Is the upgrade from Sky Q to Sky Stream Worth it?

[Carlp1979]

I have had sky Q for some time, and considering the switch to Sky Stream on my next upgrade.

I don't have an issue with upgrading my Broadband to a better connection to accomodate this, but want to know peoples thoughts especially those who were with Sky Q for quite some time and have switched, or those who have wished they hadn't changed.

[Annie+UK]

Sky Q to Stream is NOT an upgrade, they are two totally different services that need detailed research before making a decision

The simple description of Stream is it is a collection of streaming apps etc.. and has no facility to record content (you are at the mercy of the content providers)

[Carlp1979]

I realise its not a upgrade and its a different product, but wondered what peoples perspecitve of the change from one to the other is and if its worth it.

[Mark39]

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@Carlp1979 wrote:

I have had sky Q for some time, and considering the switch to Sky Stream on my next upgrade.

.

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Do you have a particular reason for switching?

[Carlp1979]

I am coming to the end of my Sky Q contract, and just seeing whether its worth continuing with Sky Q or switching to Sky Stream at that point.

[Mark39]

I'm not an avid TV viewer, but for me the positives are slightly better picture quality, the availability,of UHD on more than one device and better reliability (I often got the proximity error on one of the Minis I had previously).

I'm fortunate to have stable, moderate WiFi bandwidth (around 50Mbps) and can connect without issue, but others have needed to adopt additional measure for reliability. The Sky Stream forum would give you a wider perspective.

[digglerthelegend]

You can record with Sky Q.

Sky Q isn't reliant on internet connection.

Less channels on Sky Stream.

No satellite dish with Sky Stream.

Cannot record with Sky Stream (can take time for some programmes to be available after broadcast).

Multiroom UHD with Sky Stream (with compatible tv and subscription)

Just a few comparisons.

Do your research and decide what's best for you

[SteRichards]

If they did a sky q stream with the best of both systems that would be worthy of consideration I think. I like being able to record so you can watch something if your internet went down. On the other hand you can watch what you like even if the weather outside is causing issues on a dish. 

[Daniel.a04]

Hi @Carlp1979 ,

There are a few major differences between Sky Q and Sky Stream, for me these are the biggest differences:

• Sky Q has more channels available than Sky Stream
• Sky Q has the facility to record TV, whereas Sky Stream does not and relies on 'playlists' of streaming internet content, for example, Eastenders would have to be played through BBC iPlayer on the puck rather than being able to record it yourself.
• Sky Stream relies on the internet connection to be stable, however, if your connection goes down, there is the option to use an aerial through the Sky Stream puck to watch TV. 
• An advantage of Sky Stream is the option of a rolling 31-day contract or an 18-month contract, with Sky Q it's more expensive to be 'out of a fixed contract'.

Regards,

Daniel.

[Noo525]

I had sky Q for years before I switched to switched to sky stream recently, the main reason being the price. I should have done my research. I 100% prefer sky Q. Stream has less channels and no + channels and sometimes if you miss the beginning of a program you can't stream it depending on the channels it's coming out on, with Q you can always record in advance so you don’t miss anything. You have to create accounts for BBC i player,  channel 4 on demand and some other channels that have on demand to watch things that you missed. Only things that come out on sky channels eg sky Atlantic you can watch on demand without creating a separate account. If the Internet is slow the TV will sometimes freeze, and if  you had rewinded a program it might just override that and won't let you rewind back to where you left off. Pause and rewind not as long as sky Q. Sky go is not linked to your sky stream so if you don't know where you left off you have start from the beginning. Sky stream is OK  but I personally prefer sky Q. 

[TimmyBGood]

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@Noo525 wrote:

If the Internet is slow the TV will sometimes freeze

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By definition Glass/Stream is not going to be a suitable product where bandwidth arriving at the device is inadequate.

[K2ascent]

I too am coming too the end of my Sky Q contract. I have spoken to Sky but have been unable to agree  a new deal. I have been with Sky for 10 years and have always got one before.

I understand the pros and cons of Stream v Sky Q and would probably be happy to stay with Skt Q but would  go to Stream if I could have one of their new deals because that look so much less expensive.

 My question is has anybody been in this or a similar dilemma and if so how easy is it for a Sky Customer to just switch over like this and will they give you the same deal as a new customer to Stream?

[MarkGoldsmith]

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@K2ascent wrote:

I too am coming too the end of my Sky Q contract. I have spoken to Sky but have been unable to agree  a new deal. I have been with Sky for 10 years and have always got one before.

I understand the pros and cons of Stream v Sky Q and would probably be happy to stay with Skt Q but would  go to Stream if I could have one of their new deals because that look so much less expensive.

 My question is has anybody been in this or a similar dilemma and if so how easy is it for a Sky Customer to just switch over like this and will they give you the same deal as a new customer to Stream?

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So typically the Sky Stream deal will be better priced for existing customers to persuade them to switch over from Sky Q but they aren't anywhere near the new customer deals as you need to not be a Sky TV customer for 18 months to qualify as a.m new Sky TV customer.

[MichaelN]

I think it is very misleading of Sky that they claim programs are recorded in the cloud when they clearly are not. All it is a series of pointers which point to where a program can be found. If they remove a movie sky Q keeps it on your hard drive. If you place it in the Play list it will disappear.

[MarkGoldsmith]

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@MichaelN wrote:

I think it is very misleading of Sky that they claim programs are recorded in the cloud when they clearly are not. All it is a series of pointers which point to where a program can be found. If they remove a movie sky Q keeps it on your hard drive. If you place it in the Play list it will disappear.

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Programmes are cloud recorded where Sky have the legal rights to do so. For a number of shows the broadcasters prefer the content to be watched via their own on-demand app, hence why BBC and C4 shows always are linked to their apps. The same is typically true for ITV however I have come across ITV shows that do get cloud recorded rather than you having to wait for ITV to upload the show to ITV X (itv tend to be slower than C4 and BBC in making shows available immediately after broadcast).

Sporting content is a great example of where cloud recordings work and take precedence over the on-demand service. Great examples is content from TNT Sports which is a cloud recording and doesn't link you to Discovery + until the cloud recording has expired and been removed.