[Technology] I Sky Q worth it?

[METALMICKY]

Just wondering what people's experience of Sky Q is and whether they think its worth having or whether better to wait till till technology settled in?

What's prompted the question is that out of the blue they have offered me a brand new Sky Q 2TB main box with no additional cost on my viewing package. The only additional costs are a £65 set up plus £50 for setting up a single Q mini box as I have multi screen in one bedroom. Not unsurprisingly the other catch is that its a new minimum 18 month contract. Currently I'm mid way through an 18 month contract for which I pay a pretty reasonable approx £50 for everything bar Sky cinema. Like most sensible people I play the " threaten to cancel" game and invariably get a decent discount.

My thoughts are :

1. As the kit is now effectively loaned to you is the threaten to cancel game going go be undermined? Would love to know how early adopters of the Sky Q service have faired when they have have got to negotiations time? Have Sky actually gone round people's houses to recover the out or endeavoured to keep a customer ?

2. Is the technology still too new with too many bugs unresolved? Too much resetting of boxes and fiddly Bluetooth remotes etc?

3. Do we have any idea when Sky Q without the need for a dish might get rolled out? Whilst predominantly a huge new market for people in flats of buildings with planning restrictions I would benefit since really don't want another cabling hole to be drilled into my house. The very ' helpful' window people despite clear instructions managed to fit a new porch and boxed in the existing cabling!. Accordingly, if the Sky Q set up requires cabling along with the new LNB I am stuffed.

Presumably am I also right in thinking that Sky Q service is going go be hugely reliant on a decent broadband and WiFi connection? Currently my speed is very average and as its not with Sky WiFi boosters built into the kit cannot be used.

Would really appreciate people's thoughts?

 

[bhanutz]

I have had the same offer.... However I am of the opinion..If it aint broke, don't fix it..So will be staying with my HD box and multiroom for the time being.

 

[liverpool_one]

iptv £2.50 a week every channel you could want

 

[Albion Dan]

We have a big house so Its really good if you have multi room and dont want loads of cable working its way everywhere. Tech works very well at ours. The UX is really good. We're very happy.

Not sure what will happen at renewal time though!

 

[marcos3263]

I have Q as a previous thread shows. I have now had it 2 months so here is an honest opinion.

I love the hardware - box is smaller, prettier and the remote is nice to hold and the voice activated bit is excellent although I forget to use it but my 4 year old is an expert.

On the whole the menus are prettier, I like the planner which uses pictures of the programs rather than just the name.

The fast forward with the touch remote is very fast - love that - just wizz through all of the big clubs on Match of the day to little old Brighton at the end (!)

There is an excellent side bar meaning you can be watching some thing and the live scores are on the right so you can pretend to be a fan when in fact you are an armchair

However there are a number of little niggles:

It always starts on the Home screen rather than a channel - only a key click away but annoying.
some of the navigation is tedious pressing several buttons when one used to do it.
You cant just press play to restart something you stopped earlier as the wife was nagging.you have to go back into the menu.
when you are pissed the remote is too easy to drop
It came with the naughty channels turned off and so I cant not turn them on as the wife will wonder why

 

[Jam The Man]

For me, having the Q multi-room mini box is the best thing about the upgrade as we can move the little thing to any room in the house and plug it in as it runs off the WiFi rather than being wired into the dish.

 

[Triggaaar]

Just wondering what people's experience of Sky Q is and whether they think its worth having or whether better to wait till till technology settled in?

Not a lot wrong with HD, but what screen are you using (4k, size?), and how far away do you sit?

Also, would the 18 month contract be at your currently negotiated discount, or does the discount run out before then?

 

[studio150]

Personally I don't get the rush to change to Sky Q.

