Lengthy gone are the times when Sky was only a TV service which required strapping a satellite tv for pc dish to the facet of your home. There are a selection of various choices for getting Sky TV in your home, a few of which might be setup and have you ever watching inside minutes.
Whereas Sky Q is the plain selection (that’s the set prime field which wants the dish), Sky has a few satellite-free choices. You can go for Sky Glass, which is an precise tv with Sky built-in so all that you must do is join it to the web.
If you happen to’ve received a TV and don’t need a dish, then you need to use Sky Stream, a tiny little field much like an Apple TV which plugs into your TV so you possibly can stream content material with minimal trouble. The agency calls it ‘Sky TV over Wi-Fi’.
Lastly, there’s Now (beforehand referred to as Now TV) to stream all types of content material on a variety of gadgets in a lot the identical means you’ll with Netflix however with a unique set of subscription or ‘membership’ choices.
That’s a short overview of the 4 choices however we’ll undergo all of them in additional element that will help you determine which one is true. Right here’s a desk outlining the important thing elements resembling costs, contract size and options.
| Sky Q | Sky Glass | Sky Stream | Now | |
| Beginning worth | £26pm | £14 + £26pm | £26pm | £4.99pm |
| Lengthy-term contract required? | Y | Y | Elective – month-to-month rolling obtainable | No – month-to-month rolling |
| Min contract | 18 months | 18 months | 1 month | 1 month |
| Requires dish | Y | N | N | N |
| Bodily system | Y | Y | Y | N |
| Image high quality (max, might value additional) | 4K Extremely HD | 4K Extremely HD | 4K Extremely HD | Full HD |
| Netflix Primary (HD) included | Y | Y | Y | N |
| Sky Sports activities included | N | N | N | N |
| Affords recordings | Y | N | N | N |
| Distant management | Y | Y | Y | N |
Value & Contracts
How a lot Sky goes to value you will depend on loads of various factors, resembling which TV channels you need after which additional options.
As a bottom line, Sky TV prices £26 per 30 days for the common Leisure & Netflix bundle. This consists of Sky Signature which consists of 300 channels together with Sky Atlantic, Sky, Max, Comedy Central, Quest, MTV and Gold. The Netflix plan included is the Primary possibility in order that’s HD streaming on one system with no simultaneous streams – you possibly can see the variations in our comparability of the Netflix plans.
This bundle applies to Sky Q, Sky Glass and Sky Stream, with the extra value within the desk above for Glass regarding the TV itself. It is available in three sizes – 43-, 55- and 65in – and you’ll both pay for it outright beginning at £699 or month-to-month funds from £14pm after a £10 upfront price.
Past the fundamental bundle, you’ll need to determine whether or not so as to add numerous issues on resembling Sky Sports activities, Extremely HD image high quality and Multiscreen (which I’ll clarify intimately later). Right here’s a breakdown of the commonest ones. Observe these are the RRP figures however Sky virtually all the time has them decreased.
Sky Q costs per 30 days
- Sky Sports activities – £32
- Sky Cinema – £19
- BT Sport – £28
- Sky Children – £6 rolling
- Disney+ – £7.99 rolling
- Paramount+ – Free with Sky Cinema
- HD – £8 rolling
- Extremely HD + HD – £12 rolling
- Multiscreen – £15 rolling
- Setup price – £20 (one-off)
Glass/Stream costs per 30 days (18 month/31 day rolling)
- Sky Sports activities – £25/27
- Sky Cinema – £11/13
- BT Sport – £30 rolling
- Sky Children – £6 rolling
- Paramount+ – Free with Sky Cinema
- Extremely HD & Dolby Atmos – £6 rolling
- Advert skipping – £5 rolling
- Netflix Commonplace – £4 rolling
- Netflix Premium – £8 rolling
- Complete House – £12 with first puck free
- Complete House setup – £39.95 (one-off)
As you possibly can see above, issues can get fairly dear when you’ve added just a few issues to the fundamental Sky Signature bundle. Even including Sky Sports activities and Extremely HD will set you again an extra £44 every month. The excellent news is that it’s very versatile so you possibly can actually tailor the expertise to what you need.
Sky
If this places you off, then that is the place Now involves the fore. That is Sky’s correct streaming service which requires none of its personal {hardware}. Identical to Netflix or Amazon Prime Video, you possibly can watch on a wide variety of gadgets resembling smartphones, video games consoles and sensible TVs.
It will probably add up in order for you entry to all of the completely different areas however when you simply need Sky Sports activities, for instance, it’s far cheaper in comparison with Q or Glass. There are completely different Memberships to select from as follows:
- Leisure – £9.99pm
- Cinema – £9.99pm
- Leisure + Cinema – £12.99pm (6 months)
- Sports activities – £11.98 (24 hours)
- Sports activities – £34.99pm (from 28 Feb)
- Hayu – £4.99pm
- Enhance – £6pm (from 28 Feb)
A lot of the above packages are self-explanatory, offering you with Sky channels for his or her respective classes. Hayu is particularly for US actuality exhibits resembling Actual Housewives, Million Greenback Itemizing and Beneath Deck.
Enhance isn’t a channel bundle, however an add-on you’ll want if you wish to watch in Full HD high quality, eliminate adverts, get pleasure from Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, stream on three gadgets concurrently and get Sky Sports activities in 50fps. Observe that a few of these have {hardware} necessities.
Now additionally affords offers and bundles all year long, significantly round sale seasons resembling Black Friday. If you happen to join Now and cancel, then the streaming platform might also give you a reduction as an incentive to enroll once more.
Sky
In conclusion, Sky Q is the most costly and locks you into an 18-month contract however has advantages that the others don’t have; primarily that you simply’re utilizing a satellite tv for pc dish so don’t require good broadband and it has a tough drive for recordings.
