Distribution from 2 X Sky+ HD Boxes to Bedrooms - Incl Saorview?

Mango Joe

Hi All,

Looking for some help and advice from the seasoned Experts on here please

We have 2 X Sky+ HD Boxes with a multi-room subscription. Sitting Room & Kitchen (Kids Domain)

I am hoping to distribute the Kids Sky+ HD box to their 3 bedrooms and the other one then to our bedroom.

There would be 'magic eyes' on all 4 rooms and kids can take turns/fight for slots etc!

I ideally would include Saorview in the whole mix at the outset (I may dump Sky some day and make do with Saorview/Freeview?)

I also have an exterior saorview aerial on the chimney with a cable lying unused in attic - Not sure how to integrate this into the mix?

- I'd like to order all the right kit and just do this DIY after a bit of research but have been getting confused by the absolute right or best way to do this......

Was thinking I need to buy:

• 2 X Distribution Amplifiers (with bypass for magic eyes)
• Sufficient quantities of Coax
• 2 X Diplexers (For feeding in Saorview? This bit is new to me)[+ Splitters?]
• 4 X Magic Eyes

Finally I'm also a bit troubled by the fact that this whole premise is based around sharing and will possibly be a cause of inconvenience and strife.

- I can have a couple of spare Sky boxes in attic and they're €20 on Adverts.ie, should I be adding an Octo LNB and feeding each room with a new run from Dish and letting them have them option of independent freeview?

PS I know the above is a messed up jumble of thoughts really - I'd be delighted if someone just told me so and advised on the actual proper, sensible way of doing this!!!!

Thanks a million.

Joe

Johnboy1951

It might be better at this stage to look at setting up a parallel system of FTA Sat & Saorview, distributing that over your LAN (no co-ax), so that all users can access the channels on any device they wish - via LAN wired or wireless - such as Phone, tablet laptop etc.

Eventually if you decide to drop your Sky subscription you will have a ready-made set up to take over.

There are some very interesting developments in this area in recent times ..... such as LNBs which output directly to the LAN.

Mango Joe

Thanks Johnboy

Had a look but there's an awful lot to be said for the Sky setup with magic eye - It pretty much gives you the same experience as in the room where the Sky subscription is - (Albeit only if that room is vacant/duplication of program is fine!)

Maybe someone could please link some products or a guide? I'm sure this is a standard enough setup - I just haven't found to right "how-to" guide to mimic!

Johnboy1951

Mango Joe wrote: »

Thanks Johnboy

Had a look but there's an awful lot to be said for the Sky setup with magic eye - It pretty much gives you the same experience as in the room where the Sky subscription is - (Albeit only if that room is vacant/duplication of program is fine!)

Maybe someone could please link some products or a guide? I'm sure this is a standard enough setup - I just haven't found to right "how-to" guide to mimic!

On that we'll differ ..... except that all I would have to say would be bad

Even Sky have moved to what I suggest with their Sky Q

Gerry Wicklow

Given that the OP has some spare Sky boxes I would be more inclined to fit an octo LNB and put a box in each bedroom. No complex messing with multiple 'eyes' and more domestic peace (especially as they get older and program tastes change). If it is possible to run the new coaxes through the attic it should be possible to piggyback the Saorview signal onto the satellite run

Johnboy1951

Gerry Wicklow wrote: »

Given that the OP has some spare Sky boxes I would be more inclined to fit an octo LNB and put a box in each bedroom. No complex messing with multiple 'eyes' and more domestic peace (especially as they get older and program tastes change). If it is possible to run the new coaxes through the attic it should be possible to piggyback the Saorview signal onto the satellite run

That would be much better IMO than using Sky-eye for distribution.

Dunno how the multi-room sub will integrate though.

Gerry Wicklow

I'd be inclined to leave the existing sitting room and kitchen setup alone for now. If it's working don't fix it ;-) and just change to the octo lnb. No need for Saorview if they have a sub.

Mango Joe

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

On that we'll differ ..... except that all I would have to say would be bad

Even Sky have moved to what I suggest with their Sky Q

Sorry Johnboy - Please don't think I'm contradicting you - I'm technical enough but haven't ever done anything with TV distribution. I'm coming from a low and ignorant base so am def not dismissing your suggestions or saying I know any better!!!

I like the idea of the Octo LNB and the independence it gives - But I'm not really keen on upping my Sky bill (they do this every 9 days themselves anyhow as it is!!!)

Therefore this just gives me Freesat + Saorview in each room.

- In theory I could have Freesat in via HDMI and Sky+ & Saorview in also then via co-ax in?

Johnboy1951

Mango Joe wrote: »

Sorry Johnboy - Please don't think I'm contradicting you - I'm technical enough but haven't ever done anything with TV distribution. I'm coming from a low and ignorant base so am def not dismissing your suggestions or saying I know any better!!!

