End of the satellite dish? Sky Q vanishes from Sky Store as broadcaster confirms biggest shake-up in 9 years

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If you already have a satellite dish and Sky Q set-top box up-and-running at home, there's no need to fret about being cut-off anytime soon. That's because Sky recently signed an agreement to secure the future of its Sky Q and Sky+ HD boxes until at least 2029, so you'll still be able to watch, pause, and rewind for years to come.

Despite this, it's clear that subscribers prefer the simplicity of watching channels via Wi-Fi, rather than a satellite dish. During the launch of Sky Glass Gen 2 earlier this year, the brand confirmed that 90% of all new customers who signed up with Sky TV chose a broadbrand-powered product, which offers streaming in HD quality at no extra cost (something that was always an optional extra with Sky Q and Sky+ boxes).

The latest lineup from Sky TV — Sky Stream, Sky Glass, Sky Glass Gen 2, and Sky Glass Air — is powered by the same custom-designed operating system, dubbed SkyOS (née EntertainmentOS), meaning that developers at the broadcaster can roll out the latest features and design tweaks via over-the-air updates much more easily.

This has seen the number of software updates increase dramatically. Sky Stream and Sky Glass TVs enjoyed 300 software updates in the last year alone, with a slew of new features, while Sky Q owners haven't enjoyed anywhere close to the same treatment. For example, Sky Q was recently treated to the Channel 4 streaming service, but it arrived roughly seven years after the launch of the set-top box. Likewise, the U streaming app from UKTV arrived in September on Sky Q — one year later than Sky Glass and Stream viewers had enjoyed the same treatment.

Sky is still actively supporting Sky Q boxes, albeit at a slower cadence.

Analyst Paolo Pescatore of PP Foresight, who has over 25 years of experience working in the telecom and technology industry, spoke to GB News about the decision: "The arrival of a more affordable, slimmer model with Sky Glass Air should strongly resonate with customers. It does show a clear razor-sharp focus on new sales. However, the majority of its existing subscribers are still on the tried and trusted Sky Q platform, which relies on a satellite dish.

"Converting this base is taking the company much longer than it originally expected. On this basis, Sky Glass has not been as successful as the company had anticipated. Hence, this latest decision to stop new sales of Sky Q will finally help boost Sky Glass.

"Despite this, the move in general made sense given the direction of travel with what I’m calling the big TV switch off; likely to happen now in the 2030s and to defend against the rise and threat of streamers by allowing Sky to control the experience and manage customer relationships, which it has successfully been able to do. Also, and more importantly, it has allowed Sky to secure retail distribution agreements for products like Sky Stream with others."

On its website, Sky extols the virtues of Sky Stream and Sky Glass compared with its ageing Sky Q box, highlighting features like "Search across all your apps in one place. Spend less time app hopping and more time watching", as well as "enjoy more of the highest rated shows in the UK with Sky & Netflix in one simple subscription".

The shift makes business sense for Sky, since these streaming devices don't require dish installation by engineers — enabling it to cut back on certain jobs within the company.

Viewers are able to set up SkyOS-powered devices themselves, so there's no need to wait to start streaming. The experience of watching on Sky Glass and Sky Stream is much closer to what you'd expect from other streaming set-top boxes, like Apple TV 4K, Fire TV Stick, Google TV Streamer, and the latest lineup from Roku.

However, Sky admits there are still scenarios where its older Sky Q box will be better suited:

Although Sky Stream allows you to watch the shows you love over WiFi, there may be times when Sky Q works better for you, including:

While Sky Glass and Sky Stream allow those in rented accommodation and those whose address only enjoys questionable satellite signal strength to enjoy exclusive sports fixtures, Hollywood blockbusters, and award-winning series on Sky TV without the need for a satellite dish, it doesn't offer quite the same experience as Sky Q.

That's because these SkyOS devices don't offer the ability to record directly to a physical hard drive.

That means you'll never have to worry about running out of storage ...but it means you're at the mercy of a decent Wi-Fi connection and the on-demand content you want to watch being available on catch-up services.

Yes, Sky Stream and Sky Glass are at the mercy of on-demand services like BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, Netflix, and others, so programmes with complicated rights agreements might vanish sooner than you'd like. For example, Match of the Day doesn't appear immediately on BBC iPlayer — usually appearing from midnight the day after it has been broadcast as part of the agreement between the BBC and the Premier League. It will also vanish next episode is broadcast or after a seven-day window, whichever comes first.

Since everything is recorded directly onto the spinning drive inside the Sky Q box, this isn't an issue. It also means Sky Q owners will always have something to watch during internet outages.

The shift from Sky isn't an outlier in the industry, with most traditional TV providers changing their approach to adapt to a streaming-dominated landscape. The team behind Freeview and Freesat launched a new free-to-air option — dubbed Freely — last spring, which offers access to live and on-demand content from BBC, ITV, Channel 4, not to mention yours truly, and dozens more over a Wi-Fi connection.

For now, Sky Q users can expect continued support and the tried-and-tested satellite dish remains a familiar sight on the outside of British homes, but its days appear increasingly numbered as the future clearly lies elsewhere.

However, Mr Pescatore still sees choppy waters ahead for Sky TV. With the UK launch of HBO Max fast-approaching, meaning that Sky TV hardware or NOW (formerly NOW TV) will no longer be the only way to watch critically-acclaimed shows from the network, like Game of Thrones, The White Lotus, The Last of Us, And Just Like That, Euphoria, The Rehearsal, Big Little Lies, Succession, The Penguin, House of the Dragon, The Wire, and dozens more.

When it arrives next year, HBO Max will be available to download across any of your devices, like Netflix, Apple TV+, Paramount+, or Prime Video. Mr Pescatore explained to GB News: "The loss of HBO exclusivity now allows such telcos to step up and offer a similar line op of programming.

"There are plentiful revenue opportunities around convergence, which it has yet again failed to deliver on. Its presence and aspirations in the home continue to grow. But outside of the home remains an Achilles' heel for the company. A stronger integration with an app for remote access must be addressed, and it must consider offering a broader range of services beyond TV. Therefore, Sky is still hugely reliant on its core and lucrative Sky Q base, which it must avoid upsetting, as there are a slew of cheaper alternative TV platforms and services in the market.

"A challenging year awaits Sky."