Sky Q

[Dave.tam]

I think I'm a bit behind the times, but I had this installed today, and I quite like it.

It'll take some getting used to, but it has some quite cool features. My favourite feature is a simple thing really, a Bluetooth remote! No more leaving the flap down on the cabinet to change the channel lol all it ever did was gather dust.

It also has Apple air play, which is an added bonus.

The box in the bedroom doesn't need those thick wires running through the house anymore either as it sends everything via the wifi from the main box in the living room.

It solves another issue I had too, as the box in the bedroom also doubles as a wifi hotspot, so no more intermittent internet access in the bedroom

 

[Dryce]

My favourite feature is a simple thing really, a Bluetooth remote!

Indeed. I find not having to point quite disconcerting.

Oddly though: Years ago ISTR that most of our IR remotes were effectively directionless and you could point in almost any direction and the device in the room would respond. In recent years our IR remotes have been much more dependent on direction - I'm not sure if this is down to reduced trabsmission power, a change in spectrum, or reduction in angle of sensitivity on the receiver or beam spread in the transmitter.

 

[Dave.tam]

It's virtually impossible to change the channel without pointing the remote at the TV though lol

Old habits die hard!

 

[Benzmanc]

Bluetooth remotes, oh how very quaint. I've had a harmony wifi remote for years, i can't remember the last time i had to point at something. All equipment is out of sight and has been for years.

 

[Chrishazle]

Never mind spending even more money with sky, i've just cancelled (after about 25 years!) and ordered BT TV UHD pack - which, as I'm a BT infinity 2 broadband customer, wll cost me £10pm, gets the Eurosport and Discovery channels we love, gets lots of HD channels we currently only get in SD (Nat Geo, Eden, Eurosport 1&2 etc) and BT Sport (also HD!) and is £28pm cheaper than my current £32 to Sky and £6 to BT for Sport. OK, I also had to get 2 wifi extenders (£20) and have to figure getting it to the other 2 TV's in the house as my current magic eye system won't work without tweaks - but I may instead buy a couple of the smaller BT TV boxes cheap off Ebay instead, so we can watch different channels on each TV at the same time.

 

[Dave.tam]

I don't do sports at all though, so BT sport/Eurosport etc are wasted on me.

Plus I still pay for movies. Yeah I know you can get anything you want on show box and the like, but that's not for me.

 

[philsmerc]

Thinking of scrapping Sky as soon as my current deal ends. Been with them since the start but they've said that Discovery Channels (about 12 in all) will end 1st Feb (dispute over money).

Seeing as we mostly watch all the car-related content on these channels, I'll be looking elsewhere. I pay for movie channels but lately, the content has not been that good?

 

[Dave.tam]

It's not set in stone yet, but discovery are definitely trying to put the pressure on sky with the banners at the top of the screen telling sky customers that they might not be able to receive that channel from Feb.

 

[Gary129]

Thinking of scrapping Sky as soon as my current deal ends. Been with them since the start but they've said that Discovery Channels (about 12 in all) will end 1st Feb (dispute over money).

Seeing as we mostly watch all the car-related content on these channels, I'll be looking elsewhere. I pay for movie channels but lately, the content has not been that good?

If Discovery go`s I go.

 

[Chrishazle]

BT have some good deals ATM, especially if you're already a BT broadband customer, but as their subscription channels come via broadband you need a decent connection, preferably fibre (infinity/infinity 2). With their top package, the Eurosport and BT Sport channels are HD, BT Sport 4 is UHD (if you have a UHD TV!), plus quite a few of the "documentaries" channels (Sky speak) are also HD - NatGeo, NatGeo Wild, Eden, Discovery to name a few of the 21 HD channels in the package. Slight downside if your router is too far from your tV for ethernet, you need 2 "wifi extenders" (£20 from BT) which put the wifi signal through your mains wiring - so 1 by the router and 1 by each TV that has a BT TV box.

No idea what it costs if your're not a BT broadband customer - but I bet it's not cheap - plus I think the current offers expire 31/1.

 

[400ixl]

As expected Sky and Discovery came to an agreement. They were never going to part ways, just using Joe public to gain leverage.

 

[Chrishazle]

I've cancelled Sky and ordered BT TV top package with powerline adapters as I cannot hard wire the router to the TV. Got 2 from BT for £20 when ordering the BT TV package, picked up some more off Ebay (4 for about £25!) as BT shop wants £90/pair! Also BT advise that any powerline adapter will work with their router - but I've played safe. Got extras so I can try ethernet connection for our 2 PC's instead of wireless USB dongles. Won't get the bits until mid Feb but have Sky until 2 March, so will have some overlap. Apparently as a good customer (BT phone for decades, BT broadband for quite a few years) I can have engineer install for free instead of £44 on the order page, so will phone next week to book for 17 Feb.

My magic eye system will not work with the BT TV UHD box as there's no scart on the back to attach a modulator, BT offer Extrabox at £99 + £5pm (!!) so I'll probably buy a couple of Youview+ or Youview UHD boxes off Ebay for the 2 remote TV's - which will mean we can watch different channels on each TV if required, something we currently can't do if both required channels are on Sky not Freeview.

Just a little nervous about stability of the broadband, the router dropped the net a couple of times today (I unplugged the phone to connect an ADSL filter that should have been there, later turned the power off for an hour) and took quite a while to re-connect.

So - TV package reduces from £38pm to £10pm, up front costs so far £10 delivery, £20 + £25 "BT mini connectors (powerline adapters), probably cost me another £70-100 for the 2 extra boxes I want, so at the latest month 6 onwards I'm in "profit".