Sky Q is the latest offering from Sky intended to change the way we watch TV.
Sky Q brings all of your entertainment into one place and makes it easier to use wherever you are. Stream movies, sports, TV, music and boxsets while you record other channels and watch a different channel altogether. The beauty of Sky Q is that it can handle a huge amount of data and deliver it to multiple locations throughout the home all at once.
Depending on whether you choose 1 terabyte or 2 terabyte options you will have several different options available to you.
1 terabyte:
• 150 hours of HD recording space
• 8 TV tuners
• 1 minibox
• 1 tablet
• Full HD 1080p but no Ultra HD playback
2 terabyte:
• 350 hours HD recording
• 12 TV tuners
• 2 miniboxes
• 2 tablets
• Full HD and 4K HDR playback
Powerline Networking Means No More Blind Spots
With Sky Q you can watch several channels on several devices at the same time. The Sky Q router uses not only WiFi but also Powerline Networking to distribute the strongest possible signal throughout the home, eliminating weak and blind spots where you can’t get TV or internet. With an easy interface either through the touch pad on the remote control, or by actually talking to the device you can record, download, plan and schedule shows to suit your own timescale.
There are an incredible number of options via the easy to master user interface which is image led rather than relying on written menus to navigate your way around the choices you have. Or you have the voice option to tell Sky Q to do what you want, which can include user identification. That means you can choose your own favourite shows, actors, characters, genre and directors, set personalised security, making it impossible for children to access mum and dad’s shows, and look up upcoming sports events featuring your favourite teams.
From Regular Telly To Home Cinema
Along with superior viewing options, Sky Q also supports HD and Dolby Atmos Surround Sound Stereo, making your main TV instantly into a fully interactive and immersive home cinema. While you’re watching one thing, your partner can watch another channel or listen to their Spotify account and the kids can each watch a different channel or service on a TV, tablet or phone anywhere else in the house. And, if you’re incredibly active but able to watch TV at the same time, you can flip your current viewing from room to room or from device to device. You can also download onto mobile devices so you can watch boxsets on the go, on your commute or on your break so you can get caught up with any episodes you couldn’t watch previously. With the Sky Go App you can also watch TV on games consoles including PlayStation and Xbox.
The Sky Q set top box is a slim and discreet device which can be controlled with the remote via Bluetooth, meaning you don’t have to point it directly at the box. Consequently you can put the box anywhere you like within range. Put it on a shelf, a book case, or video cabinet, anywhere it can get quality a good Bluetooth signal. The touchpad remote has few buttons, rather, you can navigate the menus using the pad in the same way you would a touchscreen. Or you can use voice controls to tell the Sky box what you want it to do. New customers get Sky Q via a box which also functions as a Wi-Fi router while customers who upgrade from Sky+ are offered reduced rates to migrate over to Sky Q. The latest Sky Q needs no satellite dish as Sky move over to providing subscriptions via Earthbound cable instead of orbiting hardware.
Miniboxes And Apps Let You Take Sky Q Anywhere
Depending on the bundle you buy, Sky Q or Sky Q Silver you will get a receiver/router which will be the hub for your home entertainment systems, miniboxes which act like little extensions which enable other TV sets around the house to receive Sky Q. There are several apps which you can download to your phones and tablets which allow you to watch TV anywhere in the house, pick up downloaded and stored boxsets, recorded series and movies, pause TV, rewind and review. As you watch there is a much better than average EPG and menu system which appears as a side bar instead of obscuring the whole screen. The remote is a fun interface. Swipe through menus instead of scrolling every option, or speak to the remote directly. A feature that everyone will appreciate is the Q button on the box. Press it and the remote will send a loud clear tone which makes it easy to find down the back of the sofa, under the dog’s bed or in a toybox..
Is Sky Q For You?
Silver Sky Q gives you 2 terabytes, has 12 TV tuners which means you can record up to 6 channels while you watch a seventh, the other tuner channels allows the machine to carry out other tasks. You can have two miniboxes and tablets all running concurrently and all the different devices can show different shows at the same time. You get up to 350 hours of HD recording and 4K Ultra HD.
The basic package Sky Q has 1 terabyte, or 150 hours HD recording, 8 tuners, meaning you can record 3 other shows while watching a fourth and you only have the capacity to watch one further minibox and tablet at the same time. You get 1080p picture and no Ultra HD playback.
All these services and products are available at the time of writing, but new services are being added to the package all the time, including ‘kids’ mode’ with children’s entertainment all being put in one place.
So who’s Sky Q best for?
Clearly, if you’re a singleton you won’t need a fraction of the services you get with Sky Q. It’s pricier than other options, but you do get what you pay for, making it a great solution if you’ve a family of adults, teens and kids who all have different tastes but all need to be able to watch their shows at the same time.