Sky Q awkward installation

culsoh

When we built our house 10 years ago, all TV wires were brought back to a central place in the attic. We have a sky box with RF output into a booster and the signal is distributed around the house, changing the channel via Magic eye.

We are upgrading to Sky Q with 1 mini box on monday and I'm just wondering what will be the best way to install. I know it wont be done the same as theres no RF outputs anymore. Can we have the main box still in the attic? Use a mini box in sitting room and then get another box for another tv??

The Sky rep said we could use the Sky go app to watch content on other tellys but we dont have a smart tv, only chromecast and the app doesn't allow casting.

Slippin Jimmy

culsoh wrote: »

The Sky rep said we could use the Sky go app to watch content on other tellys but we dont have a smart tv, only chromecast and the app doesn't allow casting.

The only way to do this is via HDMI. You will need a laptop with a HDMI port to mirror what is on the laptop to your TV.

fman

I don't see any reason it wouldn't work that way. Unless there's any way to run a longer HDMI cable and ir repeater to the attic, the only downside would be kind of sacrificing the main box and not getting to watch TV on it.
I suppose the question is, would you put up with recabling, drilling etc and moving the main box to your main room and then moving the minis wherever since they don't need any cabling back to the dish anymore.

The sky go app suggestion seems to be a red herring really, only really of use on devices.

The Cush

culsoh wrote: »

We are upgrading to Sky Q with 1 mini box on monday and I'm just wondering what will be the best way to install. I know it wont be done the same as theres no RF outputs anymore. Can we have the main box still in the attic? Use a mini box in sitting room and then get another box for another tv??

HDMI over co-ax with return IR - https://www.freetv.ie/hd-to-rf-modulator/

Converts the HDMI output of the SkyQ box to a DVB-T channel that can be carried over the existing co-ax cable and tuned in as a channel on your TV. Saorview can be piggybacked also. The LCN (DVB logical channel number/epg location) can be pre-programmed into the unit so that it will appear in the location required after a retune.

My brother has one setup like this with the SkyQ box tuned to channel 8 on the TV with Saorview from 1-7. If Saorview isn't required it could be tuned to channel 1 for example.

Be sure the installer can leave you with the SkyQ IR remote control as the fancy SkyQ touch remote is bluetooth and won't work over the return IR and is probably too far from the attic to work anyway

The mini boxes connect to the main box wirelessly so no issue with cables.

culsoh

The Cush wrote: »

HDMI over co-ax with return IR - https://www.freetv.ie/hd-to-rf-modulator/

Converts the HDMI output of the SkyQ box to a DVB-T channel that can be carried over the existing co-ax cable and tuned in as a channel on your TV. Saorview can be piggybacked also. The LCN (DVB logical channel number/epg location) can be pre-programmed into the unit so that it will appear in the location required after a retune.

My brother has one setup like this with the SkyQ box tuned to channel 8 on the TV with Saorview from 1-7. If Saorview isn't required it could be tuned to channel 1 for example.

Be sure the installer can leave you with the SkyQ IR remote control as the fancy SkyQ touch remote is bluetooth and won't work over the return IR and is probably too far from the attic to work anyway

The mini boxes connect to the main box wirelessly so no issue with cables.

Will I be able to do this myself or would you need a professional?

I presume this would work like my current system? Leaving the main box in the attic, with the HDMI yokey into the splitter?? Then, how do you change the channel on the TV in the sitting room say?

The Cush

culsoh wrote: »

Will I be able to do this myself or would you need a professional?

I presume this would work like my current system? Leaving the main box in the attic, with the HDMI yokey into the splitter?? Then, how do you change the channel on the TV in the sitting room say?

You may be able to do it yourself, I assume the instructions will guide you.

That particular model has an IR return via the co-ax using a red-eye IR receiver in the main room beside the TV and a IR blaster in the attic positioned in front of the SkyQ box. Any splitter would have to have DC bypass for the IR return.

To change the SkyQ channels in the living room you would have the TV tuned to the UHF channel used by the HDMI modulator and use the SkyQ infra-red remote to change channels on the SkyQ box in the attic via the red-eye IR receiver beside the TV to the infra-red blatser in the attic.

culsoh

Does the cable from the dish have to go to the main sky box? My tv in the sitting room is internal, how will they run the wires? I hadnt to worry about this before. If they start drilling my OH will go crazy.

The Cush

culsoh wrote: »

Does the cable from the dish have to go to the main sky box? My tv in the sitting room is internal, how will they run the wires? I hadnt to worry about this before. If they start drilling my OH will go crazy.

Two cables from the dish to the new box in the attic - which you probably have already, new wideband LNB on the dish.

You can use the existing cable from the attic to the TV point if you are going with the HDMI modulator, no new cabling required

If you plan to locate the new SkyQ box beside the TV now, 2 cables from the dish will be required for the new-tech wideband LNB. There is another option that only requires a single cable from a dSCR multiswitch in the attic which is in turn fed by 4 cables from a quattro LNB on the dish, single cable routing (SCR) technology

Marcusm

All of this sounds horrendously more complex than simply buying two sky q mini boxes to act as slaves to the Sky Q silver. Be aware, based on 4 years of usage, that you will have to reboot the main box on a regular basis if it is rarely used. The attic might not be the best place for that type of set up.

kbell

Marcusm wrote: »

All of this sounds horrendously more complex than simply buying two sky q mini boxes to act as slaves to the Sky Q silver. Be aware, based on 4 years of usage, that you will have to reboot the main box on a regular basis if it is rarely used. The attic might not be the best place for that type of set up.

It’s pretty straight forward really.

billbond4

Just to note there is a slight lag between the techomate hdmi modulator and the sky box.
I have one with my sky+ and I much prefer to watch the output from it that the crappy uhf output from the sky box rf2, proper HD picture and stereo sound.

The Cush

billbond4 wrote: »

Just to note there is a slight lag between the techomate hdmi modulator and the sky box.
I have one with my sky+ and I much prefer to watch the output from it that the crappy uhf output from the sky box rf2, proper HD picture and stereo sound.

My brother has one with SkyQ with no issues

billbond4

The Cush wrote: »

My brother has one with SkyQ with no issues

There will always be a slight lag due to the recoding of the hdmi onto dvt signal, its not that much.
Its just a little bit more noticeable when your using the menus and you press a button. But it's well worth the money