Magic eye problem coming to your home soon

[seawright]

I suspect the next generation of Sky boxes will not have an RF output and copy the format of the multiroom Sky HD box as a PAL(I) encoded rf signal will be useless for TVs without an analogue tuner. Perhaps someone should develop a magic eye with an ethernet port.

[benaline]

The Sky+ app isn't capable of switching on/off the Sky+ HD or SkyHD STB.

The OP could quite easily record something on the Sky+ STB and not the Sky+ HD STB. This would mean that they would want access to this STB when they want to view it.

OK, but the op doesn't really state this as a need, or that that combination of boxes exists! I'm just trying to add to the mix of ideas at his disposal, sky+ app as remote might be something not yet thought of, and controlling the boxes is one of the main concerns. Video over Ethernet might also help avoid wiring the house. Possibly!

[NikkJ]

I'm not quite clear exactly what your setup currently is and why, it sounds like you have 3 sky boxes and want each remote location to access each sky box, but why?.

Like most people, I want to be able to access/control my expensive subscribed content (including recordings or on demand) where I want to watch it, not just from a single room.

I have three STB's each of which is used for different things (two for general Sky packages and one for foreign language stations on a separate subscription) at various times. While Sky packages can be multi-roomed for around £10 a box but the third would cost over £150 for each extra room.

I set them up to work through my ariel distribution system (in my case the T180 - mistyped T140 in original post) system so that they can be watched from any outlet (total of 6 for me - not all are actually used). So far so good.

By adding the SP4 ( The SPC4 Super Plus RF2 Combiner Tradeworks Ltd ) each STB can be controlled from each outlet using just one magic eye. All of the solutions using video senders would require individual senders for each STB and then hiding all of the IR receivers to prevent synchronised STBs channel changing.

This is a simple but effective system which means that I get maximum usage out of my subscriptions. It took half a day to set up and was well worth doing.

[benaline]

Ahh, OK, understand what you have a bit more now. After looking about a bit have not found anything for a sensible budget that does anything like what you already have. Of courseyou wanted to spend a few thousand then maybe! I think using some older tech like a video recorder as the receiver is the only sensible and affordable way at the moment, though maybe in the future smart TV's or other android/ios/media pc tech using sky+ apps over Ethernet may be the best hope, though I don't know if you have any sky+ compatible box, or what service your 3rd stb is using.

Be interested to know if you do find a way...

[seawright]

Looking to the future. If this does become a major problem I am sure that some entrepreneur will spot a gap in the market and launch a suitably priced product to fill it.

[NikkJ]

I'm sure they will. in the meantime, I'll start looking my old VCRs in the loft :-)

[Zee]

This is something which was picked up recently in another thread...

Another option would be to run some long HDMI cables from the STBs to the TVs. However this requires multiple HDMI sockets on each TV.

I'm thinking of running an HDMI Cable from our living room into our bedroom upstairs, and using this 2 Port 1x2 1080P 3D HDMI Splitter Amplifier Switch Box Hub 1 Input 2 Output HDTV | eBay to split the HDMI signal from the SKY STB. I've been told by the seller the maximum cable the unit will support is 15M, which isn't a problem as my room is directly above the sitting room. How easy would it be to drill a hole in the outside wall to fit the HDMI cable though?
Does anyone know of anyone who could carry this out for me, I'm bit of a Frank Spencer when it comes to DIY. Also I'm looking to get our LCD wall mounted, but again me and drills don't go so does anyone know someone who could mount it for us in the East London area?

[benaline]

Sorry, I don't know who could do this for you, but obviously the holes in the walls ground and first floor will have to be pretty big to accommodate the HDMI plugs (not sure if it is possible to fit plugs to cable with tools and just run cable, but if so it might be a niche skill, I've not heard of). If you have thick or cavity walls its a nasty job and as your already stated, not for the diy phobic.

It also might not be the way forward. There are several other options depending on your exact needs. I have a largeish hole between lounge and bedroom above, running through the ceiling, and the wires are very unobtrusive, but I can easily run extra/new cables through it anytime. But there are many other methods such as video over mains, wireless HD sender's and video over ethernet, to name a few. Some of the tech can be pricey, but getting someone in to fit an external HDMI cable wouldn't be cheap, and certainly wouldn't be too versatile. Not sure I would recommend it as the best method.

Maybe pop into a local av store and talk it through with someone.or maybe someone here could suggest a good HD sending alternative. As your bedroom is directly above, a wireless signal, especially 5ghz, would likely work very well, might work with your sky box as is, and would likely provide a remote sending option...

Hope that helps, but I'd maybe not get that HDMI splitter before you're sure that's the way forward.

[seawright]

I'm sure they will. in the meantime, I'll start looking my old VCRs in the loft :-)

For anyone else with this problem who doesn't have an old VHS recorder it looks like this may be a suitable alternative:

http://www.gionlineshop.co.uk/Downloads/dta_ds.pdf

It may not be as cheap as a pre-owned VHS recorder but will save on space and running cost.

[The Realist]

IO Adaptor and a powered amp.

Job done.