Can You Send Sky Q to Multiple TVs Using Existing Coax?

A lot of houses already have coax running from a central cupboard, loft or old amplifier to several television positions. When the original aerial or Sky distribution arrangement changes, those cables do not automatically become useless. If the coax network is in suitable condition and the televisions are compatible with the chosen modulation system, it can be a very practical way of distributing a central HDMI source without opening finished walls for another cable.

The important distinction is what the system is being asked to do. There is a big difference between mirroring one Sky Q box around the house and letting several rooms choose different Sky channels independently.

What happens when Sky Q is distributed over existing coax?

The Sky Q box still produces HDMI in the normal way. A suitable HDMI-to-DVB-T/RF modulator takes that HDMI output and creates a digital television channel. That RF channel is then combined into the building's coax distribution network and tuned on compatible televisions in the other rooms.

Technomate's current TM-RF HD IR V6 documentation, for example, describes this exact architecture: an HDMI source is converted to DVB-T RF, distributed through coax, and can be combined with an existing aerial feed. Its published specification also includes IR return over compatible coax arrangements so the source can be controlled from another room.

That does not mean the coax cable has somehow become an HDMI cable. The television receives a modulated digital TV channel created from the HDMI source. That difference matters when comparing picture formats, control methods and what equipment is needed at each end.

Can each TV watch a different Sky channel?

Not when several TVs are simply receiving the output of one Sky Q box. They are all watching the same source, so changing the channel on that box changes the programme being distributed to the other rooms as well.

If different rooms need different Sky programmes at the same time, Sky's current multi-room guidance says Sky Q customers need Sky Multiscreen and Sky Q Mini boxes for independent viewing. Sky also states that older tvLINK arrangements do not work with Sky Q boxes.

Can Freeview and a distributed Sky Q source share the same coax?

They can in a correctly designed system. Some HDMI RF modulators include an RF input specifically so an aerial feed can be combined with the new modulated channel. The channel plan, amplifier/splitter arrangement, signal levels and the condition of the existing coax still need to be sensible; plugging boxes together without checking the RF system can create reception problems rather than solve them.

If the requirement is primarily extra Freeview or Freesat outlets rather than an HDMI source, see our additional TV points and signal-distribution service instead.

How do you control the Sky Q box from another room?

That depends on the distribution hardware. The Technomate system shown in our installation photographs supports infrared control over a compatible coax arrangement using its IR transmitter/receiver system. Other HDMI distribution products use different IR return, network control or manufacturer-specific methods.

Control should therefore be part of the design from the start. A picture on the bedroom TV is not much use if the only way to change the source is to walk back to the equipment cupboard every time.

When is existing coax a particularly good option?

• Finished properties: coax already reaches the television positions and opening walls would be disproportionate.
• Several TVs need the same source: a central modulated source can be distributed through the existing TV network.
• Aerial television is still required: a suitable design can combine the aerial service and the modulated HDMI source.
• Central equipment needs to stay hidden: source boxes can remain in an equipment area rather than being stacked beside every TV.

When would Cat6 be the better route?

If a dedicated Cat6 / Cat6a cable already runs from the source position to one remote display, or the property is being renovated and new structured cabling can be installed cleanly, an HDMI extender over twisted-pair cabling can be a more direct point-to-point solution. It avoids turning the HDMI source into a broadcast TV channel and can suit projects where the required video format and extender hardware are chosen together.

Our HDMI over Cat6 vs coax guide compares the two approaches in more detail. If a new cable route is needed, our data-cabling service covers the structured-cabling side as part of the project.

Common mistakes when trying to reuse old TV cabling

• Assuming every piece of coax, splitter and amplifier in an inherited system is still connected or suitable.
• Expecting several TVs fed from one Sky Q box to show different Sky channels independently.
• Buying a modulator without checking television compatibility and the required output format.
• Forgetting remote control / IR return until after the picture is working.
• Adding an RF channel without considering the existing aerial channel plan and distribution levels.
• Assuming a product labelled “4K compatible TV” means the modulated video itself is automatically distributed in 4K.

Professional HDMI distribution around Manchester & Stockport

Evolution Data & Digital installs HDMI distribution and multi-room video systems across Manchester, Stockport and Cheshire. We start with the sources, displays and existing cabling, then choose whether the sensible route is Cat6, suitable coax/RF modulation, direct HDMI or a more structured switching/matrix system.

That means an existing coax network can be treated as useful infrastructure where it genuinely suits the job — not automatically ripped out because the source happens to use HDMI.

Frequently asked questions