Contemplating getting sky Q 1tb box - some questions pls

Andy From Sligo

hello - currently have Sky + HD

Contemplating upgrading to Sky Q box 1tb model. - Got a couple of questions sorry for being a lazy ar5e and not trawling through previous thread. Only quick 1 or 2 line answers will do me

I have a Sky+ HD box and it hasnt got any wifi built into it - if I want to watch catch up TV (rte player/virgin player sky catch up etc) I have to plug an ethernet cable into the back of my sky+ HD box - on a Sky Q will it have built in wifi receiver so I dont have to plug in ethernet cable any more and just hook it up to my home wifi router (not Sky hub or Sky broadband I havent got I have digiweb provider and provider supplied digiweb router - 802.11ac / N) ?


Do these 1tb and 2tb sky q boxes actually have a 3.5" or 2.5" hard drive in them these days or do they have SSD in them?

on my Sky+ HD box my bedroom TV runs off UHF cable - so out of the Sky+ HD UHF 2 out it goes up to bedroom - television which is a big back non HDMI portable TV and goes into the UHF socket of the portable TV.
I dont want to get multiscreen with the 1TB , nor the extra sky q boxes for the bedroom , nor do I want to use a hdmi to hdmi wireless AV sender (I think I priced one in argos at something like €300 eur for a HDMI to HDMI wifi sender! eek :eek - so what else Have I got left? ... a Hdmi to UHF converter adaptor/modulator?? (if one exists) that will convert the HDMI out of the sky q box to UHF so I can plug the UHF lead coming from the bedroom TV into? (not worried about turning over channels on the box from the bedroom) -because the Sky Q box does not have any UHF outlets whatsoever (yep I know UHF is old hat these days)

If i get Sky Q and I have some recordings I still havent watched on my Sky+HD box (which I have) when they take down the old Sky+ HD dish and replace it with a Sky Q dish , that will not be compatible with my Sky + HD box so can you still watch the recorded content on the Sky+ HD hard disk drive once its not connected to any dish or they disable the Sky + HD viewing card and switch you over to the Sky Q viewing card , or will I not be able to view the recorded content any more on the sky+ HD box?

If I were to order now and we are in Lockdown will they even come out to install the Sky Q in lockdown times ?? - is it classed as 'essential' whatever?

Many thanks.

Johnboy1951

https://www.freetv.ie/hd-to-rf-modulator/

This might be just what you need to view in the other room.

AFAIK your recordings will be unviewable once the present card is out of subscription, so you need to make some arrangement prior to the change to Sky Q.

greasepalm

Sky Q uses a different lnb and wont work on your sky + hd box.No access to recordings when you leave sky.

You might get a choice of another mounted sat dish and sat install leaving your other one hooked up.

Or you get a hybrid lnb to have different boxes running on same sat.

Recordings are encrypted onto hdd and cannot say if removed out of out box and mounted in a powered caddy if you can view them with new install.

Andy From Sligo

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

https://www.freetv.ie/hd-to-rf-modulator/

This might be just what you need to view in the other room.

AFAIK your recordings will be unviewable once the present card is out of subscription, so you need to make some arrangement prior to the change to Sky Q.

Thank you , hmm still pricey that yoke at 135eur +vat, but at least I know you can get such a device
Thanks

Shapey Fiend

I upgraded to Sky Q 6 months ago and all the on demand stuff is cool. The interface is snappier.

My only issue is it runs like a dog on my wifi connection. Got an extender to boost the signal and it's marginally better (the Playstation 4 Pro can and all my other devices work perfectly streaming 1080p) so I think I'm going to have to run ethernet just for it. Downloads fail half the time it's quite frustrating.

The Cush

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

Thank you , hmm still pricey that yoke at 135eur +vat, but at least I know you can get such a device

My brother uses one with his SkyQ box located remotely. Due to the distance/concrete floors between the TV and the box he has to use a SkyQ I/R remote control via the red eye and not the smart bluetooth one.

GIMP

Similar situation, I have Sky + hd in living room and small sky hd box in bedroom.

Can you get sky q installed and retain existing second box. I have no interest in getting the newer wifi fed stb for the bedroom.

greasepalm

GIMP wrote: »

Similar situation, I have Sky + hd in living room and small sky hd box in bedroom.

Can you get sky q installed and retain existing second box. I have no interest in getting the newer wifi fed stb for the bedroom.

Should not be an issue but lnb for both would need to be a hybrid for both.
When your sub is upon the hd box no access to recordings.

Andy From Sligo

GIMP wrote: »

... Can you get sky q installed and retain existing second box?

Different LNB needed on dish - I think the Sky+ box uses universal LNB and the SKY Q needs wideband LNB I think, so a hybrid LNB would have to be fitted. I presume sky Q and Sky+ use the same satellite in the sky (28' east isnt it or something like that?)

icdg

The channels are the same channels from the same satellites. But Sky do not support Sky Q and Sky+HD in the same premises.

