Sky Q Box: How To Use Your Sky Q Box

The Sky Q Ireland box is a great way to access all your entertainment needs. It offers a comprehensive range of TV packages, streaming services, and apps, all in one place. With the Sky Q box, you can watch live TV, record up to four shows at once, and access a huge library of on-demand content. In our Sky Q box guide, we'll walk you through all the advantages the Sky Q box has to offer in Ireland!

What Is Sky Q?

Most of us are familiar with the standard Sky+ and Sky+HD boxes, they have been a mainstay of home entertainment for years after all. As time passes, however, the Sky+ boxes are slowly becoming less competitive with a decreasing ability to handle modern systems with speed and quality.

As a natural part of the retirement of Sky+, a new successor service was launched in 2016, Sky Q. Existing Sky+ customers need not worry, however, as their device will continue to be supported, and they will be able to access the services that they have grown used to. New customers or customers who require a device replacement will receive the new Sky Q box and service, rather than the older model.

What Do You Get With Sky Q?

As standard, when you take out a plan which includes a Sky Q box, you will receive the default Sky TV package called Sky Signature. This base service comes in at a reasonable price of €30 per month, and includes a selection of roughly 300 channels, approximately half of which are Sky exclusives, in addition to the availability of many box sets, which in the past were only accessible as paid add-ons.

To name but a few of Sky Q’s capabilities:

• Lots of Storage
  The standard Sky Q box has the ability to store up to 1TB (roughly 500 hours) of recordings, with the upgraded box able to handle a whopping 2TB of data.
• Fast and Updated UI
  Revamped UI to assist in ease of us as well as updated systems allowing for increased performance.
• Powerful Sky Remote
  The Sky Q remote has an in-built touchpad in the Sky Q remote control as well as a redesigned and slimmed down set-top-box.
• Full Control Over Live TV
  Watch live and on-demand TV and pause, rewind and restart live TV. You can also access your TV with your My Sky login

Overall, while there isn't really much in the way of new or mind-blowing features, Sky has certainly given their Sky Q box an overall quality-of-life upgrade, allowing for better responsiveness, performance, and accessibility.

Does the Sky Q Box Still Need a Satellite Dish?

The main Sky Q box needs to be connected to a satellite dish, which will be installed by a Sky technician. Once the main box is connected, the Sky Q mini boxes can connect to it via Wi-Fi, allowing you to watch different channels in different rooms at the same time. This means that you can watch your favourite shows in one room, while another person else watches something else in another room, all without having to run cables between rooms. This makes it easy to enjoy Sky TV in multiple rooms without having to worry about the hassle of installation.

Is Sky Q Better Than Sky+?

Change comes, one way or another. Whether it is switching your energy supplier, jumping from fixed-line broadband to mobile broadband, or simply upgrading your equipment. Though existing Sky+ and Sky+HD customers don’t have to upgrade, it is very likely that if they wish to continue enjoying Sky’s service, when it comes time for a repair, a Sky Q box will be supplied. The old Sky+ boxes are no longer provided as standard with Sky contracts.

As we have covered in the previous section though, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Ultimately all that is going to change is how easily you can enjoy your content, a slightly different layout, and a higher quality of service; a similar change to that which took place back when the original Sky box transitioned to Sky+. Though it may take a moment to adjust to the new Sky Q service, in every way it appears to be an advancement from the previous generation.

How Much Does Sky Q Cost?

The shorter answer is how much do you want to spend? Sky Q packages offer a range of customizable add-ons and options which will increase your monthly price, but provide you with a wealth of additional entertainment options. Let's take a look at the current base Sky packages without add-ons first.

Last Updated: 13/07/2023

The base Sky Q package offers can change frequently in terms of their content. Currently for example, Netflix is included at no extra cost for the Sky TV & Broadband package, however next month an alternate product may be included instead. Additionally with both of the above packages new customers are able to avail of a gift card to the value of €50 once their first payment has been completed, and the account has been live for over 30 days. This can be redeemed through the rewards section of the sky.com/claim website.

Can You Add Channels to Sky Q Ireland?

If you feel that a mere 300 channels are insufficient for your entertainment needs, or maybe you have specific interests such as sports, quality films, or keeping the kids quiet, then adding to your base Sky Signature package is a must. Here are the options that you have to choose from.

Last Updated: 13/07/2023

Additionally, if you wish to save fighting over the TV remote, you can purchase a Sky Q mini box. These boxes come in at €19 per month and are locked into a 12-month contract, but allow you to access Sky TV on a secondary TV, plus up to four devices. You can also access your Sky Store purchases as well as Sky VIP.

On a final note, customers can avail of further discounts by bundling several add-ons together. While having more add-ons still does increase the overall price of your package, you can at least find some consolation in the fact that a small discount has been applied.

What Is the Sky Q Booster Box?

Despite the new Sky Q box coming with enhanced abilities and a much more reliable signal, it is still possible that you can experience signal loss depending on the size of your home, and if there are any obstructions. For this purpose, Sky has released the Sky Q booster.

Unlike some traditional WiFi boosters, the Sky Q booster does not have to be directly connected to the Sky Q box itself. Instead, place the booster roughly halfway between your set-top box and where your signal becomes poor, and the Sky Q booster will detect its signal, and re-emit it at almost full strength. This allows your wifi to reach those pesky black-spot areas, and keep connectivity away from your main box.

How Can I Get a Sky Q Booster?

A few things to note, however, are that the Sky Q Booster is not available online. Instead, you must call Sky Q customer service to request one. Unfortunately, Sky has not listed what these devices will cost the customer, but they appear to be given out on a case-by-case basis. One final thing to bear in mind is that only Sky Q boosters are compatible with Sky Q boxes. This means that if you have an older model booster or a booster of another brand, this is unlikely to successfully connect.

Still having signal problems despite having a Sky Q booster? An engineer visit can be arranged to evaluate your home, and potentially supply additional signal boosting devices.

My Sky Q Box Not Working, What Can I Do?

Occasionally, you might encounter a problem where your Sky Q box isn't working. This can be frustrating, but there are a few steps you can do to get it back up and running again. The most worrying is when your Sky Q box won't turn on at all or is stuck on standby. In these cases you will need to restart your Sky Q by either holding down the power button or unplugging it and plugging it back in again.

What If My Sky Q Remote Isn't Working?

Another big problem is if your Sky Q remote isn't working. This can be especially frustrating since this is the only way you can actually control the Sky Q box. First things first, you want to make sure that the light on the remote flash so try pressing a few buttons to see if it works. If the light flashes, press 'Home' and this should reconnect the remote. If it doesn't work, you'll need to contact Sky for further support.