The Sky Q range consists of three set-top boxes (Sky Q, Sky Q Silver and Sky Q Mini), a broadband router (Sky Q Hub) and mobile applications.
The Sky Q set-top boxes introduce a new user interface, Wi-Fi hotspot functionality, Power-line and Bluetooth connectivity and a new touch-sensitive remote control.
The Sky Q Mini set-top boxes connect to the Sky Q Silver set-top boxes with a Wi-Fi or Power-line connection rather than receive their own satellite feeds.
This allows all set-top boxes in a household to share recordings and other media.
The Sky Q Silver set-top box is capable of receiving and displaying UHD broadcasts, which Sky will introduce later in 2016. Sky Q became available to order on February 9, 2016.
The Sky Q set-top box is almost half the size of the current Sky HD receiver and has a 2TB drive for storing up to five times more recordings than the current generation. It’can also record up to four channels at once. The remote has also been redesigned, offering up a touchscreen panel and Bluetooth connectivity.
The Sky Q Mini set-top box is the first physical product from the Sky to offer its services without needing to be physically connected to a satellite dish.
The Sky Q Wi-Fi Hub and Sky Q app manage your viewing across the different Sky Q devices, there is even a network boosting feature that merges your Q devices together to boost your broadband’s reach.
There is a redesigned User Interface, with more emphasis on your recordings and favourites, along with a semi-transparent sidebar to provide access to apps in just a few presses.
Q Snyc gives subscribers the ability to watch recorded programmes via a mobile device.
As the box now uses a Bluetooth connection for the remote, the device also supports streaming music directly from your phone or computer to your TV via the Sky Q box. You’ll also be able to stream music over Wi-Fi via Airplay.
The box supports UHD content and that its services would be launching in the second half of 2016. An update to the system will also introduce voice search, making use of the microphone buried away in the remote control.
Features
My Q
My Q is as unique as you are. Find the last show you watched and pick up where you left off. Plus, get suggestions for new shows based on what you already watch.
Record more. Store more
Sky Q Silver lets you record four shows while you watch a fifth, and store four times more than Sky+HD, so you’ll never miss out on your favourite TV again.
Q touch remote
Master your TV with one touch. Designed to help you navigate naturally, just touch, tap or swipe to find the shows you love in an instant – with no need to point at the screen.
Q Play. Pause & carry on
With Q Play you have the freedom to enjoy your shows and recordings on tablets around your home. Pause a show on one screen, and continue the action on another.
Wireless Multiscreen
Enjoy the same Sky Q experience in another room, without the need for more satellite cables, with the new plug and play Sky Q Mini.
Q Play. Recordings around the home
For the first time, you can access shows and recordings from your box on any of your TV screens and tablets around your home.
Entertainment all in one place
Our new sidebar makes it easy to find all the great Sky Q apps, including Sky Sports News HQ and My Photos without interrupting your viewing.
My photos
Share your favourite photos, even from Facebook, on the big screen.
Sky Sports HQ app
Sky News app
Turn your TV into a sound system
Supercharge your Wi-Fi
Only Sky Broadband turns Sky Q boxes into Wi-Fi hotspots giving you the strongest Wi-Fi signal and the best coverage throughout your home.
Sky Q app
One app. More ways to watch. With the Sky Q app, you can enjoy your favourite TV and recordings anywhere around your home.
Q Sync. Free your recordings
Q Sync lets you download recordings to your tablet, so now you can watch them wherever you go, even when you’re not online.
Sky Q User Interface
Fluid Viewing gives you the flexibility to pause a programme in one room and pick up the action right where you left it on another TV or tablet in your home.
It introduces the number one requested feature from customers, the ability to take recordings with you wherever you go. you can also watch different programmes simultaneously on up to five screens around the home while recording up to four other channels
The TV guide includes a ‘Top Picks’ section as well as personalised recommendations in the My Q section based on your viewing habits. This is also where you can pick up from where you left off viewing in another room from Q Play feature in the ‘Continue’ menu. The more powerful search functions will let you find your next episode, whether it’s on live TV, recorded or on-demand.
Sky Q Equipment
Sky Q
From £42 per month, the “Sky Q” is the entry-level box with 8 tuners allowing you to record 3 programmes while you watch a 4th live. You can watch up to 3 different programmes simultaneously – 1 x Main box 1 x Q Mini, 1 x Tablet. It has 1TB to store up to 150 hours of HD TV (around 300GB reserved by Sky for other uses).
Sky Q Silver
From £54 per month, the “Sky Q Silver” box has 12 tuners allowing you to record 4 programmes while you watch a 5th live. You can watch up to 5 different programmes simultaneously – 1 x Main box, 2 x Q Minis, 2 x Tablets.
It is the only one of the Sky Q set-top boxes to support UHD, (50fps 2160p UHD output utilising HDMI 2.0 and HDCP2.2). It has 2TB’s and can store up to 350 hours of HD TV (around 300GB reserved by Sky for other uses). It comes bundled with one of the Q Mini boxes for multiroom viewing.
Sky Q Mini
The £99 Q Mini box brings wireless multiscreen viewing to Sky subscribers, like the main Sky box it can show any live channel, all your recordings plus on-demand. It is limited to 1080p output.
Sky Q Mini employs both Wi-Fi and Powerline AV1.1 (only compatible with other Sky devices and not enabled at launch) to send all your programmes and recordings from your main set top box in another room in your home. You can have a maximum of 4 Sky Q Mini’s on your Silver system (1 on the basic Sky Q box).
Sky Q Touch Remote
The new Sky Q Touch Remote features a concave touchpad, which brings the scrolling and swiping gestures as well as clicking to select. It uses Bluetooth instead of IR.
There is a dedicated Search Button to make finding your programmes and recordings much easier and a voice search feature is due to be activated on in an upcoming software update.
The record button sets a series link with a single click, records a single episode with two or cancels the recording with three.
If you press of the Q button on the front of the set top box, the remote will start beeping so it can found easily if misplaced.
Sky Q Hub
Sky Broadband subscriber will receive the Sky Q Hub when ordering Sky Q. The router enables a feature on all Q boxes and minis turning them into Wi-Fi hotspots (802.11ac) to extend the range and quality of your wireless network.
| Sky Q Technical Specifications | |||
| Key features | Sky Q Silver box | Sky Q box | Sky Q Minibox |
| Tuners | 12 | 8 | N/A |
| Resolution | Ultra HD/4K & HD | 1080p | 1080p |
| Storage | 2TB | 1TB | N/A |
| Remote control | Bluetooth touch remote | Bluetooth touch remote | Traditional IR remote |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11ac (2×2 2.4GHz, 3×3 5GHz) mesh network | 802.11ac (2×2 2.4GHz, 3×3 5GHz) mesh network | 802.11ac (2×2 2.4GHz, 3×3 5GHz) mesh network |
| Other features | Proprietary Powerline AV 1.1 networking | Proprietary Powerline AV 1.1 networking | Proprietary Powerline AV 1.1 networking |
Sky Q Gallery
