Satellite TV has moved a step closer to extinction. Sky has decided to stop selling its Sky Q service to new customers online. The service can still be managed by existing customers through Sky’s website or the My Sky application, but it’s no longer being offered to anyone new.
Sky Q is the name of Sky’s traditional satellite TV and entertainment service, which requires the installation of a satellite dish on the customer’s home and regular subscription payments. It’s not yet dead, as What HiFi reports that new customers still have the option to sign up in one of Sky’s physical stores, or alternatively by using the now much-less-conventional telephone to call them directly.
Anyone who wants to sign up to Sky online via its website or app is now being directed to Sky Stream, which is the company’s video streaming service accessible over broadband. The basic package starts at £15 per month for a minimum of 24 months, and customers get access to a selection of popular Sky channels as well as Netflix. If they want, they can also pay an additional fee for various add-ons, such as Sky Kids, Sky Movies, Disney+, Sky Sports and TNT Sports.
This is all delivered via a “puck” device that’s similar to a set-top box. Customers simply plug it into the back of their TV, pay the fees and they’ll have immediate access to everything they’ve signed up for via the Sky remote control. It’s quick and easy to set up, and most importantly there’s no need for a team of technicians to come around with a ladder to install a clunky satellite dish.
Considering the ease of Sky Stream, it’s not really surprising that Sky is looking to pull the plug on Sky Q, even if it’s taking its time to do so. It hasn’t really bothered pushing existing dish-based customers to its streaming offering, but we can foresee a time when it stops installing dishes altogether. Once that happens, it’ll probably start thinking about how it can migrate existing customers to Sky Stream. Streaming is just simpler, and those dishes do occasionally need maintenance, so it makes sense for the company to move on from them.
As an alternative to Sky Stream, customers can also consider buying a TV called Sky Glass that comes with the streaming service built in. The company unveiled the second generation of the Sky Glass TV earlier this year, but many were a tad disappointed to see that it’s still just a fairly bog-standard LCD TV, albeit one with HDR support. There’s no Mini-LED and certainly no OLED, so it’s not going to provide a premium viewing experience by any means.
That said, Sky Glass can at least be bought on credit, making it a more accessible way for some consumers to get a new TV. There’s also a cheaper option in the shape of the Sky Glass Air TV that sheds some of the better features and costs just £6 per month.
