sky+ and 2 freesat boxes

tommycahir

Hi Guys

Am a total noob to the Satellite forum so please be patient with me on this
I have done a forum search for this but have not found any answers.

OK I have sky+ installed and working, I am now thinking of connecting some other TV's in spare rooms to the dish using freesat boxes (no need for recording in these rooms) , my questions are

1. I have 2 empty ports on the sky dish can I just run one cable from each of these ports to 2 separate freesat boxes in 2 separate rooms?

2. Would the sky boxes available on ebay be suitable for this? or would I be better purchase proper freesat boxes?

3. Would connecting the 2 freesat boxes cause any degradation in picture quality on the sky+ box?

Regards
Tommy

RogerThis

Tommy,

I have setup a similar system in my house. A year after I got Sky+, I got another sky box off my brother and another I got on ebay. It was easy to set them up, running new cables from the dish through the attic to the TV's.
It doesn't affect the signal at all on the Sky+ box.
I also ran a magic eye from the Sky+ box's rf2 connection to the two TV using a loftbox. I use the magic eye a lot more now than the other old sky boxes.

Owenw

Hi Tommy, welcome to the satellite forum.

My comments are inline in blue:

tommycahir wrote: »

Hi Guys

my questions are

1. I have 2 empty ports on the sky dish can I just run one cable from each of these ports to 2 separate freesat boxes in 2 separate rooms?

Yes. Get your hands on some CT-100 satellite grade coax cable and 4 suitably sized F-connectors.

2. Would the sky boxes available on ebay be suitable for this? or would I be better purchase proper freesat boxes?

TBH, Sky boxes are a bit limited unless your planning to get mirror subscription cards for each box (and add Eur15 per box per month to your bill!).

Freesat will give you the nice 7-day EPG (electronic program guide) along with a load of free UK channels and interactive 'red button' services. Only cost is the initial purchase price for 2 receivers.

A normal satellite box will give you all the freely available channels on the Astra 2D satellites, but no EPG. Can be bought for very low prices these days.

Following on from Rogers reply - the biggest advantage the Sky boxes have over other receivers is they all work with magic eyes and this could save you having to buy 2 boxes.

3. Would connecting the 2 freesat boxes cause any degradation in picture quality on the sky+ box?

No, the quad LNB on your dish is designed to support multiple receivers.
Regards
Tommy

tommycahir

Hi Guys

Thanks for the excellent advice guys, It has really started me thinking and have changed the plan slightly as a result.

I think I have decided now as to what to do. please let me know if there is any issues with the below plan

1. Get a standard old skybox and set that up in the attic with 1 cable from dish to that and hook it to the wall mounted tv via magic eye. (Can live without epg on that TV)

2. Get a freesat receiver and set that up in room 2 with 1 cable from the sky dish. (Can live without the recording facility on this TV)

Regards
Tommy

Randyleprechaun

My advice would be to use 2no old sky boxes. You will mstill have the EPG(seven days) and interactive with the red buttons and the magic eye facility.

It's a good idea to put one in the attic to run the eyes of it.

There are ways of putting all the boxes in the attic and putting a magic eye at each TV point. You can program specific sky remotes to specific box and then you can control any box from any room provided you have the right remote for that box. It is a small bit more complicated.

RogerThis

Tommy,

All old sky box does the 7 day epg, so there is no need for a freesat box.
The old boxes are slower at changing channels than the sky+ box.

To setup a Loftbox http://cgi.ebay.ie/NEW-GLOBAL-4-Way-Professional-Loftbox-UK-SELLER-/200362866271?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_ConEle_SatCableFreeview_RL&hash=item2ea68eb65f

Use RG6 coax cable instead of CT-100, it's less than half the price and no major difference in quality. I got a 100m roll and 20 f-connector for €20 from an electical trade shop.

Run the coax from the rf2 connector on the sky+ box, to the loftbox in the attic. Run a coax cable to each TV to the loft box. Get 2 magic eyes and maybe even a second sky+ remote. http://cgi.ebay.ie/SKY-PLUS-REMOTE-BRAND-NEW-AND-GENUINE-MAGIC-EYE-/300426499968?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_ConEle_SatCableFreeview_RL&hash=item45f2d09780

You will need to activate the power on the rf2 connection by:
Press the 'Services' button on the remote control.
Press 4, 0, 1 then 'Select' button to bring up the Installer Setup menu.
Go down to 'RF Outlets' on the menu
Change 'RF Outlet Power Supply' to 'On' and 'Save New Settings'

If you run a cable from your outdoor antenna to the rf input on the Sky+ box you will get your standard Irish stations on both TV's.

Tony

Welcome to the forum Tommy. Just bear in mind that if you put the sky box in the attic you will lose stereo sound and the picture quality will not be quite as good as a scart connection. Boxes placed in attics also tend to not last as long because of the temp variations and dust normally present.

Tony

RogerThis wrote: »

Use RG6 coax cable instead of CT-100, it's less than half the price and no major difference in quality.

The quality depends on the RG6, I've seen some really nasty stuff being sold with major quality differences to CT100 type cable. Good quality RG6 is fine on shorter runs only.

tommycahir

thanks guys the problem I have with the room where I am putting solution 1 is that the TV will be wall mounted on the wall and there is no shelf etc nearby that will hold the sky box so placing it in the attic is about the only option.
It is not something that will be used alot but when the wife (or the very odd time I am! ) is using the gym equipment in there then we may want to watch different channels to what the other is in the sittingroom but I can't see the sense in shelling out for sky multiroom.

1. Get a standard old skybox and set that up in the attic with 1 cable from dish to that and hook it to the wall mounted tv via magic eye.