SKYPLUS AND SKY MULTIROOM

[JSM]

Hi Wizards,

My local firm in Leeds appear to know what they are doing but I thought I would run a check with the experts.

I have a flat in Headingly. Unfortunately it only has one cable and therefore I have not been able to get SkyPlus or multiroom. However, my local firm say that I can have both if they install a Single Cable Router with four feeds. They say I can have a SkyPlus box and my old box in the living room with multiroom extending to the two bedrooms and that video senders could be installed in the bedrooms to operate the Sky boxes.

Does this all sound as if it would work?

Also, as I am new to SkyPlus I would be grateful for answers to the following questions.

If I go out and leave Sky tuned into a sports channel, will it automatically change to the movie channel if I have chosen a movie to record in SkyPlus?

Would I be able to record a programme on SkyPlus and watch it later in the bedrooms?

Could I watch a programme live on Sky in the living room while someone simultaneously watches a recorded programme on SkyPlus in a bedroom?

The local firm have quoted £400 for the entire works including SkyPlus, Router, Video Senders and labour. Does this seem okay?

Very grateful for any advice given.

 

[gregers]

yes you can only watch a recorded program from the box that recorded it.

it will record a program whilst set to another channel.

again the program can only be watched from the box that recorded it.

with sky+ you have 2 co ax cables.
with multi room you will have more,
i recently had sky+ put in in my bedroom and had normal sky put in the kids bedrooms so i have 6 cables coming out of my lmb.
hth a little.

 

[ericmark]

Hi Wizards,

My local firm in Leeds appear to know what they are doing but I thought I would run a check with the experts.

I have a flat in Headingly. Unfortunately it only has one cable and therefore I have not been able to get SkyPlus or multiroom. However, my local firm say that I can have both if they install a Single Cable Router with four feeds. They say I can have a SkyPlus box and my old box in the living room with multiroom extending to the two bedrooms and that video senders could be installed in the bedrooms to operate the Sky boxes.

Does this all sound as if it would work?

Never heard of a system like this. Basically coax will not carry enough information on the frequency used by the LNB to send to sky box. In theory you could change the frequency at the LNB and then add the second LNB's information to first then split again at the Sky box. But I have not seen a device to do this. Sky+ will work with a single coax but then you can only receive one multiplex so can't record one and view another.

Also, as I am new to SkyPlus I would be grateful for answers to the following questions.

If I go out and leave Sky tuned into a sports channel, will it automatically change to the movie channel if I have chosen a movie to record in SkyPlus?

In a way, It does change channel but only for the recording the viewed channel will not change unless you are recording two and even then if turned to standby when you switch on again it will still be one the channel you left it on. So you lose the ability to record multi programs with a stand alone recorder but gain ability to record two programs a the same time with the Sky+ box.

Would I be able to record a programme on SkyPlus and watch it later in the bedrooms?

Yes and with digi-eye you can have same control in bedroom as with main TV.

Could I watch a programme live on Sky in the living room while someone simultaneously watches a recorded programme on SkyPlus in a bedroom?

No only one program can be viewed at a time.

The local firm have quoted £400 for the entire works including SkyPlus, Router, Video Senders and labour. Does this seem okay?

Very grateful for any advice given.

Video senders do not normally work with digi-eye. Normally they require you to select programs at main TV. Hard wired coax does allow use of digi-eye and Sky box can be controlled from any room.

Since I have never seen the device to send the info from two LNB's through one coax remembering information goes in both directions so must be a complex box, I have not a clue on the price.

Personally I am sceptically on if such a box exists. I will watch this post with interest.

 

[ChrisFrost]

ericmark (and all), this is possible - Sky+ on a single cable.

There's a product made that can take two LNB feeds and put them down a single cable. At the other end of the cable is a box to separate the signals again. It's called a Stacker/Destacker Have a look at this link

 

[ericmark]

Thank you as I said I know in theory it could be done but had never seen the device before. Not cheap but in flats etc all makes sense.

 

[JSM]

Very many thanks to everyone who replied. I got the reply below from another forum in case it is of use to anyone.

------------------------

Hi

Yes, from what I've read a Single Cable Router can deliver four satellite sockets from one - rather clever. It's actually two units; one in your flat and the other fitted in the building's IRS system (on the roof/behind a secret panel on the top floor). You might need to arrange with your landlord for the satellite firm to have access, if they're not to "jemmy it". It requires compatibility in the firmware of the receiver/recorder units used with it; that's becoming commonplace fortunately. As you can see in the link, the SCR set is the most expensive item in the job (ex. labour), at £125 alone.

I think it'll be best to have both Sky units placed in the living room. So that live Sky can be watched there whilst the Sky+ is controlled from a bedroom, ideally your TV has at least 2 Scart sockets - so you can simply have Box 1 & Box 2 on memorably separate "AV" inputs of the TV. That said, there'd be advantage and no problem with the Sky+ looping-thru a DVD recorder for dubbing from it to DVD on occasion.

Bear in mind both Sky units will be physically connected to the living room TV, so both/either will inevitably be viewable there. You'll also definitely need 1 video-sender to transmit from the Sky+ to the (master) bedroom. In flats nowadays, it'd be sensible to opt for the more expensive 5.8 GHz band models because they're less suceptible to interference on vision from (your and other residents') Wi-Fi networks - but they're typically priced around £80 per set (from a small retailer). You only need 2 video-senders, if someone would ever want to be watching Sky+ playback in the (master) bedroom and simultaneously someone(else) wants to watch a live satellite station in the (junior) bedroom. You don't need a second video-sender to watch a live satellite station in the living room because - remember - the standard Sky STB has a Scart (wired) connection to the TV too! OTOH, having a sender per Sky unit gives most flexibility.

In answer to your questions about Sky+ capabilities in an SCR system: 1. Yes! 2. Yes! 3. Yes! Having your subscription Sky channels on available on two units in a household constitutes Multiroom, which raises your Sky payment by £10pm/£120pa; use of Sky+ has no extra charge. Both units must be connected to a phone socket - they're happy to share, using a "phone socket doubler". After 1 year of Multiroom you'll be freed - if you wish - to economise by ceasing it from the standard STB, thus saving the supplement. The standard STB (with "viewing card" kept inserted) will continue operation as a "Freesat from Sky" STB, still delivering more stations than Freeview!

If the £400 price is a firm quote, includes a brand-new Sky+ HDDR, the SCR set, 2x 5.8 GHz video-sender/receiver sets, all labour and VAT then it's fair. As with any commissioning of tradeworkers, it doesn't hurt to seek at least three competing quotations, for comparison. Of course, be suspicious of any below £360, unless they're for the job with only 1x 5.8 GHz video-sender or 2x of the older 2.4 GHz type.

The same outcome as using the video-sender sets can be achieved by instead laying a co-axial cable to each bedroom, one from each of the two Sky units' "RF2" socket and attaching a "Sky Link" remote extender unit on each bedroom end. This involves cheaper hardware but will be more expensive in time/money/labour and would have to be repeated if you moved flat. An advantage of co-ax cable over (wireless) video-senders, is that the TV your household is viewing in the bedrooms is private/secure. Your neighbour(s) could adjust their similar units to "snoop" on the TV material being watched by your household - your low-power transmissions aren't encrypted! When satellite TV is being watched only in the living room, this can be prevented by switching-off the power to your video-senders.

Check the Sky+ unit you're supplied is brand-new and remember you own the Sky STB you have (it isn't on loan to you, unlike some Pay TV platforms), so don't be duped into having it "stolen by consent"!

Regards
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