Sky Q Review

Matt Maynard • 23 Feb 2022 Features

What makes Sky Q as good as people say it is? 

Sky Q is dominating the premium television service space, and for good reason. Let’s see what all the fuss is about.

TLDR:

Sky Q benefits:

• Advanced Sky Q hubs
• Sky Q hubs act as WiFi extensions
• Multiscreen access 
• Comes with Netflix as standard

Sky Q drawbacks:

• Extras can make it expensive
• Different options can be confusing

What is Sky Q?

Sky Q is Sky’s main television subscription, and is considered the best overall package on the market for viewers looking for the optimum TV experience. 

The thing that makes Sky Q such a brilliant installation is the ability to seamlessly turn any home into the perfect Sky ecosystem, with every device available with Sky Q syncing with one another to create cohesion throughout your home. 

There are two Sky Q boxes available - the Sky Q 1TB box or the top-of-the-range Sky Q 2TB box. Using the extra Sky Q Mini boxes, your Sky Q experience can branch out into other rooms you wish to watch Sky in using the brand-new Sky Q hub you’ll have installed as part of the Sky Q package. With the Sky Q hub, your other Sky Q devices act as wireless repeaters, expanding the range of your WiFi network - another fantastic bonus of purchasing a Sky Q subscription.

How much is Sky Q? 

How much Sky Q is depends on the package you choose to build. There’s a base price which increases with each additional extra. Sky Q currently starts from £26 a month for 18 months, with a £20 set-up fee. This is the basic Sky Q package which gives you access to Sky TV channels (including Sky Atlantic) and the Ultimate TV Add On, Netflix.

To add extras to your package will increase the monthly cost by the following amount:

• Sky Sports - £20 (usually £32)
• Multiscreen* - £15
• Sky Cinema - £11 (usually £19)
• BT Sport - £27
• Ultra HD + HD - £11
• HD - £7
• Sky Kids - £5 
• Disney+ - £7.99

You can also add Sky Superfast Broadband to your Sky Q package for £17 a month for 18 months, and then £33 a month thereafter with a £19.95 one-off upfront cost. 

*Multiscreen gives you up to 4 Mini boxes to increase how many rooms you can watch Sky Q, as we have mentioned above. 

What channels come with Sky Q?

With the basic Sky Q package, a lot of channels come with Sky TV. Here are some of the more popular Sky channels that come with all Sky Q packages:

• Sky Atlantic
• Sky Max
• Sky Comedy
• Sky Witness
• Sky Replay
• SYFY
• Comedy Central
• Extra
• Quest
• MTV
• Gold

Is Netflix free on Sky Q? 

Netflix isn’t technically free with Sky Q, but as mentioned in the section above, the basic Sky Q package comes with the Ultimate TV Add On, which means Netflix comes within the overall price. 

While you are still paying for it as the Netflix subscription would’ve been priced into the monthly cost, Netflix comes included with Sky Q with no extra add-on needed. So in a way, you do get Netflix free with Sky Q.  

What is a Sky Q Box?

There are technically three boxes with Sky Q, the Sky Q 1TB box, Sky Q 2TB box and the Sky Mini box. But what are the differences between the Sky Q boxes?

The Sky Q 1TB box can record up to three shows while watching a fourth one live, can store up to 500 hours of standard definition recordings and can watch live TV on one Sky Q Mini box.

The Sky Q 2TB box can record 6 programmes while watching a seventh live, can store 1000 hours of standard definition recording and will allow you to watch live TV and watch recorded programmes on two Sky Q Mini boxes. Both boxes are capable of 4K UHD viewing, bar the older 1TB Sky Q box which you’ll only be able to get HDR on. 

As you’ve probably guessed from the information above, the Sky Mini boxes exist in tandem with either the Sky Q 1TB box or Sky Q 2TB box to extend your Sky Q experience to other rooms in your home. The Sky Mini boxes are available with the Sky Multiscreen which you can add onto your Sky Q package. 

What is a Sky Q hub? 

A Sky Q Hub is the broadband hub that comes with all Sky Q packages, and is specifically designed to evolve your Sky Q TV experience into one that surges throughout your entire home by extending the range of your wireless network. 

Any of your Sky boxes can also function as a WiFi hotspot for your Sky broadband, so if you struggle to get WiFi in certain spots in your house Sky Q will certainly help. The Sky Q Hub also uses powerline technology, which operates using the mains wiring throughout your house to extend your wireless and wired capabilities. 

The Sky Q remote

For the minimalists out there, the Sky Q remote is a godsend. As it uses bluetooth technology to connect to the Sky Q box and not infrared like most remotes, you’ll be able to completely hide your Sky Q box out of sight and still be able to operate it perfectly. 

All versions of the Sky Q remote make the most out of voice control with a built-in microphone, allowing you to use a voice search functionality when looking for your favourite television shows, rather than painfully typing it in word by word using the arrow keys.

Sky Q verdict

Sky Q is the ultimate viewing experience, there’s little argument there. The base package allows you access to Sky’s best television content through the likes of Sky Atlantic and Sky Max, along with many more iconic channels. 

Extras can be seamlessly added upon checkout to build the package you want, but this is where things can get expensive. If you want to add Sky Sports and Sky Cinema you’ll be adding a meaty £31 to your monthly cost, but can be quickly justified if you’re going to frequently watch the content on offer. 

The Sky boxes themselves are top-of-the-range with little competition, and the ability to watch Sky Q in various rooms around your home with the Multiscreen add-on is a huge selling point. Coupled with the Bluetooth-powered Sky Q touch remote and you’ll be able to watch your favourite Sky content in separate rooms without worrying about having your Sky Mini boxes on show. 

There’s absolutely no denying just how good Sky Q is, and considering how much people pay per month on their individual streaming subscriptions and other television services, streamlining all your preferred content through your very own personalised Sky Q package is extremely attractive, even for your average television-watcher.