BUYING A NEW TV AS WELL AS SWITCHING ISP TO SKY STREAM - SHOULD I INSTALL THE TV FIRST?

[Simon92]

After much deliberation I am planning to put the wheels in motion to switch from a Virgin Media braodband/tv package to a SKY broadband/ streamed tv package. I currently have an old plasma tv.

As well as switching ISP I am planning to buy a premium 4K tv.

Simple question. I think it would probably be more practical to get the tv bought and installed before bringing SKY in but I am not expert. 

All current wiring between the VM box, and TV and Blue Ray and TV is completely hidden and I aim to keep it that way. The TV is mounted on a redundant chimney stack. Wiring goes from the back of the TV into the chimney void and then out of the side of the stack directly into a fitted cupboard in the neighbouring alcove. The VM box and Blu Ray sit on top of the cupboard fed by wiring from inside the cupboard led through small voids in the cupboard top.

As I say I am no expert but logic suggests to me to have the new TV and soundbar installed first so that when SKY is installed it should(I think!) simply be a case of switching the HDMI that currently links into the VM box to plug into the SKY puck. I appreciate the puck will need to be plugged into the mains as well.

I would be grateful for any tips anyone can offer. 

[Jporch316]

Hi @Simon92 

yes that would be the way I would setup 

[BenJoBanjo]

@Simon92 

Be aware that depending on the age, length and spec of the HDMI cable you will be using to connect the Sky Stream puck to your TV, you may not get a stable enough 4K signal to enable HDR to pass to the TV. 

Also be aware that the Sky Stream puck does not require Sky to be your ISP - you can use Virgin broadband or any other broadband, as long as it is fast and stable enough. 
If you are hiding the puck in an alcove, make sure that it can receive fast and stable broadband consistently and is not close to too many other devices which may interfere with your WiFi. Alternatively, connect it to your router via Ethernet to have a better chance of stability. 

[Simon92]

@BenJoBanjo Thank you very much for this. Is the presence of a Blu Ray player or Freeview box likely to interfere with signal to the puck? And secondly(sorry to ask questions) is there a link or other source I can go to which will tell me what sort of up to date HDMI would be best for linking the puck with the TV? Very unfortunately I don't think that an HDMI connection between router and puck is going to be a practical option but I am mindful that if possible that will be best. The puck will not be "hidden" as such. Whilst in an alcove it will very much be out in the open. Thanks again for your help.

[BenJoBanjo · Accepted solution]

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@Simon92 wrote:

@BenJoBanjo Thank you very much for this. Is the presence of a Blu Ray player or Freeview box likely to interfere with signal to the puck? And secondly(sorry to ask questions) is there a link or other source I can go to which will tell me what sort of up to date HDMI would be best for linking the puck with the TV? Very unfortunately I don't think that an HDMI connection between router and puck is going to be a practical option but I am mindful that if possible that will be best. The puck will not be "hidden" as such. Whilst in an alcove it will very much be out in the open. Thanks again for your help.

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A BluRay player or Freeview box shouldn't pose any problems but it's impossible to say with 100% certainty really until you try it. Any electronic device can produce some form of interference depending on how well it's been manufactured, quality of internal components, and shielding for example. 

As for the spec of HDMI, I always recommend using certified HDMI 2.1 cables. These are commonly advertised as being 8K compatible (which is a bit pointless for most people) but have proven to be excellent and reliable at passing every video and audio format needed from an A/V device to a 4K TV. They are inexpensive and futureproof. When I used a Stream puck I had no issues passing UHD with HLG, HDR10 or Dolby Vision to my TV using a certified 2.1 cable costing about £7, such as this one. 

Length of HDMI cable can become an issue if it is longer than 3 metres. Anything longer than this can struggle to pass full bandwidth signals reliably, so UHD with HDR can be problematic. If you need to go longer then you may be limited to HD, or you can pay more for an optical HDMI cable such as this one. 

You would connect the puck to your router via ethernet, not HDMI, but if this is not practical then just make sure it is open enough around it and avoid placing it on top of the BluRay or Freeview box. Stream pucks do seem to be more susceptible to WiFi interference than some other streaming devices so you may need to experiment to get the best possible signal. When connected you can get a speed test using the 'check your network' option on the get help menu within the Netflix app. 

[Simon92]

@BenJoBanjo Brillant. Thank you!