Monday, July 26, 2010

My UniFi IPTV Setup

It’s about 3 weeks since I’ve got my UniFi high-speed broadband service deployed. In my previous posts, I’ve written about my UniFi installation experience and some speed tests that I’ve done.

This time around, I’m going to share my experience on one of the UniFi service triple-play component, namely the HyppTV IPTV service.

Getting IPTV Up and Running

As part of the UniFi VIP5 offering, an IPTV set-top box (STB) is provided free by TM (see below). The STB connects to the TV via a regular set of A/V cables. An HDMI cable is also provided but we’ve only got a Standard-Definition TV (SDTV).

This STB is connected to the residential gateway which in turn is connected to the fiber broadband termination unit. The IPTV stream runs on a separate LAN (a Virtual LAN or VLAN) at an allocated bandwidth of 8Mbps. On the TM DLink DIR-615 residential gateway, the VLAN for IPTV connects to one of the ports (i.e. port 4).

In my home setup, the broadband termination unit and the residential gateway are placed in an area where the internal CAT5 wiring from the bedrooms terminate. This area is near the center of the house. The CAT5 wiring was done several years ago.

However, there’s no permanent wired network connection leading up to the living room where the TV and STB are located.

During installation day, I loaned the TM technicians a loose CAT5 cable for setting up and testing the IPTV service. Testing went well but I still need a permanent network connection for the IPTV.

Why not go wireless? For one, it’s simply not reliable for IPTV streaming. Wired connection seems to be the way to go but then I’ll need to pull a cable up the ceiling. Having wires snaking around wouldn’t play well with the home aesthetics either — especially the living room.

HomePlugs to the Rescue!

At the end, I settled for a pair of Aztech HL110E 200Mbps AV HomePlugs. Each unit comes with a yellow 2-meter CAT5 patch cable (see below). It’s pricey but at least there’s no need to drill holes through the ceiling. Essentially, the HomePlug technology utilizes the wall electrical wiring to transmit network data. Pretty smart eh?

Aztech HL110E - Network hub area

Aztech HL110E - Living room

200Mbps sounds like an overkill for a max 8Mbps video stream. Operational speed actually depends on many external factors. In the worst case, both HomePlugs won’t even detect each other.

It’s recommended that a HomePlug be plugged directly to the wall socket for best signal quality but I didn’t have that luxury. There are simply not enough wall sockets in the house. I had no choice but to plug each of HomePlugs to a power strip on both sides (network hub area and living room).

Here’s my exact setup:

1. Network hub area:

Residential gateway  > HomePlug > Surge-protected power strip > Lightning isolator > Wall socket

2. Living room area:

STB > HomePlug > Power strip > Lightning isolator > Wall socket

Despite getting only a red LED status (green = best, amber = good, red = fair, none = failed) on the HomePlugs, IPTV streaming still works although the setup wasn’t very ideal as you can see.

Note that I didn’t get it working the first time; one old power strip caused a failed pairing but a newer one works. So, a little patience and experimentation paid off.

LUXE TV

Now that everything works, I’ll follow up with a detailed review of the TM UniFi HyppTV service next. Stay tuned!

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97 comments:

Aaron said...

sweet setup bro!
i just got unifi today, and bump into the same problem like u. {T_T}

really thanks for the tip on how to get the problem solved! ^_^

how much did u buy the 2x HL110E for?
and where can i get one?

Thanks. ~Aaron

Jason said...

Aaron, I got the pair of HL110E from Viewnet (Low Yat Plaza) at 2 x RM119. Cheers. :)

Anonymous said...

I face similar problem. My house is 3-phase wired. Would that be a problem? The plugs must be in the same phase? tks.

Jason said...

From what I understand, Aztech HomePlugs can work in a 3-phase environment but the circuits mains must be on the same fuse box.

ordinarycitizen said...

Bro,

I m using homeplug HL110E too but cant seem to access the HD channel la i.e LUXE. Any idea why?

The thing is when I connect to STB, the middle LED on HPlug goes red but when connected to my Notebook on LAN 3, the light goes green. (p.s : tested on same power point)

Appreciate your comments.

Jason said...

@ordinarycitizen, very likely you're getting sub-8Mbps bandwidth with your HomePlug setup...which is not good enough for HD.

