Strategic advice on Sky installation needed!!

Kaybenson

Sky is coming for my HD installation later this week. It is a 2 bedroom house and ihave intention of having sky HD in the living room(downstairs) and basic sky freesats in the 2 rooms upstairs.

Already, there is an existing sky freesat downstairs in the living room.

Now i am thinking of asking the sky guy to do the installation for one of the room upstairs then later bring the HD box downstairs.

How best can i approach this?

Cheers everyone.

ilikewatch

Unless the freesat box downstairs has 2 feeds from the LNB, then the new Sky+ HD box won't work without another cable installing anyway. However, if the box downstairs does have 2 feeds, then just ask the installer to install the new box upstairs, then swap them as you suggest.
When I had Sky HD installed a couple of weeks ago I pre cabled the 2 rooms I wanted freesat in, and asked the installer if he would mind running the cables up to the dish, then connecting them and he was only too happy to do so - it didn't even cost me a cup of tea!

Kurtis_Blue

You can simply ask him how much to carry out the works you require, and if he has time then he will let you know, but bear in mind the fact that Sky installers do very poor quality installations and cabling.

Kaybenson

Thanks.

Few months ago, i asked a local installer about having sky freesat in the 2 rooms upstairs. He told me it will cost me 100 pounds.

I have few questions;

1) Is the cabling of sky + HD different from the normal one? I thought the difference is just the box.

2) Can i just ask the installer to do the work on one of the rooms upstairs. In these he can do that independently of the downstairs freesat. Immediately he left, i can then swap the box but will only be left with just 1 room undone.

i welcome more views.

macman

Sky+ requires a twin cable feed from the LNB in order to view one channel while recording another. HD functionality requires a single feed and an HD box.

Kurtis_Blue

I would offer the local installer (RDI or CAI registered) £80 cash and get it done properly.

If not watch the Sky guy work and make sure that:

• the cabling is straight,
• clipped on the wall properly,
• hole covers at wall entry and exit
• seals the hole with silicone
• uses amalgamating tape on the LNB F connector
• not left over the roof at a jaunty angle

This should all be done, normally none of it is.

Kaybenson

macman wrote: »

Sky+ requires a twin cable feed from the LNB in order to view one channel while recording another. HD functionality requires a single feed and an HD box.

Now i understand.

That means my downstairs freesat is useless because the coming HD facility is also meant for Downstairs.

macman

You've lost me. For each location that you require Sky+ at you will need a twin feed to that room. For each location you require HD at you will neeed a single feed. However since HD boxes have Sky+ built in, it would be a bit silly not to have Sky+ functionality as well. So basically you need a twin feed to each location. If two locations, you will require a quad LNB. More than two, an octo.
The installer will run the cabling to wherever you wish, but for an extra room there is an extra charge, and for twin over single feed there is a (smaller) extra charge.

Kaybenson

Cheers everyone.

It is sorted. I paid 45 pounds eventually.

Many thanks