Sky dish cables (I think) went direct to the living room - we don't use Sky anymore and the dish is still up. Terrestrial signal is distributed to every room through a distribution box in loft.

 

Have an old Sky box and was thinking - could I connect a single LNB line to the cable on the rear of an aerial socket (it will run upto the distribution box). Then connect that socket to the LNB input on the Sky box. Thereby connecting the box to the dish direct (by passing the distribution box).

 

TV doesn't have a tuner in it and saves me buying one.

 

Or is it too much hassle?

You need to connect the LNB directly to the Sky box, and then you can use the RF out to feed out to other boxes. You could use the scart output if the sky box has it to remove the tv tuner requirement. 

Don't want to feed other rooms, just to save buying a preview box.

Effectively will be connecting LNB direct to Sky box, albeit via exiting coaxial cabling built into house.

You can use a Sky box as a freeview box, we have an old Sky+ HD box upstairs and it works without multiroom for the free channels (BBC etc).

 

Sky disable the recording features though if you have no subscription so Sky+ doesn't work.

Don't want to feed other rooms, just to save buying a preview box.

Effectively will be connecting LNB direct to Sky box, albeit via exiting coaxial cabling built into house.

 

I would try it anyway - the worst it can do is not work.  (the joints and long cable run might degrade the signal) (although Freeview boxes aren't that expensive)

Except you won't get Freeview. You might get Freesat (which is very similar but the channel provision is sligtly different). Freeview comes via the ordinary television aerial. Freesat comes via the satellite dish.

 

The previous owner of our house had Sky and, obviously, a dish. I am not paying Murdoch anything if I can help it. So we got a Humax Freesat box. Connected it up and it works a treat. I would certainly recommend Humax boxes.

Thanks. Freesat/Freeview whatever it is - just the spare room but wanted the TV to work (which doesn't have a tuner built in).

 

Will try it when I've finished decorating.