scrowe
Distinguished Member
Cancelled Sky TV today after 22 years.
Did not decide liightly and I don’t have an overall big axe to grind, but overall TV market has changed.
I’ve always considered Sky overall a good package and a high standard of content. I’ve nearly always taken the full package, and justified as £1 a day is good value, then it was £2 a day is good value, but lately I’d been asking - is £3 a day good value?
Over the years Sky has been the pioneer of technical achievement as a TV platform. From digital to HD to Sky+ to 3D and whilst a little late with SkyQ the promise of UHD.
The biggest letdown ultimately has been SkyQ versus the availability of content on other platforms.
1. SkyQ after 5 years hasn’t really delivered the promise of UHD broadcast TV, caveat we are still starved of a breadth of content.
2. For most of the time their definition of UHD was 4k resolution only, no WCG or HDR and no HD audio
3. With compression the UHD never looked amazingly sharp
4. Most content other than Sport is still on-demand. You can’t even schedule to record the UHD option which is available for some shows on-demand shortly after broadcast begins
5. Non-UHD content is still limited to 1080i and the Sky Q box is not the best deinterlacer or upscaler
6. No option for native resolution, if you have a superior TV scaler or video processor
7. Everything locked to 50Hz no native frame-rate switching on content.
8. Really slow addition of 3rd-party apps, Amazon Prime took far too long
9. Multiroom limited to 1080i mini boxes only, no sign of UHD option 5 years later
10. Overall role of of any significantly useful features is non-existent, underwhelming, or painflully late in comparison.
I paid from memory over £300 on launch week for SkyQ Silver and 2 minis.This is equipment I don’t own that is virtually free in 2020/21 to new customers, yet I can’t get HDR because my box is not compatible, and Sky thinks it’s fair to charge me £50 to get a new box. This was a bit of a straw/camel/back scenario.
After experimenting and research I can get most of the drama via US apps and a VPN, and iTunes US subs on AppleTV, for circa 25% of my current sub, and mostly better quality. The only thing I can’t replace is the Premier League footy, but I can get 1080p via NowTV after deals,for average £20pm moving forwards. I’ve also picked up a Zgemma H7s sat/aerial recordable receiver which is good enough to replace FTA freesat/freeview for the rare times I might need them.
Sad day really, but the industry of broadcast TV is significantly changing, and Sky have become stale, and no longer a technical pioneer in this space.
Did not decide liightly and I don’t have an overall big axe to grind, but overall TV market has changed.
I’ve always considered Sky overall a good package and a high standard of content. I’ve nearly always taken the full package, and justified as £1 a day is good value, then it was £2 a day is good value, but lately I’d been asking - is £3 a day good value?
Over the years Sky has been the pioneer of technical achievement as a TV platform. From digital to HD to Sky+ to 3D and whilst a little late with SkyQ the promise of UHD.
The biggest letdown ultimately has been SkyQ versus the availability of content on other platforms.
1. SkyQ after 5 years hasn’t really delivered the promise of UHD broadcast TV, caveat we are still starved of a breadth of content.
2. For most of the time their definition of UHD was 4k resolution only, no WCG or HDR and no HD audio
3. With compression the UHD never looked amazingly sharp
4. Most content other than Sport is still on-demand. You can’t even schedule to record the UHD option which is available for some shows on-demand shortly after broadcast begins
5. Non-UHD content is still limited to 1080i and the Sky Q box is not the best deinterlacer or upscaler
6. No option for native resolution, if you have a superior TV scaler or video processor
7. Everything locked to 50Hz no native frame-rate switching on content.
8. Really slow addition of 3rd-party apps, Amazon Prime took far too long
9. Multiroom limited to 1080i mini boxes only, no sign of UHD option 5 years later
10. Overall role of of any significantly useful features is non-existent, underwhelming, or painflully late in comparison.
I paid from memory over £300 on launch week for SkyQ Silver and 2 minis.This is equipment I don’t own that is virtually free in 2020/21 to new customers, yet I can’t get HDR because my box is not compatible, and Sky thinks it’s fair to charge me £50 to get a new box. This was a bit of a straw/camel/back scenario.
After experimenting and research I can get most of the drama via US apps and a VPN, and iTunes US subs on AppleTV, for circa 25% of my current sub, and mostly better quality. The only thing I can’t replace is the Premier League footy, but I can get 1080p via NowTV after deals,for average £20pm moving forwards. I’ve also picked up a Zgemma H7s sat/aerial recordable receiver which is good enough to replace FTA freesat/freeview for the rare times I might need them.
Sad day really, but the industry of broadcast TV is significantly changing, and Sky have become stale, and no longer a technical pioneer in this space.