Two Sky+ boxes with a loftbox?

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  • smreid
    Automated Home Lurker
    • May 2006
    • 4

    Two Sky+ boxes with a loftbox?

    Hi all,

    I am looking for some advice on distributing my Sky+ to other rooms in the house. Currently we have two Sky+ boxes, one in the Living Room and one in the Master Bedroom.

    We are having the house rewired at the moment at thought this would be a good time to run any necessary cables to allow us to distribute our sky in future. Currently we don't have a loft box and will be having four sat cables from the quad LNB run direct to the living room (2) and master bedroom (2).

    In the near future we would like to be able to watch either of the sky+ boxes in any of the 3 bedrooms, living room or kitchen. Obviously the digiboxes will be connected via scart in their respective rooms, but we would also like to be able to watch the other box in those rooms. What other cables do I need to run in order to make this possible. Also any suggestions on the type of cables, wall panels and loft box would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks
    Stephen
  • toscal
    Moderator
    • Oct 2005
    • 2061

    #2
    Re: Two Sky+ boxes with a loftbox?

    What you could do is distribute the 2 Sky boxes as home channels. That way if you are in the living room but want to watch the one in the bedroom you just go to say channel 40 on your tv.
    One way to go about doing this is to install a structured wiring system. There are quite a few on the market. Most use either Cat5e or in the case of Abitana's system a modified Cat5e cable.
    I can only comment on the Abitana system as this is what I install. On my demo system I have a terestial digibox and a dvd player hooked up as home channels , so channel 40 is the digibox and 41 is the dvd player. I have full IR remote control anywhere I have a TV.
    Abitana are at www.abitana.com
    Another one to look at is at www.konnect2.net Vex knows more about this one as this is what he installs I think.
    And there is Kieth's Kat5 system. www.kat5.tv
    There are other systems but as you have the chance a CAT5 based distribution I think will give you a more flexible system than just a TV distribution system.
    IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.
    Renovation Spain Blog

    Comment

    • vex
      Automated Home Guru
      • Feb 2005
      • 197

      #3
      This actually need quite a bit of thinking about.

      If it was a mix of a Sky box and a Sky + box it is easy as the remote signals are different and work independantly of each other.

      As they are both Sky+ they need a little more thinking about so that the Remotes don't end up controlling both boxes or the wrong one.

      I'll come back to you on that one!

      Chris
      www.intouchtech.co.uk (trade)
      NOW PART OF INVISION UK, One of the leading home technology distributors to the CI Market.

      Comment

      • toscal
        Moderator
        • Oct 2005
        • 2061

        #4
        Re: Two Sky+ boxes with a loftbox?

        oops I forgot about that.
        Try looking here http://www.satellitesuperstore.com and ask them how they would do it.
        On their advice page 2 they have this piece of advice similar to what Vex said " It would be possible to control two Sky receivers through the TV eye system if one was a standard
        receiver and the other a Sky + as the handsets use different frequencies, although extra cabling may be required.
        Alternatively, one box could be controlled through a TV
        eye and the other a video sender. "

        Some sort of zoned IR system might also do the trick.
        IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.
        Renovation Spain Blog

        Comment

        • smreid
          Automated Home Lurker
          • May 2006
          • 4

          #5
          Re: Two Sky+ boxes with a loftbox?

          Thanks for the replies.

          I dont know much at all about the cat5 solution. I know about cat5 as a network solution as I work in IT but know nothing about using it for av distribution.

          What if I wasn't too worried about changing the channels in the other rooms. As long as I could change them from one room each upstairs and downstairs. For example if I could change the living room box from another bedroom (not the master) and the master bedroom box from the kitchen. I could then use IR extenders.

          The are probably better solutions than this but I am a newbie.

          What kind of hub/switch is required? I have seen the daisy chain effect of connecting the multirooms, how would this work with two input signals? Are there other methods of connection?

          Again thanks for all the info.

          Stephen

          Comment

          • smreid
            Automated Home Lurker
            • May 2006
            • 4

            #6
            Re: Two Sky+ boxes with a loftbox?

            Sorry, just read my reply and it doesn't make much sense. What I meant to say was:

            What type of patch panel is required? Is it just a regular one? AND
            Are there any type hubs or switches available? I would imagine not but who knows.

            Thanks again.

            Stephen

            Comment

            • toscal
              Moderator
              • Oct 2005
              • 2061

              #7
              Re: Two Sky+ boxes with a loftbox?

              Take a look at the Abitana website at www.abitana.com . Abitana do an Internet Gateway / Firewall / Switch-Hub Fast Ethernet module and also a10/100Mbps Switch. Or you can do what I've done and used my own ADSL router and hooked it up to the system. Minitran are the UK distributor for Abitana. www.minitran.co.uk .
              The patch panel enclosures look like modern consumer units. Just take a look at either the Abitana site or the Minitran site (click on Home Multimedia Networking).
              It might be worth posting your question about controlling 2 Sky + boxes in the FirM forum on this site. Frank might be able to help you out, with his IR system.
              IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.
              Renovation Spain Blog

              Comment

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