New SKY streaming devices

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1199 posts

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#2972118 23-Sep-2022 12:38

Handsomedan:

I didn't miss that point at all, but I still think it's on the nose that they are expecting long-term customers to fork out yet again to get the latest box, if they want the featuires, so that they can continue to pay a substantial sum to watch Sky TV.

There are a lot of alternatives and to be honest, I'm very close to calling it a day on Sky.

What are these Features you speak of? Voice control and more simultaneous channel recording are all I can see? Not really much of a feature IMHO

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Handsomedan

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#2972123 23-Sep-2022 12:57

JPNZ:

Handsomedan:

I didn't miss that point at all, but I still think it's on the nose that they are expecting long-term customers to fork out yet again to get the latest box, if they want the featuires, so that they can continue to pay a substantial sum to watch Sky TV.

There are a lot of alternatives and to be honest, I'm very close to calling it a day on Sky.

What are these Features you speak of? Voice control and more simultaneous channel recording are all I can see? Not really much of a feature IMHO

Well - for a Sky box, I guess having apps and a streaming ability is "features".

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Dingbatt

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#2972124 23-Sep-2022 13:00

I wonder if the new box will need an internet connection all the time. When we take the existing decoder to the bach, we don’t have internet.

Edit: Satellite only, I realise things won’t stream without the internet.

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Handsomedan

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#2972129 23-Sep-2022 13:17

Dingbatt:

I wonder if the new box will need an internet connection all the time. When we take the existing decoder to the bach, we don’t have internet.

Edit: Satellite only, I realise things won’t stream without the internet.

That's a good question - You'd have to assume not, if it uses Satellite.

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afe66

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#2972139 23-Sep-2022 13:49

Spyware:
As I keep stating, Sky have no 4K playout capability. 4K sport playout will start when outside broadcast trucks complete upgrade in 2025. Sky are run by accountants so actions totally predictable as based on bean counting. Box rollout itself will take years and they don't stream 4K to a small number of customers. Aim with these boxes is to replace all the old mySky HD/HD+ boxes, several hundred thousand at least, switch satellites, upgrade trucks, upgrade playout equipment and then start 4K playout.

The truck issue is a understandable one. Even though the cameras have had 4k on side of the for a few yrs now. I sit about 5m away from one of them at the rugby.

But this issue not explain why they don't offer a streaming option when rebroadcasting overseas content which is available in 4k.

Might kill sky's port after football world cup after being a subscriber for 15 yrs. There are so many other streaming options now and rugby isn't worth that much

halper86

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#2972167 23-Sep-2022 14:42

Scott3:

Regarding Vodafone TV, my take on the situation:

Majority of customer's are using it for Free to Air. Large numbers of Kiwibuild style New build housing has been built without TV antenna's / satellite dishes. And the sales people are quite versed with telling people to just get Vodafone TV as it is cheaper than an aerial install.

Objectively it is a sweet service. Relatively cheap unit, and all the hard work being done in the cloud by vodafone for free :). Issue is it costs Vodafone money to run that cloud service, and they don't make any money back from it. Easy to see how they are keen to shut the service down.

That said Vodafone & Sky do make money off the minority of VTV customers who pay for the sky upgrade. Hence VTV has been kept alive until an alternative service can be stood up to retain these people. This is sky pod.

Sky doesn't seem to have any interest in taking on the Free to Air VTV users. This does seem to be a bit of a missed opportunity. Perhaps they could have done a Sky Pod Basic offering for say $5 a month, which would cover the cost of the cloud side of providing free to air, while keeping these users as sky customers, so they can market up sells to them.

But as it stands at the moment. VTV free to air users will need to pony up for a setup to get their TV some other way when the service ends.

Yeah I totally understand that its the economics behind it, but its a shame that they went out on a loss in the first place - only to come out with disgruntled and sometimes confused customers. Good luck trying to tell most people that VTV was uneconomic, most people thought that since it runs over the internet it must be cheap, but the servers were not the only cost involved...

halper86

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#2972168 23-Sep-2022 14:47

Dingbatt:

I wonder if the new box will need an internet connection all the time. When we take the existing decoder to the bach, we don’t have internet.

Edit: Satellite only, I realise things won’t stream without the internet.

Talking about baches or cribs, does the new Sky box have a smart card or is the key embedded in the device? I ask this as I know people that have a crib with a Sky box and they just bring their smart card.

Also some motorhomes have TVs with a smart card slot that you can use to watch Sky on too.

SouthernGeek

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#2972170 23-Sep-2022 14:58

Yeah I totally understand that its the economics behind it, but its a shame that they went out on a loss in the first place - only to come out with disgruntled and sometimes confused customers. Good luck trying to tell most people that VTV was uneconomic, most people thought that since it runs over the internet it must be cheap, but the servers were not the only cost involved...

