topic Re: Loss of SKY Sports on secondary multiroom box in Sky+

Loss of SKY Sports on secondary multiroom box

KennyLuntsFC — Sun, 27 Jul 2025 12:53:31 GMT

Hello

We have a back room SkyHD+ main box (c.2012) that works perfectly. The number of "available to watch" channels on our secondary/front room multiroom/multiscreen SD box reduced to just a handful, so we iniated a free upgrade to SkyQ. That only got us as far as the engineer coming (with all the necessary main & mini boxes (£150), boosters etc), but was aborted as the new SkyQ dish could only be installed from next door's garden and he wasn't allowed to do that. Fair enough. We haven't, as yet, cancelled the order and are currently exploring the dish problem with local indepenednt contractors.

So, we enacted Plan B, bought a refurbished SkyHD+ seconday box and replaced the SD box with it, inserting the same/original veiwing card we've had for some 20 years. That appears to work as we had hoped it would, enabling us to see every channel on the TV above it - except for the WHOLE of the SkySports channels. The error message for those in the top right hand corner of our screen is "Ensure that the viewing card is correctly inserted". It is, surely, because we can watch everything else!?

Does anyone have any advice on what we can do to 'bring back' the SkySports channels, please: reading other similar discussions/stories I am loathe to go through a Sky agent in this situation. . .

Many thanks

Stephen

Re: Loss of SKY Sports on secondary multiroom box

nigea99 — Sun, 27 Jul 2025 13:11:01 GMT

@KennyLuntsFC wrote:

Hello

We have a back room SkyHD+ main box (c.2012) that works perfectly. The number of "available to watch" channels on our secondary/front room multiroom/multiscreen SD box reduced to just a handful, so we iniated a free upgrade to SkyQ. That only got us as far as the engineer coming (with all the necessary main & mini boxes (£150), boosters etc), but was aborted as the new SkyQ dish could only be installed from next door's garden and he wasn't allowed to do that. Fair enough. We haven't, as yet, cancelled the order and are currently exploring the dish problem with local indepenednt contractors.

So, we enacted Plan B, bought a refurbished SkyHD+ seconday box and replaced the SD box with it, inserting the same/original veiwing card we've had for some 20 years. That appears to work as we had hoped it would, enabling us to see every channel on the TV above it - except for the WHOLE of the SkySports channels. The error message for those in the top right hand corner of our screen is "Ensure that the viewing card is correctly inserted". It is, surely, because we can watch everything else!?

Does anyone have any advice on what we can do to 'bring back' the SkySports channels, please: reading other similar discussions/stories I am loathe to go through a Sky agent in this situation. . .

Many thanks

Stephen

hi @KennyLuntsFC

TBH I am surprised you get any channels on the 2nd hand SKY HD box

Since last October SKY no longer allow pairing a card in a box it was not paired with at that time

Re: Loss of SKY Sports on secondary multiroom box

KennyLuntsFC — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 07:25:46 GMT

Many thanks, nigea99

I didn't know that, so it's no surprise that we've "lost" our SkySports package. Much of the other "paid-for" SkyKids has also gone!

We'll probably go back to Plan A and try to find a dish installer to go with the Sky engineer.

Thanks again

Stephen

Re: Loss of SKY Sports on secondary multiroom box

Mark39 — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 07:49:53 GMT

@KennyLuntsFC just a word of caution: Sky have in the past refused to install Sky Q where there are potential issues around access to the dish, when that might be required for future maintenance.

Re: Loss of SKY Sports on secondary multiroom box

KennyLuntsFC — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 08:38:59 GMT

Thank you, Mark

That is a good point

The engineer that came said he would be happy to install SkyQ once someone else had installed the approprite new SkyQ dish in place of the old one (c.2007). I hadn't thought about future maintenance, though guess this would be a rarity: we have none carried out for the past 18 years!

Our other concerns re the new dish were:

1. Presumably the existing (coaxial?) cables are satisfactory and would be simply wired into the new dish as they are now?

2. Will the new SkyQ dish operate our existing SkyHD+ system for as long as we're waiting for the Sky engineer to return? without some careful planning on my part, the gap between an independent contractor fitting the new dish and SkyQ (hopefully) becoming operational could easily be a few days.

We don't like change. . .

Thanks again for your advice

Stephen

Re: Loss of SKY Sports on secondary multiroom box

nigea99 — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 08:43:52 GMT

@KennyLuntsFC wrote:

Thank you, Mark

That is a good point

The engineer that came said he would be happy to install SkyQ once someone else had installed the approprite new SkyQ dish in place of the old one (c.2007). I hadn't thought about future maintenance, though guess this would be a rarity: we have none carried out for the past 18 years!

Our other concerns re the new dish were:

1. Presumably the existing (coaxial?) cables are satisfactory and would be simply wired into the new dish as they are now?

2. Will the new SkyQ dish operate our existing SkyHD+ system for as long as we're waiting for the Sky engineer to return? without some careful planning on my part, the gap between an independent contractor fitting the new dish and SkyQ (hopefully) becoming operational could easily be a few days.

We don't like change. . .

Thanks again for your advice

Stephen

hi @KennyLuntsFC

The Wideband LNB used for SKY Q cannot be used for SKY HD

You may wish to read some notes I have made for people considering switching from SKY +/HD to SKY Q which cover several things:

SKY +/HD to SKY Q

Any further questions do not heistate ask

Re: Loss of SKY Sports on secondary multiroom box

KennyLuntsFC — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 09:00:16 GMT

Thank you, @nigea99

A very helpful read

It does sound as though we should be ok, assuming I can find a local independent contractor who is happy to install the new SkyQ dish from next door's garden!

Will report back in due course: I think my wife would rather carry on as we are with the main SkyHD+ system. . .

Thanks again

Stephen