Video: First Look at the Sky Q Box, the new EPG and more - news discussion

Bit premature for reviews isn't it???

Bit of a shame you didn't ask questions relevant to AV enthusiasts rather than rehash the press release.
 
It enters the user review tab and text automatically, I've removed the link, thanks for highlighting it.
These are the answers everyone has so far and there was no interview time available. Had there been any chance of interviews etc. we would have taken them but as can clearly been seen with all reports, the real details won't come now and wouldn't have been revealed in an interview. No press releases were harmed in the making of this video, it was all Steve's own script.
 
Phil there is talk that it will have HDMI 2.0 and HDCP2.2 , have you heard anything around that? thanks
 
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Sky were pretty vague as far as the box and Ultra HD goes, the published specs are for HDMI 1.4 but when I asked them about UHD they said it will be upgraded via a firmware update when they launch their 4K service. Exactly what they've got planned is pure speculation at this point.
 
What about a GigE port, Steve? With what Sky have said these two boxes are capable of pushing thats an awful lot of home data.
 
Until the price is announced for SkyQ, i'll just keep an eye on it.

If its a squillion quid a month with less than a few 4k channels, pointless.

Netflix and Amazon ALL the way.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention, 4K Blu Ray will be out soon and you'll probably be able to buy 3 X 4k movies a month assuming this might be ÂŁ99/month plus maybe ÂŁ300 for the box itself.

Right now i got Amazon and Netflix in 4K for ÂŁ20/month
 
I love the USB and 2nd HDMI connections "to be enabled in the future". ZERO extra connections of their boxes have ever been enabled and I have almost zero expectations this will be any different.


In regard to the mobile viewing, did Sky specifically mention if it was within your home wifi or are we talking truly mobile viewing? At the moment anything that you can't watch on Go or the inability to watch recording content has, according to Sky, been nothing to do with them and to blame the content provider who has refused to let this happen.
 
I love the USB and 2nd HDMI connections "to be enabled in the future". ZERO extra connections of their boxes have ever been enabled and I have almost zero expectations this will be any different.

Err what about the Ethernet and rear USB ports, oh and the interactive card slot, that was used for a bit.
 
Err what about the Ethernet and rear USB ports, oh and the interactive card slot, that was used for a bit.


Err I'll need evidence about the USB ports working. The interactive card slot? That never made it past a brief trail stage as far I remember

Did you see me mention anything about the ethernet port? I assumed people would get that I meant the USB ports (I don't recall hearing anything about the USB being enabled) and eSata.

it wasn't that long ago that they enabled you to use the ethernet to purchase anything instead of the poxy telephone connection they insisted you used.
 
TBF I'm welcoming to the fact that some of the uses of these would be down to rights issues.
 
TBF I'm welcoming to the fact that some of the uses of these would be down to rights issues.
Indeed. When a broadcaster purchases the rights to anything, [insert name here] they only buy the live TV rights. Then they have to again purchase IPTV (internet) on demand rights and then again for any highlights packages available (as in the case of sport) and even thats split into two packages - TV highlight rights and on-the-go rights. And as for HD on demand rights, oh thats a whole different ball game.

The above is an American pay model which I detest.

In my view either a broadcaster purchases the rights, and all the rights, or they don't. Period. As doing so would be for the benefit of both the broadcaster and the user. But no, they'd rather take the money.

Rant over
 
So it's fair to say Sky has stumped up many ÂŁÂŁÂŁÂŁ in order to do all this? And they won't be doing it out of the kindness of their hearts that's for sure.
 
That certainly is for sure but no, not in this case. With the (massively successful) advent of internet provided services, Sky are looking to renegotiate their existing rights packages to include on demand from the off (ie live and on demand together in one package). But they are not the only ones (as the market is changing rapidly).

The best example I can give of this is Match of the Day, where in past seasons MOTD didn't have on demand (repeats) rights package but when MOTD2 launched it did, and could be viewed on the BBC iPlayer, because the BBC asked for them both to be included in the same package.
 
UHD Ready? According to the logic often used here that must mean that it will not be "Full UHD".
 
wish they would just release cam i can pop into the back of the tv, insert viewing card and watch what ever I want. if they say thay can upgrade hdmi 1.4 in firmware that sounds like it crippled from the get go and wont handle hdmi 2.0a and will be limited in color space and fps.

I don't want multi room, just a single cable to the main viewing room. If that's not a option then ill pass.

Think it will be a hard sell
 
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wish they would just release cam i can pop into the back of the tv, insert viewing card and watch what ever I want. if they say thay can upgrade hdmi 1.4 in firmware that sounds like it crippled from the get go and wont handle hdmi 2.0a and will be limited in color space and fps.
Are there any HDMI chipset manufacturers that make firmware upgradable chipsets? The difference between 1.4 and 2.0 is quite significant which is why hdmi.org recommend using 2.0 spec chipsets.
 
Are there any HDMI chipset manufacturers that make firmware upgradable chipsets? The difference between 1.4 and 2.0 is quite significant which is why hdmi.org recommend using 2.0 spec chipsets.

yup but you don't get the full bandwidth benefits of a genuine 2.0 hdmi port
 
I don't see this being as popular as they would like until prices come down. They advised that this is a premium product with a premium price. SKY middle bundle is to expensive as it is and with the good old tax cuts people with be holding those purse strings. I like what Im reading about the product and like the design. I don't mind paying for a product but does the extra cost outway the extra features.

Will wait to see what the actual prices are but lucky for SKY I'm in a non Virgin area.
 
This sort of set up has been a long time coming, and does raise the bar.. but Im happy to sit back and wait for a year, and let all the beta testers, sorry I mean first implementer's try it out for the rest of us. Im sure the pice will drop after a year anyway.

Will also be good to see what VM can offer as Ive been with them a few years, tried Sky for 24hrs and told them to take it way, as thought it was pants!
 
I still think that that the 2TB hard drive is far too small. My current Sky box has a 2TB drive just to serve one room at HD level. If this box is supposed to replace multiple recording boxes and also record UHD then I reckon it will need double that size.
 
My problem with movies on Sky's platforms is that they are 50Hz sped up PAL versions.

24fps versions and I might be interested.
 
I still think that that the 2TB hard drive is far too small. My current Sky box has a 2TB drive just to serve one room at HD level. If this box is supposed to replace multiple recording boxes and also record UHD then I reckon it will need double that size.
Remember these are only the first boxes and it is named Silver so from this it is reasonable to assume that there will be a Gold version with who knows what spec.
 

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