*** Sky Q Thread ***

[5punk3monk3y]

Is there a way to disable hdmi sound?

Dad uses skyq hooked to a monitor with cheap speakers built in. Bought a soundbar to use for it instead, hooked up over optical. Is there a way to disable hdmi audio? Closest I've found is set the hdmi audio to dolby digital, and then on hd channels the monitor won't output sound (doesn't support it), but sd channels will still have sound. Annoying to keep having to turn down the built in speakers. Is there a setting somewhere to just disable audio over hdmi and only output to optical?

Not sure if I'm missing something in your post but this is the same for every AVR user with a Skyq box albeit the tv does decode all audio, I just use my AVR for all sound and turn the tv volume to 0.

Can you not just turn the monitor volume to 0 and use the soundbar for all sound.

 

[Armadillo]

Nope. The system was designed to be connected to a TV which takes sound and video. There's no option to stop audio output via HDMI. Might be something in the monitor settings? Or maybe a headphone jack you could plug something into?

Can disable the speakers on the monitor, but it's not a per input setting and the inbuilt speakers were used for pc content. So just a hassle to keep doing it. Will just get an optical switch box and use soundbar for both and then disable monitor speakers.

Not sure if I'm missing something in your post but this is the same for every AVR user with a Skyq box albeit the tv does decode all audio, I just use my AVR for all sound and turn the tv volume to 0.

Can you not just turn the monitor volume to 0 and use the soundbar for all sound.

Nah, not missing anything. Monitor is used for pc content as well, speakers are fine for that, soundbar was just for skyq because the q volume is low. So just annoying constantly have to turn the speakers up or down depending on whether it's skyq and soundbar or being used for pc content. Monitor has no remote like a tv, so it's just annoying to keep messing with the volume level of the inbuilt speakers.

Will probably just get an optical switch box and hook pc and sky to sound bar and then just disable speakers. Seems like it's the least hassle.

 

[Kanpai]

My biggest bugbear with Sky Q is how bad the picture quality is when you set the box to 2160p and watch HD content compared to 1080i. Not the end of the world toggling 4K for UHD content but still gets annoying.

 

[rodders]

Mine seems ok, but I've not dropped it back to 1080i to try, and I'm not going to lol

 

[Entai]

My biggest bugbear with Sky Q is how bad the picture quality is when you set the box to 2160p and watch HD content compared to 1080i. Not the end of the world toggling 4K for UHD content but still gets annoying.

Before our 4k LG C9 Oled we watched all HD content at 1080p as it was visually Obviously far better than 1080i.

Having got the Oled, sky q has been set at 2160p and is again many levels better just watching HD sources, will never swap it back to 1080p now.

 

[MOOGLEYS]

Does the Q box use the same pair of dish connections as the normal Hd box ?

Cheers

 

[Kanpai]

Before our 4k LG C9 Oled we watched all HD content at 1080p as it was visually Obviously far better than 1080i.

Having got the Oled, sky q has been set at 2160p and is again many levels better just watching HD sources, will never swap it back to 1080p now.

I've got a C9 OLED too and normal HD content with the box set to 2160p is not as good compared to when the box is set to 1080i.

Have you changed any settings on the box in particular to get HD content looking as good on 2160p res?

Quite a few threads on Sky forums about it:

https://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Sky-Q/Poor-Picture-Quality-New-1TB-UHD-Sky-Q-box/td-p/3105896

 

[5punk3monk3y]

Does the Q box use the same pair of dish connections as the normal Hd box ?

Cheers

No it uses a different LNB to the HD box.

 

[Entai]

I've got a C9 OLED too and normal HD content with the box set to 2160p is not as good compared to when the box is set to 1080i.

Have you changed any settings on the box in particular to get HD content looking as good on 2160p res?

Quite a few threads on Sky forums about it:

https://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Sky-Q/Poor-Picture-Quality-New-1TB-UHD-Sky-Q-box/td-p/3105896

Well the only thing I can mention after briefly reading that forum article is that mine is an original box from back in 2016 when I first got Sky Q.

