Elderly parents struggling with remote after switch to SkyQ

[VJR]

Please can someone help with a few problems, in simple terms.

My parents, aged 90 and 95, have just switched to Sky Q and can not cope because the remote controls are now different. I can't vist atm and I can't help over the phone as I'm not familiar with Sky. They have no internet.

i have found Sky's remote control guide, printed and posted it, but there's still problems.

i appreciate that there will be basic answers to the problems! 

Problem 1.  When playing a recording in a series, the next in the series is automatically played. Mum and Dad say they can't stop the recording playing. They are switching the TV off entirely to do so. 

Problem 2.  Dad used to be able to access "text", on which he could read the football results and tables, latest news etc. Does this still exist and how do you get to it?  Maybe it's only via internet?

Any specific or general advice gratefully received - this is all sending me mad!

[Daniel0210]

@VJR 

Text in the format of Sky+ is non existent now I'm afraid.

To stop the programme being watched (recorded or downloaded) they need to press the dismiss button on the remote which is to the left of the 🏠 button. 

I will cc in one of the other Superusers who has compiled a helpful guide for those transitioning from Plus to Q which may provide some insight into something you or your parents hadn't considered.

cc @nigea99 

[nigea99]

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@VJR wrote:

Please can someone help with a few problems, in simple terms.

My parents, aged 90 and 95, have just switched to Sky Q and can not cope because the remote controls are now different. I can't vist atm and I can't help over the phone as I'm not familiar with Sky. They have no internet.

i have found Sky's remote control guide, printed and posted it, but there's still problems.

i appreciate that there will be basic answers to the problems! 

Problem 1.  When playing a recording in a series, the next in the series is automatically played. Mum and Dad say they can't stop the recording playing. They are switching the TV off entirely to do so. 

Problem 2.  Dad used to be able to access "text", on which he could read the football results and tables, latest news etc. Does this still exist and how do you get to it?  Maybe it's only via internet?

Any specific or general advice gratefully received - this is all sending me mad!

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hi @VJR 

As @Daniel0210  says the back/dismiss button should exit the recording - to help I suggest also  get them to press the pause / play button to pause the recording first

There is an option that might help if they don't want to download next episodes whilst watching something they have downloaded

Get them to go to 

Home -

(Scroll down to) Settings -

(scroll right then scroll down to) Setup 

(scroll right then scroll down to) Preferences

(scroll right then scroll down to) Auto Download next Episode  & Press Enter to toggle to off

I am not too sure that my notes for people switching cover anything directly to help here

A couple of things for them to be aware of regarding recordings

The  'Home - Recordings - Continue - Section is known to be quite unreliable & we generally advise customers to avoid it unless they know for definite it is pointing to the actual episode they want to continue (i.e. it is known to point to next expisodes or ones fully completed)

(scroll right then scroll down to)

thus we reommend always going via 'Most recent'

When selecting recrodings via the 'Most Recent' section the buttons above the episodes lists can also be  incorrect and may suggest something like Play (or Continue) S2:E 4 when they have only watched S2:E3

Thus here I advise always scrolling down to the buttons below the Episode Tile

(Maybe when I have time I will try to upload some images to show this better) 

That all said, I realise that the above advice might confuse rather than help so up to you to advise accordingly

BTW As @Daniel0210 also mentions I am afraid the BBC text service has never been implemented and other text services for Sports have recently gone 

Do feel free to ask about any specifics that you think we might be able to help with although it might be difficult explaining if you don't have a box in front of you.

[nigea99]

@VJR 

A couple more things 

Setting up the most used channels as favourites really helps

see Favourites Help Page 

Voice commands can help with various functions:

https://www.sky.com/help/articles/sky-q-voice-control-commands

[MightyQuinn]

Hi @VJR 

The accessibility remote is very similar to the old Sky+ remote. https://www.sky.com/help/articles/accessibility-remotes

https://www.sky.com/help/articles/q-buttons-explained-access

[nigea99]

Further to my earlier post :

Buttons AboveButtons Below

As you can see when going into the recordings list (in this case just one episode that I have more or less finished) the button above states 'Continue S1:E2'  which I have not recorded or downloaded & I have not fully watched S1:E1.

We often see this pointng to a next episode even when not that close to the end.

Thus we recommend scrolling down to the either the thumbnail itself to continue playing (note the play icon in the centre) or to the option buttons below it

Using the buttons above is OK but great care needs to be taken to ensure it is stating the correct action & correct episode.

[TimmyBGood]

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@VJR wrote:

Problem 2.  Dad used to be able to access "text", on which he could read the football results and tables, latest news etc. Does this still exist and how do you get to it?  Maybe it's only via internet?

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/reception/questions/freesat-sky/why-has-my-red-button-changed-to-connected-red... 

[VJR]

Thank you. That's solved the problem!

[VJR]

Thank you. I had no idea about Accessibility. I've now registered my parents and have ordered an accessibility remote for them.

[VJR]

Excellent. I'll sort out the settings when I'm next at my parent's.

[nigea99]

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@VJR wrote:

Thank you. I had no idea about Accessibility. I've now registered my parents and have ordered an accessibility remote for them.

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@VJR 

It may not be important  & you may have already spotted but, just in case, I thought I should mention that Voice control that I mentioned earlier is not available via the Accessibility remote

[VJR]

Thanks, but they've been struggling with that too.