topic Re: Is Sky Q being phased out? in Sky Q

Is Sky Q being phased out?

JHB — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 10:05:18 GMT

My Sky contract ends in a few days. I have been told that Sky Q boxes are being phased out & Sky Glass is the future?

Taking Sky Glass will reduce our monthly bill from £150 to £115.

What are peoples experiences with Sky Glass?

Pros & Cons?

Can you record programmes?

TIA

Re: Is Sky Q being phased out?

Daniel0210 — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 10:16:08 GMT

@JHB

The actual satellites bringing the content to your dish, then Sky Q box will run out of propellant in about 5 years so beyond that you would need to move to Sky Glass or Stream to continue with a Sky TV subscription.

Re: Is Sky Q being phased out?

GD1 — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 10:17:33 GMT

@JHB Unless you're after a new TV set then you don't need Sky Glass, Sky stream would be the best option if your exisitng TV works assuming you wish to go down this route.

Sky Q has a short life left (then end of the decade is when the satellites in orbit reach end of life) so you can continue with Sky Q if this is your preferred option, you don't need to switch at this moment in time.

Re: Is Sky Q being phased out?

hrai — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 10:54:25 GMT

Sky will move to a 100% streaming service as soon as they can - older viewers will remember the move from analogue to digital.

I personally like my Q box as it can record and I can keep stuff... but tbh I make little use of that now. We have shows series linked and recorded each week but more and more we just end up watching a stream from the iPlayer, ITVX, Sky etc instead. We don't watch movies "live" we just download as and when we need to. It's effectively now just a streaming box for all intents and purposes.

It reminds me of early 2000s when Steam launched for PCs. I swore blind that I would only get games on CD/DVDs and only installed Steam so I could activate Half-Life 2. But I haven't bought physical media for my PC for over 10 years now. I'm certain in a few years I'll have Sky Stream or similar regardless of my current feelings. I still buy the odd Bluray for stuff I really, really, really want to keep* (eg LOTR)

My two problems are 1) licensing issues* - we've seen content disappear on platforms and 2) provider network issues - we saw Sky's service for Stream/Glass going offline for a period earlier this year and last week Samsung TVs losing their streaming abilities for a few days. There's something to said for old fashioned tv transmission and an aerial.

Re: Is Sky Q being phased out?

LynneCockley — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 12:37:34 GMT

I've got a sky glass (and sky Q box) and used the glass for a couple of days and really didn't like the fact that you could only watch BBC for instance on BBC Iplayer, ITV von ITV X etc etc. I didn't like this so asked that I keep the Sky Glass TV but continue with Sky Q to watch it on.

Re: Is Sky Q being phased out?

TimmyBGood — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 13:59:00 GMT

@LynneCockley wrote:

really didn't like the fact that you could only watch BBC for instance on BBC Iplayer, ITV von ITV X etc

For catch-up/on-demand, yes: that's a decision made by the channel owners. Live content is delivered into the EPG channel listing.

Re: Is Sky Q being phased out?

Invisiblename — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 14:07:14 GMT

@LynneCockley wrote:
I've got a sky glass (and sky Q box) and used the glass for a couple of days and really didn't like the fact that you could only watch BBC for instance on BBC Iplayer, ITV von ITV X etc etc. I didn't like this so asked that I keep the Sky Glass TV but continue with Sky Q to watch it on.

You should make it clear to others that you don't have 2 Sky contracts, but are effectively using the Sky Glass TV as a 'dumb' device to view the output of your Sky Q receiver.

Re: Is Sky Q being phased out?

work+lap+top1 — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 21:59:08 GMT

Sky stream and vurgin streaming are absolute garbage compared to Sky Q.

You're forced to sit through adverts, the pic quality is rubbish (compared to Q) the puck is effectively just a distributor to each of the catch up platforms, ITVX, IPLAYER, CH4 CATCHUP ETC ETC.

I'm not sure why I pay Sky or virgin (have both via 2 properties) at all?

