How to keep a Q box

[Avfc1970]

If I cancel sky Q, but want to retain just the main Q box to watch free to air channels, what is the lowest priced package  I would need to have ?

[PandJ2020]

I believe the essentials around £15pm.

Freesat 4k boxes are generally compatible with the LNB.

[Avfc1970]

Thanks for the reply. When you say essentials, do you mean the signature pack ?  Because that is what I asked to retain, but my bill with BB was still being quoted at £106/month.  

I was paying £192/month.   Which is why I asked to reduce the package, but after a month, 4 calls from the loyalty depth, and a whole period of family getting used to life without sky, it became apparent that they had simply ignored my request, and my future bills were set to remain the same.   Despite my call to reduce the package.  So I called last night and emphasised that I wanted to cancel every, sad really after 21 yrs as an apparent "platinum customer"   and the icing on the cake is I now have to send back their 3 year old boxes.   

[MightyQuinn]

Hi @Avfc1970   Sky Essentials is not Signature,  It is free-to-air channels only at £15 a month.

https://www.sky.com/help/articles/tv-essentials

[PandJ2020]

As @MightyQuinn detailed Essentials is the 'freeview' (with recording) package.

Signature is the base Sky TV package (Sky Max, Atlantic etc. etc.)

Signature is around £35pm (less with in-contract discounts).

You cannot add any premium channels (Sports/Movies) to Essentials.

[TimmyBGood]

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@Avfc1970 wrote:

the icing on the cake is I now have to send back their 3 year old boxes.   

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That's correct: Q television hardware has always been loaned to facilitate consumption of subscription television content, and had no non-subscription functionality.

[Jones_The_Cat]

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@Avfc1970 wrote:

Thanks for the reply. When you say essentials, do you mean the signature pack ?  Because that is what I asked to retain, but my bill with BB was still being quoted at £106/month.  

I was paying £192/month.   Which is why I asked to reduce the package, but after a month, 4 calls from the loyalty depth, and a whole period of family getting used to life without sky, it became apparent that they had simply ignored my request, and my future bills were set to remain the same.   Despite my call to reduce the package.  So I called last night and emphasised that I wanted to cancel every, sad really after 21 yrs as an apparent "platinum customer"   and the icing on the cake is I now have to send back their 3 year old boxes.   

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Sky seem less keen on keeping customers on the satellite service now, therefore good deals are harder to come by. Sky Q is now seen as old, soon to be obsolete technology, as everything slowly switches to streaming. 

£192pm seems like an outrageous amount to be charged. Was that for literally every possible sports/cinema channel in UHD, with full fibre broadband at the top speed and every possible landline option added? Even still, that's a staggering amount to be charged. 

[Avfc1970]

Thank you for the info , am I correct to assume that the freesat 4k box will simply plug in where the Q box did, and it will work with the newer sky Q dish and twin LNB ?

And can you record with a freesat box too ?

And finally, how much is the freesat box please ?

If it's a one off purchase, and gives the same channel options as SKY essentials, which is £15/month, then surely it's a better option 

Thank you 

[PandJ2020]

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@Avfc1970 wrote:

Thank you for the info , am I correct to assume that the freesat 4k box will simply plug in where the Q box did, and it will work with the newer sky Q dish and twin LNB ?  It should do

And can you record with a freesat box too ? Yes

And finally, how much is the freesat box please ? See below

If it's a one off purchase, and gives the same channel options as SKY essentials, which is £15/month, then surely it's a better option   No subscription, but one-off purchase

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https://www.freesat.co.uk/get-freesat/set-top-boxes/recordable-4k-tv-box

[nigea99]

Post deleted as I repeated what @PandJ2020 posted

[Anonymous]

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@Avfc1970 wrote:

Thank you for the info , am I correct to assume that the freesat 4k box will simply plug in where the Q box did, and it will work with the newer sky Q dish and twin LNB ?

And can you record with a freesat box too ?

And finally, how much is the freesat box please ?

If it's a one off purchase, and gives the same channel options as SKY essentials, which is £15/month, then surely it's a better option 

Thank you 

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Twin LNB? Is it a hybrid LNB where you can plug either a Q type cable or the older HD one? Or are you talking about the shotgun cable plugging into the two connectors (that's a single connection)?

Regardless a Freesat 4K box will just take the cables plugged into the back of the Q box and there are recordable boxes available. You'll need to do your own shopping research.

https://www.freesat.co.uk/ will answer your questions.and there are links to suitable boxes there.

Be aware that like Sky, eventually the satellites will be turned off as Freesat & Freeview have already(?) launched their Freely online streaming service which will replace both satellites and rooftop aerials.

[Dazray]

My bills went up by £21 a month got passed round 3 diff departments not one of them budging only offering me £1 off my current pack

I only have signature pack on my TV the most basic one ! Plus my Broadband and boostbox on my bill I've been a loyal customer for 25+ years but this apparently means diddly squat !   Totally exhausting all options and spending 1.5 hours on the phone being passed from department to department I finally got through to the cancellation team !   Low and behold  new offer made of £55 for everything on my current package ! The same price I was paying over 7 months ago last year !  So why would no one else  from customer services, billing dept  or sales offer me this same deal to start with 🤔  ??  Ridiculous or what !

[Mark39]

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@Dazray wrote:

My bills went up by £21 a month got passed round 3 diff departments not one of them budging only offering me £1 off my current pack

I only have signature pack on my TV the most basic one ! Plus my Broadband and boostbox on my bill I've been a loyal customer for 25+ years but this apparently means diddly squat !   Totally exhausting all options and spending 1.5 hours on the phone being passed from department to department I finally got through to the cancellation team !   Low and behold  new offer made of £55 for everything on my current package ! The same price I was paying over 7 months ago last year !  So why would no one else  from customer services, billing dept  or sales offer me this same deal to start with 🤔  ??  Ridiculous or what !

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Yes, it's specifically the cancellations team who have greater discretion in terms of discount offers.

[Anonymous]

I have just given 31 days notice to leave Sky after 20 years and 2 months - the lady I spoke with was very nice but did not seem to be listening to me cos she came back with an offer that was £3.50 MORE per month than I was paying when I had said I wanted to reduce the cost!!! 🤯🤯

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I have just given 31 days notice to leave Sky after 20 years and 2 months - the lady I spoke with was very nice but did not seem to be listening to me cos she came back with an offer that was £3.50 MORE per month than I was paying when I had said I wanted to reduce the cost!!! 🤯🤯

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Oh, she was listening, it's just that they have their instructions and guidelines to adhere to and the bean counters say 'no'. They did the same with me with their broadband when the price rises hit, and is the reason I'm happily running double the download speed for £11 a month less with Virgin. It's a buisness decision that makes no sense to us as consumers.