Freesat Single Cable Input From Dish With Quattro LNB via Second Cable or dSCR

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DaveyWS

Member
My Satellite Setup
Freeview and Freesat via Communal Dish
My Location
West Yorks
I live in a block of flats with a communal system for Freeview and satellite TV.

The current system for TV is via a single cable into each flat. This cable provides the feed for both Freeview and satellite TV.

I'd like to buy a Freesat Recordable 4K TV Box but my understanding is that full recording functionality (to be able to watch channel A and record channel B at the same time) requires either a second cable to my flat or dSCR on the single cable (which it does not currently have).

I'm assuming the second cable option will work but is the Freesat recordable box enabled for dSCR please?
 
Have you investigated whether dSCR is even a possibility for the communal system?
 
The latest Freesat boxes are suitable for an SCR feed, any particular reason why you wouldn't go for a Freeview recorder?
You'll need a dSCR adapter installed in the head end cupboard, plus the agreement of the management company, as a bad installation could penalise other users. The unri takes four feeds off the main multiswitch and then converts two of them to legacy sat plus terrestrial and the other two into, Legacy/dSCR/terrestrial. however you really need test equipment to do this and an installer who knows systems. Is this quite an old system?
https://cpc.farnell.com/triax/tmds4...3267&s_kwcid=AL!5616!3!605262956587!!!network

https://www.amazon.co.uk/UNITRON-AD...hvtargid=pla-2281435176938&psc=1&gad_source=1
 
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rolfw said:
The latest Freesat boxes are suitable for an SCR feed, any particular reason why you wouldn't go for a Freeview recorder?
You'll need a dSCR adapter installed in the head end cupboard, plus the agreement of the management company, as a bad installation could penalise other users. The unri takes four feeds off the main multiswitch and then converts two of them to legacy sat plus terrestrial and the other two into, Legacy/dSCR/terrestrial. however you really need test equipment to do this and an installer who knows systems. Is this quite an old system?
https://cpc.farnell.com/triax/tmds4...3267&s_kwcid=AL!5616!3!605262956587!!!network

https://www.amazon.co.uk/UNITRON-AD...hvtargid=pla-2281435176938&psc=1&gad_source=1
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Thanks for info. Unfortunately I've now confirmed with Freesat advisor that dSCR won't work, so two cable only way ahead for Freesat. I used Freesat many years ago and I preferred it to Freeview as it had many more channels including HD. I also have watched Freesat in my current flat through my LG 65NANO916NA TV (single tuner with no recording other than clunky USB ) and the HD picture was superb. In practice it's as good as UHD in my opinion. Of course it could be that the LG TV tuner is superior to the Freesat box I suppose! However when I spoke to staff in Richer Sounds they were very much of the opinion that Freesat, and satellite in general, has a better HD picture than Freeview. It's quite an old satellite system so I'm investigating either dSCR with Sky Q or Freesat with second cable. Any work will be undertaken by the management company's preferred satellite company.
 
PaulR said:
Have you investigated whether dSCR is even a possibility for the communal system?
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I'm just about to ask the question to the management company although they've been pretty poor in their responses on similar items. I have discovered that dSCR will only work with Sky Q as Freesat say their box needs two cables. In general, for costs and future proofing would you recommend two cables or dSCR? It appears to me that two cables is more compatible with more satellite boxes so I'm minded to take that option over dSCR unless the costs are significantly higher.
 
DaveyWS said:
I'm just about to ask the question to the management company although they've been pretty poor in their responses on similar items. I have discovered that dSCR will only work with Sky Q as Freesat say their box needs two cables. In general, for costs and future proofing would you recommend two cables or dSCR? It appears to me that two cables is more compatible with more satellite boxes so I'm minded to take that option over dSCR unless the costs are significantly higher.
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By the way, the 4K Freesat boxes certainly work on an SCR system, as one of my installer friends has one working and the box identifies the SCR signal. However the Freesat information calls SCR MDU (mulitple domestic units system) and the helpline are reading from a script. :)
 
Aren't the Freesat and Sky implementations of SCR subtly different? Something along the lines of the Sky MDU only working with their own boxes whereas other suppliers of MDUs will work with both?
 
rolfw said:
By the way, the 4K Freesat boxes certainly work on an SCR system, as one of my installer friends has one working and the box identifies the SCR signal. However the Freesat information calls SCR MDU (mulitple domestic units system) and the helpline are reading from a script. :)
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Thanks. Sorry to be pernickity but is SCR the same as dSCR?
 
