sky+ to sky stream

[P+Clarke27]

My sky plus  box has died. I know I can buy a replacement box but is it time to go to sky stream and what does that entail. I have a fast internet connection. I would like a simple explanation of the difference including installation. I would ask Sky if I had a phone number.

I assume sky cannot be put on an Amazon fire stick.

[MarkGoldsmith]

I made the same switch 3 months ago purely by choice due to it being much cheaper than the renewal deals I was offered.

For me the switch was easy as I was used to pretty much streaming everything anyway.

Sky stream is easy to setup, you just plug it into your TV and follow the on screen setup. However it's very different to Sky + and Sky Q. The main differences are that 1) not all the same channels are available 2) there is no hard disk so you can't record things and keep them for as long as you want.

https://www.sky.com/help/articles/tv-channel-list-sky-glass

All the on-demand/catch up services are based on the broadcasters apps so shows are only available for as long as the broadcaster has the rights to keep them on their on-demand app, A number of shows for examples non channel 4 shows broadcast on one of their channels are usually available for only 30 days on the app and which point the only way to view them may be to subscribe to one of the paid for streaming apps (e.g Disney plus). 

If you are a heavy user of services like Disney +, Netflix, prime video etc you won't really notice that much of a difference moving to the streaming platform, however if you don't subscribe to any of these apps (Netflix is included with your Sky subscription) then you would likely find the Sky streaming platform most restricted as you will likely be prohibited from watching some shows on catch app and only being able to watch them "live" as they are broadcast.

The radio times have a pretty good comparison of sky streaming platform vs the traditional satellite platform here: https://www.radiotimes.com/technology/technology-guides/sky-q-vs-sky-stream

[Jones_The_Cat]

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@P+Clarke27 wrote:

My sky plus  box has died. I know I can buy a replacement box but is it time to go to sky stream and what does that entail. I have a fast internet connection. I would like a simple explanation of the difference including installation. I would ask Sky if I had a phone number.

I assume sky cannot be put on an Amazon fire stick.

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If don't watch much live TV and are happy to switch to a full streaming experience then you can get pretty much everything on an Amazon Firestick. 

All the main UK broadcasters have their own apps through which you can watch live channels or on demand for free (iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, My5 etc). 

All Sky content can be streamed on the NOW app where subscriptions cost less than Sky Stream and can be started and stopped with ease. 

Firesticks also have an app store so you can choose which apps to download and install. With Sky Stream you are limited to the apps Sky choose to host on their platform. 

Sky Stream is better if you still want a more 'normal' TV experience and the ability to channel hop between live channels.  

[Jporch316]

Do yourself a favour and check out some YouTube videos on the UI and how the system works ....

sky have their own YouTube channel with lots of videos and how the system works and what it looks like ....

[Fothergill1]

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@Jones_The_Cat wrote:

All Sky content can be streamed on the NOW app where subscriptions cost less than Sky Stream and can be started and stopped with ease. 

@Jones_The_Cat With the NOW TV App I have been tempted to try the free trial but have a couple of queries that you can probably answer for me.

Does Now Entertainment include all the programmes currently included with Sky Ultimate (excluding Netflix of course).  Also, is there a 7 day EPG similar to Stream?

An after thought - Is there an equvilent of a playlist?

[Jones_The_Cat]

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@Fothergill1 wrote:

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@Jones_The_Cat wrote:

All Sky content can be streamed on the NOW app where subscriptions cost less than Sky Stream and can be started and stopped with ease. 

@Jones_The_Cat With the NOW TV App I have been tempted to try the free trial but have a couple of queries that you can probably answer for me.

Does Now Entertainment include all the programmes currently included with Sky Ultimate (excluding Netflix of course).  Also, is there a 7 day EPG similar to Stream?

An after thought - Is there an equvilent of a playlist?

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NOW Entertainment does seem to include all the same content as Stream (minus UHD/Atmos) and is ad-free in HD with Boost. There's Sky Max, Atlantic, Comedy, Nature, Witness, Crime, Arts, News, Kids, Showcase, Sci-Fi, Documentaries, History & Comedy Central, Alibi, Gold & MTV. 
There's only a now & next EPG for the live channels within the NOW app but the TV Launcher app on the Apple TV 4K box has the full 7 day guide which links to NOW. 
The equivalent of playlist on the ATV box is the Up Next rail. You can schedule shows to view later either from the EPG on TV Launcher or search manually or using voice control. You can then add them to the Up Next rail where it will update accordingly once the show is available to view and will automatically add the next episode unless you remove it from the rail with a long press of the select button on the remote. 
It has all worked flawlessly for me so far. The NOW Entertianment deal I'm on is £2.99pm for 6 months with Boost at £2pm. 

[Fothergill1]

@Jones_The_Cat  Thanks for the very comprehensive reply it greatly appreciated.  One last question and I will leave you in peace.  Where did you get the low prices?  When I look on NOW TV it shows Entertainment at £6.99 for 6 months and Boost at £6pm after 7 day trial.

[Jones_The_Cat]

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@Fothergill1 wrote:

@Jones_The_Cat  Thanks for the very comprehensive reply it greatly appreciated.  One last question and I will leave you in peace.  Where did you get the low prices?  When I look on NOW TV it shows Entertainment at £6.99 for 6 months and Boost at £6pm after 7 day trial.

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The trick is to sign up for a month at regular price then cancel. You usually immediately get offered a deal to stay. If you refuse the deal (which is often very good anyway) then a better one usually comes via email. You can also look at the offers section inside your account on the website. There are always deals in there if you haven't subscribed for a month or two. 
I got my current deal from a promo email before Christmas. £2.99pm for 6 months with Boost at just £1pm for 3 months. I cancelled Boost before the 3 months was up & was offered a further 3 months at £2pm. 
If you've never subscribed to NOW before, take the trial & cancel it immediately - you'll get some sort of cheaper deal to stay & further offers via email if you don't resubscribe then. 

[Fothergill1]

Many thanks @Jones_The_Cat this gives me food for thought 👍.  I need to consider all the extras I need to add and see if the price benefit outweighs the all in one convenience.  TBH if there was a way of removing items from the CW rail (as you can with ATV) and they fixed the progress bars I would not even be considering NOW TV through my ATV.