View Full Version : Sky said you can't connect Sky Q and Freesat 4K box to the same dish
I'm thinking about crossing over to the dark side and getting Sky Q. I called Sky and they said they need to upgrade my dish to work with Sky Q which is fine. But they said I can't also connect my Freesat 4K box (which has FBC tuners) to the same dish as Sky Q - or maybe they just meant that they wouldn't install extra cables to allow me to do that as they only connect cables from the dish to the Sky Q box?
Is it technically impossible to have 2 cables going from the dish to Sky Q and more cables going from the same dish to my 4K freesat box due to compatibility issues? How many LNBs would the modified Sky dish have as I have a Universal Octo LNB at the moment?
How many cables can physically be connected to the upgraded dish because with Sky+ HD you could have 8 cables connected to the dish which could go to my Sky+ HD boxes and freesat boxes.?
This is what I want to have:
Sky Q box + 1 Freesat 4K box connected to the same dish.
Another dish connected to another Freesat 4K box. Sometimes you get a glitch in a recorded programme due to bad weather or whatever which is why I have a backup freesat box as the glitch usually only happens in 1 of the 2 dishes.
Will I need to hire an outside company to upgrade my dishes to Unicable II LNBs to do the above or could I just unofficially slip the Sky installer £50 for him to connect everything I want?
I'm thinking about crossing over to the dark side and getting Sky Q. I called Sky and they said they need to upgrade my dish to work with Sky Q which is fine. But they said I can't also connect my Freesat 4K box (which has FBC tuners) to the same dish as Sky Q - or maybe they just meant that they wouldn't install extra cables to allow me to do that as they only connect cables from the dish to the Sky Q box?
Is it technically impossible to have 2 cables going from the dish to Sky Q and more cables going from the same dish to my 4K freesat box due to compatibility issues? How many LNBs would the modified Sky dish have as I have a Universal Octo LNB at the moment?
How many cables can physically be connected to the upgraded dish because with Sky+ HD you could have 8 cables connected to the dish which could go to my Sky+ HD boxes and freesat boxes.?
This is what I want to have:
Sky Q box + 1 Freesat 4K box connected to the same dish.
Another dish connected to another Freesat 4K box. Sometimes you get a glitch in a recorded programme due to bad weather or whatever which is why I have a backup freesat box as the glitch usually only happens in 1 of the 2 dishes.
Will I need to hire an outside company to upgrade my dishes to Unicable II LNBs to do the above or could I just unofficially slip the Sky installer £50 for him to connect everything I want?
While Sky Q uses a wideband LNB it is not the same as Unicable/ Unicable II. Sky Q needs two cables and "steals" the frequencies used for terrestrial TV, FM/DAB radio and 4/5G to provide the full coverage of the transponders. This is a completely different technical solution to Unicable II. This is not a problem with the cables directly connected to a Sky Q comparable box. A Sky Q comparable box is not the same as a unicable compatible box.
You may get away with a Sky Q LNB with additional legacy outputs but again these legacy outputs are not unicable and you will not be able to make full use of your FBC tuners.
You cannot fit two LNBs pointing to the same satellite to the same dish.
You have a some options
Sky Q only from one dish
Sky Q plus legacy (traditional universal LNB) outputs from one dish
Sky Q from one dish and a Unicable II LNB from a second dish.
Example Sky Q with legacy outputs.
https://admireit.co.uk/products/sky-hybrid-lnb-for-sky-hyrbid-lnb-for-sky-q-and-sky-hd-freesat-and-legacy-satellite-systems
While a unicable II can be fitted to a sky oval dish the unicable LNB is more suited to a round dish.
If you are in a 28.2E zone 1 area consider fitting a zone 2 dish which is larger and will give better signal level.
https://www.smartaerials.co.uk/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-zone-1-zone-2-sky-sat-dishes
Gitching of the signal may just be down to poor cable. Not all coax cable is the same!
Below is a link to a very old article where prices for cable are well out of date but it gives you recommendations why a 100% screened cable must be used for satellite and digital TV. Sometimes it may just be the poor quality fly lead between a TV wall socket and the TV/STB that is introducing electrical interference and glitching of the picture.
http://www.wrightsaerials.co.uk/articles/coax-cable-quality.shtml
By the way, Sky don't own or run dish installers. The same people you will phone to install an aerial or dish of your own is likely to be the same installer who will come around if you arrange an installation via sky. The price Sky will have quoted is only to get Sky Q working and for nothing else.
Those boxes can be switched to unicable in the installer menu.
Those boxes can be switched to unicable in the installer menu.
For my education .......
Are you indicating that a Sky Q box can also work with a Unicable II LNB?
Thanks for the quick reply. One of my freesat boxes doesn't record that many channels so Sky Q wideband LNB + legacy LNB would be fine for that. Just wondering, if 2 LNBs can be on the same dish such as wideband LNB + legacy LNB then why can't you get a wideband LNB with additional Unicable II LNB on the same dish?
I live in Dumfries near the Scotland/England border and get 28.2E. I have a big round dish that's 20 years old and I have a small dish which I assume is oval, both of which Sky installed. This will likely be my setup:
Sky Q + Legacy LNB on one dish
Unicable II on the other dish.
Which should go on which dish? Do I need to replace one of those dishes?
Is there any way I can get Sky to install the Sky Q LNB with Legacy LNB that I'll buy since I assume they won't be supplying the LNB? Also need the Unicable II LNB installed as well. Could I slip the Sky installer some money for him to do it? I know the LNBs are different for Sky Q and Legacy but are the cables used the same for both, if so then perhaps I can ask the Sky installer to hook up my 2nd dish as well?
Regarding glitching, maybe once a month or so I might get several dropped frames in a freesat recorded programme. Sky installed all the cables 2 years ago so I doubt it's a problem with the cables?
Bit off topic, but my Sky contract ends today. So I need to get a new contract today. Is there anything I can say to Sky over the phone to get a 50% discount or did I leave it too late?
Those boxes can be switched to unicable in the installer menu.
What do you mean?
For my education .......
Are you indicating that a Sky Q box can also work with a Unicable II LNB?Well only if your LNB is compatible with one of their fixed SCR options. Certain Unicable switches are fully compatible with these boxes. e.g. https://www.inverto.tv/multiswitch/309/unicable-ii-cascadable-switch-with-terrestrial-input-and-8x-sky-dscr-satcr-legacy-terrestrial-outputs?locale=en
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