BTW, are you on multipoint extension sockets?

I noticed some multipoint sockets work better than others when used with HomePlugs.

Also, the active devices or appliances plugged to a multipoint socket matter. Some devices on the same multipoint socket will not play well with the HomePlug.

If possible try to have at least one of the HomePlugs plugged directly to the wall outlet.

Mandof said...

Hello guys

I just got my UniFi service a couple of weeks ago. I didn't have a TV then, so the installation guy didn't install the HYPP tv. I bought a TV tonight and I've been trying to hook it up...

I can get to the User Login page, I don't know what I should put in for my User and PIN ...

Is user my Order ID? Telephone number? :'(

I really appreciate the help :)
Mandof

Jason said...

@Mandof, perhaps it's best to get in touch with Unifi customer service. It's just a phone call away.

Mandof said...

Thanks buddy
I called last night, the telephone rang a few times then the line went dead. I thought I might ask someone who has done it before.

Whenever I called TM before (for streamyx) they asked silly question for 20 minutes, have you plugged in the modem? is the modem on? is the telephone line connected? :D

Anyhow, thanks again

Anonymous said...

I'm using TP-Link Homeplug, the IPTV works fine if I plug directly with RJ45 cable from the wifi router to the STB for the very first time for the STB box to initialize it. After that, I can use homeplug for the connection.
Without directly plugging in for the very first time, STB always fails to get the signal.
I have no idea why?

Jason said...

@Anonymous, on your TP-Link Homeplug issue, that's pretty odd. Hope someone else can help out here...

Tee Swee Tit said...

I just bought TP-Link Homeplug (RM87 x 2) yesterday and still fails to get the signal, anyone have idea how to setup?
Thanks

Jason said...

@Tee, sorry to hear about your predicament. I'm not familiar with the TP-Link units. Did you try plugging them directly to the wall outlet?

Shaiful said...

hi,

i otw getting vip5, and plan used DIR-615 as Bridge Mode + WRT54GL Tomato, my noob question is :-

IPTV, can i use with my PC in my room ? can i used same time with my TV at hall ? How can i manage/setup , what equipment need? plz guide and tqvm

Distance plan :-
a) Router IPTV - PC = 8-10meter
b) Router IPTV - TV = 10-12 Meter c) possible control different chanel with different pc/tv ? how abt remote ?

Jason said...

Hi Shaiful,

Generally, you can only view IPTV content on the TV which is attached to the UniFi IPTV set-top box or STB.

If you want to hook the STB to the PC, I suppose you can attach it to some sort of video capture device like an A/V USB stick plugged into the PC.

If you want to view IPTV content from two different parts of the house with a single STB, you might want to explore gadgets like A/V splitters and transmitters/receivers, and RF-to-IR remote control adapters. Anyway, I recommend asking someone who has real experience in this (perhaps in lowyat.net?) if you seriously want to explore this option. :)

Anonymous said...

Bro, a simple question. Can we configure the STB box to receive other iptv channel instead of the original pre configured by TM unifi. Some say can and some not. If can, how? Thanks in advance.

Jason said...

Configure the STB to receive other channels other than the pre-configured ones? I wonder what channels are you referring to...

sourcedewata said...

hi jason, wonder if u could help me with the homeplug setup. i bought a pair of D-Link DHP-306AV (just because it looks neat) and tried to hook up the IPTV. this is my setup: DIR-315 Port 4 to homeplug to pwr strip to main; STB to homeplug to pwr strip to main. other connections r standard. it displayed the main menu but there's n icon of the satellite dish with n 'x'. any idea what went wrong?

Jason said...

Hi sourcedewata, which main menu are you referring to? Thanks.

sourcedewata said...

hi jason, thanks for responding to me. the main menu i was referring to is the screen that shows the options like 'settings', 'interactive' etc. it worked when i tried to watch movie trailers in the 'interactive' menu but i couldn't get the regular channels (the x icon appeared). then i tried to plug the CAT5E to port 3 to test the internet - it worked! but when i tried again at port 4 the same problem occurred. so i reckon there's no problem with the devices, only problem getting the regular channels. pls help? otherwise i wasted RM160 for the D-Link pair and I've to buy the aztech pair which is proven :(

Jason said...

