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[TV] Sky Stream or Sky Q?



ofco8

Well-known member
May 18, 2007
2,394
Brighton
The old problem has arisen again. I am currently with Virgin and my contract has come to an end, so as "you are such a good customer, that we like to keep", they have decided my monthly payment should rise from £61 to £95 with no extra benefits. They begrudgingly came down to £85 but am still not happy.

Therefore, I have started to check out Sky, especially the Sky Stream. However, not sure how good this is using wifi as the source. Also, you cannot record programmes and only pick up old programmes if available. Sky Q allows you to record a number of programmes at same time.

I cannot deny, Virgin spoil you with their fast broadband, which I am not sure about Sky, even after talking to them.

However, the crunch is in the price Sky have offered me a package, including Sky Sport (not got with Virgin) of £64/month. Of course it seems a no brainer but need reassurance about the offer and whether Sky Q is a better option, dish and all. What are your experiences.
 




AstroSloth

Well-known member
Dec 29, 2020
1,380
The old problem has arisen again. I am currently with Virgin and my contract has come to an end, so as "you are such a good customer, that we like to keep", they have decided my monthly payment should rise from £61 to £95 with no extra benefits. They begrudgingly came down to £85 but am still not happy.

Therefore, I have started to check out Sky, especially the Sky Stream. However, not sure how good this is using wifi as the source. Also, you cannot record programmes and only pick up old programmes if available. Sky Q allows you to record a number of programmes at same time.

I cannot deny, Virgin spoil you with their fast broadband, which I am not sure about Sky, even after talking to them.

However, the crunch is in the price Sky have offered me a package, including Sky Sport (not got with Virgin) of £64/month. Of course it seems a no brainer but need reassurance about the offer and whether Sky Q is a better option, dish and all. What are your experiences.
Say you'll send your cancellation to Virgin then and they'll bring the cost right down.

We were on £85 a month for the top top package, they offered it to us for £120 lowest they could go. When I said we'll cancel then we got it down to £90 instead.
 


thedonkeycentrehalf

Moved back to wear the gloves (again)
Jul 7, 2003
9,341
Say you'll send your cancellation to Virgin then and they'll bring the cost right down.

We were on £85 a month for the top top package, they offered it to us for £120 lowest they could go. When I said we'll cancel then we got it down to £90 instead.
Very much this - it's worth taking time to do the dance with them, tell them you are not happy and want to start the cancellation process, speak to the retention team who will come back with an offer which is usually much better but often you can squeeze a little more out. Make sure you speak to the UK team as they seem to have more scope than the overseas teams.

Depending on where you live, it is useful to be able to say that you can get a better deal with Sky or other providers just to focus them
 


BNthree

Plastic JCL
Sep 14, 2016
11,453
WeHo
Definitely go to leave Virgin and tell them about the price you got from Sky and make sure you tell Virgin you're leaving due to the cheaper cost.
 






I'm still sceptical about relying on internet connection for all TV. Streaming live sport via BT / Amazon in the last couple of seasons has not been faultless and the delay also annoys me. Hate watching a match 'Live' and getting a notification on my watch/phone to say there's been a goal a good minute or so before it happens on screen.

Also with Sky Q if you want to watch a film or programme on catchup it will download to the box, but once downloaded you can fast forward through ad breaks and pause, rewind etc. But on streaming services the ad breaks are usually unskippable, and pausing/rewinding the programme itself is clunky and requires rebuffering.
 


Superphil

Dismember
Jul 7, 2003
25,679
In a pile of football shirts
I have Sky Q and find it is excellent, the recording and series recording works a dream and catch up TV is a doddle. Combined with WiFi you can also have Netflix/Prime/Disney/Paramount/iPlayer/iTVX amongst others.
 


Peacehaven Wild Kids

Well-known member
Jan 16, 2022
3,394
The Avenue then Maloncho
I have Sky Q and find it is excellent, the recording and series recording works a dream and catch up TV is a doddle. Combined with WiFi you can also have Netflix/Prime/Disney/Paramount/iPlayer/iTVX amongst others.
I rang up only this morning to renegotiate my Sky Q deal and walked away having signed up to Sky Glass and even getting a new TV included in the deal.

Pleased with my deal I passed this on to Mrs PWK who promptly pointed out a few negatives.

I rang back and cancelled. Like you say, Sky Q is excellent.
 




BNthree

Plastic JCL
Sep 14, 2016
11,453
WeHo
I'm still sceptical about relying on internet connection for all TV. Streaming live sport via BT / Amazon in the last couple of seasons has not been faultless and the delay also annoys me. Hate watching a match 'Live' and getting a notification on my watch/phone to say there's been a goal a good minute or so before it happens on screen.
Turn off notifications for matches you're watching!
 


Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
62,416
Location Location
Sky Q all day long. I would not touch Sky Glass with a shitty stick - no option to record, only to stream. Bollocks to that.

