Review
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Sky Stream review: I tried £1-a-day TV box that doesn’t need a dish – and I’m not even a Sky Broadband customer
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WE'RE really spoilt for choice when it comes to good telly these days.
I remember the old cable TV we had as kids - Cartoon Network would change to TNT movies at about 9 o'clock in the evening.
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- Sky Stream from £26 per month -
My dad also dabbled with a bit of satellite TV as well, using an ugly array of dishes at the end of our garden.
Sky has always had massive appeal due to the hundreds of channels it has on offer, all thanks to satellite.
But with Netflix, Disney+ and countless others, viewing habits are changing.
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Sky made its first big move away from dishes last year, with Sky Glass, a TV set with Sky software built in which relies entirely on a broadband connection.
Now the broadcasting giant is going even further with Sky Stream, a dinky plug-in box that provides access to Sky's leading entertainment service via WiFi to any TV of your choice.
We received a Sky Stream puck to test out and were surprised by the results.
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Setup
One of the initial perks with Sky Stream is that you won't need an engineer to come and set it up for you like you would with a dish-based service.
This can all be done yourself as soon as you receive the box.
Simply plug in the power and a HDMI cable, and follow the on screen instructions.
Now, one of the pros and cons with Sky Stream is that you don't have to be a Sky Broadband customer to use it.
This is a wise move, given the added hassle it can mean getting people to switch internet provider - not to mention being locked into lengthy contracts.
I'm actually with Virgin Media broadband.
So it's a win for choice, but not so good if a problem happens and Sky has no control over your broadband service - which was exactly what happened to me.
I went through the setup and there was an issue updating the device.
It couldn't connect to my router for some reason.
Fortunately, after some back and forth with Sky's helpful support team we managed to sort it out.
I'm not quite sure what the problem was - Sky support staff seemed to think it was to do with my broadband, of course.
And to be fair, a few days later we did receive a text from Virgin Media saying there were issues in the area.
So while it's good you can have any broadband provider, being with Sky Broadband makes life a bit easier should any issues arise - and has certainly made me consider switching now I'm well into Sky Stream, especially as there are very tempting bundle packages.
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Experience
If you've used Sky Glass before, you won't notice anything different on Sky Stream.
That's because it uses the exact same software.
For anyone unfamiliar with both, it's a very slick and well-crafted interface (which I'm told is constantly updated).
You have all the usual live channels - of which there are up to 150 on offer.
You can instantly restart shows without having to set record yourself, which is great if you're flicking through and see something you fancy.
I'm struck by how seamless you can load from channel to channel.
I had expected a buffering-like experience I get when loading videos on a web page, but not here - which is obviously somewhat thanks to my broadband connection, I guess.
Nevertheless, the system Sky has built is super smooth, there's no lagging as you switch between live TV or apps, it just gets on with it instantly.
Shows will also resume really quickly where you left them, it's surprising that a tiny box packs so much punch.
What to watch
Sky Stream has access to up to 150 channels - less than traditional dish TV, but that's partly because there are no +1 channels and SD/HD variants, they're simply not needed.
Sky has done the right thing to embrace potential rivals.
They don't shove Sky exclusives down your throat, instead they'll happily showcase whatever good content there is, whether it's theirs, Netflix's, Disney's, Amazon's or anyone else you can access via the device.
And all the big players are supported - you can add Discovery, Paramount and even Apple TV.
Affordability
Sky says Stream is the most affordable way to get their TV service.
And they certainly offer lots of choice.
It's great that people are no longer locked into a contract, with a 31-day plan available.
However, the privilege will cost you a little more each month, £29 versus £26 a month if you opt for an 18-month contract.
What's even better is that you not only get access to Sky's wide array of TV channels and on-demand content, but also Netflix.
Sky Stream's TV package comes with Netflix Basic included, so it could save you some money if you already have a Netflix subscription.
Obviously, premium channels like sport will cost you extra.
And fancier stuff like UHD & Dolby Atmos is £6 more a month.
Of course it's more expensive against one or two streaming services, but you do get a lot for your money, especially with Netflix thrown in, and the unrivalled quality.
- Sky Stream from £26 per month -
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Conclusion
Sky Stream is definitely the right direction for Sky, especially considering the amount of people renting and may not be allowed satellite dishes on the side of their homes.
It's clear that broadband is the future for television, even with the ever so slight delay versus traditional broadcasting, so products like this are paving the way.
While Sky Q is top notch - and Sky tells me it's not going anywhere for a "very, very long time" - I highly suspect it's the last satellite-based product we'll see from them now.
The ease of setup - even with the connection hiccups we experienced - is a massive pull.
Sky has also adapted itself massively by allowing people to sign up without a contract, which is a very welcome move giving us all greater choice.
- Sky Stream from £26 per month -
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All prices in this article were correct at the time of writing, but may have since changed.
Always do your own research before making any purchase.
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