Now’s the most affordable, easiest and most versatile possibility however the expertise will depend upon what system you’re utilizing it on. It is usually the one Sky product to not supply 4K, so if that’s a precedence, contemplate one of many different choices.
Sky Glass and Stream present a cheerful center floor the place you get a really related expertise to Sky Q however at cheaper costs and extra versatile rolling contracts on the content material. Additionally they present the selection of an precise TV or a tiny streaming field, which leads us properly onto the {hardware}.
{Hardware}
We will depart Now out of this part as a result of it’s purely a web-based streaming service. It’s important to present the {hardware} your self. The opposite Sky merchandise are all fairly completely different although so listed below are the important thing variations.
Sky Q is your conventional set-top field. It plugs into your TV and to the satellite tv for pc dish so you possibly can watch TV with out relying in your broadband and Wi-Fi. It additionally has the advantage of a tough drive so you possibly can document broadcast tv and preserve it saved.
The Sky Q mini is an optionally available additional particularly made for Multiscreen (see beneath) and in addition acts as a Wi-Fi community extender when you’re utilizing Sky Wi-Fi.
Sky
Sky Glass is a tv with Sky built-in so all that you must do is plug it in and join it to your Wi-Fi community to get going. The consumer interface is a bit of completely different to Sky Q as a result of it’s extra of a streaming primarily based system.
You don’t want a dish strapped to the facet of your home, however you’ll need respectable broadband to keep away from buffering and the like. Sky advocate 10Mbps for HD and 25Mbps for UHD however be aware that each Glass and Stream have Ethernet ports, so that you don’t have to make use of a Wi-Fi connection. You possibly can test your Wi-Fi speeds right here.
Sky
Sky Stream is a palm-sized little field that for a lot of would be the most handy approach to get Sky TV at house. Very similar to an Amazon Hearth TV system, it plugs into your present TV by way of HDMI after which connects to the Wi-Fi to stream content material.
It’s primarily Sky Glass however with out the TV. Confusingly, Sky additionally refers to it as a Sky Stream puck when speaking concerning the Complete House multiscreen system. Extra on this beneath.
Recordings & Apps
As talked about already, it’s a must to get Sky Q so as to document TV and retailer it domestically. Sky affords a 1TB field as customary which is loads of area for tons of of hours of exhibits.
Sky Q is the one product with recordings, although the Sky Q mini can entry the recordings however doesn’t have its personal arduous drive. Sky Glass and Stream are absolutely on-line companies, however you possibly can ‘save’ issues to a Cloud DVR with the + icon inside the interface as a means of preserving your favorite exhibits and flicks collectively.
Sky
You continue to get Sky Go no matter which you select although. That is Sky’s on-the-go app the place you possibly can watch Sky on gadgets like your laptop computer or pill. If you happen to’re at house, you possibly can entry your Sky Q recordings and obtain chosen titles earlier than you head out.
Sly Go comes at no further value and when you’re a Sky Cellular buyer then utilizing the app gained’t depend in the direction of your information utilization.
Now’s its personal app and on-line service and, as talked about earlier, is on the market on a variety of gadgets. It will probably’t be used by way of an internet browser however there may be app assist for Home windows and Mac.
Multiscreen
For Now, multiscreen is easy. Subscribe to Enhance alongside together with your Membership and you’ll watch on three completely different gadgets concurrently with the additional benefit of Full HD high quality.
Issues are extra sophisticated on Sky’s different merchandise.
Sky
On Sky Q, you’ll want so as to add Multiscreen to your bundle, which prices £15pm on a rolling contract and comes with one Sky Q mini field providing you with two screens. You possibly can add extra mini packing containers later – these value a one-off price of £50 per field.
Multiscreen additionally offers you the flexibility to look at Sky Go on 4 gadgets concurrently.
For Sky Glass and Sky Stream, you’ll want the Complete House bundle. This prices £12pm together with your first puck (a Sky Stream). You possibly can add as much as 4 on Glass and three on Stream, requiring a setup price of as much as £119.85.
Which Sky product is greatest for me?
With all of the above thought-about, right here’s a abstract of which Sky product to decide on relying in your wants.
Sky Q – For individuals who need a conventional broadcast TV expertise with the flexibility to document in addition to stream and who don’t thoughts having a satellite tv for pc dish.
Sky Glass – For individuals who don’t need a satellite tv for pc dish and wish Sky constructed right into a 4K sensible TV.
Sky Stream – For individuals who need Sky TV over Wi-Fi and simply need to plug it into an present TV.
Now – For individuals who need to stream Sky content material on a variety of gadgets at an reasonably priced worth with out the necessity for a long-term contract.
Sky TV alternate options
If you happen to’re not satisfied any of Sky’s merchandise are best for you then you definitely do have a number of different choices.
The primary one could be Virgin TV 360 which is analogous to Sky Q in that you’ve a tough drive for recordings and entry to a wealth of channels – together with Sky Sports activities – however works by way of cable relatively than satellite tv for pc.
Virgin Stream is a really shut rival to the Sky Stream. It’s a one-off value of £35 then you possibly can merely choose and select which content material you need to entry at additional month-to-month value resembling Netflix, Important Leisure channels and Sky Sports activities.
Going additional afield, there are virtually countless trendy choices to look at TV and infrequently totally free. Many sensible TVs include Freeview Play and loads of apps to on-demand and catch-up TV. Once more, apps like ITVX and Channel 4 are free to make use of.
In case you have a fundamental TV, you possibly can select from a variety of streaming sticks and packing containers that are very low cost. These plug into your TV and hook up with your Wi-Fi very like the Sky Stream, providing you with entry to a great deal of apps. Makers embrace Amazon with its Hearth TV vary, Roku, Google’s Chromecast vary and Apple TV gadgets.