Splitting Sky Box to Multiple Rooms

WealthyB

Hi All

Moving into a new place and looking to get my Sky+ HD in 4 different rooms in the house. Right now it's not a problem that all rooms will only show the same content at the same time as it's only ourselves and our young son.

Room 1 is where the Sky Box lives (and will be connected to UPC router when it arrives).
From Room 1 there are the following cable runs throughout the house:
4 x Cat 5e running to Room #2 TV point (the main living room - LG HD 42" TV here with HDMI, USB and Ethernet connections)
2 x Cat5e & 1 x coax running into TV point in Room #3 (Kitchen area, no TV there as of yet)
2 x Cat5e running to Room #3 (Bedroom, no TV here yet)
4 x Cat5e running to the Attic (Room won't be used)

I've been looking at ways of splitting the output from the Sky+ Box to the 3 x other rooms - this looks like everything I need in a box, I love it but the price is very prohibitive.

Are there any alternatives? Running more cables is not an option, so I assume I need to work with the existing Cat5e runs; I've thought that HDMI to Cat 5e adaptors might work as a cheaper alternative for routing the A/V signal via 1 x Cat5e cable, and then using the Sky App on my Android Tablet as the remote control for the Sky+ HD Box in Rooms 2,3 & 4. It's messy but as a stop gap it'll work I'm thinking.

Am I missing anything in considering this as an alternative? Are there other options I haven't found out about yet?

Lastly, with a coax run going from the SkyBox room to the Kitchen, could we get FreeToAir on a telly in the kitchen, independent of what the Sky Box is doing?

Complete noob at this stuff so any help would be greatly appreciated folks!

The Cush

WealthyB wrote: »

Lastly, with a coax run going from the SkyBox room to the Kitchen, could we get FreeToAir on a telly in the kitchen, independent of what the Sky Box is doing?

When you say Free to Air are you referring to Saorview and/or the FTA sat channels?

For Saorview you'll require a UHF aerial connected to the Sky box and routed via the RF2 output to the kitchen or direct aerial connection to the kitchen. For the FTA/Freesat sat channels you'll require a direct connection to the dish and a sat receiver in the kitchen.

I wouldn't be able to give you any advice on Cat5 signal routing but it would have been easier if co-ax cable had been installed to each room together with the Cat5 cable but too late now.

WealthyB

The Cush wrote: »

When you say Free to Air are you referring to Saorview and/or the FTA sat channels?

For Saorview you'll require a UHF aerial connected to the Sky box and routed via the RF2 output to the kitchen or direct aerial connection to the kitchen. For the FTA/Freesat sat channels you'll require a direct connection to the dish and a sat receiver in the kitchen.

I wouldn't be able to give you any advice on Cat5 signal routing but it would have been easier if co-ax cable had been installed to each room together with the Cat5 cable but too late now.

Thanks for the reply mate, the FTA sat channels is what I was thinking. Do I need a separate dish and/or sat receiver for that or could I get the Sky installer to run another feed from the Sky dish?

The Cush

WealthyB wrote: »

Thanks for the reply mate, the FTA sat channels is what I was thinking. Do I need a separate dish and/or sat receiver for that or could I get the Sky installer to run another feed from the Sky dish?

I assume you have 2 spare outputs at the LNB on the sat dish, if so run a cable from there to a satellite receiver in the kitchen

A cheap Freesat receiver with Sky-like programme guide/channel ordering or combi TV will be required.

