Is sky Q and sky boxes in general eventually going to be obsolete?

[Dobber1234]

Hello Derek O’Brien here again sky customer since 2006 at the moment I am really happy with their service and have been for the past 19 years but I am afraid to say that with the changes that are coming down the track I will be forced very reluctantly to leave sky TV It is really unfair that they are bringing an end to satellite television and going for a Wi-Fi only option I understand that time is moving on and we all need to move with the times et cetera that is fine if you have reliable broadband infrastructure in your area but what if you don't? I've read with interest the reason that they have decided to go to Wi-Fi only TV instead of satellite is that the satellites are reaching the end of their life I know it's not sky's fault and they can't help it but I'm just saying that as a loyal customer of theirs I will be very disappointed with having to leave in a couple of years time, which is going to happen by the way, Because I love sky Q and TV that is run via satellite dish but if things are going the broadband only route then I will have no choice but to leave I'm heartbroken. I'm sure I'm not the only sky customer to feel this way I got my hopes up a little bit too much when I read recently that they were thinking of launching a new product foolishly I thought it would be an upgrade to the current sky Q box I read now today but it's not it's yet another smart TV how very disappointing sky should really think about where they are going with this. It will lose them a lot of customers and saying that the satellites in space the power TV are reaching the end of their life in my opinion is a copout it's just another way of forcing people on to broadband television services against their will, it's basically a way of getting more money out of people sky rethink your strategy please

from Derek Michael O’Brien sky customer since 2006 Worried sky customer about the future of my TV services

[PandJ2020]

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@Dobber1234 wrote:

sky rethink your strategy please

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It seems they already have and the cost of satellites are not competitive.

[TimmyBGood]

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@Dobber1234 wrote:

 saying that the satellites in space the power TV are reaching the end of their life in my opinion is a copout 

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More a matter of fundamental physics: without positioning propellant, geosynchronous satellites have a nasty habit of falling out of orbit and burning up in the atmosphere, which isn't great for picture quality...

https://www.skygroup.sky/en-gb/article/introducing-the-new-sky-glass-tv-now-with-an-even-brighter-pi... 

[AndrewF_UK]

Truthfully yes. The internet is going to be the way TV is consumed. There's talks of Freeview shutting too this decade or next, partly to free up spectrum for 5G internet which will help rural internet. Satellite internet is also becoming a feasibility.

It comes down to it being very wasteful. Why use satellites and limited terrestrial frequencies for JUST TV when you can use them for anything via internet. 

I do appreciate that bad internet connections makes this future look frustrating but the technology is catching up quickly and there'll be a lot of pressure to rollout out networks once satellite and terrestrial TV end of life is confirmed.

For now though, you've got years left with Q. I wouldn't worry about it, let technology do its thing and by the time the satellites close the world will be different. 

[nigea99 · Accepted solution]

@Dobber1234 

I am sorry that the news of a new product got your hopes up but in the recent discussion prior to today's announcement & indeed on your discussion from last year we have tried to manage expectations over the time left for Satellite TV in the UK & Ireland & the focus that SKY and others have

Personally I will miss UK Satellite TV when the Satellites run out in a few years.

As per my info page I have had Satellite TV since just before Astra 1 was launched and had BSB (via the Squarial shown in my avatar) and SKY analogue & Digital as well as a separate Mortorised dish to be able see Satellites used for Europe

As I mentioned on the other discussion we do still have a few years left but in reality even SKY Q will have little change as all effort will go into Glass & Streaming

 Satellote TV  within Europe will last longer as there is a much larger customer base and multiple countries & broadcasters making it more viable.  

[Dobber1234]

Hello there Derek O’Brien here again. I have made a decision from 2029 into 2030. I have decided I'm going to be changing TV providers if sky are going on broadband and away from satellite. It seems to be the best option I hate having to do it as I rely on their service and I think it is brilliant at the moment But given the current circumstances with the change over in a few years I feel I have no choice and I feel as though I won't be the only of their customers that they will lose it tells me one thing anyway customer loyalty means nothing to sky if they're just going to change things Like that granted it's a couple of years away but still it's not right anyway that's my decision who else agrees with me

[SKY1992bf]

@Dobber1234  Good luck finding a provider using and providing satellite tv beyond 2030 then 

around the same time I'll be doing the same but switching to sky glass or stream because I know I won't get satellite tv beyond 2030

[TimmyBGood]

@Dobber1234 

So for subscription content that would be either EE (delivered over broadband) or Virgin (arriving on their private cable network)

There never has been any other commercial satellite broadcasting to the UK or Ireland, or any encoded commercial terrestrial service.