Hi sourcedewata, when the TM technicians installed your UniFi service, did they do a full test of the IPTV service via direct cable connection? I'm not sure what the problem is. Perhaps you can call up TM on the matter?

sourcedewata said...

hi jason, yes they did. no problem with wired connection. i guess the d-link DHP-306AV homeplugs which i bought are not compatible with IPTV, eventhough they're tested fine with internet. thanks for your response anyway :)

sourcedewata said...

at last... succeeded to get the unifi IPTV connection with a new pair of aztech HL110E homeplugs (yeehaa!)... stay away from d-link homeplugs fellas...

Jason said...

Hi sourcedewata, glad to hear that. Thanks for sharing it here. :)

Gabriel Ng said...

Hi Jason, I also use a Aztech homeplug. Thing is, I am using the one with ethernet + wifi N extender. The IPTV works ok, but now the internet access for computers on the wifi is gone. ANy ideas?

Jason said...

Hi Gabriel, can you describe your setup further? How do you hook up your devices? Thanks.

Gabriel Ng said...

OK, sorry... here goes.

DIR-615 Port 4 -> Homeplug -> Homeplug 'N' wifi extender and ethernet output -> Unifi set top box.

WIth this arrangement, the IPTV works ok, but the computers cannot connect to the Homeplug Wifi extender and access internet.

DIR-615 Port 3 -> Homeplug -> Homeplug 'N' wifi extender and ethernet output -> Unifi set top box.

With this arrangement, the IPTV does not work but computers can go on to the internet.

Anyway to have both Wifi internet for computers and IPTV working from Port 4???

Jason said...

Hi Gabriel, on the DIR-615, port 4 is reserved for UniFi IPTV traffic only; ports 1 - 3 are for regular Internet traffic (non-IPTV traffic).

Gary said...

Jason,

Need you advice. I plan to install UNIFI but my phone cable is at the backyard and my living hall is at front. I checked the installation (extra cables from tm point)are extremely expensive. What would be your advice for minimum cost inccured? Does it affect my alarm system too? Thanks a lot.

Gary

Jason said...

Hi Gary,

Do you mean that the fibre distribution box is at the back of your house?

You can opt to have the broadband termination unit and the wifi router located near the back of your house but you probably need to invest in a pair of homeplugs (around RM200) to support IPTV streaming from the router to the UniFi set-top box in your living room at the front.

As for the question on whether the alarm system will be affected, I apologize I'm not too well-versed to advise in this area.

Mr.Kedah said...

Hey Dude,
I need some advice here,
Off reason, i installed my unifi, my terminal and my modem is connected to my Desktop and my decoder is at my TV. There is no wire connecting both because i was told there is a wireless gadget by the unifi installers. Is the gadget Aztech Home plug cable.? Please do advice me.. Thanks.

Regards
Tenesh Kana

Jason said...

Hi Tenesh,

Yes, you can use the homeplug solution as described in my blog post.

Essentially, you need to get 2 homeplugs. Here's a typical homeplug setup:

Location 1:
Residential gateway > HomePlug > Electrical wall socket

Location 2 (near your TV):
IPTV set-top box (STB) > HomePlug > Electrical wall socket

Hope it helps.

Anonymous said...

hello guys, I want to subscribe with 5Mbps UNIFI, but i am afraid it will not ok for me because it is limited to 60GByte. Actually, 60G is quite enough if I dont use the IPTV. My question is that: Does the IPTV service counts down the monthly limit? if not, does the IPTV have a special connection through which it will not count down the limit? Is there any website that we could monitor our internet usage? Your help is highly appreciated. Thanking you in advance

Jason said...

@Anonymous, IPTV does not count towards the bandwidth limit.

Unless I'm missing something, I can't seem to find any bandwidth usage report in the UniFi Customer Portal. Perhaps bandwidth monitoring software like BitMeter or DU Meter may come in handy here.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the fast reply. Do you think because the limitation is not applicable yet. Once it will be applicable, the IPTV will start counting towards the limit?

Jason said...

@Anonymous, IPTV should function just like Astro satellite TV i.e. there's never need to worry about bandwidth limit.

william said...

Hi Jason,

I've just got my Unifi last week and with the normal installation, everything works, especially the IPTV connection to bedroom, using lan cable.

