Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: Two Sky+ Boxs to several outputs!

  1. #1
    Automated Home Lurker
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Posts
    1

    Default Two Sky+ Boxs to several outputs!

    Hi everyone, I am fairly new to this but here is my situation:

    I have two Sky+ boxs and a CCTV camera (Scart) which I want to distrubute to 5 or 6 different TV's around the house. I want each TV to be independent to all of the others (eg. be able to watch something different one each) and I would also like to be able to control both Sky+ box's in each room, again independently (that may be awquard as they are BOTH Sky+ boxs and therefore use the same codes)

    If anyone could help me with this and point me in the right direction i'd be very greatful. Also, does anyone know roughly how much a system like this is going to cost me...

    Many Thanks,

    Shaun

  2. #2
    Automated Home Lurker
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Posts
    3

    Default Re: Two Sky+ Boxs to several outputs!

    Seems odd no-one has responded to this. I think this is failry common and is exactly my situation too. Was hoping someone would say how to do it with Kat5 stuff.. no?

  3. #3
    Moderator toscal's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Near Alicante Spain
    Posts
    2,061

    Default Re: Two Sky+ Boxs to several outputs!

    IR control can now be done with a Logitech Harmony 895. With the new firmware update. You can select which of the 4 outputs on the RF extender are used. So you could have two devices set up as Sky 1 and Sky 2 and set them to the IR extender and have Sky 1 on port a and Sky2 on port b. As long as the Sky boxes are not kept together but are seperated you can now control them independently.
    IF you haven't laid the Cat5 cable then have a look at the Abitana system www.abitana.com

  4. #4
    Automated Home Guru vex's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Herts/Beds/Bucks
    Posts
    197

    Default

    The problem is the switching technology you need at the central location to be able to allow each TV to have completely independant choice over which what it wants to watch.

    From the value end of the market you need to look at the AVILynx from global. IMO the best on the market is AV-Nex's Nexus.

    Both of these offer a full matrix switch allowing each tv independant selection of the sky boxes or the CCTV. At this end of the market everyting is done as a Composite video signal with full and targeted IR and audio left and right. All over a single CAT5e.

    I have seen excellent results from the Nexus installed into a Bar and Conference facility.

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

  5. #5
    Automated Home Lurker
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Posts
    3

    Default Re: Two Sky+ Boxs to several outputs!

    Liked the Abanto stuff....also the nexus stuff...

    Abanto is easy to work out roughly what you need and the cost - does anyone know what the nexus typical prices are. Their website simply takes you to installers...

    Just looking for a quick comparison of costs of the 2 systems.

    The only downside i see right now is that with 7 TV's to feed from 2 Sky boxes there doesn't seem to be a way to get both feeds going down the same cable (other than coax) to allow the TV to 'tune' into them. May need 1 Scart cable from the TV to a selectable 2-port scart unit which has 2 feeds (scart to rj45's ) to then manually switch the inpout but that seems cludgy in my view. Am i missing something here though?

  6. #6
    Automated Home Lurker
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Posts
    1

    Default Re: Two Sky+ Boxs to several outputs!

    try looking at cyberselecct website under the sky distribution page thers a full schematic on how to achive exactly this.

    http://www.cyberselect.co.uk/range/364

    you will need a total of four lmb units to use two sky plus boxes at the same time.

    hope that helps.

  7. #7
    Automated Home Guru vex's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Herts/Beds/Bucks
    Posts
    197

    Default Re: Two Sky+ Boxs to several outputs!

    Quote Originally Posted by bungeeman
    try looking at cyberselecct website under the sky distribution page thers a full schematic on how to achive exactly this.

    http://www.cyberselect.co.uk/range/364

    you will need a total of four lmb units to use two sky plus boxes at the same time.

    hope that helps.
    Unfortunately that will not work bungee, as there are two sky+ boxes and they both use the same IR codeset.

    This was why we had to go to a more costly switching matrix which will route both the audio, video and IR signals to the devise you are watching rather than globally control both STB's at the same time.

    The interesting evolution to this is Global Comms, the people who make AVILynx and the TVLink stuff, told me yesterday that they have a new wy of controlling 4 sky boxes individually. I have yet to see it but this could be a good solution as well.

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

  8. #8
    Automated Home Guru vex's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Herts/Beds/Bucks
    Posts
    197

    Default

    http://www.avnex.co.uk/detail.php?subid=7

    This page has Nexus pricing on it.

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

  9. #9
    Moderator toscal's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Near Alicante Spain
    Posts
    2,061

    Default Re: Two Sky+ Boxs to several outputs!

    The only downside i see right now is that with 7 TV's to feed from 2 Sky boxes there doesn't seem to be a way to get both feeds going down the same cable (other than coax) to allow the TV to 'tune' into them.
    The abitana system could put the 2 sky boxes on the system as different home channels. So Sky box 1 could be channel 10 and Sky box 2 could be channel 11. Stereo is possible via an audio distribution module but would need to be on another socket at each room. You could also distribute the signals using the video and stereo audio distribution module and connect it up to the scart socket. But each TV would require 2 scart sockets, or as you stated some form of switcher and you would need a video distribution module for each video source.
    For the IR as I mentioned earlier a harmony remote 895 with an IR RF extender. Use the IR extender to control one of the boxes and the remote via the IR bus on the Abitana system to control the other Sky box. The only problem is that tif he Sky boxes are in the same room, they need to be isolated in such a way that the IR siganls don't interfer with each other. IT is possible to control both via the extender just define which port on the extender the IR signals goes to. For each Sky box.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •