Sky stream

[sha54]

Looking at returning to Sky, and looking at Sky Stream. Do you have to have Sky Broadband as I'm not willing to move my broadband provider, but would like to have Sky tv.

[MarkGoldsmith · Accepted solution]

No you can use any broadband provider. It's not like Virgin whose streaming service is currently tied into being a Virgin broadband customer. 

[Exiled-in-HH]

@sha54 who is your ISP .... Sky Stream has issues with some ISPs😉

[Floydianslip]

@Exiled-in-HH Which ISP's, I know there's been issues with Virgin BB but wasn't aware of others. It would be useful to know as I'm coming to the end of my current contract with my provider.

[Jason+Golding]

I have virgin broadband and sky stream. I have never had an issue, Rock solid. 

Secondly, the Virgin media network will be available for wholesale next year, it will be a true competitor to Openreach, Sky may even use the VM infrastructure to deliver their broadband. It will be interesting to see if this allows or indeed Virgin will want to open up their stream box to other ISPs. Virgin have recently upgraded the amount of channels available on their stream service to mirror their cable service, now includes talking pictures and all the +1 channels etc as well as Sky sports UHD channels 

[Exiled-in-HH]

Octaplus is one and the service supplied to Persimmon new builds is another... then there are  the ISPs that use non-UK IP addresses😉

[Exiled-in-HH]

Virgin Media that's interesting... it is a shame their coverage is so limited🤔

[TimmyBGood]

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@Jason+Golding wrote:

Secondly, the Virgin media network will be available for wholesale next year, it will be a true competitor to Openreach

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There's some debate about that ; )

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2024/02/broadband-isps-react-to-virgin-media-o2-uk-going-whole... 

Interesting that A&A see it as a way of providing domestic broadband with some actual resilience, presumably by having their consumer-end hardware connected to both and so able to use either network as failover.

[Capt555]

You don't need sky broadband. 

I've had sky stream for over a year so and it's the worst mistake I've ever made. I'm returning to Sky Q ASAP. 

[Jason+Golding]

@Exiled-in-HH VM pass through 16.3 million homes. 

[Exiled-in-HH]

Basically only urban homes and very low geographic coverage🤔

[Floydianslip]

@Capt555 I guess you can hang on to Q for 4-5 years which is likely to be the end of Sat broadcasting by Sky. I had Q from 2016 until October 2022 when I switched to Stream and wouldn't return to Q. I guess it has to be what your happy with.

[Jason+Golding]

@Exiled-in-HH @If you say so 

[Floydianslip]

@Exiled-in-HH 

VM are expanding their network massively with NexFibre, they intend to become a national player even outside their old cable areas.

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2024/02/nexfibre-publish-q1-2024-uk-full-fibre-broadband-build...

[Exiled-in-HH]

@Jason+Golding YES I do... do you think is widely available in rural areas🤔

VirginMedia have never been available anywhere I've lived😉