Yea, I get that. But the pain for a lot of us is we would have happily paid a small monthly to keep VFTV running for Freeview channels.

Now I would have to stump-up a LOT more than that with buying a Sky-Pod and paying monthly for sky starter (It looks like), and have to deal with Sky.... And que the inevitable bugs, and skys famous lack of support.

I really enjoyed VFTV, but if I have to buy a new box and pay a monthly fee for Sky starter, then the NZTV apps on my smart TV will do the job just fine thanks.

Those apps are still free, and as far as I can tell do the same thing as a Sky-Pod with $Sky Starter$ with a couple of extra button clicks?

Fog

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Ultimate Geek

#2972198 23-Sep-2022 16:19

We want to still be able to record, so it looks like our only option is the new sky box.

Can someone explain if not being able to "scroll back up to 72 hours via TV Guide" might present any unforeseen problems.?

jobowers

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Wannabe Geek

#2972201 23-Sep-2022 16:31

I want to know if you have to plug in an ethernet cable to the Sky POD device or if it's wireless.

TheMightyKiwipeso

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#2972209 23-Sep-2022 17:33

Scott3:

afe66:

Any reference to 4K content or improved audio output?

Just seems to be the same stuff with prettier interface.

These days who doesnt have a tv which can play apps already...

Netflix on tv is 4k but not 4k if sky box?

Both Sky Pod and New Sky box are listed as 4k-HDR ready. Assume both will run netflix etc in 4k.

With regards to sky, it is unclear how much UHD content they are going to offer, and if they will charge an upsell fee to access it (I think they still, in 2022, charge $10 for HD to those who don't qualify for it for free as part of a bundle (such as multi-room users)).

If sky want to carry a decent number of channels (for the box) in UHD (at a decent bit-rate), they are going to need a lot of satellite bandwidth. They will all need to be duplicated in lower quality for those with the current boxes during the (I assume multi year) change over period).

Partially correct. Sky no longer charges a HD fee as of 2020.
Sky will eventually transfer to 4k channels if they can get the bandwidth to duplicate their core channels in 4k and FHD.

The streaming services will be in 4k if you have netflix in 4k subscription, or any other streaming service 4k is included. (Eventually Neon will go to 4k too.)

TheMightyKiwipeso

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Master Geek
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#2972261 23-Sep-2022 17:49

jobowers:

I want to know if you have to plug in an ethernet cable to the Sky POD device or if it's wireless.

Hey, the Sky Pod is based on a chromecast with google tv, so it has both wireless and ethernet.
It is powered by usb-c, which also provides the wifi antenna on the usb c cable.

It really only depends on your wifi being good enough and fast enough at your TV to run on wifi.

If not, then an ethernet connection would be better, such as over a powerline ethernet adapter from your router to your tv's powerpoints.

tdgeek

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#2972264 23-Sep-2022 18:05

Personally, this thread is past its use by date

The new box isnt really a new box. It can record 5 channels, so what? It has apps, so what? As a MySky user it offers nothing. As to the VTV users, well ask V to respond. Its "their" service take it up with them. In that scenario Sky is just the third party.

Tatou

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#2972267 23-Sep-2022 18:16

tdgeek:

Personally, this thread is past its use by date

The new box isnt really a new box. It can record 5 channels, so what? It has apps, so what? As a MySky user it offers nothing. As to the VTV users, well ask V to respond. Its "their" service take it up with them. In that scenario Sky is just the third party.

Can't quite work out why it is V service going forward.

Vodafone are closing Vodafone TV

A number of Vodafone customers subscribe to Sky content that is delivered via VTV rather than satellite

Sky sees an opportunity to keep those customers especially those do not wish to have a dish ( me) and do not particularly care about recording but liked the VTV EPG abilities

Hence the Sky Pod. I will be buying one as our household wants the Sky Entertainment content and that is the best way to get it. If we needed a dish to get it then we would have discontinued Sky and managed with streaming sites.

The Skybox hybrid is of no interest to me.

tdgeek

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#2972273 23-Sep-2022 18:21

Tatou:

Can't quite work out why it is V service going forward.

Vodafone are closing Vodafone TV

A number of Vodafone customers subscribe to Sky content that is delivered via VTV rather than satellite

Sky sees an opportunity to keep those customers especially those do not wish to have a dish ( me) and do not particularly care about recording but liked the VTV EPG abilities

Hence the Sky Pod. I will be buying one as our household wants the Sky Entertainment content and that is the best way to get it. If we needed a dish to get it then we would have discontinued Sky and managed with streaming sites.

The Skybox hybrid is of no interest to me.

Its a V service, you pay them. Thats is going. So, get a Sky Pod, as you say you will, I dont see the issue.

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