topic Re: Sky TV Packages in Sky Q

Sky TV Packages

Billybob38 — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:35:30 GMT

HI, hopefully someone can help me here as the guys on the phone when I called sky were of no help, just added to the confiusion and didn't really listen to what I was asking for.

When I asked to enquire about Sky Stream, they transferred me saying they couldn't help, but they transferred me through to technical support...

Basically, I'm confused about the different 'Essential' packages that Sky have launched. There seems Sky Essentials & Essential TV. Which are two different things apparently. Which, from a marketing point of view seems bonkers as you have 2 different services with very similar names. Maybe that's the point, 'marketing and profit by customer confusion'.. Anyway, what I want, and this is what I asked the guy on the phone, is this:

- Sky Sports (basically Football only)

- Sky Atlantic

- Netflix

*My internet is with another provider and I'm lcoked in for another 10 months so that's not on the cards.

And that's it. When the 6%+ price rise kicks in (unfuratingly what the customer service guy called 'a rise because of inflation' when inflation is only just 3%), I will be paying just under £100 per month. But I can get both of these on Now TV and go direct to Netflix for abot 40% less than that. The 300+ channels available is of no consequence for me as we just don't watch them, likewise the record functionality is rarely used as we just stream most content anyway.

I'd prefer to keep the Sky Q box, as the EPG is the best around (or maybe not anymore), but if this is just used for free to air, then fine. Equally, if this is used to show the premium content, then fine. If we have to jump to another app to watch the premium content, then that isn't a problem either as we do that for Netflix, Disney+ etc now anyway.

So would Essentials TV, or Sky Essentials (not sure of the difference) work for me?

Are there any other options?

Thanks

Re: Sky TV Packages

PandJ2020 — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:54:40 GMT

Yes, we think reusing the 'essentials' name is bonkers...

Q Essentials is free to air channels only - it allows you to keep the Q box for convenience. (But IMHO quite expensive unless you can agree a low price)

The other Essentials (not for Q) includes Sky channels, NetFlix and Discovery+ but only on their hardware.

But if you're not bothered about Hard Disk recording and have the internet bandwidth then moving to streaming (it is the strategic direction) is the way to go.

You don't even need to use Sky Stream as you can purchase NowTV packages.

@Billybob38 wrote:
*My internet is with another provider and I'm lcoked in for another 10 months so that's not on the cards.

You can stream from non-Sky ISP...

Re: Sky TV Packages

TimmyBGood — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:05:46 GMT

@Billybob38

Essential TV - a subset of subscription channels (including Sky Atlantic) with bundled Netflix Standard with Adverts and Discovery Basic, on a Stream puck or Glass television, for £15 pcm (plus Glass finance payment where applicable)

TV Essentials - Free To Air satellite channels plus recording & playback on a Q box with no bundled apps, for £15 pcm (but frequently discounted to £10 or even £5)

And yes, the naming was very unfortunate.

Re: Sky TV Packages

Flateric1 — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:37:56 GMT

I am locked in 4 months into a 24 month contract and been given a 20% price rise sky signature from £24.50 to £29.50 that's 20% and nothing I can do about it I have sports and movies and a platinum vip and sky do not care I will be cancelling everything sky as soon as I get the chance I also have sky mobile to which moving back to o2 as it's cheaper and I have 500gig plus of data saved that again can't be used sky have great ideas but no loyalty and always half baked ideas

Re: Sky TV Packages

PandJ2020 — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:21:37 GMT

@Flateric1 wrote:
I am locked in 4 months into a 24 month contract and been given a 20% price rise sky signature from £24.50 to £29.50 that's 20% and nothing I can do about it

Indeed because you have a large discount. Price increases affect the list price only and not the net discounted price. (Basically the better your discount then the higher your net increase is - but all within the contract allowed amount)

Re: Sky TV Packages

PandJ2020 — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:22:58 GMT

@Flateric1 wrote:
I have 500gig plus of data saved that again can't be used

Of course you can. You can get £10 off a new phone for 50GB - or actually use it as data. It sounds like your dataplan needs reviewing to a lower tier...

Re: Sky TV Packages

Flateric1 — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:35 GMT

😁I am on the 3 gig plan

Re: Sky TV Packages

Flateric1 — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:42:14 GMT

£10 off a £1000 phone is not worth having or wasting

Re: Sky TV Packages

PandJ2020 — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:26:43 GMT

@Flateric1 wrote:
😁I am on the 3 gig plan

It would take around 14 years to accumulate that size of piggybank (using no data). Good news is that data will now drop off after 12 months.

Re: Sky TV Packages

Flateric1 — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:37:59 GMT

Not when you are running 4x 3 gig sims for family members and good news is I have been with sky mobile for longer then I can remember and never had data drop of after 12 months unless this is new which is more reason why I say no loyalty to long standing customers

Re: Sky TV Packages

PandJ2020 — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:44:55 GMT

@Flateric1 wrote:
ever had data drop of after 12 months unless this is new

Yes, it's new.

Reminder: Unused data lasts for 12 months.

There's no limit to how much data you can save, but it automatically expires after 12 months if you don't use it. So, each month, any data that’s 12 months old will drop off your Sky Piggybank balance. We don't send any reminders for this.

Re: Sky TV Packages

GeoffF7 — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 12:35:47 GMT

Sorry, can't help, but I've just wasted part of my life trying to get sensible answers from their so called Intelligent bot assistant!