Page 1 of aerial systems in hotels?

Any ideas?

I was thinking of using my laptop with usb tv stick in hotels which have sky channels etc. If I plug the aerial from the hotel into the laptop will I receive tv (analog and freeview) assuming they have coverage.

I.e. How do hotels have their aerials set up? If the rooms are connected centrally to a satellite dish then my idea of course will not work. I imagine using a portable aerial will be no good as hotels are big and may have thick walls unless of course it sited next to the transmitter-not a consideration when staying somewhere by the way.

thanks

Every hotel I have stayed in is different. You have to try and see what you get. There no standard hotel specification.

I find it easiest to just watch divx files on the laptop ;)

thanks will do so.

probably best to take a load of dvds with me

I stay in a lot of hotels working away from home and have found that you tend to get the following types.

Normal TV in the room all you get is standard tv channels, disconnect the aerial and stick it in your freeview for some extra channels.

Hotel type tv in the room, funny module in back of tv with F plug going into it and co-ax and cat5 cable coming from it.
Remove the module from the Tv, you`ll need a T10 torx driver, now plug the coax into your freeview, if your lucky you might get all or some of the encripted channels if your unlucky you wont get anything (apart from freeview)

However, after removng the module the hotel tv will now work as a normal tv, as in the scart socket will now be active, to access it, turn the tv on with the main switch, wait 10-15 seconds then press channel + on the front of the TV, it will turn on and go straight to AV1. Ideal if like me you take your X-Box with you to pass away the hours.

Don`t forget to unplug the TV from the mains before removing/inserting the module. Also if you leave the co-ax cable in the aerial socket of the tv, the tv will still display the time on the front and the alarm clock will work and you will still get all normal channels, so as not to alert the cleaners you have been tampering ;)

All the best

Gerald.

Superted - I bet hotels just love you! :D