Sky Q

[T.A]

You can easily stream programmes that are on Sky 1 etc anyway and sports and films can be downloaded too. I suppose it depends how lazy and tightwadded you want to be.

 

[Pagnell]

You can easily stream programmes that are on Sky 1 etc anyway and sports and films can be downloaded too. I suppose it depends how lazy and tightwadded you want to be.

You can, but getting them in HD is another matter, so I guess it depends on whether quality is important. Live streams are rarely above 480i in terms of quality, and most of the time far less than that. Things are improving though.

I agree there is certainly an element of my paying money for ease of use here, especially in terms of my kids who are only 7 and 3. It's far easier for them to watch the kids channels in HD on Sky, most of which aren't available on freeview, than to spend time pissing around with my Kodi media box and watch them streamed in bad quality.

 

[Gladders]

I agree, if I was to watch a lot of sky channels I'd rather pay for it than mess about with kodi and streams. I don't mind streaming the odd football match or the formula one because I can easily find decent streams. But I wouldn't bother with streaming anything else if sky is genuinely the only place you can find something to watch for the wife and kids.

 

[Benito]

People stay pay for Sky ? I cancelled my subscription about 5 years ago, no need for Netflix either which is piss poor.

Get yourself a HTPC install Kodi and make your way over to piratebay or an equivalent and the content is endless.

 

[Pagnell]

Get yourself a HTPC install Kodi and make your way over to piratebay or an equivalent and the content is endless.

Yeah, we're all aware of that. Read the thread. But having and regularly using Kodi doesn't negate a need for the convenience Sky offers, or at least for myself, especially if you can get it for the right price.

 

[Christian Slater]

You can, but getting them in HD is another matter, so I guess it depends on whether quality is important. Live streams are rarely above 480i in terms of quality, and most of the time far less than that. Things are improving though.

I agree there is certainly an element of my paying money for ease of use here, especially in terms of my kids who are only 7 and 3. It's far easier for them to watch the kids channels in HD on Sky, most of which aren't available on freeview, than to spend time pissing around with my Kodi media box and watch them streamed in bad quality.

You can download anything in HD.

 

[Pagnell]

You need to read up on the difference between downloading and live streaming, the latter of which I was specifically talking about

 

[Christian Slater]

What needs to be live streamed these days apart from live sport?

 

[SALTIRE]

What needs to be live streamed these days apart from live sport?

Cams

 

[Christian Slater]

Cams

They're the biggest teases going. Much better to watch someone's recording of it and skip to the good bits.

 

[slaphead]

...The only thing I would consider worth paying sky tv for is to watch sports legally, but as I'm not a armchair football fan its not for me.

I rarely, if ever watch football on Sky, but it is invaluable to me for golf and test cricket. The sooner Sky start to charge a separate subscription for football the better as far as I'm concerned. And Sky Go is vital to get through night shifts as well.

 

[Pagnell]

I don't know the technical jargon but they do connect (even if it takes an engineer 4 hours) but they're dropping out on a frequent basis. I'll get more detail tomorrow and post it in here. They do think they've found the fix though, due to roll it out on the 15th so you should be sound.

They've been working on Q for years but had major issues with the MINI boxes. It seems they rushed release rather than making sure everything was working properly. That's why the number of MINI boxes per household has been limited, they were designed to run more but everytime they do it breaks. It is the 'future' for Sky but it hasn't been a great start, take up has been a lot less than was anticipated. The guy responsible for creating the Q brand has left (he would've been pushed). They should've marketed it as UHD being the main thing. Instead they went with some shitty advert that had ink coming out the TV and merely said Sky Q at the end, didn't say what it was other than some cliche about fluid vision.

The one really good thing about it is you can access your planner even if you're out the house. Problem is the planner is shared so you'll have to be careful with what your kids might have access to. Dunno if you can parental control, presume you can.

I've done some reading up on the main causes of connection issues between mini-hubs and the main Sky Q unit, and it seems it mainly stems around Sky's insistence on forcing the mesh onto 2.4ghz wifi band when a customer isn't using Sky broadband, perhaps in an attempt to get customers to swap over to their service. Not sure who decided that but it's a stupid decision, especially for customers like myself who have the new BT Smart Hub. I've read the best way of fixing it is to wait until the installation engineers have fucked off then take the tab off the ethernet port on the back of the Sky Q unit (Sky don't want you using it) and connect the main unit directly to your router. This then forces everything on the mesh into 5ghz mode, including any mini-hubs, resulting in less drop outs and speeding up the connection.

 

[T.A]

I've done some reading up on the main causes of connection issues between mini-hubs and the main Sky Q unit, and it seems it mainly stems around Sky's insistence on forcing the mesh onto 2.4ghz wifi band when a customer isn't using Sky broadband, perhaps in an attempt to get customers to swap over to their service. Not sure who decided that but it's a stupid decision, especially for customers like myself who have the new BT Smart Hub. I've read the best way of fixing it is to wait until the installation engineers have fucked off then take the tab off the ethernet port on the back of the Sky Q unit (Sky don't want you using it) and connect the main unit directly to your router. This then forces everything on the mesh into 5ghz mode, including any mini-hubs, resulting in less drop outs and speeding up the connection.

 

[QPR_Matt]

I pay for Sky, but I love it. I use SkyGo when watching TV in bed and I use it when out and about. At home, I have a lot of their shows on record and record things like F1. The films are good. They are like the cinema I find, where it goes in waves of good films in one go, then shit films in one go. But I download and watch a lot.

