Sky Q ultra HD idiots guide

Ryandoc

Member
Messages
1,839
So I’m not daft but real world is valuable stuff.

Who can give me an idiots real life experience of Sky Q ultra HD.

I’d need to get a 4K TV yeah?

Do I need to spend like £5k on a new TV will a say £1500 one do it justice?

Is there a decent amount of content?

Is sky Q alone irrespective of the ultra HD actually worth upgrading? Can I watch all channels on my surface through the app or like the current paupers sky is it limited to just a handful of channels?

Ta in advance folks
 

Wanderer

Member
Messages
5,791
I have Sky Q and a Hisense 65" 4k telly, cost me 700 quid, cheaper now, nowt wrong with it, it's brilliant. Plenty of UHD stuff, films, TV shows. Sports show it best though for me, even though Bolton Wanderers are never on nowadays...

Best when you have mini boxes in bedroom etc (tho minis aren't 4k, and don't 'dumb down' 4k to normal HD) and iPads etc, can continue where you left off as the content is all stored on the main Sky Q box. Netflix is built in too so all good if you like telly. For me telly now is better than any Hollywood **** that comes out, Chernobyl, The Virtues, Years and Years, Killing Eve, all top entertainment.
 

Ryandoc

Member
Messages
1,839
Being lazy so I will check so the mini boxes cost extra, do you at least get one free ??

My current box (the one with the grey stripe along the front) is intermittently playing up, think it’s got some life left in it but despite loathing handing over more money to sky it may be needed soon.

I’m sky black VIP and I swear last year I got a great deal on Q but think it’s not better than a normal existing customer now.
 

safrane

Member
Messages
16,746
4k TVs are not worth the upgrade unless you sit within 1m if the screen where you can actually pick up the detail.

Yes they look great in the shop because you are stood inches from the screen, but once home and sat at the other side of the room you will see little difference from an older HD screen...your eyes just don't pick up enough detail when further away.
 

Wack61

Member
Messages
8,764
Depends which you buy, like 1080p not all sets are the same, I've got a LG Oled 4k TV and you can definitely see a big difference in picture quality , spend £900 on one and you probably won't.
 

Wattie

Member
Messages
8,640
Doesn’t it just.

Left sky a year ago after 15 years. Reason...the adverts. I pay all this money and 20 mins in every hour is selling me shite I don’t need.
Would you have stayed if they’d been Maserati ads?
 

Felonious Crud

Administrator
Staff member
Messages
21,012
Doesn’t it just.

Left sky a year ago after 15 years. Reason...the adverts. I pay all this money and 20 mins in every hour is selling me shite I don’t need.

Also left, but two years ago. There just wasn't enough to make it worthwhile. My Big Fat Gyspy Tumour and shite like that isn't worth the electricity, and whilst I concede that Sky does have some great content (GoT and Chernobyl, for example) so do other platforms. For us, Freesat or Freeview plus Amazon Prime and Netflix are all we need. I have an Apple US account in case there's a recent film I fancy which isn't available in Europe yet, and that does me just fine. The only way I'd go back is if I can get an amazing deal incl Broadband, which is on my list of things to investigate.
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,593
Yep Adam, that’s about the size of it.

We replaced our Sky with a Humax Freesat box for about £150 from memory. Twin tuners and a hard drive. Does all the same as the outgoing Sky+ With no contract.

Granted, you still get the same adverts but if your not paying for it, it’s kess of an issue.

Like you Adam, Netflix for on demand content plus the Humax has the app built in already along with all the usual iplayers.

I also have a FireTV thingy (as used in Le Mans) and can get anything I want inc all the Prem football live on Saturdays....cough!
 

Wanderer

Member
Messages
5,791
I still keep Sky cos we have crappy broadband in the village and can't steam HD let alone UHD. Otherwise despite liking it I'd probably get rid of it after the Cricket World Cup if we had decent BB.

I have Apply TV's and a Plex server in Dublin and one at home that I sync for when I'm away and can watch what ever I have downloaded. I afraid I can't sleep unless the telly is on or something! Mind wanders too much other wise so I usually put something I've seen a million times on the lappy or telly takes my mind off moving the worlds problems and I'm away after 15 mins.....

Fawlty Towers, The Office, The Good Life, any of those, wham, bam, asleep.....
 

Ryandoc

Member
Messages
1,839
Sky works for me as I’m not actually a massive TV watcher and it has enough to satisfy me. Plus with a 4 and 6 year old the kids stuff is more than useful.
Also when I’m away from home I do watch stuff on the sky app so I’ll stick with for now.

As mentioned I wouldn’t actually be looking at the hardware were it not for the fact that current Sky+ box is showing very early signs of more to come hence looking at it.

Checked my VIP and does look like I save at least a bit on the Q package at least.
 

zagatoes30

Member
Messages
20,758
SKY works for us, it has all the channels the kids need plus sport stuff I want. Not Sky sports just F1 (which comes as part of the HD package) and Eurosport, I also get the BT Sport channels as part of my broadband. The Q box is good as I can record 4 channels and the kids can watch their TV on the free buddy box that comes with the package.

Don't use hi-def TV so can't comment on that.
 

Wanderer

Member
Messages
5,791
One thing to be aware of is if you record in UHD, you can't watch it on the mini boxes if you have them, it doesn't even 'dumb down' like Apple TV etc can, bit poor, just wants you to record them in HD as well which gets messy.
 

Ryandoc

Member
Messages
1,839
Thanks folks, think I’ll jump in looks like I can get a Q box and one mini box for £30 installation and £13 month for the 2TB one
 

Mattp

Member
Messages
501
4k TVs are not worth the upgrade unless you sit within 1m if the screen where you can actually pick up the detail.

Yes they look great in the shop because you are stood inches from the screen, but once home and sat at the other side of the room you will see little difference from an older HD screen...your eyes just don't pick up enough detail when further away.

I would dispute this! Ive a 55" Samsung Q7 and the 4k content that I watch, either netflix or blueray is significantly more detailed than the 1080p stuff.
just fitted a 65" OLED LG E8 at my parents house and that is even more spectacular! on this one there is a real sense of depth into the TV.

Even upscaled 1080p content is better than native.

The Q7 has been calibrated, the OLED hasnt been yet.
 

outrun

Member
Messages
5,017
I agree with @Mattp on this. A decent TV - we have a 59" Panasonic as well as a full cinema projector room, when coupled with the UHD content from Prime, Netflix or Blueray is a far better experience than regular 1080p. I'm using a Sonos PlayBar in the TV room and full 7.1 in the cinema room. Great sound is possibly even more important for me.
 

rockits

Member
Messages
9,167
I think there is a difference between an HD TV and a 4K. Just bought a 55" LG OLED UHD 4k to replace an LG 43" 4k UHD TV and there is even a noted difference between those. Difference of a about 800 though so guess you would expect that.

Will report back when BT muppets have all my new UHD 4K TV services running over my new 330/50 FTTP line
 

Ryandoc

Member
Messages
1,839
Thanks gents, gonna book in the sky Q install next week and then think a new tv is on the cards !

Had an LG for years which I can’t fault so think I’ll stick with them.
 

safrane

Member
Messages
16,746
I'm not disputing they have better clarity but the human eye only picks up the extra clarity close up... it's a biological fact.