Endgame for Q

[whiteonline]

@TimmyBGood but no decent system to replace Sky Q, is what I mean.

[TimmyBGood]

@whiteonline 

Glass was probably a mistake: I put that down to muddled pandemic thinking.

Stream seems very much like a v1 test but is presumably cheap enough in mass production to just replace the early hardware when this seems necessary.

[Jones_The_Cat]

Anyone who's worried about losing Freeview and isn't sure how Freely can be a substitute should really check out the latest version of the Pluto TV app. 

It's recently been updated and shows just how quick a simple EPG with entirely streamed channels can operate. If Freely comes close to the model Pluto uses then it'll be absolutely fine. 

It has an EPG, an on demand section, a favourites list and it's super-quick to channel hop up and down, just like you can on Freeview. 

Plex and Rakuten TV also offer similar means of streaming lots of different live channels. All are completely free. 

[TimmyBGood]

@Anonymous 

Some interesting wider perspective here: 2034 seems an entirely possible end date for DTTV.

https://cleanfeed.thetvroom.com/19741/news-2/terrestrial-tv-saved-from-2030-cliff-edge/ 

[whiteonline]

@TimmyBGood it's just such a shame they have stopped progressing Sky Q, because it could be even greater. Glass and Stream are a long way off being as good as Q, I know Q had it's teething problems at the beginning, but over 2 years later there's still a lot of issues with Glass and stream. 

[TimmyBGood]

@whiteonline 

I have wondered if 'Q without a dish' was ever on the cards, but there's still that legacy mesh complication.

Presumably the takeover was always going to be a significant factor, with Q being the last 'Sky' thing and Stream very much a Comcast product.

[TimmyBGood]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@TimmyBGood wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

 TV satellites and terrestrial aerials are slated for turn off by 2030. 

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I believe that Freeview is supposed to be safe until 2033 after the last round of Ofcom consultation

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Are they? I missed that bit.

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" After carefully considering all of the consultation responses received, the government has decided to allow five national multiplex licences on the DTT platform that are due to expire in 2022 and 2026 to be renewed for a further period until 2034.

The government will give Ofcom the power to carry out these renewals, accompanied by the appropriate regulatory flexibility via the inclusion of a new revocation power that cannot take effect before the end of 2030"

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-the-renewal-of-digital-terrestrial-television-dtt-multiplex-licences-expiring-in-2022-and-2026 

So 'safe' until Jan 2031 and potentially so to Dec 2033 but Ofcom has the power to cut those last years short.

[Floydianslip]

@Jones_The_Cat  Here's a guesstimate on timescales🤷‍♂️

https://www.cable.co.uk/blogs/is-sky-q-being-phased-out-20231116/

[TimmyBGood]

@Floydianslip 

I'd suggest "Late 2025/Early 2026" is a bit ambitious for "End of Sky Q service", particularly as Sky has a carriage deal with SES through to the end of 2028.