I went out and bought 4 Aztech homeplugs, 2 with 500mbps and 2 with 200mbps.

The thing is, I got the homeplug to work with internet using port 1 but unsuccessful in for the IPTV, which uses port 4.

I do not know what i did not do right.

william.

Jason said...

Hi William, it's hard to tell what went wrong with your setup from here.

When troubleshooting, if possible, try plugging the homeplug pair direct to the wall socket first (instead of a power extension strip).

If there is no wall socket to spare, try a different socket on the same power extension strip. You might want to experiment with different extension strips too.

wonder1 said...

hi bro
need opinion
my installer will come this friday

my situation:

my PC is at my bedroom upstairs
while my CRT TV which I plan to have that IPTV setup is at my living hall downstairs
meanwhile, my exiting home phone somewhere nearby kitchen

not sure how should be the setup?
got many people said that everything should be in one place...phone,PC and TV

please if you can advise me on what device I need to purchase to help reduce cost of doing cabling upstairs to downstairs or even hall to kitchen etc....

thanks dude

Jason said...

Hi wonder1, if possible, you may want to place all the key equipment (i.e. broadband termination unit, set-top-box, residential gateway and DECT phone) in your living room close to your TV. If your house is not too big, you might have luck getting WiFi signal from your bedroom. Note that the DECT phone connects to the broadband termination unit and is independent of your existing phone.

In case the residential gateway has to be placed far away from the set-top-box + TV, you might want to invest in a pair of homeplugs as described in this blog post. My advice is only go for the homeplug solution as a last resort as it will never match the reliability of a wired connection when streaming IPTV content.

Wan J said...

if that is the case, what if the signal is not reachable by my PC in the bedroom?should I ask the TM installer to lay extra cable from the router up to my PC upstairs? surely costly, right?

and talking about phone,seems like I don't have the ability to use phone upstairs especially when receiving call in the middle of the night...hmmmm

my current house alarm system connected to my existing phone line...
not sure whether can be done or not with the new Unifi...

Jason said...

If the WiFi signal is not reachable from your bedroom and you don't want to mess with additional wiring, you can also pair up your connection between the router and your bedroom PC with a set of homeplugs.

As for the phone, if you already have internal phone wiring set up to your bedroom from downstairs, then it is a matter of hooking up into this wiring from the fiber modem/BTU. Otherwise, you should still be able to use the bundled cordless DECT phone handset upstairs too but just remember to return it to the charging base downstairs from time to time.

As for the alarm question, you should also be able to make it work with UniFi.

JK said...

Hi Jason

I plan to buy 2 sets of Home Plugs (4 Units).
One set is to transmit the IPTV signal (via Port 4) and another set is to transmit the internet data (via Port 1.

Will the signal clashes (IPTV vs Internetsignal) each other?
Is there a way to set which signal to receive at the another end ?

Jason said...

Hi JK,

To prevent network collision between the IPTV network and the Internet data network, you could create two separate/independent homeplug pairings i.e. the IPTV homeplug network and the Internet data network are to be assigned a unique private network name each.

On the Aztech homeplug models, assigning a private network name can be easily accomplished by using the "Simple Connect" button on the homeplug unit itself or using the provided utility software.

Harry said...

Hi, wana ask if the Unifi need to use a HMDI cabled TV instead of normal cable TV (CRT type).

My house under reno, but UNIFI guy coming to install UNIFI. My friend said need a HMDI tv ready for installation.

But i have not yet bought my LCD TV and not feel like buying now.. So can i use normal TV for activation? TQ

Jason said...

Hi Harry, yes, you can watch UniFi HyppTV on a Standard Definition TV using standard AV cables -- works just fine. :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Jason, any solution for sourcedewata D-link DHP-306av powerline problem? I'm another victim for this & worser than before the powerline ultility can't detect the powerline in lan port 4 Dir-615.

Jason said...

@Anonymous, since I don't have any personal experience with the D-Link DHP-306AV, I'm afraid I don't really have a definitive solution. Basing on sourcedewata's comments, it appears that the D-Link units are a no-go for IPTV.

William said...

Hi Jason,


I'm planning to apply for unifi, but the problem is the IPTV. After saw your blog solution, it a great help for me.