Steaming films etc is okay when nothing on, but the quality isnt the same. I have fibre, Kodi etc but it still does not get close to actually watching it normally and Sky has a pretty decent selection. Plus their TV series are really good so I would rather watch them in HD easily.

I will probably upgrade to Q when I move to a larger house. Hopefully by then the price will drop. Reading the above, sounds like I may cancel Sky and wait a month or so for them to come crawling back. Virgin, BT look very expensive in comparison for the same packages so Sky would be my company of choice.

 

[Pagnell]

I don't know the technical jargon but they do connect (even if it takes an engineer 4 hours) but they're dropping out on a frequent basis. I'll get more detail tomorrow and post it in here. They do think they've found the fix though, due to roll it out on the 15th so you should be sound.

They've been working on Q for years but had major issues with the MINI boxes. It seems they rushed release rather than making sure everything was working properly. That's why the number of MINI boxes per household has been limited, they were designed to run more but everytime they do it breaks. It is the 'future' for Sky but it hasn't been a great start, take up has been a lot less than was anticipated. The guy responsible for creating the Q brand has left (he would've been pushed). They should've marketed it as UHD being the main thing. Instead they went with some shitty advert that had ink coming out the TV and merely said Sky Q at the end, didn't say what it was other than some cliche about fluid vision.

The one really good thing about it is you can access your planner even if you're out the house. Problem is the planner is shared so you'll have to be careful with what your kids might have access to. Dunno if you can parental control, presume you can.

I'm curious Abertawe, did this 15th of September firmware roll out fix the issue? As I said above, from what I've read it's easy to fix anyway with a bit of tinkering, but I'm wondering if Sky have managed to sort it without having to do that. My installation date is Wednesday.

 

[Abertawe]

I'm curious Abertawe, did this 15th of September firmware roll out fix the issue? As I said above, from what I've read it's easy to fix anyway with a bit of tinkering, but I'm wondering if Sky have managed to sort it without having to do that. My installation date is Wednesday.

As far as I know they didn't end up rolling it out. Reading your earlier post there are issues even with people on Sky BB. I know they drop out due to an IP conflict.

I think after you go active it'll be worth ringing up and tease about cancelling within your cooling off period. Sports is pretty much always on offer and they can swap existing offers piece of piss. You might end up paying summit like a fiver more but provided you got the 2tb box then you'll get UHD football included in that. Well worth it cuz UHD is sick.

 

[Pagnell]

Might well do that.

 

[Abertawe]

I'd be interested in a review once you're set up with Sky's new NEXT GEN product please Pag.

 

[Pagnell]

Will do.

I'm going to wait for a week or so then give them a call and try it on like you suggest. If I could get sport thrown in for free or, even better, the full package, then that really will be a bonus. What's the chances of them calling my bluff if I tell them I want to invoke the cooling off period? I'm going to say it's not as good as I believed it would be.

 

[Abertawe]

Will do.

I'm going to wait for a week or so then give them a call and try it on like you suggest. If I could get sport thrown in for free or, even better, the full package, then that really will be a bonus. What's the chances of them calling my bluff if I tell them I want to invoke the cooling off period? I'm going to say it's not as good as I believed it would be.

They'll only call your bluff if you act like a wanker as they'll want to get you off the phone. Just get put through to the retention's side and advise em you're not seeing the value in your new purchase after trying it out for a week. Put in some sob story about the misses losing her job which has meant you've gotta be smarter with your disposable monies. Give em a carrot by saying you LOVE sky and it's content, especially football. Your cooling off period is just the last round of negotiations no matter what the product or service is. They can only say no. Unlikely given how much money, time & hassle they've gone through setting up the Q, last thing Sky want is for installed customer's to leave. .

 

[Pagnell]

Nice one, cheers. What's the cooling off period again? 14 days?

 

[Abertawe]

Should be 31 if it's the standard for Sky.

 

[Pagnell]

Cracking, no rush then.

 

[ThisTinpotLeague]

Did anyone get good deals on this or have you all been paying full price?

 

[TractorBoys]

Should be 31 if it's the standard for Sky.

Cracking, no rush then.

Just FYI - I haggled last week and got my package both upgraded- and reduced by about 30% - but the cooling off period is 14 days apparently, just like with any internet/telehpone purchase - that's what the agent told me so might not be right.

 

[Abertawe]

Can confirm 31 days is correct for TV.

 

[mossypne]

Our install date is 13th October, Main hub and 2 mini boxes. However, after reading earlier posts i'm a little concerned about the mini boxes dropping out?

 

[johnnytodd]

No Liverpool fan can justify having SKY TV considering who owns it.

I'm quite shocked that some openly admit it tbh.

 

[spireite]

Sky will always move on price. I was paying something like £75 a month for my Sky package. Internet, phone, the TV and sports package but no movies or HD. It seemed a lot, so when I moved house and rang to change it over to fibre from ADSL I asked during the call what they could do about it. The guy added all the HD stuff, movies and everything else bar the PPV channels, and dropped my tariff down to £52 a month. He even said that in a year my contract will go up to something like £130 quid a month or something ridiculous, so to make sure I ring up and get them to lower it back down. I think they are just really scared you'll move to Virgin or BT, whereas in the past they didn't really have any competition

 

[Pagnell]

Been installed for a few days now. Absolutely no issues with the minibox connection to the main unit, no dropouts at all. We also had a power cut yesterday yet the minibox reconnected within 60 seconds of the power coming back on with no intervention needed. The installing engineer connected the main unit to the router using the network cable, something I read they didn't do. But regardless of the reason, I've seen none of the issues Abertawe talked about.

Not too fond of those new controls though, very shiny and slippy and the touch pad is entirely too easy to operate by accident.