Just Google 'Sky Glass reviews' and you will see enough problems, glitches and issues there to put you off for life. Plus you have to have THEIR TV (options in 3 sizes), you can't just go out and choose your own. You're stuck with it. Not sure how that plays out when you want to bin it off.

One grizzle I keep seeing is people who want to record the F1 GP on Sunday to watch it later, can't. You just have to wait until they put the stream up the following day. By which time, you'll probably know the result.

Nah. It sounds like an absolute PUP.
 


swindonseagull

Well-known member
Aug 6, 2003
9,405
Swindon, but used to be Manila
Tell Virgin you are leaveing they will give you a better deal.....probably match your old price for 18 months.

also look at the 100's of shite channels that you never ever watch.....get rid of them and save more money,
 




Baldrick

Well-known member
Aug 24, 2020
248
Sky Q is excellent.

At my last renewal, Sky wanted to put my sub up by 30% (I negotaited a great deal two years previously). I just kept saying I wanted to cancel unless Sky matched my "current deal". After speaking with four people I eventually spoke with someone who said they couldn't match my "current deal" but could offer me another deal £10 cheaper! I was on the phone for nearly an hour but it was worth it.
 


The Andy Naylor Fan Club

Well-known member
Aug 31, 2012
5,160
Right Here, Right Now
Sky or Virgin you have to give 30 days notice. Give them the notice, sit back and wait for the phone calls. They will phone and you will get a better deal. They don't want to lose your custom. If the retention team say that they can't do any better than what they have offered you and they agree to let you go, then you know you have the best deal that you will get from them. Feb last year my Virgin contract was up and I was paying £95 a month tv (sports and cinema), Internet, landlines and mobile sim (unlimited service) and they informed me that it was going up to £125 a month. I called and informed them that this would not be happening and unless they renegotiated a new deal that I would be leaving. The end result was I transfered over my sim to O2 and got the same media package for £70 a month for 18 months. It's due for renewal in October and mid September I shall start the dance once again....
 


HeaviestTed

I’m eating
NSC Patron
Mar 23, 2023
2,129
I have sky glass, if works well and I don’t miss not being able to record.

The only time not recording has been an issue is for Brighton games I wasn’t at or couldn’t watch,
 




dazzer6666

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Mar 27, 2013
55,553
Burgess Hill
Moved the other way a few months ago (same reason, Virgin was less than half the cost, at least for the first 18 months). Have to say customer call centres aside (Sky are ok, Virgin are genuinely horrific in my experience) Virgin is way better. Much faster broadband (10x or more as fibre rather than phone line), and the additional boxes are cabled unlike SkyQ which is wifi based and was very, very flaky for us (needed constant resets etc).
 


um bongo molongo

Well-known member
Jul 26, 2004
3,054
Battersea
The other thing to consider is BT Sports/TNT. I haven’t bothered with it as it’s expensive and I’m not that bothered about CL. But now we’re in Europe I’ll want it. There seem to be better deals for it on Virgin than on Sky
 


Official Old Man

Uckfield Seagull
Aug 27, 2011
9,101
Brighton
I've still got Sky+ HD. The reason being for £15 more I get a second box, which may or may not be in my house.
PS anyone else seen DAZN has arrived on Sky. How many subscriptions are we going to need to watch anything?
 


Since1982

Well-known member
Sep 30, 2006
1,618
Burgess Hill
Just about to begin the renewal process with Sky. I renewed BB with BT earlier this year as the product and price was I thought very good and over many years I have never had an issue with them or their service. Love Sky Q so that is staying, currently paying £74 a month after the recent price increase without Sky Cinema. Target is to get back to pre price increase ie £64 per month including getting TNT for obvious reasons. Will cancel on 31 days out and see what happens!
 




Shopes

Active member
Jan 3, 2018
184
Just about to begin the renewal process with Sky. I renewed BB with BT earlier this year as the product and price was I thought very good and over many years I have never had an issue with them or their service. Love Sky Q so that is staying, currently paying £74 a month after the recent price increase without Sky Cinema. Target is to get back to pre price increase ie £64 per month including getting TNT for obvious reasons. Will cancel on 31 days out and see what happens!
I threatened to leave a few months ago and now I'm paying £35 a month for Sky Signature, Sky Cinema, HD and Sky Go. I'm currently on an online chat to see if I can get a discount on Sky Sports and TNT. Broadband is with Vodafone.
 


METALMICKY

Well-known member
Jan 30, 2004
6,826
I'm still sceptical about relying on internet connection for all TV. Streaming live sport via BT / Amazon in the last couple of seasons has not been faultless and the delay also annoys me. Hate watching a match 'Live' and getting a notification on my watch/phone to say there's been a goal a good minute or so before it happens on screen.

Also with Sky Q if you want to watch a film or programme on catchup it will download to the box, but once downloaded you can fast forward through ad breaks and pause, rewind etc. But on streaming services the ad breaks are usually unskippable, and pausing/rewinding the programme itself is clunky and requires rebuffering.
Very much this! As it stands the Stream option really only comes into it's own where having a dish is really problematic.
 


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