Given that you don't really need to record 3 or more shows at the same time given catch up TV, and also the trend now to release the whole series in one go. Plus with Sky go, and being able to watch live on a lap top the need for mutliroom is virtually over

So other than the extra high definition what exactly are you gaining

But then I rarely change over to new technology for some time after others have been raving about it

 

[loz]

Just binned the lot saving myself £52 pm ...bought a free sat box and watch everything I want either using the freesat or Amazon or just stream it on the smart TV. Watched the match last night with no trouble (apart from the Mrs !) I cant believe I was spending £624 per year + TV license as well as lining the pockets of Mr Murdock. You can watch all you want on you tube TBH !

 

[Geestar]

Let me know if you want decent deals. Mate works there, always has loads of discounts (friends and family) and asking me to send people his way. Can't promise anything.

Pm me.

Sent from my TA-1020 using Tapatalk

 

[Arthur]

I've had it for a few months now my thoughts.

The EPG takes a bit of getting used to from the old one, I still forget from time to time I need to go to TV guide, across, then scroll down to sport to get to the sports planner and end up going to the sports option on the main menu which just shows suggestions and whats coming. As the poster above states it can be clunky and I do agree starting on the home page is annoying as is starting at home when you switch on (as opposed to just showing the last watched channel in full screen).

UHD and HD really isn't that different to my eyes. Your additional box will only be HD anyway.

I've had a couple of times where the mini box has either crashed or just wouldn't work. It works over WiFi so if that dies then you are screwed.

Also take note if you've got a non sky channel subscription i.e BT Sport you will have to pay extra (£6 a month for BT Sport) to get it on your second box. And good luck getting it sorted as BT sport were useless, took me 5 phone calls and several hours to get it resolved as they kept asking me for the viewing card number of the additional box.....it doesn't have one! It may have got better but judging by the threads on the BT forum it doesn't look like it. My main driver to get it was to watch the Ashes in bed and I didn't want to run coax between my lounge and bedroom.

Also be warned you get new hardware across the board so anything on your Sky+ will no longer be available and if you configured your Sky Hub to do anything interesting that didn't come out of the box you'll have to set it up all over again.

The voice control stuff is like all voice control stuff a huge gimmick IMO.

I like the fact that when you download a programme on catch up it will automatically start downloading the next episode if there is one. If you keep going until you've fully caught up then it series links the programme moving forward.

The preview shows what is on the channel if you scroll up and down through channels but you have to press info first which you didn't used to have to do on the old box.

In short if they are giving it to you for nothing (other than the installation and additional box) and you plan to stay with sky for 18 months then I'd go for it.

 

[elninobonito]

Let me know if you want decent deals. Mate works there, always has loads of discounts (friends and family) and asking me to send people his way. Can't promise anything.

Pm me.

Sent from my TA-1020 using Tapatalk

Have PM'd.

Cheers for the offer

 

[Mileoakman]

Had it for 2 years to the day and really like it. Although you hear stories about the equipment being flaky I've had not a single problem during the whole time and it works flawlessly for me.

I like the ability to record up to 5 channels at once and the voice activation and download facility is good. Search facilities are fine too. Netflix is due later this year which will add to its appeal.

Downsides are that you cant get to a channel without going through the opening My Q menu and tv guide.

One point you mentioned about cabling. You need two input cables although if you had Sky HD then there probably ok. You will also need a new lnb on the dish as existing Sky ones won't work.

If you cancel, Sky send you a box to return the equipment or will charge you its cost if you don't. You keep the dish but would require a different lnb if you went down the Freesat route.

Overall I'm very happy so at the price there offering I'd go for it.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

We have had Sky Q for a few months. We did not have to pay for it because we got it offered as long-service customers - 15 years, I think.

We very much like it. One of the main things I don't think anyone else has mentioned is the quality of picture. It coincided with is buying a new Samsung tele - not a particularly expensive one. But if we are watching football on Sky, it comes up with a message at the bottom of the screen "to view in ultra HD, press select". And if you do, the quality of picture is superb.

We do like the different starting screens, the fact that the main controller can be voice-controlled and various other things. The only downside was that the second Q-box does not work with some of the other (older) tellys in the house, but as there are only two of us for the most part these days, it doesn't really matter. we tend to leave the second box in the same place anyway in the kitchen, where we have a good smaller tv.

