Sky+HD - In other rooms

[admin_exported]

OK, I have just had Sky+ HD installed.

Could some one kindly explain the best way to get Sky+ HD to HD ready TV's in upstairs bedrooms?

Would a cheap HDMI splitter work?

Mant thanks in anticipation for your herlp in this matter.

PS How do I know if I have the new EPG

 

[Andrew Everard]

Not at all sure what a splitter would do - could well cause HDCP handshake problems.

You'll know you have the new EPG if you have a little mini-screen top right when in the programme guide

 

[The_Lhc]

The old EPG is basic blue and white, the new one has orange in it and is much wizzier looking.

 

[Anonymous]

John, I got a local guy to run cables through the house and outside to take the signal from the Sky boxes to the TV's in question. I've got two TV's feeding off one box and another TV feeding off another.

From memory it cost around £700 for the extra box, all the cabling/install and two magic eyes (so you can control the box downstairs from the bedroom).

Not cheap but it works really well and if you can get the cabling under the floor you don't see that much of it.

 

[rs6mra]

As you have mentioned rooms, I am assuming that you wish to watch and control SKY+ HD in the other rooms. As far as I am aware, a splitter will not enable you to watch sky+ in the other rooms in high definition even if you were used the HDMI cables but i stand to be corrected.

This was as at last year when i looked into it. You will be able to watch and control Sky+ in the other rooms and only have HD on the tv connected directly to the Sky box.

Throwing HD to ther other TVs is a different ball game altogether and can be done via Cat 5/ Cat 6 or fibre optic and isn't cheap.

I have had cat 6 connected to all the rooms in the house with TVs but I decided not to utilise them for the purpose of Sky HD. In my case the largest TV in the house is connected to the Sky HD box and the others allow me to watch and control Sky, Freeview, Terrestrial TV, fm and my CCTV.

If you are happy to settle for this then follow this link: http://www.satelliteonline.co.uk/sky_dist_global_da.htm

 

[Anonymous]

I have gone down this route and it does work with an HDMI spitter i.e SKY HD on 2 TV's (pioneer 50 and panasonic 26) - You also need to coax from the RF out2 from the SKY HD to the second TV to control the remote on the magic eye. You of course can only watch the same channel in either room but saves paying for multiroom subscriptions.There were no handshaking issues....

 

[rs6mra]

Paul999,

how will this work for more than 2 screens and are you certain that what you get on the second tv is in high definiton?

 

[Anonymous]

I haven't tried with more than 2,I have just 2 out - I got the splitter from a company( not sure if I can mention names!?) who have great cust. service and assured me all would be well and a return if not.I know they do up to 5 devices out; I have the new SKY HD epg too on both screens,the 26 in a bedroom over 10m HDMI, the 50 a 3m HDMI ( TV's show input as 1080i) and both look fantastic imo.

 

[Davro83]

Wovian, you spent £700. Why not just buy another sky HD box from sky? Wouldnt that be alot cheaper?

John have you thought about just getting another sky box. My parents have 5 sky boxes in their house, living room, kitchen, and 3 bedrooms. Doesnt it only cost something like £10 a month for another box.

 

[rs6mra]

Sky do charge for additional boxes and an extra tenner a month per box soon adds up! At the end of the day how much time are you going to be spending in the other rooms and it is worth the expense of having all of them in HD?

 

[D.J.KRIME]

I have only 1 Sky+HD box feeding 3 TV's all in HD and to be honest it was all rather simple and with a total cost of well onder £200.

I feed my 50" plaz in the lounge, 40" LCD in the Kitchen and 32"LCD in the bedroom and this is how I did it. I have a older generation SkyHD box that not only had HDMI but also Component outputs so in order to feed 3 TV's I utalised both outputs with the component outs going into my 50" in the lounge, I then used a HDMI splitter from Keene electronics (no hand-shaking issues) then run 2 seperate 15m HDMI cables to the other 2 TV's along with a Coax for the magic eye. Simple and efective and all in 1080i without any issues.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi D.J.Krime,

This looks promising - how did you get the HDMI cables to the other rooms?

I have already RF cables to the other rooms with TV's via the wall cavities - is this how you got the HDMI cables to their destination.

If I use a Keene HDMI Distribution Amplifier, will I I lose picture quality?

 

[D.J.KRIME]

Yes I simply used runs I had previously insatlled running under the floor boards/wall cavities and ran the new HDMI cables to their destination.

As to the HDMI distribution amplifer I can not see any visible degregation in the PQ and sound is also fine on both TV's. I did not use ultra-expensive HDMI's as a 15m cable from top brands would cost a fortune, I got mine from eBay at about £40 but I am not getting ito the whole HDMI cable arguement here!

 

[Anonymous]

John, You need to decide if you are happy being able to see only one picture in multi rooms or whether you prefer to see two different pictures at the same time. For example let the kids watch their programs while you are left in peace to watch yours!

If it's the former then its just a cabling issue. If the latter it's more than one sky box.

 

[Anonymous]

John, You need to decide if you are happy being able to see only one picture in multi rooms or whether you prefer to see two different pictures at the same time. For example let the kids watch their programs while you are left in peace to watch yours!

If it's the former then its just a cabling issue. If the latter it's more than one sky box required.

Reading the thread makes me ask myself a question - I'm using the RF out from the Sky +HD box to the bedroom so have I got HD in the bedroom? I am going to check tonight!

 

[daveh75]

Wovian:
Reading the thread makes me ask myself a question - I'm using the RF out from the Sky +HD box to the bedroom so have I got HD in the bedroom? I am going to check tonight!
You haven't.And you only get mono sound too,using RF.

 

[Anonymous]

Go multi-room.Yea it's another £20 a month, but if you like your telly and HD flicks, then it's worth it.

 

[Anonymous]

daveh75:Wovian:

Reading the thread makes me ask myself a question - I'm using the RF out from the Sky +HD box to the bedroom so have I got HD in the bedroom? I am going to check tonight!

You haven't.And you only get mono sound too,using RF.

Oh well, guess its only the bedroom! Thanks Daveh