New House Options - Sat/TV Options

PoolDude

Folks, I currently live in Dublin and have a Sky + sub plus two additional subs. This means I have TV in two downstairs rooms and the master bedroom. I'm likely to be building in Wexford in the not too distant future. What are the best options to maximise the amount of rooms I can have Sky in? Thanks.

Tony

PoolDude wrote:

What are the best options to maximise the amount of rooms I can have Sky in? Thanks.

Firstly dont take an electricians advice, call your local independent sat supplier.

byte

Firstly, insist on CT100 or equivalent coax cables throughout the house.

In the room intended for Sky+, request 4 downleads to the TV point - 2 for Sky+, 1 for aerial feed, and 1 for RF loopthrough from plusbox.

In any other rooms that you intend using a Sky box, request at least 2 downleads to the TV point - one for Sky, one for aerial feed.

Tony

byte wrote:

Firstly, insist on CT100 or equivalent coax cables throughout the house.

In the room intended for Sky+, request 4 downleads to the TV point - 2 for Sky+, 1 for aerial feed, and 1 for RF loopthrough from plusbox.

In any other rooms that you intend using a Sky box, request at least 2 downleads to the TV point - one for Sky, one for aerial feed.

Agreed, get loopbacks from all sky boxes to distribution point so you can watch any channel anywhere and get an extra dish feed if you intend getting a FTV box although this will mean a different dish and octo lnb as you have more then four dish feeds in that scenario.

PoolDude

Thanks for your help Folks. I guess the Octo LNB is probably a good option as I could have Sky in 6 rooms (or 8 if no Sky +)?

So I could do 2 Sky + subs (Living Room & Master Bedroom) plus a regular Sky sub (Lounge) and a couple of Sky boxes from e-bay (Kitchen and some of the other bedrooms). I have a couple of FTV cards from the UK so I won't need the subs for them?

Is the octo LNB readily available and compatible with the current SKY mini dish, I read somewhere some crowd in London (Meyers?) were doing it but what about over here?

Other than a digi sender is there a way of watching recorded Sky + films etc in another room?

Thx again for all the help.

PoolDude

Folk's, I'm going to get started on the new house soon. Can anyone help on the questions posed above? Thx.

byte

An Octo LNB is really designed to fit a proper satellite dish, at least 60cm. It may fit a Sky dish with the right bracket, but it's feedhorn isn't tailored properly to accomodate the oval shape of the Sky dish. So I suggest a proper 60cm solid dish, preferably a Triax.

As for 2 Sky+ subs AND a Sky digibox, (I assume you want the MultiRoom package at €15 per additional card). I'm not sure Sky will let you, as their system works on the premise that you only have 4 outputs, so it's either 2 Sky+ boxes, OR Sky+ and 1 or 2 digiboxes. I'm open to correction on this however! FTV cards will work grand in any box, though of course Sky+ features won't work on a FTV card.

Other than a Digisender, you can use a loop back from the RF2 output on the digibox/Sky+ box up to a distribution amp (that supports SKy TVLinks), and then you can add a TVLink to any room you've wired via distribution amp, and work the Sky from that room. That is why I suggested 4 downleads on the main Sky+ box - this way you have 1 for terrestrial, 2 for Sky+, and 1 to send up a feed of signals to the distribution amp.

Hope this helps.

watty

And an extra Sat cable incase you want a motorised free to air?

PoolDude

Folks,

The new house will be ready in about two months. The main room's, living room and sitting room have been wired with 2 lines of the cable recommended and the other rooms one (not quite what was recommended above but my brother in law (a sparky) wired it that way when doing the house, it suffices if I go with SKY and no aerial or loopbacks). Today I have 1 sky plus & box and 2 mirror sub cards & box plus 2 UK FTV cards & no boxes. Next questions:

1. Should I just get Sky to do the move?

2. Should I get an independent installer and get a octo lnb and dish to connect up all rooms that have been wired (6 rooms) (How much)?

3. Will either take the wiring that has been done and connect that to the dish or will they want to do it their own way?

4. What else should I look out for?

Thx.

cast_iron

PoolDude wrote:

Folks,
1. Should I just get Sky to do the move?

An independent sat dealer would be much better (more flexible).

PoolDude wrote:

2. Should I get an independent installer and get a octo lnb and dish to connect up all rooms that have been wired (6 rooms) (How much)?

Yes. Ring around your local area.

PoolDude wrote:

3. Will either take the wiring that has been done and connect that to the dish or will they want to do it their own way?

They will prob just extend the existing cables to the dish. (Assuming the tails in the attic don't reach the dish location).

PoolDude wrote:

4. What else should I look out for?

Don't the (sky) mirror subs require a phone line to each box? I get the feeling there prob isn't a phone socket beside the tv sockets?