Most of the posts there appear to be from people only just getting Sky Q so I assume newer boxes.


Obviously when you leave your Sky box at 1080, you are leaving the TV to do the up scaling, unless passing through a good AVR and having that do any up scaling ?

I leave my AVR as just pass through, so it does nothing to the picture, but I do have my Sky Q set to 2160, so the TV is not up scaling anything it receives from the Sky box.

i might have a play to be fair, and see if the AVR or TV does a better job that my Sky box, as I have never charged any settings since installing the TV.



So I can only surmise from all the above that the older Sky Q boxes are better than newer ones at up scaling perhaps ??

 

[MOOGLEYS]

I have had my Sky Q installed today and the box is set to 2160p 10 bit and the picture looks great on my 65” C9...

 

[Kanpai]

Well the only thing I can mention after briefly reading that forum article is that mine is an original box from back in 2016 when I first got Sky Q.

Most of the posts there appear to be from people only just getting Sky Q so I assume newer boxes.


Obviously when you leave your Sky box at 1080, you are leaving the TV to do the up scaling, unless passing through a good AVR and having that do any up scaling ?

I leave my AVR as just pass through, so it does nothing to the picture, but I do have my Sky Q set to 2160, so the TV is not up scaling anything it receives from the Sky box.

i might have a play to be fair, and see if the AVR or TV does a better job that my Sky box, as I have never charged any settings since installing the TV.



So I can only surmise from all the above that the older Sky Q boxes are better than newer ones at up scaling perhaps ??

Yeah possibly, I've tried direct connection and pass-through AMP and the same result, must be the boxes then.

I have had my Sky Q installed today and the box is set to 2160p 10 bit and the picture looks great on my 65” C9...

It'll probably look better at 1080i for HD content to be honest, also don't think there is anything broadcast yet that takes full advantage of 10bit over 8bit.

 

[MOOGLEYS]

It'll probably look better at 1080i for HD content to be honest, also don't think there is anything broadcast yet that takes full advantage of 10bit over 8bit.

I have tried it at 1080i and 2160p 8 & 10bit and they all look the same to me can’t see any difference.

 

[Kanpai]

I have tried it at 1080i and 2160p 8 & 10bit and they all look the same to me can’t see any difference.

In that case don't think about it any further

To me the picture is softer at 2160p for HD content compared to 1080i

 

[MOOGLEYS]

It’s a pity there is no HDR or not that I can find anyway...

 

[5punk3monk3y]

It’s a pity there is no HDR or not that I can find anyway...

Only if you live in Italy, us Brits will have to wait until the end of the year.

 

[Entai]

In that case don't think about it any further

To me the picture is softer at 2160p for HD content compared to 1080i

Need to check you are actually comparing 1080i and not 1080p ?

1080p is sharper and better for motion than 1080i for a start, as it is a progressive scan rather than interlaced frames.

 

[Armageus]

Most sky content is still 1080i though iirc

 

[Kanpai]

Need to check you are actually comparing 1080i and not 1080p ?

1080p is sharper and better for motion than 1080i for a start, as it is a progressive scan rather than interlaced frames.

Surely the TV can deinterlace better than the box? I mean to be honest I can't see the better sharpness/motion when using 1080p compared to 1080i (albeit my TV has been calibrated).

Most sky content is still 1080i though iirc

This is what I thought too.

 

[jpaul]

Surely the TV can deinterlace better than the box?

yes that's what I would expect ... but it depends whose tv too.
taking it to extreme ... if I'm watching sd content eg. horror channel I'll let the box send 576i ... and let the tv upscale/de-interlace

 

[MOOGLEYS]

I do think the Virgin setup is a lot better tbh I’m finding the SkyQ a bit limited in comparison. No going back in the guide and setting up recordings and linking catch up is far better on Virgin. Can’t really complain as it was free and the extra little box is great to have.