Conversion to Communal Dish

[TheVoyager]

Following complaints from other residents in our block losing their signal after a new building blocking line of sight, I was not affected being at the end of the block BUT I have just been informed that Avonline on instructions from Local Council are installing a Communal Dish Aerial system, and all aerials and personal dishes will be removed.

At the moment I have an aerial on the roof and a Sky Dish (4 outputs) outside my front room, new connectors will be fitted inside the house, presumably in order to be able to continue as I am I will need 3 connectors in each room, one for freeview and 2 for Sky+HD, am I right in my thoughts on this?

[Scubbie]

That is correct.

In many cases when a communal dish is installed, only one or two ports are made available for a satellite connection. This being the case, I would recommend that you contact the management company asap for confirmation of what it intends to do.

[Kenedin]

.............At the moment I have an aerial on the roof and a Sky Dish (4 outputs) outside my front room, new connectors will be fitted inside the house, presumably in order to be able to continue as I am I will need 3 connectors in each room, one for freeview and 2 for Sky+HD, am I right in my thoughts on this?

You'll be lucky if you end up with the same Sky+HD functionality ( Sat1 & Sat2 in both rooms ). It depends on how much money the council are spending on the job. Have they specifically stated ( in writing ) that you'll have fully-enabled wallplates in both rooms? I smell a rat

[TheVoyager]

Thought that would be the case, I have already contacted them because I have multiroom, they have told me to wait until I get the second letter, which will tell me when it is going ahead.

That is correct.

In many cases when a communal dish is installed, only one or two ports are made available for a satellite connection. This being the case, I would recommend that you contact the management company asap for confirmation of what it intends to do.

[TheVoyager]

They tell me that the living room plate will be free, but the upstairs room will cost me £75, what worries me is that I will lose the Freeview, because I also have a Freeview PVR for recording Terrestrial channels when needed and for watching TV when recording 2 programs on the Sky +HD boxes.

It annoys me more because I am the only one in a block of 16 maisonettes that has their Aerial on the roof, and have no problem with the Sky reception.

You'll be lucky if you end up with the same Sky+HD functionality ( Sat1 & Sat2 in both rooms ). It depends on how much money the council are spending on the job. Have they specifically stated ( in writing ) that you'll have fully-enabled wallplates in both rooms? I smell a rat

[Scubbie]

Freeview comes via the TV aerial. You can easily run an extension from a wall socket or via a booster to the bedroom, so that PVR will be fine.

The more technical problem will be the Satellite feeds.

Some blocks of flats are fitted with only one Sat feed to each flat, whilst others have two.

Someone mentioned a product which allows multiple feeds to be taken from a single sat feed the other day on this forum. I am not sure how good this item is or if it will work. It was mentioned that the posted needed to ask if they could use it.

[TheVoyager]

They have told me that everything will come from the Communal service, Freeview, Sky, Hotbird and Astra, and they have been told to take down all dishes and aerials, as the property is council they can do it.

I have emailed the council section that is dealing with it telling them my situation and looking for more info.

At he moment all they have mentioned is Multiroom in the initial letter, nothing about multiple feeds for Sky+ or Sky +HD or whether we can have both Freeview and Sky+/Sky +HD

Freeview comes via the TV aerial. You can easily run an extension from a wall socket or via a booster to the bedroom, so that PVR will be fine.

The more technical problem will be the Satellite feeds.

Some blocks of flats are fitted with only one Sat feed to each flat, whilst others have two.

Someone mentioned a product which allows multiple feeds to be taken from a single sat feed the other day on this forum. I am not sure how good this item is or if it will work. It was mentioned that the posted needed to ask if they could use it.

[Woodster]

Avonline/EDN/AVC (All the same umbrella company) will fit a quad wall plate with 2 sat feeds, terrestrial and FM/DAB and a single sat plate for the Hotbird/astra sat feed. On some sites they also supply a Turksat feed. If you want more than 2 feeds from the Sky system, you will have to pay for them as it means upgrading the system to accommodate for the extra feeds.

[TheVoyager]

Wow, thanks for that info, looks like it will fit in fine with my systems, of course I'll have to fork out the extra for the 2nd room, they have quoted £75, which luckily I can afford

Avonline/EDN/AVC (All the same umbrella company) will fit a quad wall plate with 2 sat feeds, terrestrial and FM/DAB and a single sat plate for the Hotbird/astra sat feed. On some sites they also supply a Turksat feed. If you want more than 2 feeds from the Sky system, you will have to pay for them as it means upgrading the system to accommodate for the extra feeds.