Honest / up-to-date Sky Stream review

[Dunk46]

Just out of interest what platform do you now use?

[Turribeach]

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@Dunk46 wrote:

Just out of interest what platform do you now use?

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I am still with Virgin Media because it still lets me record and stream content locally and it's not as delayed transmission as streaming is. It's also cheaper than Sky if you want all sport channels and a decent internet speed. But it won't last for long as they are pushing customers to "upgrade" to their 360 stream boxes which are the same junk as Sky's. Sky also recently stopped selling Q online so the doors are slowly closing on old school customers who want a certain level of service...

In the meantime I suspect the streaming experience is slowly improving but I just don't really want any crappy boxes from Sky so if I am forced to give up Virgin Media I will probably go with NOW TV as that will play decently in my Apple TV 4K.

[Turribeach]

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@Turribeach wrote:

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@Dunk46 wrote:

Just out of interest what platform do you now use?

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I am still with Virgin Media because it still lets me record and stream content locally and it's not as delayed transmission as streaming is. It's also cheaper than Sky if you want all sport channels and a decent internet speed. But it won't last for long as they are pushing customers to "upgrade" to their 360 stream boxes which are the same junk as Sky's. Sky also recently stopped selling Q online so the doors are slowly closing on old school customers who want a certain level of service...

In the meantime I suspect the streaming experience is slowly improving but I just don't really want any crappy boxes from Sky so if I am forced to give up Virgin Media I will probably go with NOW TV as that will play decently in my Apple TV 4K.

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The problem with NOW is that is not good value for money. Just checked and NOW Sports costs £34.99 + Ultra Boost £ 9. Add to that Discovery+ TNT Sports for £30.99 and you are already at £74.98 with no internet. So I think Virgin Media still has the best price, although of course not the best customer service...

[Richardr1]

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@Turribeach wrote:

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@Dunk46 wrote:

Just out of interest what platform do you now use?

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I am still with Virgin Media because it still lets me record and stream content locally and it's not as delayed transmission as streaming is. It's also cheaper than Sky if you want all sport channels and a decent internet speed. But it won't last for long as they are pushing customers to "upgrade" to their 360 stream boxes which are the same junk as Sky's

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Just for clarification on that, their boxes are two different types, 360 that does record and Stream that doesn't. The latter carries streamed channels similar to Sky Stream.

[NeSh92]

Honestly i would recommend AGAINST getting sky stream. 

As someone who has used Sky since i was a child - sky stream is laggy, not intuitive, crashes very often, sometimes refuses to turn on. Skysports UHD for football specifically is almost always stuttering when i am trying to watch (can confirm it is absolutely nothing to do with my wifi connection!!)

For the amount we pay and the fact sky offer a supposedly "premium" product, i am genuinely so so disappointed in Sky stream.

[DaveDrizen]

With streaming dose it also depend if the servers at sky can cope with demand unlike satellite  you puck connect to a server at sky if there is very popular programm or sports Match may be the servers can be overloaded or not enough of them for every user. I can remember when I use to use by sport app sometimes when the match was very popular I could not connect is this posibikity with sky steams 

[NeSh92]

Is this why i have been having so many issues with the sky puck even getting to the interface!?

So i press the button, but nothing seems to happen. Only seemed to start happening over the xmas period. Worked for a few days and now i can't get it to turn on again. 

[Silvermanz]

Just to add my bit, I'm not happy with the sky stream service overall.

Regular technical issues seem to occur, everything from sound issues to missing programmes and things just refusing to load up.

And then there are loads of extremely annoying design choices like the box shutting it's self down mid way through watching something and having to pick up your remote and wave it around in the air like a fool (apparently a mandatory power saving feature).

The whole thing still feels like it's in the development stage rather than ready for mass usage and I'll be switching away from it as soon as my contract ends.

[Mazda13]

I would have never had returned to Sky if I had realised it was Sky streaming service 1 You cannot record,Playlist useless If you put series on playlist you have to search for last episode Sound keeps going on playlist If you watch streaming programmes keeps freezing sound goes 

this service is dreadful I am in my 70's but not stupid when it comes to technology I have searched how to put right changing Digital audio output etc All right for a while then sound goes again I would love the old box system back If anyone thinks this is because of bad WiFi reception it is not. I think this service was bought out too quickly and they were not ready to release  streaming service I wish I could return to Virgin had no problems whatsoever Consider  carefully if you are goung on Sky stream Didn't mention forwarding or running programme back it often freezes or lose sound 

[TimmyBGood]

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@Mazda13 wrote:

 I would love the old box system back 

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Sky Q is still available: it's just not listed as an option on the Sky website.

