Sky+HD on demand download speeds capped at 30mbps

[Daryl1]

Is there a limit imposed by Sky for the speed of on-demand and movie downloads from their servers for older Sky+HD boxes? I'm connected via ethernet but according to my mesh app the Sky box only downloads at a max of 30mbps, but when I connect my laptop via the same ethernet wire and port as the Sky box to test I get the full throughput for my connection.

Do Sky limit this at their end?

[oj01]

@Daryl1 No idea what speed I get but I can start watching within 10 seconds of starting the Download so it doesn't need to be any faster. 

[Daryl1]

I have a 600mbps FTTP service, I'd like to know if Sky are capping their on demand downloads regardless of if it's ready to watch in seconds or not.

[Mark39]

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@Daryl1 wrote:

I have a 600mbps FTTP service, I'd like to know if Sky are capping their on demand downloads regardless of if it's ready to watch in seconds or not.

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They're capped to 100Mbps because that's the maximum speed possible via your Sky box. But within that figure speed will be affected by the number,of concurrent downloads from the download server.

[Daryl1]

But that's the thing, it won't go any higher than 30mbps even when it's the only thing downloading on the network and sky box. 30mbps used to be my old FTTC line rate so I'm wondering if they've somehow capped it for my account for that level. I'm well aware of the 100mbps PHY rate of ethernet.

[Mark39]

I very much doubt they've capped it to your account. Possibly 30Mbps is the maximum applied generally. 

[Daryl1]

Which is why I'm posting so a Sky employee can answer with a yes or no.

[Mark39]

It's a customer Community. It unlikely Sky will reply. And even if they did, I doubt they'd be able/willing to tell you.

[nigea99]

@Daryl1  As watching HD streaming doesn't need more than 30Mbs I am not too sure why it would be a problem if it is capped at the server end, unless I am missing something

As @oj01 says you can start to watch after only a short while

[rscott]

I seem to recall one of the Sky+HD developers confirming those boxes are limited to about 30Mbit/s - because that's the minimum anyone with VDSL is likely to get and so that limit ensures they don't saturate the connection. That will never change now as the boxes are no longer supported.

Q downloads can be quicker because they're able to build in a basic speed test which measures the speed achieved in the first few seconds and then limits the downloads to just below that.

[TimmyBGood]

@Daryl1 

Perhaps worth remembering that Sky+ HD hardware ceased manufacturing in 2015, and average UK domestic broadband speed was rather lower back then.

[Daryl1]

@rscott Don't suppose you've got a source for the developers confirming 30mbps being the hard limit? I'd very much like to read into it.

[Daryl1]

@Mark39But Sky employees used to turn up in these forums when I was active here years ago, is this still not the case?

[Mark39]

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@Daryl1 wrote:

@Mark39But Sky employees used to turn up in these forums when I was active here years ago, is this still not the case?

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Only exceptionally now.

[rscott]

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@Daryl1 wrote:

@rscott Don't suppose you've got a source for the developers confirming 30mbps being the hard limit? I'd very much like to read into it.

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This was at a meeting with them at Osterley, about 8 years ago.