Foxtel iQ4 Upgrade – Strata Manager Guide For MDUs

14 October 2019

Have Any Of Your Buildings Requested A Foxtel iQ4 Upgrade?

If they have requested a Foxtel iQ4 upgrade, and Foxtel have sent them your way, then it probably means they need a building upgrade. Don’t stress, as technology has advanced significantly over the last few years, and there is a much more efficient solution now available for your Building. That means a quicker installation and lower cost. It’s all good news. Here, we will go into detail on possible scenarios you may run into, and a few key questions to get answers to in order to ensure the process is super smooth.

What Is The Current Foxtel System Installed In The Building?

OK, so there are two broad categories. It will likely be either Foxtel Satellite, or Foxtel Cable (off the street). There is also the possibility that some of the residents are also getting Foxtel over the internet, however, there isn’t much we can do if that is the case and they still want an iQ4 set-top box.

Foxtel Satellite

If Foxtel are telling the resident Foxtel subscribers that they aren’t able to get Foxtel iQ4 boxes installed in the building, and you have Foxtel Satellite, then you have one of the following Foxtel Satellite systems:

• Foxtel Extra Lite: a building that has only a single lateral cable from a splitter (sending only a single polarity, either Horizontal or Vertical channels) to a TV point in each apartment.
• Foxtel Lite: a building that has only a single lateral cable from a multiswitch to a TV point in each apartment.
• Foxtel TDT: a building that has a satellite feed running into a large TDT headend, which moves the signal from DVB-S frequencies to DVB-C frequencies. It basically converts the signal to a Foxtel Cable signal, and unfortunately, Foxtel iQ4 boxes don’t work with a Foxtel Cable signal.

Upgrading any of these sites to be able to receive Foxtel iQ4 boxes is relatively easy, however, you can really stumble on a few big hurdles. Send us an email or give us a call at 1300 800 123 and we can take the next step to get a few more details before providing a budgetary estimate on what the cost would be for the Building to upgrade.

Foxtel Cable (off the street)

If, on the other hand, you have Foxtel Cable (off the street), then that means you get Foxtel delivered by underground and/or aerial cables. You may see these coaxial cables on the power distribution poles in your local area, or in the underground pits marked as ‘Telstra’, ‘Optus’ or now, maybe even ‘nbn’.

This makes for a slightly more complicated scenario.

Since the nbn network introduced its hybrid fibre coaxial network design (HFC), nbn has since been given control of that underground and aerial network to provide certain buildings/areas with internet access. In other areas, using FTTX technology, the nbn will have run fibre to your building or the nearest node, and from there will use existing copper pair cables (old telephone lines) in order to deliver internet to each tenancy.

If your Building gets nbn via the HFC infrastructure, then we have a solution for you, however, it is likely the hardest option (and most uncertain).

If your Building gets nbn via FTTX technology, then that is good news. We may be able to make use of all those coaxial cables running to each apartment for a new single wire Foxtel Satellite solution (see below!).

So, What Is The Solution?

Introducing… the Foxtel Multistacker. If you aren’t up to speed on the latest Foxtel developments in the SMATV world, then you probably won’t have heard about it. If you are after a quick overview, check out our recent article on the Foxtel Multistacker. It looks a little bit like this:

How Does a Foxtel Multistacker Work?

It is a pretty cool piece of kit. We won’t go into all of the boring RF details here, but basically, it allows all Foxtel and Free To Air TV channels to be distributed down a single coaxial cable, be that RG6 or RG11. We no longer need to run two cables to each TV point, and we only need a single cable backbone (up and down the risers in the building).

This really is a game-changer, as it means we are no longer usually required to run new outlet cables. This has previously been hugely cost prohibitive (and a very ugly solution) as the cost (and look) of running a new cable in ducting to each apartment is significant. Now, we can use the existing cables and simply upgrade the riser equipment (and probably some backbone cabling) to ensure the signals are all balanced at the wall plates.

What Next?

If you have made it this far, and you are still interested in getting a quote for your Building on upgrading your Foxtel system, then please contact. Send us an email or give us a call at 1300 800 123. We can take a few details over the phone, and come up with a plan, which would look something like the below:

1. Phone call to discuss current situation and size of building
2. Install My Antenna to provide a budgetary estimate, subject to an onsite inspection
3. Onsite inspection conducted in order to determine: (i) Satellite dish location, (ii) New cable paths required (f any), (iii) Existing backbone cabling design, (iv) Existing cable type (backbone and outlets), (v) Inspection of other riser equipment onsite, (vi)
4. Based on our findings, we would prepare a fixed price quote to complete the works
5. As soon as we are provided a Work Order, we work with Strata and/or Building Management to set a timeline for the works and the transition period, as well as information to be posted to residents and Foxtel subscribers in the building

To discuss your situation in more detail, send us an email or give us a call at 1300 800 123.