topic Re: Active mini box limit in Sky Q

Active mini box limit

WernerHeisenberg — Sat, 17 Jun 2023 01:24:25 GMT

It's 2023. Could you please lift the ridiculous software restriction of only 2 active Sky Q minis?

I have gigabit networking, gigabit fibre, and WiFi 6. Pretty sure bandwidth is not the problem at my end.

Finding it difficult to "believe in better" when my old Sky HD system happily supported 4 boxes viewing at once, and Sky Q doesn't.

Re: Active mini box limit

Daniel0210 — Sat, 17 Jun 2023 04:01:53 GMT

@WernerHeisenberg wrote:

It's 2023. Could you please lift the ridiculous software restriction of only 2 active Sky Q minis?

@WernerHeisenberg

You aren’t addressing Sky Customer Services here. This is mainly a forum where customers help other customers so there’ll be no contact from Sky.

The policy is you can have a maximum of 4 mini boxes loaned to you by Sky. You can watch Sky content on two minis and the main box at the same time. You may be able to use a 3rd mini box at the same time if you’re using it for one of the apps such as Netflix.
The original 1TB (non-UHD) Sky Q box only allows one mini to be in use. All 2TBs and the UHD/HDR 1TB permit two mini boxes. Each mini box which is loaned to you may be subject to a one off upfront charge but you only need one Sky Q monthly Multiscreen subscription.

Re: Active mini box limit

PandJ2020 — Sat, 17 Jun 2023 05:54:53 GMT

It's extremely unlikely this will change now. It's not just a software limit.

Other products do support more concurrent streams (in UHD too) but you lose the ability to record.

Re: Active mini box limit

nigea99 — Sat, 17 Jun 2023 07:46:21 GMT

@WernerHeisenberg wrote:

It's 2023. Could you please lift the ridiculous software restriction of only 2 active Sky Q minis?

I have gigabit networking, gigabit fibre, and WiFi 6. Pretty sure bandwidth is not the problem at my end.

Finding it difficult to "believe in better" when my old Sky HD system happily supported 4 boxes viewing at once, and Sky Q doesn't.

hi @WernerHeisenberg

As the others have indicated it is hardware limitations of the main boxes.

SKY Q Minis get all their content via the Main box so it needs hardware to support the tuners needed and to be able to stream to the minis.

This is quite different to the old SKY HD system which used separate feeds & cables from the dish

Unfortunately, with the move to stream it is extremely unlikely there will be any new main boxes with increased capacity to support more minis

I think you can have more than 4 stream boxes but Stream is quite a different product and you need the appropriate internet connection speeds

Re: Active mini box limit

TimmyBGood — Sat, 17 Jun 2023 09:17:08 GMT

@WernerHeisenberg wrote:

Pretty sure bandwidth is not the problem at my end.

No, because it never was. Mini boxes do not use internet bandwidth to receive content from the main Q box.

As noted above, the preferred Sky platform for multiple devices is Glass/Stream where one Whole Home subscription covers three Glass televisions and/or six Stream pucks, all capable of UHD output.

Re: Active mini box limit

WernerHeisenberg — Sun, 18 Jun 2023 03:41:46 GMT

Wow. Lots to address here.

Yes, I know this is a community site. But hopefully Sky sometimes take an interest.

This is absutely a software restriction. The Sky Q 2TB has 12 tuners, and can serve 4 external streams. They enforce through software that only 2 can be minis, and the other 2 have to be smartphones or tablets.

It's utterly ridiculous.

Re: Active mini box limit

WernerHeisenberg — Sun, 18 Jun 2023 05:05:09 GMT

I didn't say that my internet bandwidth was the limitation. I have plenty of bandwidth on my local network. I run Cat6 to all outlets.

Glass and Stream cannot record. They are unfit for purpose.

Re: Active mini box limit

WernerHeisenberg — Sun, 18 Jun 2023 05:14:00 GMT

Maybe it's just time to ditch Sky and get Freesat. Fewer channels, but a lot less complicated.

Re: Active mini box limit

best+of+the+best — Sun, 18 Jun 2023 06:17:59 GMT

@WernerHeisenberg wrote:
Maybe it's just time to ditch Sky and get Freesat. Fewer channels, but a lot less complicated.

Fair comment @WernerHeisenberg unless you are prepared to pay for a FREESAT box that has recording functions and supports 4K HDR.

Sky Glass/ Sky Stream seems the better option for me that is

Would work out really expensive if you wanted Freesat connected to four tv's

Unless your tv's had Freesat built in.

https://www.johnlewis.com/browse/electricals/televisions/view-all-tvs/freesat-hd-included/_/N-6srfZluho