Sky Stream not fit for purpose

[pagrate]

I recently switched from Sky Q to Sky Stream but might send it back as it's not for for purpose.

Things I have noticed since switching

1. Multiple times a day I get a message saying there is a technical fault with a channel on different channels. Changing channels fixes it but it's annoying. I have gigabit internet speeds so broadband is not the issue.

2. Playlists don't work as described in the promotional documentation.

Cant add to playlist from third party apps

3. There should be a button to return to the TV channel you were watching immediately, instead you have to mess about in menus to get back to TV

4. On startup it should start on the last channel you were on, not the Sky home screen. To get to the TV I have to go to the TV guide, click BBC1 then navigate or voice search to the channel I was on before. It's too many clicks to do a simple task

That's just after a few days use so unless there are solutions to these I'll be sending this rubbish back

[SlenderRobert]

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@pagrate wrote:

I recently switched from Sky Q to Sky Stream but might send it back as it's not for for purpose.

Things I have noticed since switching

1. Multiple times a day I get a message saying there is a technical fault with a channel on different channels. Changing channels fixes it but it's annoying. I have gigabit internet speeds so broadband is not the issue.

2. Playlists don't work as described in the promotional documentation.

Cant add to playlist from third party apps

3. There should be a button to return to the TV channel you were watching immediately, instead you have to mess about in menus to get back to TV

4. On startup it should start on the last channel you were on, not the Sky home screen. To get to the TV I have to go to the TV guide, click BBC1 then navigate or voice search to the channel I was on before. It's too many clicks to do a simple task

That's just after a few days use so unless there are solutions to these I'll be sending this rubbish back

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There are no solutions to the points you raise. Switching back to Q is advisable. 

[TimmyBGood]

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@pagrate wrote:

3. There should be a button to return to the TV channel you were watching immediately, instead you have to mess about in menus to get back to TV

4. On startup it should start on the last channel you were on, not the Sky home screen. To get to the TV I have to go to the TV guide, click BBC1 then navigate or voice search to the channel I was on before. It's too many clicks to do a simple task

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Those are generally also the case with Q, and relate more to Sky wanting to push its own interface and Home screen for branding and marketing purposes rather than the underlaying technology.

[Exiled-in-HH]

What's the connection speed to the Puck?

Check with the Netflix app Help Network check.

[pagrate]

I also noticed the voice search stopped working completely no matter what I said or which screen I was on, although a reboot made it work again

This device is garbage

[pagrate]

From within Netflix it says 98.12 Mbps but that looks incorrect as I have a gigabit connection with Virgin Media

[stereohaven]

@pagrate Does the Stream box have a gigabit ethernet port though? If it is a 100 mbps ethernet port (which is more than enough for what it does), then your Netflix reading would be correct.

[Exiled-in-HH]

i believe Sky Pucks have 100Mbps ports.

There is no need for a gigabit port?

[TimmyBGood]

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@pagrate wrote:

From within Netflix it says 98.12 Mbps but that looks incorrect as I have a gigabit connection with Virgin Media

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That would be correct: a puck has no need of a gigabit port given its maximum bandwidth demand is around 30Mbs.

Worth noting that there have been general issues with Stream over Virgin broadband posted about here recently.

[pagrate]

Might be better switching to Virgin Stream then

[SlenderRobert · Accepted solution]

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@pagrate wrote:

I also noticed the voice search stopped working completely no matter what I said or which screen I was on, although a reboot made it work again

This device is garbage

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Save yourself the hassle and return it. It doesn't get any better. I've had it for nearly a year now and the only thing it's good at is being continually disappointing. 

[Fothergill1]

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@SlenderRobert wrote:

Save yourself the hassle and return it. It doesn't get any better. I've had it for nearly a year now and the only thing it's good at is being continually disappointing. 

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@SlenderRobert Love it 🤣🤣 

[Exiled-in-HH]

Is Virgin Stream any better?

There's nothing special about the hardware, Roku, Google, an Apple 4K are far superior streaming devices!

[SlenderRobert]

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@Exiled-in-HH wrote:

Is Virgin Stream any better?

There's nothing special about the hardware, Roku, Google, an Apple 4K are far superior streaming devices!

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Virgin Stream is one of the few streaming devices I've never tried so I can't comment. It surely can't be any worse than Sky's effort. 

It's funny, I remember last year at Sky's big tech summit, Fraser Stirling, Sky's chief of products said about the Stream puck:

"What it is is an IP box, and I'll tell you categorically, there's no-one that's better at building those type of entertainment devices than us"

Which, I think we can all agree, is the biggest load of baloney I've heard in a very long time. Maybe they are better than anyone at building them, but they clearly don't actually test them or care about functionality or reliability or value for money. Each successive software update just seems to make them worse. 

It's the build 'em cheap, churn 'em out mentality that, for me, is really harming the Sky brand. They simply cannot justify charging what they are for such an unreliable service on such shonky hardware. 

[Dazzasky]

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@SlenderRobert wrote:

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@Exiled-in-HH wrote:

Is Virgin Stream any better?

There's nothing special about the hardware, Roku, Google, an Apple 4K are far superior streaming devices!

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Virgin Stream is one of the few streaming devices I've never tried so I can't comment. It surely can't be any worse than Sky's effort. 

It's funny, I remember last year at Sky's big tech summit, Fraser Stirling, Sky's chief of products said about the Stream puck:

"What it is is an IP box, and I'll tell you categorically, there's no-one that's better at building those type of entertainment devices than us"

Which, I think we can all agree, is the biggest load of baloney I've heard in a very long time. Maybe they are better than anyone at building them, but they clearly don't actually test them or care about functionality or reliability or value for money. Each successive software update just seems to make them worse. 

It's the build 'em cheap, churn 'em out mentality that, for me, is really harming the Sky brand. They simply cannot justify charging what they are for such an unreliable service on such shonky hardware. 

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I have to say I totally agree, Sky really have gone from the top to near the bottom. For a product that has been out this long and having the type of issues that it is having is not good enough.