Watch TV in multiple rooms

In this age of multi-channel television more and more of us have access to tens or even hundreds of TV stations through a single set-top box, be it from Sky, Freeview, Telewest or whomever. But ‘single set-top box’ is the operative phrase in that opening sentence, as that’s all subscribers commonly possess.

If you have a TV in the bedroom, say, then such a state of affairs might prove frustrating: you can happily tune in to Sky Movies when sat upright in the living room but not when sprawled horizontally, pending imminent slumber.

Of course, these services will happily rent or flog you an additional set-top box, but that could be a costly ongoing expense. Alternatively, consider a video-sender package.

Sender essentials
Video senders comprise two parts: the video sender itself, and a complementary video receiver. The video sender plugs into a video-receiving source – like a digital set-top box, or just a plain old UHF television aerial socket – and transmits the output to the video receiver, which will be plugged into the back of another TV.

As well, a video-sender system will generally have the ability to relay remote control commands, so the channel-changing zapper that usually sits on the side of the sofa can become a bedside beamer.

Thought of another way, video senders are like walkie-talkies for television programmes. Indeed, as they send both video and audio, they’re more accurately described as audio/video (AV) senders.

Pick and choose
That’s a simplistic summation of the technology. In terms of variety, there is a fair spread of choice in the sender market, ranging from cheap and rather ugly to costlier and significantly more chic.

And inevitably, AV sender packages may be either super-simple to set up and use or considerably more intricate in their make-up. Before continuing, though, do note that the following mentioned products are not specific recommendations, but illustrations of what’s currently available.

It is important to consider your existing home-entertainment setup, and how and where you might want to beam its output, before buying a video-sender device.

At the lower end of the price, complexity and aesthetics scale sits the Rimax Audio Video Sender & Receiver (£39). This product has looks to match its budget price, with shrunken-satellite-dish-style antennas that are likely intended to look high-tech while in fact lending an air of a child’s toy.

That said, looks are secondary to functionality – after all, AV senders are wireless devices, so can be easily hidden away – and the Audio Video Sender & Receiver is capable of beaming the output from one Scart device, like a Freeview box, say, to another television attached to the receiving half of the kit.

Rimax claims the signal can be transmitted across a range of up to 100m (300ft), but also points out that this may be reduced by the presence of walls and ceilings. So unless your home is a roofless teepee, expect a shorter reach. Even so, a device like this should be just fine for sending a single audio/video signal to any corner of the average house.

Contrasting flexibility and style is provided by the likes of Thomson’s Scenium VS990 package – at a cost, of course. Priced at around £195, the VS990 will work its AV-sending magic on up to three Scart devices, so the transmitter could, for example, be connected to a DVD player, a Freeview or satellite set-top box and a VHS or hard disk video recorder. The VS990’s sleeker sender and receiver boxes are also wall-mountable.

Both these kits have the ability to pass on remote control commands, too, so the infra-red controllers of some or all of the sending home-entertainment equipment can be used to direct said devices from the receiving end, where you’ll obviously be enjoying the output.

Put another way, we’d advise checking that any video sender you may be considering includes a remote control ‘extender’, as running up or downstairs to flip TV channels wouldn’t be much fun.

End of senders
So, that’s the essence of video senders. They’re handy devices that can save money and the hassle of stringing wires if you simply want to watch TV and/or control devices from another room.

However, it’s important to realise that they won’t always be the best option. If you’re planning on buying a video sender to transmit the output of a Freeview set-top box to another room, for example, bear in mind that the cheapest Freeview kits now cost around £25 – cheaper than a video sender.

And if the household home-entertainment centre is shared by several people, a video sender may prove impractical – someone wanting to watch TV in a bedroom may well end up doing battle with another family member attempting the same thing in the living room.