[Fax]

Dont bother, absolutely terrible.

I have had sky stream for 6 months now and it is absolutely terrible.

Even with a excellent  wifi connection, the puck keeps sticking, audio keeps going off and the screen keeps going fuzzy.

Quite frequently you keep getting messages saying 'please wait your programme is loading'

You have to keep turning it off from mains or doing a hard reboot everyday 2 or 3 times a day. 

Sky will sell you this product as if its the best thing in the world since a slice of bread.

Honestly pleaee dont fall in the trap from Sky.

[Spectre01]

Having been with Sky for 27 years, had multiple services from them and being relatively happy, I had high hopes for Sky Stream.  I thought it it might be the one device that did it all.  Then I actually got it.

I think I got a good deal, price wise, so I'm actually really disappointed that I had to cancel Sky Stream, but I simply couldn't live with it.

As I just went for Sky Essentials the first thing I didn't like was the Home Screen, or the Sky Advertising Billboard  as I prefer to call it.  Not being able to remove all the bits I didn't subscribe to simply bugged me.  But I carried on anyway.   Then all the glitches started, most of which have been mentioned above,  so I gave up and cancelled it.

Like most other people here my WiFi has good coverage and I was generally getting 90mbps on stream.   Everything  else in the same vicinity, e..g. Apple TV, worked perfectly on the same WiFi.   It does make me chuckle sometimes when I see responses from people here, that are happy with Stream,  suggesting that your WiFi is checked (good advice) and  then suggest that the puck and router should be within line-of-sight with nothing blocking the signal.   So, it seems that unless you live in a minimalist studio flat with 10gig internet don't expect to much!

[Cjw567567]

Yes don't go with Sky. It's a shocking service. I have to reset the puck and TV almost daily. The interface isn't intuitive and lags terribly. I have 1gbs connection and the router is about 2 meters away and it's still useless. Go with something like Apple TV or even a Firestick, you'll save yourself no end of frustration. I've put the cancellation date in my diary, sad because I have been a customer for years but sadly moved from Sky Q to Stream, worst decision ever!

[Dunk46]

Very interesting comments and I agree that Sky have messed up with their services offered and customer service support.

I have been with sky for 30 years and 5 months ago was upgraded to sky max internet which involved changing the black router for the new white one which started my problems. After 3 separate engineer visits and all three informing me that sky Q and the new white box with sky max aren't compatible and they have left me with 2 booster boxes around my relatively small house. The result has and still was intermittent stuttering and freezing on all my 3 mini boxes making them unwatchable. Sky offered me a switch to Stream at a good rate but having done my research and also from some of the comments here I have decided to not jump from the frying pan into the fire, and have left sky for good.

My feeling is that the stream idea is good but needs refinement before it can be used as an alternative for sky q and my plans are to have a reset in the way I watch tv and to probably save myself a lot of grief and money.

[Spectre01]

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@Dunk46 wrote:

my plans are to have a reset in the way I watch tv and to probably save myself a lot of grief and money.

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I'm sure you'll save a lot of grief without Stream, but I'm not sure about money.  About the only thing I liked about Stream was that, for what I got, the price was quite good.  I cancelled it anyway.

I did some calculations and if I replicate Stream on my Apple TV, i.e Now TV with UHD, Netflix Premium, ITVX Premium and Channel 4+, the cost is actually higher than Stream.  Also, that doesn't give me all the other Channels available on Stream (not that I ever watched them).   The big downside to Apple TV is the lack of a decent BBC IPlayer, for that I've dusted off an old Roku stick.   

My plan is to subscribe to Now TV only when there is a series on I want to watch.   I will subscribe for a month when the series is almost finished (avoiding spoilers) binge watch it and then cancel.

I'm hoping a decent Freely box will come out this year. That should give a decent IPlayer and all the free channels, but no ad skipping.