The solartube looks like a lit light. The skylight looks like a window. I had not known what to expect from the solar tube as I had thought it would be like a circular skylight. When they installed ours, it looked like a light fixture. It lets in a lot of light, so it is very useful. We put it in a north facing master bath and have to remember to close the door at night or our room is bathed in a bright light in the a.m.. I guess the reflective materials inside amplify the natural light. It seems to let less in at night than a skylight, but that may be due to its smaller size. You can see it in the ceiling though at night with all the lights off. If the moon is out, it is more noticeable. They would be as fine near each other as a light and a skylight would be. The fact that the solar tube shows natural light is not obvious. I have to explain to visitors that it is not that I left the light on all day but its natural state, lol.

Yes, look for a shade option. I'm just shopping for another for a staircase with an 'open' option. I have three...bathroom, bedroom, kitchen. Not shaded. On a clear sunny day like the past few, very bright, the sunlight 'square' moves along the floor, counter, walls, bed. Certain times of the year i need to remove some artwork as the sun shifts. With a very simple constructed model as simple as cardboard and a flashlight, you can re-create the pattern of the sun to see how it plays. An Architect can help. Even a 50% shade option will defuse the light. (oh, great, this was from 2015) wish some posters would report back their purchase and findings...

RL's solution sounds like a winner to me. IMO, can lights exist mainly to sell more lighting hardware, because you need so many of them to get something close to even lighting. A hanging fixture or chandelier that reflects some of its light off a white ceiling (indirect lighting) will do a much better job of lighting the room evenly. Using indirect lighting indoors is roughly comparable to reading a book under a nice leafy tree, instead of squinting at it and straining your eyes in direct sun.

You absolutely need windows and I would never do skylights in a media room so pot lights and maybe on two circuits so they do not all have to be on when using the space for media. I can’t actually see this even being approved for living space without windows.BTW a carport roof will not be approved for living space for sure you better get all your ducks in a row before starting this project.