I got several question, since many people tested either D-Link or Aztech, I would like to ask, is it all Aztech homeplug product capable to do the same thing? After i check, there is several similar product that selling at Viewnet.

Jason said...

Hi William, yes, those Aztech HomePlug models tagged with "AV" (i.e 200Mbps or better) are all capable of doing IPTV streaming.

acu said...

Hi Jason, came across your blog when I was trying to find resolution to connect Hypp IPTV via Linksys WES610N. Unfortunately, lag of luck it won't work. I can get internet connection via Linksys WES610N after successfully sync using WPS between D-Link with Linksys. I call up both Linksys Cisco and Unifi, both can't help. Linksys suggest its a compatibility issue and Unifi claim that the HyppTV can only connect to port 4 via D-Link. I saw in your blog you use powerline concept to connect your HyppTV. Do you know how to connect using Linksys WES610N? Thank you in advance for any clarifying.

Jason said...

Hi acu,

UniFi's IPTV is only available exclusively via port 4 on the D-Link. I doubt streaming IPTV wirelessly over WiFi from the D-Link to the Linksys WES610N bridge would work.

If hooking up directly via cable to the STB from the D-Link is not possible, you might want to consider the powerline option then.

Anonymous said...

Dear Jason,

Our STB recently broke down after having used for < 2 yrs and was advised to buy a replacement unit for RM 400! We are wondering whether we can buy another gadget like the Aztec Homeplug and used that in lieu of the STB which TM is overcharging. If we have plug, can we connect it to the normal TV wiring used for ASTRO or TV cable used for connecting to the regular TV aerial. Sorry my knowledge of electronics is NIL!

Jason said...

Hi Anonymous,

Sorry to hear about your STB. The STB is a *required* device if you want to continue to watch UniFi IPTV (HyppTV) programmes on your TV.

If I understand your question correctly, no, the homeplugs are not meant to be hooked up to the type of cables you've mentioned.

Unknown said...

Hi there! I just got my Unifi and plan to setup Unifi IPTV like yours utilizing the PLC. However I am not sure the lighting isolator is compatible with the PLC.

May I know what model of Lightning isolator are you using? I plan to use Cal-lab SF9812 for my setup

Jason said...

Hi Unknown, ideally, PLC homeplugs should be plugged directly to the wall outlet for best results. Anything in between the homeplug and the wall outlet would only have negative impact on performance.

That said, the homeplugs that I have (Aztech HL110E) do work with my old Cal-Lab SF9822-FC and Takawachi lightning isolators.

Recently though, I've included the Cal-Lab Powerline-Ace in my setup. This amazing device not only offers lightning isolation protection but also boosts PLC performance. You may read my review on the product here:
http://jasonong.blogspot.com/2012/02/enhancing-unifi-hypptv-experience-with.html
The product is expected to be launched in the second-half of 2012.

Encik Bob said...

Hello Jason.. Would like to thank you for sharing your experience on setting up the IPTV. Got myself the Aztech homeplugs and I've just setup my HyppTV successfully using your post as a guide. Thanks again! ;)

Jason said...

Encik Bob, you're welcome!

mamataya said...

hai jason,
want to ask.is it possible if i want to watch hypptv at two different place??

TQ

Jason said...

Hi mamataya,

Yes, you certainly can -- using add-ons such as wireless AV transmitter and receiver.

HW said...

Your post has been very informative. Just 1 question with regards to the Aztech Homeplug, is it used as 1 to 1; or it can be used 1 to many (ie. 2 to 3 homeplugs).

I note your comments that UniFi uses different ports (1 & 4) for internet and IPTV respectively.

The Aztech websites illustrations shows 1 to many but yet use the word pairing.

Thanks. HW

Jason said...

Hi HW,

It's 1-to-many per network. Note that UniFi uses separate networks segments for Internet (WiFi + ports 1-3) and IPTV (port 4).

If you're using homeplugs for IPTV, you need one unit connecting port 4 on the router and another unit near your IPTV set-top-box in the other room.

If you're using homeplugs for Internet (e.g. surfing, email, etc), you need one unit on the router side (connecting to port 1 or 2 or 3) and separate units for your Internet devices in the other areas of your house. Note that you might as well use WiFi (instead of the homeplug solution) for Internet usage if the wireless signal is strong enough.

