Queries for new Sky Q order

[Fenix975]

My Sky+ HD box is over 14 years old and I'm finally making the move to Sky Q, as I don't know how much longer my HD box will last for. I've just got a decent deal through retentions but have a couple of questions about the order:

1. The guy from retentions said I don't need to pay the extra for Sky HD any longer as Sky Signature is mostly HD anyway now and I'd only be missing out on about 9 channels, still as SD. Is this correct, and if so, which channels would I be getting in SD only (they may be channels I don't watch anyway)?

2. I tried to clarify which box I was getting - I know it's a 1TB, and my email order says the same. Are the 1TB UHD boxes standard now (as when I tried adding Sky Q on my account it always listed it as a UHD box) or will it be a non-UHD one? Although I've got a 4K TV, I'm not paying extra to have UHD, so will it matter if it's a non-UHD one?

Thanks 🙂

[Gavin+Noble]

@Fenix975 This may help with your channel query:

Sky satellite channel list (UK EPG for Sky Q/Sky+HD) - RXTV https://share.google/EkLfZZFH0MpWqphU1

[oldfella]

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@Fenix975 wrote:

My Sky+ HD box is over 14 years old and I'm finally making the move to Sky Q, as I don't know how much longer my HD box will last for. I've just got a decent deal through retentions but have a couple of questions about the order:

1. The guy from retentions said I don't need to pay the extra for Sky HD any longer as Sky Signature is mostly HD anyway now and I'd only be missing out on about 9 channels, still as SD. Is this correct, and if so, which channels would I be getting in SD only (they may be channels I don't watch anyway)?

2. I tried to clarify which box I was getting - I know it's a 1TB, and my email order says the same. Are the 1TB UHD boxes standard now (as when I tried adding Sky Q on my account it always listed it as a UHD box) or will it be a non-UHD one? Although I've got a 4K TV, I'm not paying extra to have UHD, so will it matter if it's a non-UHD one?

Thanks 🙂

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Hi @Fenix975 

Afraid Sky signature as standard is only in SD for all apart from the free to air channels.

Also BoxSets and Catch up for all the main Entertainment channels is also only SD.

Main Q box supplied should be the 1 TB version.   As you say,  if you don't take the UHD add on it is irrelevant.

[nigea99]

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@Fenix975 wrote:

My Sky+ HD box is over 14 years old and I'm finally making the move to Sky Q, as I don't know how much longer my HD box will last for. I've just got a decent deal through retentions but have a couple of questions about the order:

1. The guy from retentions said I don't need to pay the extra for Sky HD any longer as Sky Signature is mostly HD anyway now and I'd only be missing out on about 9 channels, still as SD. Is this correct, and if so, which channels would I be getting in SD only (they may be channels I don't watch anyway)?

Sorry but this is nonsense - the only HD channels you would get are those that are Free To Air such as BBC, ITV

You need the HD add on to watch any of the SKY channels and many others in HD (although SKY Sports & SKY Cinema are HD as standard) 

(BTW There is also a quirk that you can watch & record Channel 4 & C5 live channels in HD without the add on but need the HD add on for any downloads from them) 

2. I tried to clarify which box I was getting - I know it's a 1TB, and my email order says the same. Are the 1TB UHD boxes standard now (as when I tried adding Sky Q on my account it always listed it as a UHD box) or will it be a non-UHD one? Although I've got a 4K TV, I'm not paying extra to have UHD, so will it matter if it's a non-UHD one?

In theory the standard box is a 1TB UHD box but they have been known to send non UHD boxes (less so these days I think) so see if you can get them to confirm which 1TB version

HD channels are good so if you don't want to pay for UHD you will be OK  

Thanks 🙂

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Although you have signed up for SKY Q, you may still benefit from reading some notes I have made for people considering switching from SKY +/HD to SKY Q (which mentions  other limitations of the 1TB non UHD box)

SKY +/HD to SKY Q 

Any further questions feel free to ask

[MightyQuinn]

Hi @Fenix975 

1. Most HD channels will have an SD version so you wont be missing out on channels. Personally I couldn.t imagine not have Sky HD, especially on a 4K TV.

2. The original 1TB boxes (32Cxxx) are normally only sent out to "free" upgrade offer customers. Even without using UHD, you will be limited to recording 3 channels, whereas with the latest 1TB boxes (32B2xx) you can record up to 6 channels at the same time. Sometimes I find that 6 is not enough! Nobody can predict which box you will get.

[Fenix975]

Thanks for the replies so far.

To clarify - I want to be able to watch HD channels, rather than SD but the guy from retentions was inferring that I wasn't missing out on much by not paying for Sky HD, even though I checked this with him. If I have to pay extra for the HD I will do.

It is a free upgrade from the HD box to Sky Q. I'm used to only being able to record 2 channels at once with not being able to watch a 3rd at the same time, so if I'm limited to only being able to record 3 channels, it's not a great loss.

[MightyQuinn]

Hi @Fenix975 

To watch Sky HD channels you need the Sky HD subscription.

We all start out saying recording 3 channels is plenty 😀

[Fenix975]

So is it worth me contacting Sky and asking for the UHD box, even if I have to pay for it?

With the Sky HD add on, I'll probably wait to see whether I need it or not. One of the channels I watch a lot of - U & W, Sky has removed the HD channel anyway but I can stream it via an app on my TV instead.

[nigea99]

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@Fenix975 wrote:

So is it worth me contacting Sky and asking for the UHD box, even if I have to pay for it?

With the Sky HD add on, I'll probably wait to see whether I need it or not. One of the channels I watch a lot of - U & W, Sky has removed the HD channel anyway but I can stream it via an app on my TV instead.

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@Fenix975 Assuming your SKY HD box is working you can see what the SD versions are like now, just look for them in the TV Guide (Planner?)

edit:  regarding the UHD box  - difficult for us to say - could be worth haggling  but have you checked with them if you are getting the non UHD version anyway ? 

Being able to record more than 3 channels is handy, although I do it only rarely. 

From what you have written I don't think it affects you but the non UHD box does only support 1 mini

If you did want a UHD box at a later date then they would charge 

[TimmyBGood]

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@Fenix975 wrote:

So is it worth me contacting Sky and asking for the UHD box, even if I have to pay for it?

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Without having the UHD supplement on the account there may not be a mechanism for fulfilling such a request.

[Fenix975]

@nigea99 I had a look in channels 800+ to see which channels are affected and the majority I don't watch now in HD so I'll stick with what I've got for now. The only thing that might annoy me will be if the downloads for Channel 4 & 5 are not in HD.

The guy in retentions gave me a really good offer that I wasn't expecting to be so good, so I don't really want to push it with them now. He was very clear that I shouldn't be phoning again any time before my installation date (not really sure why).

I'm not having multiroom so don't need a mini. As long as the non-UHD boxes are as good as the UHD ones (without the extra ability for more channels to record), I'll stick to the non-UHD one - I presume the capacity will be bigger than my 14 year old Sky+ HD box I currently have. I'm not ready to move to full streaming yet for Glass/Stream so wanted to move to Q first as I still like to be able to record. 

[TimmyBGood]

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@Fenix975 wrote:

I presume the capacity will be bigger than my 14 year old Sky+ HD box I currently have. 

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All the main Q boxes ever made have either a 1TB or 2TB hard drive: Sky never started using bigger disks even when these dropped to reasonable prices on the PC components  market.