Cancelled sky HD Cant access some channels

[Robdaly]

At the end of March to save some money I cancelled sky sports and the sky HD pack.  This came into effect yesterday.  No sky sports - fine but I cant access some channels that I used to.  For example I couldnt watch Perry Mason (Sky Witness??) when it was displayed as a highlight on the home page although ithe q box did record it and watched ep 1 later.  I also couldnt watch some of the programmes I'd previously recorded.  For example The Rookie.  The message was always the same ..."you need to upgrade etc etc...." When I cancelled Sky HD I thought I'd loose HD but still be able to watch all the channels but in SD.  My eyesight isnt great and when I did a little test before cancelling I couldnt see any difference between an HD channel and an SD one.  Please someone explain what I've lost by cancelling Sky HD apart from being able to watch programmes with a supposed better quality picture.

[PandJ2020]

Any recordings from a HD channel will not play without a HD subscription.

[xenon81]

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@Robdaly wrote:

 For example I couldnt watch Perry Mason (Sky Witness??) when it was displayed as a highlight on the home page although ithe q box did record it and watched ep 1 later

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You'll need to change the default download format to SD otherwise it will still download in HD which you won't be able to watch. 

[PandJ2020]

Yes, just to be clear it's only existing recordings you can't watch.

If you had any sports recordings you can't view them either.

[Sheetbag]

@Robdaly 

Go to the 800s

There you will find NON HD channels.

[xenon81]

After cancelling the HD pack the non-HD channels will appear at the top and the HD versions move down to the 800s.

[Laing1]

@Robdaly as @xenon81 says the non HD channels should swap numbers with the HD channels when you cancel the HD pack if that hasn't happened yet try a reboot of your main box 

[Robdaly]

I've actually signed up again for the HD pack.  Two months free then a rolling 31 day contract should give me chance to figure out what I dont get by not subscribing apart from "poorer" picture quality than HD

[oldfella]

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@Robdaly wrote:

I've actually signed up again for the HD pack.  Two months free then a rolling 31 day contract should give me chance to figure out what I dont get by not subscribing apart from "poorer" picture quality than HD

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Hi @Robdaly 

Sky Signature includes BoxSets and Entertainment channels only in SD as standard.
Only free to air channels such as BBC, ITV etc are in HD. The Q HD pack is required for all other Sky Signature HD content, including Catch Up in HD, On Demand in HD and BoxSets in HD
If you do not have the Optional HD pack you need to change the Download to SD in All Formats (as HD is the default setting).
So that you do not need to do this every time it’s best to change your Download preference to SD in Home - Settings - Setup - Preferences.
This needs to done on the main Q box.
Then if you want to download any HD content from free to air channels (BBCHD ,ITVHD etc) you can select HD in the All formats tab of the content . This will change the format for that particular download only but still leave your format to SD in preferences.

[Robdaly]

Thanks for that.  So if I made those changes to download in SD instead of HD I'd be able to do everything and acess everything I can do with the HD pack but just in "poorer" quality?  Strangely I had an email from Netflix this morning telling me about a change to my sub...when I hadnt made any

[Robdaly]

Thanks once again for taking the time to write such a detailed response but I just want to be absolutely clear.  I have signature and ultimate (whch might explain whay I got a notification from Netflix after I signed up for HD Pack again??)  If I cancel HD pack when the free trial expires in two months will I be able to access everything (catch up box sets etc) that I can with HD pack or will there be some things that I will not be able to do?

Thanks  in anticipation

[oj01]

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@Robdaly wrote:

Thanks once again for taking the time to write such a detailed response but I just want to be absolutely clear.  I have signature and ultimate (whch might explain whay I got a notification from Netflix after I signed up for HD Pack again??)  If I cancel HD pack when the free trial expires in two months will I be able to access everything (catch up box sets etc) that I can with HD pack or will there be some things that I will not be able to do?

Thanks  in anticipation

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@Robdaly Yes, you'll be able to access the same Catch Up and Box Sets, just in SD only. Unless there's anything that's only available in HD (which there shouldn't be).

The Netflix package changes also without the HD Pack, hence the email from them. I don't have Netflix, but I believe it's regarding how many screens you can watch Netflix on (someone else may clarify) 

[simon194]

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@oj01 wrote:

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@Robdaly wrote:

Thanks once again for taking the time to write such a detailed response but I just want to be absolutely clear.  I have signature and ultimate (whch might explain whay I got a notification from Netflix after I signed up for HD Pack again??)  If I cancel HD pack when the free trial expires in two months will I be able to access everything (catch up box sets etc) that I can with HD pack or will there be some things that I will not be able to do?

Thanks  in anticipation

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@Robdaly Yes, you'll be able to access the same Catch Up and Box Sets, just in SD only. Unless there's anything that's only available in HD (which there shouldn't be).

The Netflix package changes also without the HD Pack, hence the email from them. I don't have Netflix, but I believe it's regarding how many screens you can watch Netflix on (someone else may clarify) 

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You are correct about the Nexflix email. It's just about the subscription changing when HD is added/removed and the number of screens that can be used simultaneously.

[DWN-33]

I have just spoken to Sky to reorganise my contract.
I have now read some of the recent correspondence on this site.

I did wonder if the upscaling capabilities in recent TVs would make SD transmissions view very similar to SD.. It seems that is probable.

Most worrying and the reason for the post is that when I said to the Sky rep. about cancelling the £9/mth Shy HD he said " you do realise there will be about 40 channels that you cannot watch" questioned about BBC, ITV etc he strongly suggested that they too would disappear as they only broadcast in HD. Being generous, he could be right about losing a number of channels but of course it's the HD channels that will go but many or perhaps all will still be available in SD.

I did doubt what was said about BBC etc. but I have left the subscription in place. He didn't mention the issue of not being able to access recorded  HD programmes.

Did he deliberately mislead me or did he not fully understand what the Sky HD subscription offers.

[nigea99]

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@DWN-33 wrote:

I have just spoken to Sky to reorganise my contract.
I have now read some of the recent correspondence on this site.

I did wonder if the upscaling capabilities in recent TVs would make SD transmissions view very similar to SD.. It seems that is probable.

Most worrying and the reason for the post is that when I said to the Sky rep. about cancelling the £9/mth Shy HD he said " you do realise there will be about 40 channels that you cannot watch" questioned about BBC, ITV etc he strongly suggested that they too would disappear as they only broadcast in HD. Being generous, he could be right about losing a number of channels but of course it's the HD channels that will go but many or perhaps all will still be available in SD.

I did doubt what was said about BBC etc. but I have left the subscription in place. He didn't mention the issue of not being able to access recorded  HD programmes.

Did he deliberately mislead me or did he not fully understand what the Sky HD subscription offers.

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hi @DWN-33 

I think they have misunderstood some communications that have been published regarding many SD channels.

The channels are not stopping but the way they are transmitted is changing - this means that the very old SD only capable boxes won't work with these SD  channels  

SKY HD boxes and SKY Q will still be able to watch these channels in SD

You will still be OK to watch them without the HD add on 

BTW if you have removed/remove  the HD add on we suggest you change the default download preference to SD

Main Menu -> Settings -> Setup -> Preferences
(Please note this setting can only be set on the Main box)