[Calvados]

I’ve just popped over from the plasma forum because one of the guys reckons that I may be able to get Sky+ after all (despite being fobbed off by the agents who said that it was impossible). Can anyone confirm this or give me a viable solution.

Here’s the scenario. I've just moved into a new house and receive Sky via a communal dish that supplies at least 8 houses. Their agents told me that there aren't enough cables/lines (each house has only one) to have Sky+
‘Loonatic’ (a plasma poster) seems to think I could at get some form of Sky+ compromise using just one line.

Any ideas – I’d love to get Sky+ (and multi-room id possible!).

[Nick_UK]

You need two dish feeds for Sky+. You cannot use it with only one.

Do you really think that Sky would turn business away ?

[Calvados]

Thanks Nick_UK but since their agents won't allow us more than one line per household (idiots and/or poor planning) how can I get Sky+ if at all? I won't be able to have my own dish - that's why we have this communal farce - is there an alternative or a short cut that allows me Sky+ but means that I can't watch 'live' TV whilst recording?

[johndon]

If you want to use the recording facility at all, you need the two feeds. With a single feed the Sky+ box will be no different to a standard digibox with the expection of DD5.1 out.

John

[Starburst]

If the IF distribution system has a spare output then you could use a stacker/destacker to feed two signals down a single cable so you may need to clarify with the agents if the problem is with the number of permenant cables already laid or the number of spare outputs at the dish.

[Calvados]

Starburst, sorry for being a numpty but where does the stacker go?
I take it the agents would have to fit it at their end??? How much do they cost, who pays for it and how many extra lines will a stacker cater for? Perhaps I could rally the neighbours and share the costs...

[Nick_UK]

A Sky box sends signals up the cable to select between horizontal and vertical polarization, and to change the frequency band that the LNB is tuned into. It is for this reason that you cannot share a cable with another subscriber. If you and your neighbours are using ordinary Sky boxes to watch Sky on (i.e. it's not being decoded and fed to a different type of distribution box), then you are sharing the outputs from a multi-output LNB (the LNB is the receiver in the middle of the dish). Each feed to a Sky+ box has to be a unique feed, because the box needs to send the control signals to the dish.

[Starburst]

The stacker is connected to the IF distributer which I would expect to be close to the dish, the destacker then fits between the cable in your home and the digibox. It's purely used to allow two signals on a single cable when it is not practical to lay a second cable such as in a communal setup.
Yes the agents/operators would have to install the device and I expect you would have to pay all the costs including an increased service charge.

Some info on the Satcure website.

[Nick_UK]

You will still need two LNB outputs at the dish end - you're only saving on the cable.

[Starburst]

Originally Posted by Nick_UK

You will still need two LNB outputs at the dish end - you're only saving on the cable.

Yes I know which is why I said clarification was need to if the problem was the number of spare outputs or the lack of additional cabling.

[bobcar]

Originally Posted by Nick_UK

You will still need two LNB outputs at the dish end - you're only saving on the cable.

They may well use a Quattro (or equivalent) with a Multiswitch and then it will depend on how many outputs from that (only 4 LNBs however many outputs). Its always possible to upgrade this and not that expensive to do yourself though the agents will probably charge a bomb.

[sinbrad]

Originally Posted by johndon

If you want to use the recording facility at all, you need the two feeds. With a single feed the Sky+ box will be no different to a standard digibox with the expection of DD5.1 out.

John

As long as you subscribe to either two premium channels or pay the 10 pounds a month charge you can use sky+ with a single cable. The only downfall is that you can only record the channel which is currently selected on the digibox. You can of course watch something else that you've previously recorded, which means you don't have to sit through the current recording.

[mjn]

Surely, you only need two feeds, if you which to take advantage of the dual tuners?

With one feed, you'll still be able to pause/rewind live TV, and record programs.