The dish does not need to be changed to switch from one to the other - only the LNB. Sky might replace the dish anyway if it’s old.

GIMP

icdg wrote: »

The channels are the same channels from the same satellites. But Sky do not support Sky Q and Sky+HD in the same premises.

The dish does not need to be changed to switch from one to the other - only the LNB. Sky might replace the dish anyway if it’s old.

Ya that is what I was wondering, I don't want to replace the second box as its wired, I have no interest in the new wifi stb, if wifi goes down then no channels on second tv. Have no issues with getting a hybrid lnb.

Andy From Sligo

icdg wrote: »

The channels are the same channels from the same satellites. But Sky do not support Sky Q and Sky+HD in the same premises.

The dish does not need to be changed to switch from one to the other - only the LNB. Sky might replace the dish anyway if it’s old.

yes its an old sky+ dish now, bit rusty and a bit battered - the LNB is taped on at the end with insulation tape and the cap is discoloured with the UV rays - got a feeling wind has slightly blown it micro inches off because when it rains hard or windy the picture goes pixelly and get 'no signal from dish message' on the sky+ box

So yeah, hopefully with a new Sky Q installation will come a shiny new dish and focussed properly on the satellite signal - so kill 2 birds with one stone.

hkjohn

I switched from Eir to Sky in October and having had non-stop problems with my phone, internet connection and satellite service on a daily basis, I bitterly regret doing so.

Andy454

I completed my 12 month contract a number of years ago for the Sky HD box.

I normally reactivate my subscription at Christmas and Summer Hols.

I presume the ability to do this ends with Sky Q as all the equipment has to be returned and so if you re-subscribe, you must then pay the install fee and commit to another 12 month contract all over again?

Shapey Fiend

Sky only seem to care about customers when they try to cancel/renew so who knows what deals will be going. I'd imagine they're struggling to get new signups these days with all the competition from other streaming services.

mossie

GIMP wrote: »

Ya that is what I was wondering, I don't want to replace the second box as its wired, I have no interest in the new wifi stb, if wifi goes down then no channels on second tv. Have no issues with getting a hybrid lnb.

The old box will no longer have access to premium channels just FTA as you can't have a Sky Q box and old box on same subscription.

Hyperbollix

Was getting fleeced for Sky+ with the crappy old HD box and decided to cancel an re-order SkyQ as a new customer. Great service. More recording capability, very user friendly UI, lots of good on demand stuff which I never had access to previously.

For example, I never watched the Sopranos, and the entire series is available to stream in UHD, HD, or SD from Sky's on demand hub. Despite being out in the sticks, I have a decent broadband service and the box is connected via wifi, works flawlessly.

Andy From Sligo

Hyperbollix wrote: »

Was getting fleeced for Sky+ with the crappy old HD box and decided to cancel an re-order SkyQ as a new customer. Great service. More recording capability, very user friendly UI, lots of good on demand stuff which I never had access to previously.

For example, I never watched the Sopranos, and the entire series is available to stream in UHD, HD, or SD from Sky's on demand hub. Despite being out in the sticks, I have a decent broadband service and the box is connected via wifi, works flawlessly.

thats positive to know thanks. how easy was it for you to cancel and then join as a new customer? - did they make it hard to cancel for you?

wasit 1tb or 2TB sky q box did you go for thanks? - I see you put UHD so i am presuming the 2tb box you gone for?

Hyperbollix

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

thats positive to know thanks. how easy was it for you to cancel and then join as a new customer? - did they make it hard to cancel for you?

wasit 1tb or 2TB sky q box did you go for thanks? - I see you put UHD so i am presuming the 2tb box you gone for?

Well they normally give you a good discount not to cancel, but after getting 50% off for about 5 years in a row, they wouldn't do it anymore, so they let me cancel. I gave it about two months to see if they would call me with an offer, when they didn't i just ordered from their website, the same package of channels I had before but this time with the SkyQ box and a new customer discount for 12 months.
A Sky guy came to the house, removed my old HD box, changed the LNB on my dish and I was away.

I believe I have the 1tb box which is more than enough for my recording needs. I don't pay extra for HD or UHD content. In the case of the series I referred to in the last post, the option appears to watch it in UHD, HD and SD but I only have access to SD with my subscription. It's fine for me. But even with a basic package of channels, the SkyQ box is well worth it for the WIFI capability, the better UI, the increased number or channels which are recordable at the same time and you also have Netflix and Youtube apps on it too which means you can watch that stuff without the need for a smart-tv.

greasepalm

Typical buggers bloody sd crap picture quality,they would get more customers if they supplied hd / uhd maybe a very small extra charge as not everybody has uhd.
4K picture is stunning if you have a big 4K tv and box supplies it.

Bit surprised they took the old box back and wonder if was it still in contract or many years out as they did not collect mine.Old pace box.

I hope you get to enjoy your new toy.