Sky Installation – how will it be done?

[Type R Tom]

I’ve recently finished a fair amount of DIY in my living room; this has included hanging a TV on the wall and chasing / hiding cables with some plastering. I’m really pleased with the finish but I’m now thinking about Sky.

Initially I dismissed Sky as too expensive but due to a change of circumstances I can now afford it so got it booked for installation next week. As I’ve been thinking more and more about it I’m worried about how it will be installed (I’ve no previous experience of Sky), will they take the path of least resistance or can I specify where I want the equipment and especially the cabling place?

I really don’t want all my good work and (OH approved) hidden wires ruined by the Sky wires trailing everywhere! What are my chances?

[illmonkey]

Generally, they'll tack the cables to the outside and bring them into the house near the telly, or where you say.

Might not be the best job on the outside though. Depends how nice the installer is. I do it myself.

[Type R Tom]

illmonkey said:

Generally, they'll tack the cables to the outside and bring them into the house near the telly, or where you say.

Might not be the best job on the outside though. Depends how nice the installer is. I do it myself.

The TV is on the right side of a fireplace alcove, nearest the outside wall and my hifi kit is on the left side of the alcove where I would want the wiring.

[illmonkey]

Type R Tom said:

illmonkey said:

Generally, they'll tack the cables to the outside and bring them into the house near the telly, or where you say.

Might not be the best job on the outside though. Depends how nice the installer is. I do it myself.

The TV is on the right side of a fireplace alcove, nearest the outside wall and my hifi kit is on the left side of the alcove where I would want the wiring.

Then tell the installer that. They'll put the cables into the house where you want. Otherwise people would end up with them coming into their kitchens or bathrooms.

[igiveup]

Type R Tom said:

illmonkey said:

Generally, they'll tack the cables to the outside and bring them into the house near the telly, or where you say.

Might not be the best job on the outside though. Depends how nice the installer is. I do it myself.

The TV is on the right side of a fireplace alcove, nearest the outside wall and my hifi kit is on the left side of the alcove where I would want the wiring.

Do you have HDMI going to the TV from the "hifi kit" ?

[Type R Tom]

igiveup said:

Type R Tom said:

illmonkey said:

Generally, they'll tack the cables to the outside and bring them into the house near the telly, or where you say.

Might not be the best job on the outside though. Depends how nice the installer is. I do it myself.

The TV is on the right side of a fireplace alcove, nearest the outside wall and my hifi kit is on the left side of the alcove where I would want the wiring.

Do you have HDMI going to the TV from the "hifi kit" ?

Yep, 6 sources into my Onkyo amp and one HDMI to the TV.

[igiveup]

Type R Tom said:

igiveup said:

Type R Tom said:

illmonkey said:

Generally, they'll tack the cables to the outside and bring them into the house near the telly, or where you say.

Might not be the best job on the outside though. Depends how nice the installer is. I do it myself.

The TV is on the right side of a fireplace alcove, nearest the outside wall and my hifi kit is on the left side of the alcove where I would want the wiring.

Do you have HDMI going to the TV from the "hifi kit" ?

Yep, 6 sources into my Onkyo amp and one HDMI to the TV.

Then You'll need another HDMI Socket on the Amp to plug the Sky box into.

[Type R Tom]

igiveup said:

Type R Tom said:

igiveup said:

Type R Tom said:

illmonkey said:

Generally, they'll tack the cables to the outside and bring them into the house near the telly, or where you say.

Might not be the best job on the outside though. Depends how nice the installer is. I do it myself.

The TV is on the right side of a fireplace alcove, nearest the outside wall and my hifi kit is on the left side of the alcove where I would want the wiring.

Do you have HDMI going to the TV from the "hifi kit" ?

Yep, 6 sources into my Onkyo amp and one HDMI to the TV.

Then You'll need another HDMI Socket on the Amp to plug the Sky box into.

Yeah I know, got a spare. My plan was to put the sky box with everything else, hence why requiring the satellite feed on the left side of the room, effectively in the middle of the house.

[igiveup]

Type R Tom said:

igiveup said:

Type R Tom said:

igiveup said:

Type R Tom said:

illmonkey said:

Generally, they'll tack the cables to the outside and bring them into the house near the telly, or where you say.

Might not be the best job on the outside though. Depends how nice the installer is. I do it myself.

The TV is on the right side of a fireplace alcove, nearest the outside wall and my hifi kit is on the left side of the alcove where I would want the wiring.

Do you have HDMI going to the TV from the "hifi kit" ?

Yep, 6 sources into my Onkyo amp and one HDMI to the TV.

Then You'll need another HDMI Socket on the Amp to plug the Sky box into.

Yeah I know, got a spare. My plan was to put the sky box with everything else, hence why requiring the satellite feed on the left side of the room, effectively in the middle of the house.

Sounds like your good to go then.

