Sky Q opinions?

easyrider · 2 Oct 2018 at 16:42

Is it “ the future of tv? “

easyrider · 2 Oct 2018 at 19:44

Armageus said:
Nope - it's a few new gimmicks (voice search, fluid viewing) plastering over fundamentals that still haven't been addressed (still poor quality "SD" channels for the most part, poor quality hardware, expensive subscriptions)

Fluid viewing ?

Thought the Q2tb box was decent ?

I don’t know what do...I have until the 14th to cancel my install...currently with Freesat and my humax box is playing up and I no longer can get channel 4 HD due to freesat licensing

easyrider · 2 Oct 2018 at 20:23

Armageus said:
Fluid viewing is continuing a program on another box in another room.

2tb box is decent in terms of spec, with 4k, HDR potentially, 7 tuners. But in terms of reliability and compatibility it's standard sky fair, built to a cheap price point (psu issues on early boxes), and personally I've had issues with the box locking up completely, no video randomly when hdmi control is turned on, and audio hitching (noticeable on music channels), although better with WiFi turned off.

If it wasn't for the ease of use / wife approval factor, then I'd be looking at something else.

What else is there ?

easyrider · 2 Oct 2018 at 20:44

Armageus said:
Freeview play/youview in combination with a Roku stick for nowtv/Amazon/netflix

I need three independent record boxes...sky q was the only one I could find plus I want at least 4K in the main lounge.

easyrider · 2 Oct 2018 at 21:11

Armageus said:
Hdhomerun and Plex based solution then maybe?

My plusnet was hitting for £40 per month and my sky q 2tb is £62 per month with fibre max and 2 x minis so I’ll give it a whirl for the next 18 months...

20 quid a month for three independent rooms and 4 k in my main longe is better than buying 3 free view boxes or equivalent.Sky Q 2tb has to be better than my 5 year old humax freesat boxes...the gui drives me mad it’s so slow.

I have Plex in every room ....I’m currently paying 7.99 for Netflix and Netflix is coming to sky for £10 and you get box sets so for an extra 3 quid I’ll get box sets and Netflix all on the sky box.

easyrider · 2 Oct 2018 at 21:31

Armageus said:
Sounds like it will definitely be an improvement on the humax boxes - the Sky Q EPG is very responsive.

I'm being overly critical - it is by and large very good, and a noticeable improvement over the older HD boxes (indeed having a 2nd mini box is not something I would have bothered with if it wasn't for Q), it's just £62/month over 18 months does give you the budget for a few alternatives (although arguably there will always be some compromise - hence why I still have Q)

I even looked at all other internet providers and they all came in at around £30 so I think that £62 is not bad for three rooms plus fibre...haggled with plus net and they wouldn’t budge for some odd reason despite new customers getting a better deal.

I’ll see what’s what in 18 months...if only now TV was 1080p with the option of 4K

easyrider · 2 Oct 2018 at 21:46

lucid said:
You do know that 4K is only upscaling 1080i/p for the HD channels (and 576i for the SD ones) except for downloaded movies, some box sets and the UHD sports channel?

I do now...but box sets in 4K is enough...not got sports...

My reasoning is that sky q offers an upgrade over what I have for 22 extra a month over plusnet alone and I don’t have to spend £600 on standalone boxes in each room

easyrider · 2 Oct 2018 at 22:01

Just playing with the sky go app on my iPad...sky tv has moved on since I had it a decade ago!

easyrider · 2 Oct 2018 at 22:43

BongoHunter said:
You could still install the sky go app on the ps4 though? I thought you could login to that with your skyid as long as your under the 4 device limit?

If you have multi screen I think

easyrider · 2 Oct 2018 at 23:11

Armageus said:
You can, but the Sky Go app is a lot more limited compared to Sky Q. Just seems like an odd omission given the push for multi-room/fluid viewing etc.

They want to sell mini boxes ?

I rang sky and lol Ed at the install charge...I needed sky installed at the weekend and they said it’s £15 , I said people work and I need to be there...I have a complex network system...they wavered it instantly.

Btw...I don’t want my minis on WiFi...I don’t want Q on WiFi I want them all on cat 6 cable

easyrider · 3 Oct 2018 at 21:37

Is it just size limitations or performance ?

easyrider · 5 Oct 2018 at 17:58

I need three independent recording boxes...I can’t see any other option other than sky Q

easyrider · 5 Oct 2018 at 19:34

Freeview play on my dads LG Oled seemed decent and he has all the apps in one place

Netflix, prime on demand etc

Goes to look at some freeview play boxes online and they offer Netflix

I hate having multiple devices to access content

Oh and they are £229 each :rolleyes:

easyrider · 5 Oct 2018 at 22:10

Just rang sky to cancel....not even activated yet...they dropped the price to £59 for Entertainment , 2tb Q , 2x minis, Fibre Max ,multiscreen and HD pack

Doubt I can get it lower lol

easyrider · 6 Oct 2018 at 12:48

Fergin said:
You can use channels app instead of plex / emby on hdhome

Like I posted you can use the channels app, available on android, Apple TV, iOS and fire tv, with a hdhomerun tuner works better than plex or emby but dvr is a subscription based server, its the best tv app in my opinion and the support is great

says it only works in the US?

https://shop.silicondust.com/shop/product-category/software/

easyrider · 6 Oct 2018 at 14:40

jpaul said:
clever - had you also avoided any installation charge ?

£129

They would not budge on this although it was brought down from £225

easyrider · 6 Oct 2018 at 15:42

Cancelled again...after reminding myself about the install charge... :mad:

Dropped to £51 per month same package

They refunded me £99 to my credit card for install and credited my account £30 this covers the install .

Don’t think I can get it any lower....

easyrider · 6 Oct 2018 at 19:14

jpaul said:
you mean it is really cancelled and the price is now zero

Well I needed broadband as my plusnet was creeping up to £41

So I’m pleased with £10 extra Sky Q 2Tb and 2x mins...

It’s taken a few calls and pseudo cancellations...but my goal was free install and a better deal than advertised.

They just didn’t want me to leave before activation...not tried this method before as it’s usualky haggling at the end of the contract not before the contract has started.

easyrider · 6 Oct 2018 at 19:51

I’ll be connecting my minis over cat 6 and disabling the WiFi on the sky router...I’ll be using my Cisco WiFi hardware.

easyrider · 14 Oct 2018 at 14:21

What an absolute joke . The engineer came around with a face like a slapped backside. It was raining...he took one look at the satellite dish with a sky lnb on it and said he couldn’t get up there to that height for health and safety reasons...

He wanted to install another dish lower down and run a new cable into the lounge....the lounge already has two satellite cables already installed in it.

Then things went bad to worse...he said that the sky mini boxes wouldn’t work over WiFi due to the length from the router....I said you can connect them over cat 6 cable....he said he didn’t know how to do this....

He rang his mate from the study and proceeded to explain the setup...he clearly didn’t have a clue and just Came across like he CBA....

I said....all you need to do is swap out the lnb....fit a sky Q lnb then join the cables with a coupler and connect the box.

He said he couldn’t do what I wanted...

He wanted to install a new dish in a different location. Run a wire around my house and drill a new hole in the wall entering my lounge....

In the end I sent him packing....I rang sky to cancel and explained what had happened....

They apologised and said that I should get the dish and lnb installed by a third party and ring them when this is done and an engineer would come and connect the q boxes and the minis over lan....

I’m speechless !