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Sky Q Review

Sky Q – Gold Award

Sky Q has been around a number of years now but, with 4K and HDR adoption picking up, the service has continued to evolve with the times. The support Sky Q offers for cracking content as well as enhanced app integration and slick UI keeps Sky as the king of the pay-TV package castle.

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What we love – Watch anywhere, Netflix integration, UHD content

Sky Q is an obvious yet blinding evolution of the Sky+ formula, merging new-fangled internet tech with Sky’s tried-and-true satellite TV offering.

The combo of Sky Q box and Sky Q Mini boxes offers super-easy customisation for your home, letting you add up to four Mini boxes. With the Sky Q Mini boxes no longer requiring an aerial, you could even equip a cheeky garden shed hideaway with all your favourite shows.

Along with your chosen package and access to on-demand content, Sky Q now offers integrated access to BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Spotify and more. Disney Plus is accessible too, even if it isn’t as extensive as the phenomenal Netflix integration.

Sky Q has also ushered in the reimaging of the Sky Go app, allowing you to watch, record and download your favourite shows for viewing on your mobile devices anywhere in your home. Even letting you venture beyond – for that Gangs of London or Perry Mason fix away from your box.

For TV and audio enthusiasts, Sky Q offers both HDR and Dolby Atmos supported content – allowing you to get that true cinema-at-home experience.

What we don’t like – Pricy, messy HDR support, limited Dolby Atmos

The Sky Q price is changing all the time and, if you are a new customer, Sky is always running promotions. However, what remains consistent is Sky’s more premium content having equally premium pricing.

At the time of writing, Sky Sports and Sky Cinema packages can often by purchasing for £18p/m and £11p/m respectively and that’s on top of the base Sky Ultimate TV package for £25p/m.

Along with these fees, you’ll need to shell out for the Sky Q box, any Sky Q Mini boxes you’d like, Multiroom access and any additional bits-and-bobs you are interested in.

While it’s great Sky Q has finally added further support for HDR, it uses the HLG format. This format is easier to integrate with broadcast TV but just isn’t quite as good as Dolby Vision.

If you have a Sky Q box that supports UHD then you’ll also be able to use HDR and Dolby Atmos support – however, this is only on your main Sky Q box. Also, HDR doesn’t work with all Sky Q apps and Dolby Atmos currently doesn’t work with any.

Verdict

Sky Q is beginning to reach maturity and that means its features a more rich and user-friendly than ever. In a world where cord-cutting is a viable option, the price may put off some but, for features and premium content, Sky Q remains unrivalled.

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