The term pairing is used because basically a device talks to one other end-point i.e. the router. There's a simple pairing procedure that has to be done as part of the homeplug setup; this is to configure the homeplugs to be on the same network.

HW said...

Hi Jason

Managed to get a pair of Aztech HL110EP(A). Works like a breeze and is an excellent alternative to wiring.

Thanks again for your information.

Regards
HW

Jason said...

Hi HW, glad to hear that...and you're welcome! :)

Badrul said...

Hi Jason,

Saw your blog on the home plug and my predicament is this. My unifi router is located at the ground floor of my hse and I want to use the LAN for my CCTV DVR in the master bedroom without wiring. Do I have to buy 2 home plug for this or 1 is enough?

Thank you for your advise.

Jason said...

Hi Badrul,

You'll need 2 homeplugs. One connected to your router at the ground floor and another one connected to your device in your master bedroom.

Anonymous said...

Dear Jason,

Many thanks for your advise.. I'll get that done.

JO said...

Hi Jason,

I have another set of HyppTV Set Top Box Unit and a D-LInk Router. I intend to set another HyppTV unit in another room. What are the options I have for the connection. Kindly assist. Thanks...

Jason said...

Hi JO,

Thanks for writing in but I don't have a multi-STB setup myself. Therefore I can't verify if any suggestions/solutions that I give will work. Hopefully, someone who has done this can help you out here...

Gary said...

Hello Jason

Interesting reading your blog but I'm a bit of an old timer trying to keep up with a modern world so please bear with me. Currently the fibre optics are in the riser in my condo. I have a subfloor trunking to the telephone / internet outlet (currently streamyx). I also have wiring in the wall somewhere leading to my TV jack. The wiring inside is currently connected to the communal astro dish on the roof. If I go for Unifi or Astro B.yond how can I avoid surface wiring or hacking of plaster? Your advice would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Jason said...

Hi Gary,

I'll give my comments on the UniFi part.

The condo UniFi setup is a little different from the ones on landed properties. For condo setup, I suppose you can still use the copper line (existing phone/Streamyx line) that you already have. If the phone line terminates in your living room and assuming that's where you put your TV, then you're all set -- all equipment can be at one place.

However, if the copper line terminates in another area/room far away from your TV, you can use a pair of homeplugs to link them (i.e. set-top-box linking your TV and residential gateway + modem) up together to avoid messy wiring issues.

Anonymous said...

hi jason,

im having my installation tomorrow. i guess my unifi will be at downstairs since my tv is downstairs. is there any solution if i want my desktop which is at upstairs in my room to connect with unifi by using cable?

Jason said...

To (Anonymous):
Instead of cable, you could use a WiFi dongle for your desktop and connect wirelessly to the router downstairs. Of course, your mileage may vary depending on the strength of the WiFi signal. You might want to test it out with your WiFi-enabled smartphone first before investing in a dongle.

Alternatively, you can also implement the power line/homeplugs solution. You need to buy at least a pair (like the ones described in my blog post) -- one installed downstairs and another, upstairs. Homeplugs use your wall electrical circuit to transmit data.

K A Chan said...

I would like to connect and additional TV to my unifi setup? One TV is in the hall, and another is in the kitchen. Spoke to some people in Low Yat ..and they said I should use a Sarowin av transmitter. Not sure how it works or connects.

Jason said...

Hi K A Chan,

The idea of the use AV transmitter is that it allows you to "broadcast" the AV signal coming from the UniFi set-top-box to your second TV (which is attached to an AV receiver).

Anonymous said...

Dear Jason,
I have just relocated my unifi to another house. The problem is I have a server room upstairs whereby all my Ethernet cable terminate but only 1 cat 6 links from server room to tv console downstairs. Other than the Unifi STB, there's wii, ps3, DeTV and smart tv at the TV console. I tried to install a network switch at the TV console location but STB don't work. Any solution.?

Jason said...

One solution is to get a pair of home plugs to link up your STB and residential gateway. The blog post should give you some good info there.

koonliang said...

Hi Jason, when the time i subscribe unifi and i do not have tv yet. today i bought a new tv and try to setup the iptv,

I got the iptv username n password. I able to login the this username n password and plug it to Lan4. But I got an error about failed to sync time.

