Sky Q upgrade impossible due to freeholder refusing access

Mokka

We negotiated a good deal from Sky involving upgrade to SkyQ and substantial reduction on subscription. This fell through when the engineer was refused access to the junction box in the block. Apparently our housing management is one of the 2 social landlords/freeholders in the country who refused access. Their excuse is that it created interference for other residents. Sky say this is impossible. Who is right? Anyone else had such experience? 

Neil_Jones

If the housing management own the block and had the previous equipment installed in the first place, and they don't want it done, that's pretty much it.  Much like "my house, my rules", except on a block/equipment level.  Whether interference comes into it or not is besides the point.  If they don't want it done, they don't want it done.

If you live relatively near the ground floor of the block you may be able to put up your own dish if there's a clear line of sight to the satellites.  Technically you're supposed to have planning permission for these but realistically they tend to just get put up anyway.  Not far from me I can pass a building and see a clusters of about six dishes all next to each other in a 2x3 pattern and a communal one on the end of the block.

brewerdave

Mokka said:

We negotiated a good deal from Sky involving upgrade to SkyQ and substantial reduction on subscription. This fell through when the engineer was refused access to the junction box in the block. Apparently our housing management is one of the 2 social landlords/freeholders in the country who refused access. Their excuse is that it created interference for other residents. Sky say this is impossible. Who is right? Anyone else had such experience? 

Currently have you got a single feed to your flat ? Has anyone else got Sky Q ? My understanding is that you need a different LNB on the dish which isn't suitable for HD boxes so if the "management" have got some sort of switching equipment for tenants from the dish feed then it wouldn't operate after any alterations were carried out .

macman

Neil_Jones said:

If the housing management own the block and had the previous equipment installed in the first place, and they don't want it done, that's pretty much it.  Much like "my house, my rules", except on a block/equipment level.  Whether interference comes into it or not is besides the point.  If they don't want it done, they don't want it done.

If you live relatively near the ground floor of the block you may be able to put up your own dish if there's a clear line of sight to the satellites.  Technically you're supposed to have planning permission for these but realistically they tend to just get put up anyway.  Not far from me I can pass a building and see a clusters of about six dishes all next to each other in a 2x3 pattern and a communal one on the end of the block.

The freeholder would then be within their rights to remove the dish, if attached to the outer wall of the block (even if the OP's flat is adjacent).

Rodders53

Mokka said:

Their excuse is that it created interference for other residents. Sky say this is impossible. Who is right? Anyone else had such experience? 

The answer is 'it depends' but the Landlord's technical experts / maintenance staff managers are more likely to be correct than the $ky 'droids who speak to customers.  Slightly sub-standard cables and connections will allow $ky Q signals to cross-interfere with UHF TV signals and the layout of the installation may not make it easy to change things.  The whole block may need fairly substantial and costly upgrading.  
https://www.smartaerials.co.uk/blog/sky-q-with-one-satellite-cable-single-feed may give you some insight to the technicalities.

You may be wise to get other residents on board and to lobby via any residents association for this to be done?

Mokka

That’s very useful, thank you. It’s just curious that our freeholder is apparently one of 2 in the country who don’t allow access! Unless the engineer was fibbing. We will study the info you’ve directed us to.

Mokka

brewerdave said:

Mokka said:

We negotiated a good deal from Sky involving upgrade to SkyQ and substantial reduction on subscription. This fell through when the engineer was refused access to the junction box in the block. Apparently our housing management is one of the 2 social landlords/freeholders in the country who refused access. Their excuse is that it created interference for other residents. Sky say this is impossible. Who is right? Anyone else had such experience? 

Currently have you got a single feed to your flat ? Has anyone else got Sky Q ? My understanding is that you need a different LNB on the dish which isn't suitable for HD boxes so if the "management" have got some sort of switching equipment for tenants from the dish feed then it wouldn't operate after any alterations were carried out .

Nobody else has Sky Q, as nobody is allowed to install it. I don’t understand the thing about single feed etc, will need to look into it. I just wanted to get an idea about who is right- is it really so simple and the landlord obstructive? Sadly they have history of being just that, that’s why I’m seeking advice. 

macman

Replacing a single feed from a communal dish with a twin feed would be very expensive for the freeholder/management co, as they'd have to re-cable into every unit.

Neil_Jones

Mokka said:

brewerdave said:

Mokka said:

We negotiated a good deal from Sky involving upgrade to SkyQ and substantial reduction on subscription. This fell through when the engineer was refused access to the junction box in the block. Apparently our housing management is one of the 2 social landlords/freeholders in the country who refused access. Their excuse is that it created interference for other residents. Sky say this is impossible. Who is right? Anyone else had such experience? 

Currently have you got a single feed to your flat ? Has anyone else got Sky Q ? My understanding is that you need a different LNB on the dish which isn't suitable for HD boxes so if the "management" have got some sort of switching equipment for tenants from the dish feed then it wouldn't operate after any alterations were carried out .

Nobody else has Sky Q, as nobody is allowed to install it. I don’t understand the thing about single feed etc, will need to look into it. I just wanted to get an idea about who is right- is it really so simple and the landlord obstructive? Sadly they have history of being just that, that’s why I’m seeking advice. 

Single feed is easy to work out - look at the connection box on the wall with the satellite connector on it.  If its single feed there will be one connector, if its twin, there will be two.

If you do only have a single connector, then the entire communal thing will need upgrading and new cables running and so on and so forth.  Not cheap.  If you already have the twin connectors then website - https://communaltv.sky.com/ - seems to suggest there is no need to replace the LNB on the dish, just needs an adaptor inside the box on the wall outside and it can be done on a per flat basis.  Maybe if you're happy for your freeholder to agree for you to do this (at your own cost?) you could get your own flat done without the need to interrupt everybody else.

Rodders53

macman said:

Replacing a single feed from a communal dish with a twin feed would be very expensive for the freeholder/management co, as they'd have to re-cable into every unit.

But $ky Q and $ky HD boxes and many freesat boxes will all work with a single cable feed but fed from newer updated distribution boxes that support digital Satellite Channel Router (dSCR) operation.  But still a potentially large expense.  $ky will support such installation costs, I'd have thought?  
https://communaltv.sky.com/property-managers/ but that's very very lacking on any technical detail, let alone monetary.

https://www.smartaerials.co.uk/blog/how-to-upgrade-a-communal-irs-tv-satellite-tv-system-for-sky-q is a view from a pro installer.

matelodave

Rodders53 said:

macman said:

Replacing a single feed from a communal dish with a twin feed would be very expensive for the freeholder/management co, as they'd have to re-cable into every unit.

But $ky Q and $ky HD boxes and many freesat boxes will all work with a single cable feed but fed from newer updated distribution boxes that support digital Satellite Channel Router (dSCR) operation.  But still a potentially large expense.  $ky will support such installation costs, I'd have thought?  
https://communaltv.sky.com/property-managers/ but that's very very lacking on any technical detail, let alone monetary.

https://www.smartaerials.co.uk/blog/how-to-upgrade-a-communal-irs-tv-satellite-tv-system-for-sky-q is a view from a pro installer.

What is technically possible is pretty irrelevant if the freeholder is adamant that he doesn't want his system faffed around with or extra dishes or cabling strung about the place and he's still got to keep his other leaseholders happy.