3 combi TVs 22"-26" here from Walker and Cello - http://www.powercity.ie/index.php?action=&par=10-11&cat=TV+22%22+-+27%22+Screen++&action=brandstory
32" combis here from walker, Cello and LG - http://www.powercity.ie/index.php?action=&par=10-12&cat=TV+28%22+-++32%22++Screen++++++++&action=brandstory

zg3409

WealthyB wrote: »

Room 1 is where the Sky Box lives (and will be connected to UPC router when it arrives).
From Room 1 there are the following cable runs throughout the house:
4 x Cat 5e running to Room #2 TV point (the main living room - LG HD 42" TV here with HDMI, USB and Ethernet connections)
2 x Cat5e & 1 x coax running into TV point in Room #3 (Kitchen area, no TV there as of yet)
2 x Cat5e running to Room #3 (Bedroom, no TV here yet)
4 x Cat5e running to the Attic (Room won't be used)

I've been looking at ways of splitting the output from the Sky+ Box to the 3 x other rooms - this looks like everything I need in a box, I love it but the price is very prohibitive.

Are there any alternatives? Running more cables is not an option, so I assume I need to work with the existing Cat5e runs; I've thought that HDMI to Cat 5e adaptors might work as a cheaper alternative for routing the A/V signal via 1 x Cat5e cable, and then using the Sky App on my Android Tablet as the remote control for the Sky+ HD Box in Rooms 2,3 & 4. It's messy but as a stop gap it'll work I'm thinking.

Am I missing anything in considering this as an alternative? Are there other options I haven't found out about yet?

There are a number of options. Most are a bit of a bodge. If holes could be drilled in walls etc and mini trunking fitted this would be the best long term solution.

If there are two current cables for Sky, you might be able to use part of one of the cables to feed a RF2 signal back up to the outside of the house, and then into some/most of the rooms. For this you would need two diplexers and a Sky compatable powered splitter at the other end and then into bedrooms. A "Sky eye" would need to be mounted at each TV.

As you linked to there are solutions designed for the problem, however they are very dependant on the length of the cable run, and the quality of the cable that was installed. There is a good chance the installed cable would be low quality and long runs. It should be easy to check if the cable has metal screening and possibly the type might be printed on the side of the cable.

Another issue you may have is that is you use up your Cat 5 for TV signals, it is then not available for internet at a later stage.

DIY installation is easy with just two Cat5e/6 cables needed per display.

Also of importance, if you are only using one Sky box for multiple TVs is you would need to send remote signals back to change the channels, pause, play etc.

For multiple HDMI, you would need multiple HDMI outputs, so you would need a Sky compatable HDMI splitter.

For non HD, non HDMI Cat5 systems there are standard definition RF to Cat5 systems.
Lexcom:
http://www.global-download.schneider-electric.com/852577A4005D7372/all/D5194A27712D8380852577AA006AACB7/$File/isc01952_lexcomhome_v3_lres.pdf

Their system can also carry Saorview UHF signals, but again your Cat5 cable would need to be high quality and screened. I found I needed to use a modulator and low frequency for decent picture quality. Again these are expensive, and do not give a great picture quality.


In terms of cost, it would probably work out cheapest to run coax cables. If you go for a non HDMI solution the picture would not look great on large TVs. HDMI to Cat5 solutions are very perticular on cable quality.

WealthyB

zg3409 wrote: »

There are a number of options. Most are a bit of a bodge. If holes could be drilled in walls etc and mini trunking fitted this would be the best long term solution.

If there are two current cables for Sky, you might be able to use part of one of the cables to feed a RF2 signal back up to the outside of the house, and then into some/most of the rooms. For this you would need two diplexers and a Sky compatable powered splitter at the other end and then into bedrooms. A "Sky eye" would need to be mounted at each TV.

As you linked to there are solutions designed for the problem, however they are very dependant on the length of the cable run, and the quality of the cable that was installed. There is a good chance the installed cable would be low quality and long runs. It should be easy to check if the cable has metal screening and possibly the type might be printed on the side of the cable.

Another issue you may have is that is you use up your Cat 5 for TV signals, it is then not available for internet at a later stage.

Also of importance, if you are only using one Sky box for multiple TVs is you would need to send remote signals back to change the channels, pause, play etc.

For multiple HDMI, you would need multiple HDMI outputs, so you would need a Sky compatable HDMI splitter.