[gtidriver]

I was a sky installer for 10 yrs. I worked for a large independent company and also for my self. I would do most things if the price was right Will it be SKY who will be doing the install? the problem with SKY installers is a lot of there work is checked and they lose bonuses if the install is left incomplete or poorly done,so i dought they will just leave cables loose.
What you could do is pay for an independent to come around before hand and install the dish where you want it and run the cables where you want them run.
Or You could be my favourite type of customer, diy dad is what i used to call them, They would have bought there own bit of cable and run it already.
Also from my days no carpets where to be lifted,no floor boards was lifted either and no working in lofts that wasn't boarded out and have access and a phone point was needed was well.
OP can you draw a pic of the layout of your room? Whats behind where the sky box is going to live? if its a kitchen you could run the cables behind the kitchen cabinets and through wall maybe.

Edited by gtidriver on Monday 5th January 16:01

[gtidriver]

I was a sky installer for 10 yrs. I worked for a large independent company and also for my self. I would do most things if the price was right Will it be SKY who will be doing the install? the problem with SKY installers is a lot of there work is checked and they lose bonuses if the install is left incomplete or poorly done,so i dought they will just leave cables loose.
What you could do is pay for an independent to come around before hand and install the dish where you want it and run the cables where you want them run.
Or You could be my favourite type of customer, diy dad is what i used to call them, They would have bought there own bit of cable and run it already.
Also from my days no carpets where to be lifted,no floor boards was lifted either and no working in lofts that wasn't boarded out and have access and a phone point was needed was well.
OP can you draw a pic of the layout of your room? Whats behind where the sky box is going to live? if its a kitchen you could run the cables behind the kitchen cabinets and through wall maybe.

Edited by gtidriver on Monday 5th January 17:59

[Mr Pointy]

The installer is likely to turn up with a big drill, a reel of cable, some P clips & not much else. If you want the cabling run to the left alcove but the outside wall is on the right one, how is he going to get the cable across the fireplace without it being visible? He can't make it disappear.

[Type R Tom]

This is kind of my point, will he go the quickest / simplest way or take time to install it how / where I want it?

I think the dish will go on the back of the house (based on neighboring houses) but the living room is at the front.

[Mr Pointy]

Maybe if you post what you want to happen then others can advise if it's likely to happen or not.

[Durzel]

Type R Tom said:

This is kind of my point, will he go the quickest / simplest way or take time to install it how / where I want it?

I think the dish will go on the back of the house (based on neighboring houses) but the living room is at the front.

He's not going to be chasing cables into walls, if that's what you were thinking.

It sounds like in your case he'll be mounting the dish wherever it needs to go (don't know how much choice you've got about this) and reeling off enough cable for you to chase at your leisure, just verifying that the actual connection works.

Mr Pointy said:

The installer is likely to turn up with a big drill, a reel of cable, some P clips & not much else.

^ This is where you should pitch your expectations. He won't have the time nor likely the inclination to jump through hoops to accommodate esoteric demands.

Edited by Durzel on Tuesday 6th January 13:09

[The Restorer]

I've found installers happy to give enough cable to redo/finish the job off as you wish later.

[Type R Tom]

Here is a quick annotation to the floor plan drew on CAD. The TV on the right side of the living room as you look at it closest to the outside window in the fire place alcove (on a bracket that comes away from the wall). The Hifi kit including surround amp is on the left of the fire place alcove. The TV has 1 x HDMI from the amp and 1 x CAT5 to it for internet etc.

I require the SKY cables to come from the loft through a cupboard on the landing, through the living room celling, down the wall (in either the corner, though preferably the one next to the fire) to the hifi kit.

What I don’t want is the sky cable to come through the wall at the front garden to the TV.

[megaphone]

Type R Tom said:

Here is a quick annotation to the floor plan drew on CAD. The TV on the right side of the living room as you look at it closest to the outside window in the fire place alcove (on a bracket that comes away from the wall). The Hifi kit including surround amp is on the left of the fire place alcove. The TV has 1 x HDMI from the amp and 1 x CAT5 to it for internet etc.

I require the SKY cables to come from the loft through a cupboard on the landing, through the living room celling, down the wall (in either the corner, though preferably the one next to the fire) to the hifi kit.

What I don’t want is the sky cable to come through the wall at the front garden to the TV.

Then you'll have to get them run in by someone else, the Sky guy will not go into a loft, unless you can bribe him! The dish will need to face south, he'll drill a hole at the most convenient place and run the cables surface to the box position.

[illmonkey]

Get an independant guy in, he'll do a good job how you want.

[Mr Pointy]

I suspect they will be very wary about going into the loft for insurance reasons.

To stand a chance of getting what you want how about you offer to run the cables while he is up the ladder drilling the wall & fitting the dish? If you run the cables up from the lounge, into the first floor cupboard & then across the loft to where he needs them to exit the soffit/barge board you'll be able to get what you want & he won't have to go into the loft space.

I'm not sure how many outputs the dish LNB will have but you might want to cable all of them into the loft in case you need one in future.