Sky’s next generation set-top box, Sky Q, will go on sale in February with set-up costs priced at £99 – making it the lowest ever set-up for a brand new premium product launch from the subscription TV service.
Sky Q will be available to buy from Tuesday 9 February, with home installations beginning at the end of the month.
The new entertainment system will allow up to four simultaneous downloads of TV shows – whilst watching a fifth – and can “supercharge” the broadband for stronger signals around the home.
Sky Q also includes hubs and apps that combine satellite and internet TV viewing and will allow viewers to watch content across a range of screens with the ability to download shows and watch outside the home.
In a statement, Sky said the “typical” monthly cost for existing Sky+ customers will be “around £12 extra compared with their current Sky+ package” while for new customers joining Sky, the ongoing monthly cost for Sky Q will start from £42.
Commenting on the announcement, Dan Howdle, consumer telecoms expert at broadband and TV advice site Cable.co.uk, said: “Expensive is a relative concept. Sky Q’s pricing is right on the money for early adopters and digital TV enthusiasts. Sky habitually runs offers and promotions on its TV packages and bundles – I would anticipate the appearance of lower-cost Sky Q ‘deals’ aimed at casting a wider net before the end of this year.
“The price of Sky Q could, in fact have been a lot higher. Sky’s decision to retain box ownership – meaning subscribers essentially rent the equipment – has no doubt kept Sky Q from becoming totally out of reach for the majority of customers.
“Is it worth the money? Well, to understand the pricing, you first need to understand where Sky Q sits among Sky’s other digital TV offerings. Far from being a replacement to Sky’s existing offerings, it forms an entirely new tier over and above it.
“Future-proofing is the name of the game here. Consumers increasingly want to be able to watch their content their way, and Sky Q with its main-hub-plus-satellite-boxes set-up, all wirelessly connected via wi-fi, will deliver customers their content any way they wish to view it.”
Stephen van Rooyen, chief marketing, sales and digital officer, Sky, said: “We wanted to completely re-imagine TV, making it flexible and seamless across the screens in our lives. With Sky Q and Fluid Viewing that’s exactly what we’ve done – giving people the best TV tech on the market today, at a really accessible price. We think people will love it.”