DaveyWS said:
Thanks. Sorry to be pernickity but is SCR the same as dSCR?
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Yes it is. :) The version we use in the UK and now much of europe is not the same as the original Unicable version. Latest switches and adapters should all be fine with both Sky and Freesat 4k. A screenshot from one of my friends. 1740767370539.webp
 
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rolfw said:
Yes it is. :) The version we use in the UK and now much of europe is not the same as the original Unicable version. Latest switches and adapters should all be fine with both Sky and Freesat 4k. A screenshot from one of my friends. View attachment 161306
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Thanks very much for your help including that screen shot. I’ve now raised the issue with my flats’ management company who will investigate with our aerial company hopefully ASAP!
 
PaulR said:
Aren't the Freesat and Sky implementations of SCR subtly different? Something along the lines of the Sky MDU only working with their own boxes whereas other suppliers of MDUs will work with both?
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Ooh that’s a complication I was unaware of! I’ve now passed the general issue over to the flats’ management team who’ll investigate with the aerial company and I’m guessing will come back with dSCR option/ 2 cable option or possibly both. If they include the dSCR option I will definitely ask this as a follow up question. Thanks.
 
DaveyWS said:
Ooh that’s a complication I was unaware of! I’ve now passed the general issue over to the flats’ management team who’ll investigate with the aerial company and I’m guessing will come back with dSCR option/ 2 cable option or possibly both. If they include the dSCR option I will definitely ask this as a follow up question. Thanks.
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All of the SCR untis sold in the Uk are suitable for both SkyQ and Freesat HD, when you think of it logically, Freesat had no real choice but to use that standard, as it's in all UK Integrated Reception Systems.
 
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PaulR said:
Aren't the Freesat and Sky implementations of SCR subtly different? Something along the lines of the Sky MDU only working with their own boxes whereas other suppliers of MDUs will work with both?
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No Paul, Freesat went for the same system, as that's what's installed in all systems in the UK with SCRs, the Sky system is however different from the original Unicable.
 
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rolfw said:
No Paul, Freesat went for the same system, as that's what's installed in all systems in the UK with SCRs, they Sky system is however different from the original Unicable.
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Thanks for that.
 
rolfw said:
No Paul, Freesat went for the same system, as that's what's installed in all systems in the UK with SCRs, the Sky system is however different from the original Unicable.
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It could be the system installed at the o/p's residence is not a modern system, or possibly not even one for the UK.
I have removed a couple of unicable dishes in the past and the LNBs installed were set up for Middle East/Eastern Europe satellites.
 
Channel Hopper said:
It could be the system installed at the o/p's residence is not a modern system, or possibly not even one for the UK.
I have removed a couple of unicable dishes in the past and the LNBs installed were set up for Middle East/Eastern Europe satellites.
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From the sound of it it's just a legacy multiswitch, so no SCR function, I've yet to see an apartment block with old style unicable built in and I've seen quite a lot. The only difference as far as I can see, is that unicable has all of the channels and dSCR has a selection
 
rolfw said:
From the sound of it it's just a legacy multiswitch, so no SCR function, I've yet to see an apartment block with old style unicable built in and I've seen quite a lot. The only difference as far as I can see, is that unicable has all of the channels and dSCR has a selection
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I don’t know when SCR became available on the market but the flats were built in 2000 and I’m pretty sure there have been no major upgrades since then as it would be a significant outlay (5 dishes serving 126 flats). It would have required discussion and agreement from the owners and I can’t see any record of that happening. BTW I believe we have Quattro LNBs but not sure if they are original.
 
DaveyWS said:
I don’t know when SCR became available on the market but the flats were built in 2000 and I’m pretty sure there have been no major upgrades since then as it would be a significant outlay (5 dishes serving 126 flats). It would have required discussion and agreement from the owners and I can’t see any record of that happening. BTW I believe we have Quattro LNBs but not sure if they are original.
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Sky Q was launched roughly 9 years ago, so pretty much every system before that time will have legacy satellite feed or feeds, the recordable boxes didn't come in until 2001, hence why yours only has a single sat feed.
 
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