SKY Multi-room Problem

pdelahunty

I have a SKY HD box and was about to move to NTL to get cheap multi-room. However SKY gave me a great deal to stay with them even though I dropped SKY Movies/Sport and HD. Box is still connected to TV using HDMI connection. When I tried to organise multi-room they said they couldn't as my phone line is with NTL.....

SO - I have 2 choices - switch to NTL as intended or get one of the broadcasting boxes to broadcast to my TV upstairs.

My 2 questions
1. Can you get a decent, reliable wireless broadbast box for SKY HD decoder
2. How do you actually connect it up

....or do I just go to NTL despite the fact that the SKY offer is cheaper.

Kristopherus

Ntl are now UPC. It should'nt matter a damn to Sly who the phone account is with. It might be worth your while testing out UPC to see if they will move on their prices vs Sly. By the way you can sign up for a €50 discount offer through Boards.ie. That offer includes free installation & activation afaik.

pdelahunty

The issue SKY has is that the UPC phone line is VOIP and not a standard phone line.

So back to my original question

1. Is there a video sender solution that actually works? I don't care about HD just want a decent standard picture to send to the other room (preferably with a remote extender)
2. What is the best option for hooking it up to my SKY HD box?

Kristopherus

:)All I can say is based on my own experience. I dumped Sly:rolleyes:in August. Got the then advertised Family Sports Package from UPC, which included S.Sports,ESPN & Setanta Ireland as well as multiroom with 2 pvrs for €40 less that I would pay to Sly. I am well satisfied so far. The quality of the digital picture is on a par with Sly's. And apart from a few niggly issues (that you would also get with Sly) I can say I'm very happy that I jumped ship.

If you want to go down the video sender route, bear in mind that you cannot have independent control of both TV sets. With UPC an extra box & remote is only €5 a month.And no need to have any phone connected:) Well worth it in my view.

steveon

Wireless senders are in my opinion very hit and miss, only ever work rite in houses with wafer thin walls and over short distances. If you have solid concrete walls then forget it they will break your heart.

Much better if possible to run a coax cable and use of a magic eye to allow control box in secondary room....

molly111

Hi,

Can I ask what is a "magic eye"?

We have multi-room Chorus (NTL) but are moving to Sky as I really love Sky+ and you can't get Digital+ where I live.

Trouble is we have 2 TVs and no land line so Sky told me I can only have 1 box.

Would love to be able to watch the TV in either room but not both at the same time. Will this "magic eye" do it for me?


thanks

markit

HELLO,

AM FAIRLY NEW TO BOARDS AND WONDERING IF ANY BODY CAN ADVISE.
wE HAVE A STANDARD SKY BOX BUT WANT TO UPGRADE TO A SKY+ BOX WITH MULTIROOM. (3 rooms)

THE STD BOX WE HAVE IS NOT CONNECTED TO A PHONE LINE.
WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS?

BUY A + BOX THROUGH SKY FOR €60 AND PAY MONTHLY MULTIROOM CHARGE OF €15?

OR COULD WE GET THE SKY+ BOX AND AVOID THE MULTIROOM CHARGE AND USE IT FOR THE MAIN ROOM AND USE THE STANDARD BOX WITH RED EYE FOR THE OTHER ROOM?

ANY IDEA'S ON BEST WAY TO GO?

THANK YOU

Willby

Hi Markit,
Firstly multiroom from Sky will cost 15 euro per room . You indicate 3 rooms. If these are additional to the main room where the sky+ box is located then the extra monthly charge will be 45 euro or 30 if it is 2 rooms in addition to the main room.
Best option is to run cable from the rf2 output of the sky+ box to the second room and connect it via magic eye to the second tv. This will give you control of the sky+ box from both rooms but of course both tv's will have to watch the same programme.
You can of course use the old sky box in any room to watch non sky free channels eg ITV, BBC etc.
Dont forget you will need two cables from the dish for the sky+ box and one cable from the dish to the old box if you choose to use it.
As part of the installation your installer will fit a new quad LNB to the dish when you change to sky+.
Hope this helps
Willby

markit

Hi Willby,

Thks a million for the gr8 info..

Liam Byrne

molly111 wrote: »

Hi,

Can I ask what is a "magic eye"?

Would love to be able to watch the TV in either room but not both at the same time. Will this "magic eye" do it for me?

You don't "NEED" a "magic eye" to be able to watch in the other room; a simple coax cable run from the back of the Sky box (RF2 out) will allow you to do this.

Your only issue then is changing the channel from upstairs; you don't want to have to run downstairs in order to channel surf.

So you get a "magic eye", which you plug in where the coax run meets the 2nd TV, and it sends the remote control signal back down the cable to the Sky box.

http://www.sky-remotes.com/images/rfsky.jpg

molly111

thanks Liam - that makes sense