I like the idea of the Octo LNB and the independence it gives - But I'm not really keen on upping my Sky bill (they do this every 9 days themselves anyhow as it is!!!)

Therefore this just gives me Freesat + Saorview in each room.

- In theory I could have Freesat in via HDMI and Sky+ & Saorview in also then via co-ax in?

You are quite welcome to disagree; we all have our opinions and our different views.

If you need to have all the Sky subscribed channels available in all the rooms then that is a different story than I understood at first.

Gerry Wicklow

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

........

If you need to have all the Sky subscribed channels available in all the rooms then that is a different story than I understood at first.

Likewise, I wasn't thinking along the lines of Sky channels in each room, just FTA. Still worth considering how many Sky channels versus FTA would they require. I'm thinking want versus need.

Mango Joe

Ah am sure its all my fault - OP was more a collection of random thoughts than clear instruction.

No ideally full subscriptions will be piped down house via attic to 3 kids bedrooms from box A and master bedroom from box B. Magic eye in all 4 bedrooms.

It won't be ideal and will generate strife at times I'm sure but it will work well for a lot of the time also.

I think once that's in and I'm over the stress and confusion then I may as well stick in the octo LNB.

I just need to know what to order from Amazon and I'll get started Sat after next

Johnboy1951

Gerry Wicklow wrote: »

Likewise, I wasn't thinking along the lines of Sky channels in each room, just FTA. Still worth considering how many Sky channels versus FTA would they require. I'm thinking want versus need.

Yep ..... many people find very few (if any) 'Sky-only-channels' are needed to be distributed.

The Cush

Mango Joe wrote: »

We have 2 X Sky+ HD Boxes with a multi-room subscription. Sitting Room & Kitchen (Kids Domain)

I am hoping to distribute the Kids Sky+ HD box to their 3 bedrooms and the other one then to our bedroom.

There would be 'magic eyes' on all 4 rooms and kids can take turns/fight for slots etc!

I ideally would include Saorview in the whole mix at the outset (I may dump Sky some day and make do with Saorview/Freeview?)

I also have an exterior saorview aerial on the chimney with a cable lying unused in attic - Not sure how to integrate this into the mix?

- I'd like to order all the right kit and just do this DIY after a bit of research but have been getting confused by the absolute right or best way to do this......

Was thinking I need to buy:

• 2 X Distribution Amplifiers (with bypass for magic eyes)
• Sufficient quantities of Coax
• 2 X Diplexers (For feeding in Saorview? This bit is new to me)[+ Splitters?]
• 4 X Magic Eyes

2 question, the Sky+HD boxes, have they the necessary RF2 outputs or do the require an I/O Link to feed he signals to the other rooms?
Is it possible to run the Saorview aerial feed directly to each Sky+HD box to combine it with the Sky magic eye feeds?

If the Saorview feed is looped thru the main Sky box to the main bedroom then a distribution amp wouldn't be required for that feed.
For the kitchen box to kids bedrooms, again is it possible to get the Saorview feed to it, an F140 magic eye compatible amp would distribute it to the 3 bedrooms.

If getting the Saorview feed directly to each receiver is a problem, then it's possible to combine it down a satellite feed and split it at the tv point before connecting it to the Sky boxes.

bk

I'd got with Gerry Wicklow's suggestion of just putting Saorview and FTA sat in each room using an octo LNB and leave the Sky boxes where they are now if you are thinking of dumping Sky in future.

Get your kids used to Saorview+FTA now, sell it to them based on the fact that they can each watch whatever they want.

If you give them the option of Sky in each room with magiceye, it will just have them get too used to Sky channels and you may never get the chance to drop them. In fact it might cause lots of fighting over the magiceye and you might be forced into paying more out to Sky for 4 mulitrooms to resolve it!

Avoid all that agro now and get them use to FTA now when they are nice, young and malleable

Once you have it in and them settled in with FTA, you could even try cancelling the Sky Multiroom sub in the kitchen (or just take the card out to mimic it) and see how that goes for a few weeks. Maybe you will be surprised at how few Sky only channels they ar actually watching.

If you really do want to distribute the Sky output with magic eye, then there are a few different options, here is an example of one:

http://www.freetv.ie/labgear-4-way-tvlink-amplifier/

I'd recommend looking around this site at the various different saorview and sat combinations. The site has very good explanations of how everything works, what it does and the pros and cons. You should be able to work out the options from this site.

Mango Joe

Thanks all for talking the time to help a stranger

Am going to go with the 'malleable youth' approach..... Loved that post..... part tv guru, part child's psychologist but all good common sense!!!

Much appreciated all the rest of ye too.