What’s happening to sky q?

[Jake-Anthony]

I'm wondering why I am still paying for a premium tv service when before you could download a program and be able to fast forward or rewind through as breaks, now it seems to watch anything on sky q I have to sign up to endless apps and to watch them I have to use them I might aswell just cancel my service and use my smart tv where all these apps are installed, why can't sky have access to download programs to your recordings like before? With all these new apps which was basically all your shows especially paramount+, can someone please explain to me what is the purpose of sky q now? 

[stereohaven]

Two things are happening at once:

1. Content rights holders have been removing their shows/movies from platforms such as Sky as agreements have run out to bolster the launch of their own direct to viewer platforms such as itvX, Paramount+, Disney+ etc.
2. Live TV viewing and/or use of a PVR like Sky+ or SkyQ, continues to fall every year as audiences move to streaming content on demand via apps, which instigated point 1 to some degree

So instead of platforms like Sky having deals to show all the content, it has had to pivot to become a content aggregator not just across traditional linear TV, but across apps as well. 

Sky has tried to mitigate some of the loss of content by bundling in some apps as part of the subscription (Netflix, Paramount+ with Cinema, Discovery+). But the fact remains you are having to pay more now for less, across multiple services.

itvX is a great example of this change impacting Q viewers, where you used to be able to download a large amount of itvHub content to watch on demand and skip through the ads. Now everything is in itvX, the amount available to download is minimal with you being pushed to the app to watch on demand and itv charge a fee for ad free viewing, which you used to get included.

So yes, you are getting less for your money and yes you could just switch to Freeview/Freesat and top up with apps (including NOW for Sky content). It's your money, you choice. 

You wait until you hear about them stopping satellite delivery altogether in 2028... 😁

[TimmyBGood]

@Jake-Anthony 

Q has just had its seventh birthday. 

When Q launched in February 2016, Disney+, Discovery+, Paramount+ and AppleTV+ did not exist, while Netflix and Prime Video were yet to become significant original content creators.

Things change.

[nigea99]

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@Jake-Anthony wrote:

I'm wondering why I am still paying for a premium tv service when before you could download a program and be able to fast forward or rewind through as breaks, now it seems to watch anything on sky q I have to sign up to endless apps and to watch them I have to use them I might aswell just cancel my service and use my smart tv where all these apps are installed, why can't sky have access to download programs to your recordings like before? With all these new apps which was basically all your shows especially paramount+, can someone please explain to me what is the purpose of sky q now? 

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hi @Jake-Anthony 

TV delivery is indeed going through change & you touch on several points.

A key one which you don't specifically mention but allude to is that the owners of content are seeking ways of maximising their income & this generally is not selling rights to a single regional provider such as SKY - they are increasingly launching their own apps and keeping content back. 

Personally I don't see SKY Q as a good place for apps & will use my Smart TV primarily or Amazon Firesticks for apps  mainly because they tend to support things like Dolby Vixion and Dolby Atmos - although some of the SKY Q apps have caught up  

I can understand why SKY are continuing to expand their apps but they are at the mercy of the suppliers of the apps as well SKY Q platform limitations & of course the content as mentioned above

Some people will use SKY Q as a source for apps either for convenience or due to apps not being available for their specific TV & don't wish to invest in other hardware.

SKY Q does have UHD capability with Atmos sound (allbeit only on the main box) & SKY do still have rigts to a lot of material be it Sports or Dramas & Films - although sometimes we have to wait longer & only get it for a shorter time windows now.

You mentioned Paramount + - SKY do still have tie ups & deals & I was actually pleased to see that Top Gun Maverick which was initially only availble via the P+ app come a while later to SKY Q in UHD/HDR with Atmos sound - The P+ app only currently supporting a  maximum of HD (& at long last 5.1 sound on other platforms) in the UK

If part of the reason for your post was the recent introduction of ITV X - then SKY (at least currently) still has access to catch up and some on demand for ITV but ITV have for a long time now not supplied SKY with content that was available on ITV Hub and now ITV X

SKY channels & content will ultimately move to the Streaming model (Glass/Stream) as it & internet delivery improves and, of course Satellite has limited (albeit several years) lifespan

I record a fair amount on SKY Q & this has some advantages over streaming - especially as you mention the ability on most to skip ads easily (SKY Q voice - Skip nn minutes - is really useful for this)

As I say there are a few different aspects causing change 

Personally I am happy with SKy Q & I think it has a few years left in it but we will continue to see change as it falls behind in both content & tech terms & of course all the changes being made by the content owners 

[stereohaven]

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@nigea99 wrote:

...Personally I don't see SKY Q as a good place for apps & will use my Smart TV primarily or Amazon Firesticks for apps  mainly because they tend to support things like Dolby Vixion and Dolby Atmos - although some of the SKY Q apps have caught up...  

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100%. The platform is increasingly showing it's age and it is being asked to do things the hardware really isn't up to, which is why I use Q as a straight PVR and Apple TV for all app viewing.

Mind you, the new Sky hardware that is supposed to replace Q in the long term is also woefully under powered, but that's a well trodden discussion.

@Jake-Anthony 

Ultimately for me, I focus on overall price to get access to the content I want (bearing in mind I really like UHD sport), and delivered in a way that isn't going to destroy my limited broadband connection.

I have a 55/10 FTTC connection and no sign of Openreach or anyone else providing FTTP/H this side of 2026, so having access to broadcast UHD content that does not impact the performance of my broadband connection, is really important to me and worth a premium.

I'm happy to watch content via my Apple TV in up to Dolby Vision, but the thought of having my little connection having to deal with mutliple content streams plus normal family usage, is frightening. I won't even consider moving to all streaming (even without a Sky subscription), without a fibre to the home connection.