For non HD, non HDMI Cat5 systems there are standard definition RF to Cat5 systems.
Lexcom:
http://www.global-download.schneider-electric.com/852577A4005D7372/all/D5194A27712D8380852577AA006AACB7/$File/isc01952_lexcomhome_v3_lres.pdf

Their system can also carry Saorview UHF signals, but again your Cat5 cable would need to be high quality and screened. I found I needed to use a modulator and low frequency for decent picture quality. Again these are expensive, and do not give a great picture quality.

In terms of cost, it would probably work out cheapest to run coax cables. If you go for a non HDMI solution the picture would not look great on large TVs. HDMI to Cat5 solutions are very perticular on cable quality.

Thanks loads for that post, some really good information there mate.

This is the thing - while still a noob, picture quality is really important to me, and there's no point IMO having a 42" in the main room being fed by coax from a Sky HD box. So maybe I'm missing the point massively here but why is the general consensus Coax over Cat5e, is it solely down to the messiness and finickyness of converting HDMI -> Cat and back?

The other thing is I don't want to run out of the Cat5e just on a TV feed (when I'm thinking internet and media server at a later date)

Sod it. I found THIS last night - am I absolutely crazy even considering buying it?? It looks like it will do absolutely everything I need, aimed at a beginner (i.e. easier to set up), and leaves me with cable left over for future projects

zg3409

WealthyB wrote: »

Sod it. I found THIS last night - am I absolutely crazy even considering buying it?? It looks like it will do absolutely everything I need, aimed at a beginner (i.e. easier to set up), and leaves me with cable left over for future projects

The main problem I see with such a setup is that a normal Sky+box can only output one channel at a time, so every TV would need to watch the same thing. If you can afford this unit then a multiroom subscription might be the way to go with proper coax cables installed professionally.

TV especially satellite signals are designed for high quality satellite cable, not Cat 5 or 6. Ideally each home should be pre-wired with multiple coax and Cat6. There are various ways to hide new cables such as behind skirting boards.

WealthyB

zg3409 wrote: »

The main problem I see with such a setup is that a normal Sky+box can only output one channel at a time, so every TV would need to watch the same thing. If you can afford this unit then a multiroom subscription might be the way to go with proper coax cables installed professionally.

TV especially satellite signals are designed for high quality satellite cable, not Cat 5 or 6. Ideally each home should be pre-wired with multiple coax and Cat6. There are various ways to hide new cables such as behind skirting boards.

I don't think that's right at all though.

Cost of MultiRoom:
Phone line @ €20 per month = €240
SKY Multiroom @ €15 per month = €180
Cost of 3 x Additional Boxes = €98 (first box free, 2 x boxes at €49)

So that's Year 1 costing €500 to cover the cost of the boxes and then each subsequent year costing €420 additional for Sky Multiroom in monthly fees.

Our son is 15months old - he's going to be in bed by 8pm every night for at least the next 5 years, meaning he won't be watching telly when we are. At weekends we don't have time for telly. And we don't need a landline either which we'd need for Multiroom.

So that's
Year 1: €500, Year 2: €920, Year 3: €1340, Year 4: €1760 , Year 5: €2180, Year 6: €2600 (he'll be 7 at this stage and still going to bed when we're settling down to watch any telly)

That's why I'm moving against the SKY MultiRoom subscription which is a complete rip-off IMO

Lastly the house is wired the way it is, that's not changing. That's why I'm looking for ways to work with what I have in terms of cable runs as re-wiring is not an option.

Liameter

I think the "professional multiroom system" that you linked to in your first post is the best solution, in view of your cable limitations. In fact I think it's the ONLY solution. I don't see how you'll achieve it any cheaper. Sky Digiboxes tend to be very fussy about HDMI splitters and you get what you pay for. I recommend you buy it, test it, and return it within 7 days if it doesn't work reliably.