But if i plug to Lan3, it able to sync time but got another error, failed to obtain multicast stream.

Do I need to do any extra settings after plugging into LAN4?

Jason said...

Hi koonliang,

I'm afraid I'm not sure what the additional settings are; the TM installer did the whole IPTV setup for me. Perhaps TM's customer support may be able to help you out.

Maximum Muscle Building said...

Hi Jason,

I need advise as a non-IT guy, my unifi devices all located in the living room together with my tv and astro. It is a bit of waste to have another stb there.

I am wondering what is the best way to have my unifi stb in my bedroom without drilling the wall. Any advise? Please explain layman's term.

Thank you.

Jason said...

Hi "Maximum Muscle Building",

One way is to "beam" the signals from the STB in your living room to the bedroom TV.

To make this happen, you would need a wireless AV (audiovisual) transmitter/receiver set. You can check out the Sarowin brand or ask the sales reps at major IT retailers for product availability.

Man Churr said...

hye jason,

appreciate if u can help me.. my setup is upstairs.. but my tv is downstairs.. what is the best way to connect my tv to the iptv?

tq

Jason said...

Hi Man Churr,

Place the STB next to your TV and get a pair of HomePlugs. Implement the setup as mentioned in my blog post and you're good to go. :)

Anonymous said...

Hi guys, can the home plug work on different phase?
I have a pair of d-link home plug but it cannot work due to different phase. What can be done?

Jason said...

Hi (anonymous),

True, homeplugs won't work across phases. What can be done? Honestly, I'm not too sure. Hopefully someone can offer a solution.

Jae said...

Hi Jason. Thanks for helping out. Would like to find out, with the AV transmitter&receiver set, is it possible for the tvs to watch different channels at the same time? How about having to switch channels? Isnt it suppose to 'go through' the one and only STB? Thanks alot for helping me(us) out :)

Jason said...

Hi Jae,

The TVs will be showing the same channel.

Most A/V transmitter and receiver sets come with an IR extender/remoter which allows you to switch channels using the STB remote control on the receiver end.

J&J said...

Ah i see. Thanks very much! Really appreciate them alot! :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Jason,

I am a newbie and have decided to subscribe to Astro IPTV 10MB. Question: Can I get the contractor the set the STB at my second floor and the rest of the devices at the first floor by using HomePlugs?

I was thinking of not dragging all the devices to my main hall due to its cabling will be very obvious unless thru the roofing. Any suggestion please advice.

Thanks.

Jason said...

Hi (Anonymous),

I'm afraid I can't really give you a definitive answer on this since I have no personal experience dealing with Astro IPTV setup. I think it's best to clarify your doubts with Astro.

A little reminder: Should you go for the homeplug setup and you're in a house with a 3-phase electrical system, just make sure both adapters are plugged in to the same phase.

Anonymous said...

Jason,

Noted and will you all updated next Monday. I have decided to go for ASTRO IPTV with Broadband 10MB (RM148). Some says Maxis sucks and some say fairly good. But they can provide a better service and keep the speed consistent. At this I don't think there is any throttle in speed between UNIFI and Maxis - am I wring to say that - its unlimited?

TQ - William

Jason said...

Hi William,

I'm not sure about the throttling numbers for both services. So far, UniFi fits my needs nicely.

Anonymous said...

Both Astro and TM guy turn up. IPTV setup along with the TM modem as well. The fiber cable was tap from the back electric pole and opt for above the roofing which cost me RM170. No drill inside the house. Tested download speed 9.4MB and upload 9.6MB - well to early to predict its consistent but signal between first and second floor looks good.

Unknown said...

Hi Jason, just curious can i use 4 port Aztech homeplug to connect my HyppTV?

Jason said...

Hi Venkata, I suppose it should work.

Unknown said...

Hi Jason, How to deal with the problem of viera internet for the tv. I have connect the ethernet as well as go through the test, but it keep failed at the last stage which show "Check Server Connection". Thanks if you may share your skills.

Jason said...

Hi Ang, here is a link that might help you with the issue with your Viera TV:

http://eng.faq.panasonic.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/13838/~/why-can-i-not-connect-to-viera-cast-%2F-connect,i-get-an-error-code-of-008.

Good luck!