Once I'm out of contract I will use free view and then just subscribe direct with the platforms as its cheaper and its a better service. Personally I think both Sky and Virgin are charging good money for old rope as they don't offer anything to justify their costs except perhaps Sky sports.

Had I known the streaming services were so bad I woukd have kept Q even if Sky were deliberately charging more for it to persuade you to swap to their **bleep** streaming services.

Streaming is a cheap no frills service and it shows, def not worth the money.

I pay for the Sjy/virgin streaming service, pay for apple, pay for Netflix premium. Pay for YouTube premium, pay for prime and pay for Disney. I may as well cancel the Sky and virgin service once out of contract and just pay for paramount. Sky go, and discovery/ Tnt direct. Cheaper and no loss if service

Re: Is Sky Q being phased out?

TimmyBGood — Sun, 26 Oct 2025 11:16:06 GMT

@work+lap+top1 wrote:

Personally I think both Sky and Virgin are charging good money for old rope as they don't offer anything to justify their costs except perhaps Sky sports.

They spend a huge amount of time, effort, technology and personnel keeping hundreds of live channels on air 24/7

If your personal viewing requirement doesn't include live channels then yes, ditching the two platforms makes sense.

Re: Is Sky Q being phased out?

xenon81 — Sun, 26 Oct 2025 13:01:52 GMT

@TimmyBGood wrote:
@work+lap+top1 wrote:
Personally I think both Sky and Virgin are charging good money for old rope as they don't offer anything to justify their costs except perhaps Sky sports.
They spend a huge amount of time, effort, technology and personnel keeping hundreds of live channels on air 24/7

Although as often pointed out on here Sky don't operate the vast majority of channels on the platform which are owned by third-parties. Many channels are now little more than servers in a racks room playing out repeats.

Re: Is Sky Q being phased out?

TimmyBGood — Sun, 26 Oct 2025 16:40:15 GMT

@xenon81

Certainly, but as the platform provider Sky (and Virgin) has to continually monitor every one of those sources and liaise with their owners: the control centre is rather impressive.

What I was trying to impart is the fundamental operational difference between a linear channel source such as Sky and Virgin and a streaming app provider.

Re: Is Sky Q being phased out?

ZivvaNet — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 12:42:42 GMT

Yes it has similar SKY OS operating system which should allow you to record your programme content. You can opt for Sky Stream which is like a mini Sky Q , you can get a SKY stream for less and more flexibility than SKY Glass TVs and setup is much easier and cost is more affordable than the SKY Glass TVs. SKY stream allows you to continue to use existing TV which Sky Glass TV needs a Sky subscription to full operate and if you cancel or get subscription terminated you can't use Sky Glass TV really. So opt for Sky stream for more affordable and flexibility solution.

Re: Is Sky Q being phased out?

TimmyBGood — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 14:56:06 GMT

@ZivvaNet wrote:

Yes it has similar SKY OS operating system which should allow you to record your programme content.

Nope.

You can opt for Sky Stream which is like a mini Sky Q

It's really not.

Re: Is Sky Q being phased out?

surethom1 — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 11:37:40 GMT

I'm ok if sky is moving to stream & away from satellite dishes but I'm absolutely disgusted in sky for not having a streamer option with record. Even if that means installing our own SD card or USB drive just having stream so you can add. Your favourites is absolutely nowhere near the same as recording, especially when you want to record your own series or programs or films and then a few weeks or months later sky lose the rights or remove it from download. That was the point of sky Q. You can record what you want. Keep it for as long as you want.

Re: Is Sky Q being phased out?

Daniel0210 — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 11:43:17 GMT

@surethom1 wrote:

That was the point of sky Q. You can record what you want. Keep it for as long as you want.

@surethom1

Not quite correct. Sky Q was never designed to keep recordings indefinitely although the majority of customers probably do so. It's there for what's described as 'time shifting'. You record a programme, watch it and delete it.

