Magic eye problem

[derekreid123]

Been reading through this post and have similar issue.

My system has been working fine for a good 10years or so and now all of a sudden I seem to have intermittant issues with the magic eyes.

I have a sky box that feeds main TV via HDMI, coax out RF2 runs to loft where I have a 4 way splitter, the splitter is not powered but as I say been working fine for years. Over the past few weeks been having issues with trying to change channels in any TV's with a magic eye. It will be working fine, magic eye on, picture on TV, remote changing channels then all of a sudden you go to change channel again and does not work. The red LED is lighting on the magic eye to say it is receiving the request from remote but doesnt do anything. It is as if the command is not getting back to the sky box to tell it.

This sometimes happens when TV is on and usually always when you need to try wake box out of standby first thing in morning. Pretty positive mines has nothing to do with timings as it happens at all different times.

I see some mentioning a remote app for mobile, what one is this would like to give it a try?

If anyone has any ideas on how to resolve would be great to hear them.

[TrevB42]

I did away with all my magic eyes and now use the app 'Sky Uk Remote'

[derekreid123]

Amazingly as soon as finished writing about issues above I went back to TV and magic eye was working again. Won't be too long till it fails again though. Definetely an intermittant signal issue.

Forgot to mention I got another HD box and replaced my original box but didnt resolve it.

[derekreid123]

Hi mate just got app, wow.

Didnt exepct it to work but what an app.

Is there anyway of controlling the TV volume from the app also, or is that just asking too much lol.

[Mark39]

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@derekreid123 wrote:

Amazingly as soon as finished writing about issues above I went back to TV and magic eye was working again. Won't be too long till it fails again though. Definetely an intermittant signal issue.

Forgot to mention I got another HD box and replaced my original box but didnt resolve it.

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Most likely a bad connection somewhere along the cable run. Do you have magic eyes connected to any of the other splitter outputs, and if so is it working ok?

With regard to the app, it doesn't work by generating any infra red signal so can't be used to control your TV, I'm afraid.

[derekreid123]

All magic eyes stop working at the same time.

I have checked and there is power coming out each of the splitter outputs and is still powering the magic eyes when it stops working.

It seems to be ok sending signal but its the odd time it seems to not send signal back to sky box to either wake box up or change channel

[Hobbypremium]

You can get an app to control the tv volume its a separate app you install it by the make of your Tv

[Forever+Customer]

I eventually took the plunge and moved from the old Sky+ HD box to a Sky Q box.  I have eventually managed to replicate the same functionality of the Sky+HD RF2 out using a digital RF modulator to take the HDMI signal and convert it to DVB-T so my existing distribution amp and co-ax cabling and and all my magic eyes still work with TVs in other rooms.

I got fed up of the old HD box not having any facility to run apps (not even the free ones like itvx).

I found that Technomate and Triax modulators both worked and I now have 2 of each distributing my SkyQ, my CCTV and Freeview recorder/DVD player.

https://www.technomate.com/products/TM%252dRF-HD-IR-V4.html

https://www.triax.com/product/mod103t-hdmi-to-cofdm-modulator/

No need to re-cable everything in ethernet with RX/TX modules or use massive HDMI cable with splitter/boosters and the has the added benefit that the remote picture is now much higher quality being digital.

[Mark39]

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@derekreid123 wrote:

All magic eyes stop working at the same time.

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That would suggest a poor connection between the RF2 socket and the input of your splitter, or the splitter itself or your Sky box,. My money's on the first of those, especially if the connectors at one or other end of the cable aren't soldered.

[Forever+Customer]

I have 9 remote eyes in operation and a few different makes.  I have seen occasions where most if not all of them stop working properly at the same time then suddenly come back to life again after a few hours.  I don't believe this is anything to do with the coaxial cable terminations.  These connections are mechanical not soldered by design anyway being push fit or 'F' type and as long as you have clean terminations with no stray strands from the outer braid/shielding compromising the core/conductor then that's as good as it gets.  You can make these cables yourself quite easily and improve longevity/reliability by using good quality crimp type F connectors rather than the push fit type but there really is nothing much to go wrong here.

I believe the main issue to overcome with these IR eyes is RF interference affecting the return path bypass.  RF interference can come from a range of sources many of which are completely outside of our control but I've even found that TV sets themselves can also interfere with the functionality of magic eyes (radiation from the screen?) so placement of the eye itself can be a factor (ie top/bottom/forward or back of display).  Direct sunlight on the eyes also affects them as does certain LED lighting setups.

Through some trial and error, (a few cable run adjustments away from routes close to or parallel with power cables and careful positioning of the eyes themselves) I've managed to arrive at a position where all 9 work nearly all of the time.  I have one that is still occasionally problematic and it's on an older TV which is one of the first generation LED backlit models so I'm thinking maybe local interference from the screen itself.