Thinking of getting Sky Q

Twatter

I am thinking of getting Sky Q for the house to replace my ancient sky box (long out of contract).
I just have a few queries before I order.
My current set up is the sky dish feeding the sky box in my attic which is then connected to a splitter and feeding the tv points in each room. Ideally I would like to keep a similar set up as all my tvs are wall mounted. However I think that HDMI cables are needed for the Sky Q Boxes. I have no need to watch different programmes in different rooms at the same time as there is only myself in the house so don’t really need the multi room option.
My broadband is based on a hotspot from a mobile phone as there is no proper broadband in my area. Does the sky box need a good broadband speed or how much broadband does it use for updates or boxsets?
I am so out of touch with technology that I would need everything explained to me in the simplest terms.
Is the Sky Hd now no longer an option. Has it been fully replaced by Sky Q?
Would people recommend Sky Q as I have heard mixed reports about it.
Are there any alternatives to sky that I should consider?

Many Thanks in advance.

muffler

You've already asked this in the Sky talk to forum and received a response from one of the reps.

icdg

And there's no problem with him asking that question here if it's on topic.

Take a warning for backseat moderation muffler

Johnboy1951

Twatter wrote: »

Would people recommend Sky Q as I have heard mixed reports about it.
Are there any alternatives to sky that I should consider?

If you want or need a 'pre-packaged' set up, with low initial cost, and a heavy monthly subscription, plus you want specific Sky channels (as opposed to Free to Air Satellite channels) such as Sky Sports, then it is probably the best option.

Other options incur an initial layout for the hardware but there is no monthly subscription thereafter.

Yes there are many options such as FTA set top box, or Freesat which is FTA managed by Freesat, or even set up your own tuners and have multiroom if you wish, where you manage things.

Most of these options are discussed/explained in threads on this forum.

Uncle Andy

I got sky q installed a week or so ago, and there's a few things you should consider.
The UHD option only works on the main box and there's only selected broadcasts in uhd. Therefore if you want HD for other broadcasts, you still have to take out an HD add on. For example, you can watch a premier league game in uhd but your normal sky sports subscription is the non HD channel, unless you pay more for HD.
Another point, if you go multi room with Q, you still only have one viewing card so any additional non sky subscriptions you have may cause difficulties. For example, if you have eir and BT sports currently on two TVs on two viewing cards you will lose one of these and if you then want to remain in both TVs you will need to buy another Eir/bt sports sub.
Anyway, I'm getting it taken out because of this, and reverting to the previous system in the interim, and given the lack of support on these items (compliant not addressed in 10 days) I'm looking elsewhere altogether, especially as they didn't show the PGA and have lost the rugby.

winston_1

With your system you are better off sticking with your ancient box if it works. Modern sky boxes including Q don't have RF out so at the very minimum you would need to add a modulator.

gilly0512

I live in an apartment and up until recently we had Virgin as our TV provider as well as for broadband. However Virgin decided to increase the monthly fee to €90, so as Sky are currently running a deal of €49 per month for TV and broadband, I decided to switch. I have no issue with Sky per se having been a customer for years at a previous address, however herself is going mad, as we used to get about 15 channels free in the bedroom when we were with Virgin, but since the switch to Sky, the channels have gone from the bedroom. I am not paying €15 a month extra just to get some channels in the bedroom, personally I could easily live without them, but you know women. So my question is, keeping in mind that it's an apartment and we don't have a dish, would anybody know how I could get channels for free in the bedroom. If it was a house you could run a cable from the dish to the bedroom, and hook it up to a FTA box, but this is obviously not going to happen in an apartment, anyone got any ideas for the sake of my relationship :) and having to go back to Virgin and pay €90 a month?

Johnboy1951

gilly2308 wrote: »

I live in an apartment and up until recently we had Virgin as our TV provider as well as for broadband. However Virgin decided to increase the monthly fee to €90, so as Sky are currently running a deal of €49 per month for TV and broadband, I decided to switch. I have no issue with Sky per se having been a customer for years at a previous address, however herself is going mad, as we used to get about 15 channels free in the bedroom when we were with Virgin, but since the switch to Sky, the channels have gone from the bedroom. I am not paying €15 a month extra just to get some channels in the bedroom, personally I could easily live without them, but you know women. So my question is, keeping in mind that it's an apartment and we don't have a dish, would anybody know how I could get channels for free in the bedroom. If it was a house you could run a cable from the dish to the bedroom, and hook it up to a FTA box, but this is obviously not going to happen in an apartment, anyone got any ideas for the sake of my relationship :) and having to go back to Virgin and pay €90 a month?

Obviously that is not going to happen as an extra €15 is much less than the saving you have with Sky

muffler

gilly2308 wrote: »

we used to get about 15 channels free in the bedroom when we were with Virgin, but since the switch to Sky, the channels have gone from the bedroom. I am not paying €15 a month extra just to get some channels in the bedroom

I could think of better things to be doing in the bedroom ....... then again at my age "thinking" is probably all I can do

gilly2308 wrote: »

keeping in mind that it's an apartment and we don't have a dish, would anybody know how I could get channels for free in the bedroom. If it was a house you could run a cable from the dish to the bedroom, and hook it up to a FTA box, but this is obviously not going to happen in an apartment, anyone got any ideas for the sake of my relationship :) and having to go back to Virgin and pay €90 a month?