[nigea99]

Post deleted following a merger of discussions

[Dobber1234]

For me personally, and I've said this a couple of times over the last couple of days but I'm going to repeat it again. I really think they should focus more on bringing out another upgrade to the sky Q box or another type of box instead of constantly focusing on Wi-Fi streaming it might be the future for those of us that can access it without trouble But there are people included that do not have reliable Internet connections. They should think about those customers as well. There's more to this than just the fact that the satellites in orbit are coming towards the end of their life. This is a marketing employee by sky to deliberately give people no choice And see if you want to watch TV then you have to switch to a Wi-Fi based device. This is not fair really not fair as I said before I love sky and I love the service they provide but I won't love it much longer if they keep going down this road if anyone from sky reads this which is very doubtful but if you do, I'm begging you reconsider introduce another type of box like sky Q or upgrade of sky Q not another one of these smart TVs that relies solely on Internet it's the wrong way to go

Derek Michael O’Brien sky customer since 2006 my views should be taken into account as should the views of many others who give sky huge profits they keep telling me I'm one of their favourite customers. I'm sure they say that to everyone this is no way to treat a loyal customer not just me all those who feel the same as we I'm sure there are many this decision should be reconsidered immediately and if not immediately then in the near future it is a disastrous decision to change from satellite to broadband only TV when the correct infrastructure is not in place, I'm really angry

[PandJ2020]

I thought you posted the other day you had decided to cancel Sky once the satellites stop operating?

Frankly, you can move to any other firm providing satellite TV at that time.  The list might be quite small though.

[nigea99]

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@Dobber1234 wrote:

For me personally, and I've said this a couple of times over the last couple of days but I'm going to repeat it again. I really think they should focus more on bringing out another upgrade to the sky Q box or another type of box instead of constantly focusing on Wi-Fi streaming it might be the future for those of us that can access it without trouble But there are people included that do not have reliable Internet connections. They should think about those customers as well. There's more to this than just the fact that the satellites in orbit are coming towards the end of their life. This is a marketing employee by sky to deliberately give people no choice And see if you want to watch TV then you have to switch to a Wi-Fi based device. This is not fair really not fair as I said before I love sky and I love the service they provide but I won't love it much longer if they keep going down this road if anyone from sky reads this which is very doubtful but if you do, I'm begging you reconsider introduce another type of box like sky Q or upgrade of sky Q not another one of these smart TVs that relies solely on Internet it's the wrong way to go

Derek Michael O’Brien sky customer since 2006 my views should be taken into account as should the views of many others who give sky huge profits they keep telling me I'm one of their favourite customers. I'm sure they say that to everyone this is no way to treat a loyal customer not just me all those who feel the same as we I'm sure there are many this decision should be reconsidered immediately and if not immediately then in the near future it is a disastrous decision to change from satellite to broadband only TV when the correct infrastructure is not in place, I'm really angry

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@Dobber1234 

Sorry that this bugs you so much but we have explained multiple times why this is just not going to happen

I know it is not what you want to hear but is the reality

[PandJ2020]

...and huge profits?  You may wish to look at the latest published figures.

[stereohaven]

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@PandJ2020 wrote:

...and huge profits?  You may wish to look at the latest published figures.

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Indeed.

An operating loss of £224 million reported in 2024 for the 2023 financial year. 

They also reported a continued drop in Sky Q users as customers continue to shift to streaming boxes and smart TVs.

[TimmyBGood]

@Dobber1234 wrote:

I really think they should focus more on bringing out another upgrade to the sky Q box or another type of box instead of constantly focusing on Wi-Fi streaming 

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OK, but again, how does that work without a satellite in orbit for the dishes to point at?

Note that it's internet streaming: whether a householder chooses to use WiFi within their property is up to them (ethernet cable is typically more reliable)