 

[Hiney]

Upgraded just before Christmas. Main box & 3 miniboxes, all free under the Sky Black VIP scheme.

Really pleased, no problems with picture or coverage. The mesh WiFi works really well.

 

[chaileyjem]

Upgraded just before Christmas. Main box & 3 miniboxes, all free under the Sky Black VIP scheme.

Really pleased, no problems with picture or coverage. The mesh WiFi works really well.

Is the sky black vip scheme a long term loyalty thing ?
I’ve done 15+ years I think.

 

[Hiney]

Is the sky black vip scheme a long term loyalty thing ?
I’ve done 15+ years I think.

Yes. You should be auto-enrolled (I think). It all gets played out via the 'My Sky' app.

They offer all sorts of stuff - some you have to enter a ballot for, some you get anyway.

The Sky Q stuff cost me £0. Mind you, they've had enough off me over the years!!

 

[chaileyjem]

Yes. You should be auto-enrolled (I think). It all gets played out via the 'My Sky' app.

They offer all sorts of stuff - some you have to enter a ballot for, some you get anyway.

The Sky Q stuff cost me £0. Mind you, they've had enough off me over the years!!

Likewise !

Ta.

 

[Nitram]

Had it for 9 months and am very pleased with it. Initially there were problems picking up wifi connections when too far from a mini box so got a third box and this solved the problem. The upgraded box allows access to UHD if your TV supports it.
I'm on a 18 month contract with a good discount. It's seems they are pushing more deals on Sky Q lately and the VIP scheme.
Is your broadband with Sky? If not maybe also a time to negotiate a deal for their Sky Fibre plus. I would certainly try and get them to drop the installation charges and any hardware costs.
I would also ask about getting a deal on the Sky sound box. As a Sky Q customer there's a big discount. Good bit of kit.
Regarding installation I think they replaced the cables to the dish but apart from that no other installation. Don't think it took much more than an hour.
I cannot get on with the voice activated control but they supply another controller that can be used that's not so fiddly.

 

[The Andy Naylor Fan Club]

Just wondering what people's experience of Sky Q is and whether they think its worth having or whether better to wait till till technology settled in?

What's prompted the question is that out of the blue they have offered me a brand new Sky Q 2TB main box with no additional cost on my viewing package. The only additional costs are a £65 set up plus £50 for setting up a single Q mini box as I have multi screen in one bedroom. Not unsurprisingly the other catch is that its a new minimum 18 month contract. Currently I'm mid way through an 18 month contract for which I pay a pretty reasonable approx £50 for everything bar Sky cinema. Like most sensible people I play the " threaten to cancel" game and invariably get a decent discount.

My thoughts are :

1. As the kit is now effectively loaned to you is the threaten to cancel game going go be undermined? Would love to know how early adopters of the Sky Q service have faired when they have have got to negotiations time? Have Sky actually gone round people's houses to recover the out or endeavoured to keep a customer ?

2. Is the technology still too new with too many bugs unresolved? Too much resetting of boxes and fiddly Bluetooth remotes etc?

3. Do we have any idea when Sky Q without the need for a dish might get rolled out? Whilst predominantly a huge new market for people in flats of buildings with planning restrictions I would benefit since really don't want another cabling hole to be drilled into my house. The very ' helpful' window people despite clear instructions managed to fit a new porch and boxed in the existing cabling!. Accordingly, if the Sky Q set up requires cabling along with the new LNB I am stuffed.

Presumably am I also right in thinking that Sky Q service is going go be hugely reliant on a decent broadband and WiFi connection? Currently my speed is very average and as its not with Sky WiFi boosters built into the kit cannot be used.

Would really appreciate people's thoughts?

I don't have the Sky Q box but have just upgraded my Virgin Tivo box for their newer V6 box
( bloody good box and quick response time ) but my point is, tell them you are happy to sign up to a new long term contract but to do so you don't want any upfront fees ( setting up/activation ) they can and will waive them or at the very least, reduce them. I saved over £60 by doing this.