I know its an apartment but is there any way you can run a HDMI cable from the Sky box to the bedroom even if it had to be taped/tacked along the skirting board and hole drilled through wall? What im thinking of here is maybe splitting the HDMI cable from The Sky box (sorry, this may not work with the Q boxes) and running 2 separate feeds to the 2 tellies

The Cush

gilly2308 wrote: »

however herself is going mad, as we used to get about 15 channels free in the bedroom when we were with Virgin, but since the switch to Sky, the channels have gone from the bedroom. I am not paying €15 a month extra just to get some channels in the bedroom, personally I could easily live without them, but you know women. So my question is, keeping in mind that it's an apartment and we don't have a dish, would anybody know how I could get channels for free in the bedroom. If it was a house you could run a cable from the dish to the bedroom, and hook it up to a FTA box, but this is obviously not going to happen in an apartment, anyone got any ideas for the sake of my relationship :) and having to go back to Virgin and pay €90 a month?

The so called 15 "free" analogue channels from VM will be gone soonish in any case, they are in the process of a phased analogue switchoff, thread here.

Without access to the dish or an aerial, Sky multiroom or VM's basic €20 TV package appear to be your only options.

Just one question, how many cables into your SkyQ box, one (dSCR) or two (wideband LNB)?

Samuel T. Cogley

Sky Go or SkyQ App on a tablet - not sure how much access you get to the latter with a single TV sub.
Talk of a SkyQ app for Smart TV's but knowing Sky it'll be years before they get their finger out.

gilly0512

muffler wrote: »

gilly2308 wrote: »

we used to get about 15 channels free in the bedroom when we were with Virgin, but since the switch to Sky, the channels have gone from the bedroom. I am not paying €15 a month extra just to get some channels in the bedroom

I could think of better things to be doing in the bedroom ....... then again at my age "thinking" is probably all I can do

gilly2308 wrote: »

keeping in mind that it's an apartment and we don't have a dish, would anybody know how I could get channels for free in the bedroom. If it was a house you could run a cable from the dish to the bedroom, and hook it up to a FTA box, but this is obviously not going to happen in an apartment, anyone got any ideas for the sake of my relationship :) and having to go back to Virgin and pay €90 a month?

I know its an apartment but is there any way you can run a HDMI cable from the Sky box to the bedroom even if it had to be taped/tacked along the skirting board and hole drilled through wall? What im thinking of here is maybe splitting the HDMI cable from The Sky box (sorry, this may not work with the Q boxes) and running 2 separate feeds to the 2 tellies

It's an option I suppose, but is there a limit to the distance you can run HDMI cable? Also I'm presuming that the Sky remote wouldn't work in the bedroom. What about if you purchase a Sky Q mini box on eBay or wherever, on the basis that these boxes don't use Sky Cards, can Sky enable it or disable it at their discretion?

Samuel T. Cogley

gilly2308 wrote: »

It's an option I suppose, but is there a limit to the distance you can run HDMI cable? Also I'm presuming that the Sky remote wouldn't work in the bedroom. What about if you purchase a Sky Q mini box on eBay or wherever, on the basis that these boxes don't use Sky Cards, can Sky enable it or disable it at their discretion?

The kit is loaned. Any mini boxes on ebay etc. are essentially stolen. They won't work anyway as Multiscreen needs to be enabled on the account. Bluetooth remote might work depending on distance.

gilly0512

Thanks for all of that, looks like I'm screwed then, bar getting one of those useless Android Boxes, looks like I'll have to get a multiroom subscription.

Johnboy1951

You could do the following

Sky HDMI out -> Splitter Output #1 -> the existing TV

                Splitter Output #2 -> HDMI Extender transmitter ......  LAN cable ......  HDMI Extender Receiver  -> 2nd TV

Those extenders can be sourced with an IR option which should allow the Sky box to have its channel changed from the remote (2nd TV).

gilly0512

Thanks John, and where would you get the extender transmitter and extender receiver?

Johnboy1951

gilly2308 wrote: »

Thanks John, and where would you get the extender transmitter and extender receiver?

Something like this is what I had in mind for the extender

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Technomate-Extender-Single-CAT-Control/dp/B01E4YNKBI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1527678515&sr=8-3&keywords=hdmi+extender

and for the Splitter, something like this

https://www.amazon.co.uk/iSolem-Switch-Splitter-Input-Output/dp/B006KZBC92/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1527678600&sr=1-1&keywords=iSolem+hdmi+splitter

You would also need to run a Cat5e or Cat 6 cable from transmitter to receiver ...... maybe along skirting as previously proposed.

gilly0512

Thanks Johnboy, much appreciated.

muffler

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

and for the Splitter, something like this

https://www.amazon.co.uk/iSolem-Switch-Splitter-Input-Output/dp/B006KZBC92/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1527678600&sr=1-1&keywords=iSolem+hdmi+splitter.

Very similar to this one I bought over a year ago (£3 cheaper then btw) but it works a treat

Johnboy1951

muffler wrote: »

Very similar to this one I bought over a year ago (£3 cheaper then btw) but it works a treat

I bought the iSolem because it stripped the HD protection from the signal, so I was able to convert it to IP and put it on the LAN.