 x telephone (maybe 2)
8 x WF100 - with 4 coaxial cables going to two opposite corners of the room from the Loft (or wherever your central point will be). I say 4 because you'll typically need two for Sky+HD or a Freesat PVR plus a return feed to a distribution amplifier to send signals to other rooms, plus a Freeview aerial drop-lead. I suggest duplication because wherever your spouse puts the furniture, she will change her mind after 12 months!
You may not need all this but it's a good selling point should you sell the house.
Spare telephone or Ethernet wires can be used for an intercom or doorbell, or you might install twin flex in addition.
Other rooms can be scaled down a bit, dependent on usage, but I'd still suggest a minimum of 2 x WF100 coax. Actually, for short runs (10m) you can get away with the thin WF65 but it's more easily kinked and has higher losses.
You might feel that WiFi will do some of the jobs but you can't rely on it.
On NO ACCOUNT run signal cables close to mains power cables! You might get away with it but there are safety considerations as well as the possibility of interference. Separate conduits are better.
You might also want to think about running several loudspeaker cables across rooms to cope with surround-sound AND spouse's furniture-shifting whims.
Finally, be sure to draw a plan of the position of all cable runs.
Various eBooks available to assist with planning:
http://www.The-Cool-Book-Shop.co.uk
WF100 is the best compromise (coaxial cable of course) for price and performance. WF65 is thinner, usually sold as twin (2 joined together) and more convenient for routing around corners.
How you install it is your choice but conduit or channel might be a better idea than simply plastering over it. Having said that - I plastered over mine!
You can read about coaxial cable here:
http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/cable.htm
How you install it is your choice but conduit or channel might be a better idea than simply plastering over it. Having said that - I plastered over mine!
You can read about coaxial cable here:
http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/cable.htm
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Ah I see, so much to thing about, unfortunately the bedroom wiring is one satellite lead and a power line next to it with no conduit. Eager plasterers and not enough thought on my behalf. 
May have to be redone at this rate! Is there no service where people come to your house and advise people like me. There must be so many refurbs going on I'd of thought itd of been a good business!
May have to be redone at this rate! Is there no service where people come to your house and advise people like me. There must be so many refurbs going on I'd of thought itd of been a good business!Cheers, the cable info makes interesting reading. I've bought some from Maplin, doesn't look like the foam insulated one though, surprised thaey dont do the better one. So basically 4 chases into each corner of the room down from the loft and the other four? One side of the room has a fireplace so will never sit that side, not sure if Id need the additional two on the opposite side. Hope this all makes sense! At the moment I only have cat 6 cable, will this suffice for the phone line which is Cat 5 as you suggested. Im panicking slighty because the plasterers are back tomorrow! :/
It's a personal choice. Think about my suggestions and decide what will suit your house layout, current requirements, future requirements, whims, budget. Also think about what an absolute pain it would be to add cables once the plastering is done!
(The white foam dielectric is not simply "insulation". It's an important part of the cable construction, designed to keep the distributed impedance constant along the length of the cable. This may be meaningless to most readers so let me just qualify it by saying that coaxial cable must remain truly "coaxial". In other words, the copper wire must remain at the centre of a circular shield. Any kinks or squashing will stop the cable from being coaxial, with possibly disastrous results. So it should be installed very carefully and inspected before plastering.)
Maplin usually sells perfectly good stuff but tends to be expensive.
I didn't understand the question about your phone line. Phone cable is "twisted pair". Ethernet cable (CAT5,6) is also "twisted pair" but I wouldn't normally use it for telephone as well as data because of the possibility of "crosstalk" - especially interference caused by the ringing current.
(The white foam dielectric is not simply "insulation". It's an important part of the cable construction, designed to keep the distributed impedance constant along the length of the cable. This may be meaningless to most readers so let me just qualify it by saying that coaxial cable must remain truly "coaxial". In other words, the copper wire must remain at the centre of a circular shield. Any kinks or squashing will stop the cable from being coaxial, with possibly disastrous results. So it should be installed very carefully and inspected before plastering.)
Maplin usually sells perfectly good stuff but tends to be expensive.
I didn't understand the question about your phone line. Phone cable is "twisted pair". Ethernet cable (CAT5,6) is also "twisted pair" but I wouldn't normally use it for telephone as well as data because of the possibility of "crosstalk" - especially interference caused by the ringing current.
2 x CAT5E or 6 for HDMI
1 x CAT5E for Internet or other use
1 x telephone (maybe 2)
8 x WF100 - with 4 coaxial cables going to two opposite corners of the room from the Loft (or wherever your central point will be). I say 4 because you'll typically need two for Sky+HD or a Freesat PVR plus a return feed to a distribution amplifier to send signals to other rooms, plus a Freeview aerial drop-lead. I suggest duplication because wherever your spouse puts the furniture, she will change her mind after 12 months!
Ok I think I've got my head around this a bit now, your advice has really helped. This is all the things I have purchased going by the advice from a Maplin staff member.
At present I only have cat 6. Will this suffice point 2. Will this be three wall plates?
I have one telephone lead.
I have twin core satellite cable kit, so basically install this on either side of the chimney breast at floor level.
I also have a satellite connection kit x2. So install this also or better to use the twin core again? (quality looks better - no hollow areas around cable) and these will need four back boxes/plates?
1 x CAT5E for Internet or other use
1 x telephone (maybe 2)
8 x WF100 - with 4 coaxial cables going to two opposite corners of the room from the Loft (or wherever your central point will be). I say 4 because you'll typically need two for Sky+HD or a Freesat PVR plus a return feed to a distribution amplifier to send signals to other rooms, plus a Freeview aerial drop-lead. I suggest duplication because wherever your spouse puts the furniture, she will change her mind after 12 months!
Ok I think I've got my head around this a bit now, your advice has really helped. This is all the things I have purchased going by the advice from a Maplin staff member.
At present I only have cat 6. Will this suffice point 2. Will this be three wall plates?
I have one telephone lead.
I have twin core satellite cable kit, so basically install this on either side of the chimney breast at floor level.
I also have a satellite connection kit x2. So install this also or better to use the twin core again? (quality looks better - no hollow areas around cable) and these will need four back boxes/plates?
I'm assuming you'll have some sort of central distribution centre in the loft?
You might benefit from reading about wall plates:
http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/wallplates.htm
http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/wall_plates.htm
Loft Boxes:
http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/lofthelp.htm
Multiswitches:
http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/multiswitches.htm
Distribution amplifiers:
http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/split.htm
There's lots more free information there. Knowledge is power. Learn all you can.
You might benefit from reading about wall plates:
http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/wallplates.htm
http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/wall_plates.htm
Loft Boxes:
http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/lofthelp.htm
Multiswitches:
http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/multiswitches.htm
Distribution amplifiers:
http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/split.htm
There's lots more free information there. Knowledge is power. Learn all you can.
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