Moving House - Sky in 6 Rooms

[rossyl]

Hi All,

We are hoping to move house (fingers crossed) and when we do, we'll be having Sky - we'd like to distribute that around the house.

I've a bunch of questions, that I am hoping someone can help me with please. I've read other thread, but they are a few years old now and I know tech moves fast!

In our current house we have a SKY+ HD box, with Sky distributed via the RF Out to multiple rooms in the house. The signal isn't the best with some rooms it being very poor.

Whilst we plan on taking our SKY+ box with us and retaining the RF out, we are unsure if it will be possible to do so? Or, as we'll be moving house and setting up a new connection, will Sky force us to take their Q box (without the RF out)?

Whether they do allow us to re-use the Sky+ Box in a new house, I do wonder if Sky eventually will force everyone over to Sky Q.

I'm therefore wondering if we plan for Sky without an RF Out. If so, it looks pretty complicated.

I believe we'd need

• x2 CAT 6 from one central point to every room.
• SKY box plugged into a distribution product
• All CAT6's plugged into the Distribution Product
• HDMI Baluns at each TV point.

Is that correct?
Do i need more or less?

Location of Sky Box
Could this go in the lounge, with a wire running from there to the "central point" where all the CAT6 cables are?
That way we could use the Sky remote (actually a Harmony) in the main Lounge

Location of Central Point
I was thinking in the basement.

Internet
Could Internet be run over those same CAT6 cables, or do you need a separate CAT5/6 cable?

IR
I would not bother with IR
The SKY box can be controlled from the app on your phone. Fewer remotes the better.

Aims/Rough Set Up
Lounge:

• Full Sky HD, output to AVR with surround.
• Sky Operated by remote in room

Kitchen / Bedrooms:

• 1 Sky channel in all rooms with good quality picture up to 50"
• Sky operated by phone App
• Freeview with strong signal
• Internet via CAT cable

Also - any recommendation on what to use and rough cost?

I am hoping the above makes sense! Thanks very much

 

[Joe Fernand]

'I am hoping the above makes sense!' - it all makes 'sense', though for many folk it is not how they now consume content.

The number of rooms and number of folk who are using the system will tend to shape how you put a modern system together - which for the most part will omit 'centralised' shared source devices and use Smart TV's, low cost streaming devices and the ability to 'cast' from portable devices to provide a huge degree of flexibility.

If you want to move your SKY+HD system that should still be an option for you.

Joe

 

[rossyl]

Thanks Joe

There's just two of us, so we tend to watch the same thing off Sky. So it's OK if it's the same channel everywhere.

What would you suggest for that wort of use?

Thanks

 

[rossyl]

I also wonder if something less complicated might do for our purposes?

 

[Joe Fernand]

Assuming the 'new' house is wired with an RF distribution system and SKY is your platform of choice I would think simply taking your current kit and subscription with you would be ideal solution.

Joe

 

[rossyl]

Assuming the 'new' house is wired with an RF distribution system and SKY is your platform of choice I would think simply taking your current kit and subscription with you would be ideal solution.

Joe

I strongly doubt it is set up with it. Thiugh we could run it. My concern is when the RF Out is no more.

Anything like a Slingbix or similar?

 

[Joe Fernand]

SKY Q with mini’s and a multi room sub is SKY’s solution - with playback on an iPad or similar as an add on.

Slingbox - is discontinued so not what I’d get into as a long term solution.

HD over LAN is an option - though you are looking at around £250 per end point once you add in all the components, our Octava HDLAN supports 1080p plus IR. HDMI Over IP – HDLAN | PoE – Video Over IP and HDMI Video Connectivity Solutions.

UHD over LAN - would be worth considering if you want to support 4K UHD but does ratchet up the cost a fair bit. HDMI Video Over IP | PRO DSX – Video Over IP and HDMI Video Connectivity Solutions.

Joe

 

[mushii]

Or use an HDMI to RF Modulator which will allow you to distribute 1080P Sky via RF from any source with an HDMI out, as an alternative.

 

[rossyl]

Thank you just had a look into those. The Edison HDMI RF Modulator looks good.

Just trying to work out how I get 5.1 from Sky+ to AVR, but, stereo through the Edison sent round the house.

Thanks

 

[rossyl]

Just to check - is this diagram correct?

FYI, I have borrowed this from a 2yr old thread where the end result seemed to be using Sky QMinis so this was not answered.

Thanks

 

[mushii]

Yes but if it was me, i would use the main SkyQ box, stand-alone in your Living room (4k and 5.1) and with your TV, then use a Sky Mini box to feed the Edision. This way you have no compromises and you can watch an alternate sky program on other TVs

 

[rossyl]

Yes but if it was me, i would use the main SkyQ box, stand-alone in your Living room (4k and 5.1) and with your TV, then use a Sky Mini box to feed the Edision. This way you have no compromises and you can watch an alternate sky program on other TVs

Thank you.

There's only two of us and we generally watch the same thing. So no need for the second Sky Q (mini) box. Saves some money as well and ensure me and my wife actually watch some TV together!

From a fair bit of reading it seems the Dolby Digital solution is:

Sky Q to AV Amp (via Optical)
Sky Q to Splitter (via HDMI)
Splitter to 1. AV Amp (via HDMI) / 2. Edison Modulator (via coax)
Edison Modulator to RF Amplifier (via coax)
RF Amplifier to TVs (via coax)


Sky Q Audio Settings
HDMI Audio Output - Normal
Optical Audio Output - Dolby Digital


However, it would appear that sometimes Sky doesn't like outputting different audio streams, also sometimes Amp's don't like getting the HDMI video and Optical audio for the same input. Guess that is a fingers crossed moment.