Re: Is Sky Q being phased out?

mr.tickle — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 17:57:31 GMT

@Daniel0210 wrote:
@surethom1 wrote:
That was the point of sky Q. You can record what you want. Keep it for as long as you want.
@surethom1
Not quite correct. Sky Q was never designed to keep recordings indefinitely although the majority of customers probably do so. It's there for what's described as 'time shifting'. You record a programme, watch it and delete it.

Yes, but there's no maximum time limit on most recordings. Certainly for me, 7 or 28 days would be totally useless as a time limit, that short a time would be a complete joke. I record a LOT of content, and watch a lot of content.

Certain things that are "topical" I'll try to watch soon after they are recorded. But we all have busy lives and this isn't always possible. (Have I Got News For You, The Daily Show etc)

Other programmes that are "must sees" fall into another category of "avoid spoilers" - Taskmaster, Traitors (I don't watch it but I know people who do)

But then I have my movies, a wodge-tonne recorded. I watched Top Gun Maverick last week. My recording of it, made from C4 HD on Sat 1st Feb 2025. That's the size of my backlog aka "selection pile" and I really value the ability to record what I want and watch it when I want. There's also the major drama series - these get piled up and I get to them (and love them when I do) when time allows, not on a timetable dictated by someone else.

If you regularly record programmes to watch later, want to skip through adverts (I've been doing this on recordings 25 years now, and have zero intention of ever going back to watching adverts live), or just prefer building your own library of content that won’t disappear at a broadcaster’s discretion or when rights expire etc, then losing recording functionality is a massive downgrade.

Re: Is Sky Q being phased out?

janicewilliams — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 17:43:52 GMT

I feel exactly the same as you! I hate paying so much to watch TV but we in this family love our telly. My husband loves ALL the sports! Racing, Cricket, Darts, F1, Football! We watch movies modern and war movies loll! We record random stuff. I can see me running the London Marathon in 2019 so I've recorded that too. Now the satellite dish stopped giving a signal on Christmas eve so we have had no live tv since then and had to watch sky on the Apps. Not possible to watch all the sports hubby wants. Watching ITV with the ads is painful! Watching any ads is painful. Sky are saying we are advised to move to streaming, but I love recording shows to skip ads. I know this is the future but I don't see how this is better. And the price as an existing customer moving from a dish to streaming is the same! I'm sure I am missing something here but there must be an easier way to watch all the sky programs with sports and movies for a lower price. Might have to cancel the movies and just watch as and when.

Re: Is Sky Q being phased out?

PandJ2020 — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 17:59:11 GMT

@janicewilliams wrote:
...but there must be an easier way to watch all the sky programs with sports and movies for a lower price.

Have a look if NowTV meets your requirements?

Re: Is Sky Q being phased out?

TimmyBGood — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 18:44:37 GMT

@janicewilliams wrote:

but there must be an easier way to watch all the sky programs with sports and movies for a lower price.

Sky pays literally billions for Sports rights (over two billion pounds for each season of the PL alone) : they'd probably prefer not to make a loss on that.

Re: Is Sky Q being phased out?

oj01 — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 14:10:38 GMT

@janicewilliams wrote:
I feel exactly the same as you! I hate paying so much to watch TV but we in this family love our telly. My husband loves ALL the sports! Racing, Cricket, Darts, F1, Football! We watch movies modern and war movies loll! We record random stuff. I can see me running the London Marathon in 2019 so I've recorded that too. Now the satellite dish stopped giving a signal on Christmas eve so we have had no live tv since then and had to watch sky on the Apps. Not possible to watch all the sports hubby wants. Watching ITV with the ads is painful! Watching any ads is painful. Sky are saying we are advised to move to streaming, but I love recording shows to skip ads. I know this is the future but I don't see how this is better. And the price as an existing customer moving from a dish to streaming is the same! I'm sure I am missing something here but there must be an easier way to watch all the sky programs with sports and movies for a lower price. Might have to cancel the movies and just watch as and when.

You don't have to switch to Stream (yet!). Satellite TV (Sky Q) will be around for another 4 or 5 years. If you have an issue with the signal from your dish you need to arrange an engineer to fix it.