Sky Stream review: could this be the end of Sky Q?

TechSky Stream review: could this be the end of Sky Q?Sky Stream plugs into your TV’s HDMI port and lets you stream Sky TV over Wi-Fi - you don’t need a satellite dish to use itWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Future)T3 VerdictYou no longer need to install a satellite dish if you want to watch Sky TV, as the Sky Stream puck just needs a Wi-Fi connection. Not only will you be able to watch live TV and Sky’s own original content but you’ll also be able to access apps like Netflix, Apple TV+ and even Spotify.Reasons to buy+Stream in resolutions up to 4K UHD+Quick, simple setup over Wi-Fi+Loads of content at your fingertipsReasons to avoid-Needs a reliable internet connection-You can’t record directly to the box-Slight delay compared to satelliteWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.

Sky Stream plugs into your TV’s HDMI port and lets you stream Sky TV over Wi-Fi - you don’t need a satellite dish to use it

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Future)T3 VerdictYou no longer need to install a satellite dish if you want to watch Sky TV, as the Sky Stream puck just needs a Wi-Fi connection. Not only will you be able to watch live TV and Sky’s own original content but you’ll also be able to access apps like Netflix, Apple TV+ and even Spotify.Reasons to buy+Stream in resolutions up to 4K UHD+Quick, simple setup over Wi-Fi+Loads of content at your fingertipsReasons to avoid-Needs a reliable internet connection-You can’t record directly to the box-Slight delay compared to satellite

(Image credit: Future)

T3 Platinum Award

Sky Stream review: puck on a wooden table

(Image credit: Future)

T3 VerdictYou no longer need to install a satellite dish if you want to watch Sky TV, as the Sky Stream puck just needs a Wi-Fi connection. Not only will you be able to watch live TV and Sky’s own original content but you’ll also be able to access apps like Netflix, Apple TV+ and even Spotify.Reasons to buy+Stream in resolutions up to 4K UHD+Quick, simple setup over Wi-Fi+Loads of content at your fingertipsReasons to avoid-Needs a reliable internet connection-You can’t record directly to the box-Slight delay compared to satellite

T3 Verdict

You no longer need to install a satellite dish if you want to watch Sky TV, as the Sky Stream puck just needs a Wi-Fi connection. Not only will you be able to watch live TV and Sky’s own original content but you’ll also be able to access apps like Netflix, Apple TV+ and even Spotify.

Reasons to buy+Stream in resolutions up to 4K UHD+Quick, simple setup over Wi-Fi+Loads of content at your fingertipsReasons to avoid-Needs a reliable internet connection-You can’t record directly to the box-Slight delay compared to satellite

Reasons to buy+Stream in resolutions up to 4K UHD+Quick, simple setup over Wi-Fi+Loads of content at your fingertips

Stream in resolutions up to 4K UHD

Quick, simple setup over Wi-Fi

Loads of content at your fingertips

Reasons to avoid-Needs a reliable internet connection-You can’t record directly to the box-Slight delay compared to satellite

Needs a reliable internet connection

You can’t record directly to the box

Slight delay compared to satellite

Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.

Sky Stream deals

$0.99View

Sky Stream

Amazon

$0.99View

$0.99

We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices

Want Sky TV but can’t install a satellite dish? This Sky Stream review is exactly where you need to be - it’s an alternative toSky Qthat’s similar to an amped-up version of a media streamer like theAmazon Fire TV Stick 4Kwhich means it’s super simple to set up, you get a huge library of content and there are lots of extra smarts like voice search.

Sky Stream could be a game-changer, giving you theSky Glassexperience without needing to buy a whole new TV - it’s a tiny little device that plugs directly into your current set. All you’ll need is a solid Wi-Fi connection and a spare power socket. It’ll be ideal for anyone who can’t get Sky Q because they can’t put up a satellite dish. Renters are going to love it. Although if you do want the full physical TV experience then read ourSky Stream versus Sky Glass comparisonfeature.

Sky Stream review: price and what’s new

There are two ways to pay for the Sky Stream - you can buy it on a 31-day rolling contract with a setup fee of £39.95 and a monthly price starting from £29 a month, or on an 18-month contract with a setup fee of £20 and a monthly cost starting from £26 a month. You can order it today and be using it as soon as tomorrow because Sky ships the devices with next-day delivery.

Those prices give you Sky Ultimate TV and Netflix Basic, but if you want more than that you can add extras like Sky Sports, Sky Kids, BT Sport and Sky Cinema. To get all the content Sky has to offer you’ll be looking at paying a minimum of £104 a month.

Got a few TVs dotted around your home? For an extra £12 a month you can have up to six Sky Stream devices in total, the second device is free but after that, you’ll have to pay another £40 each per puck as well. IsSky Stream it worth it? That’s discussed in T3’s separate feature.

What makes this device so exciting is that you don’t need a satellite dish to get Sky on your TV at home, just a Wi-Fi connection. But it’s not necessarily new, the Sky Stream puck has actually been available to Sky Glass customers since that was launched last year.

Sky Stream review: design and setup

(Image credit: Future)

Sky Stream review: puck and remote on a wooden side table

(Image credit: Future)

The Sky Stream puck is the smallest and simplest way to get set up with Sky TV. The tiny square black box only measures 10.8 x 10.8 x 1.8cm, and it weighs just 200g, so it’ll easily fit just about anywhere and won’t be an eye sore in your front room either.

You’ll only need two wires to get it working, that being the power cable and an HDMI, both are included in the box. If you want a more stable connection then there’s also a port on the back to connect it directly to your broadband network using an ethernet cable.

Controlling the box is totally painless thanks to the included remote and a small power button on the underside of the device. It’s exactly the same voice remote as you get with the Sky Glass, and to make things even easier, it can be used to control the TV’s power and volume as well.

Getting started with the Sky Stream takes a matter of minutes - you plug it in, connect it to your Wi-Fi network, enter your PIN and that’s literally it. After that, you’ll be ready to watch Sky TV.

Admittedly, I had a couple of activation issues when I first received the puck but Sky was very quick to solve the problem for me and quickly sent me a new one which worked almost instantly.

Sky Stream review: performance and features

(Image credit: Future)

Sky Stream review: top of interface homepage

(Image credit: Future)

What Sky does really well is user experience - both the Sky Stream and Sky Glass use their Entertainment OS which is laid out and organised in a way that makes it incredibly easy to navigate and discover new content.

Suggestions are categorised in all sorts of ways which are always chopping and changing, at the time of writing they included sections for ‘must-see family movies’ and ‘big stars on the small screen’ amongst others.

Most streaming apps you can think of are available on the OS including BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, Channel 4, Netflix,Disney+, Apple TV+, Prime Video, Paramount+, Spotify, YouTube, STV Player, Lionsgate+ and so on.

One thing I really like is that you see recommendations from every streaming service together in one place which means you don’t need to trawl through each app to find something new to watch. The only annoying thing about it is that you’ll be recommended shows even if you don’t subscribe to that service, it’d be even better if Sky only showed you what you can actually watch.

Also worth shouting about is the playlist feature which is perhaps one of the most useful on the whole system, it serves to replace the recordings section that you’d usually find on Sky Q.

What that means is your shows are saved onto a cloud, not on a hard drive inside the box itself. There are pros and cons to that: it’s great because all of your Sky Stream pucks and Sky Glass devices will sync your playlists with one another, but in the same breath, that means you won’t be able to watch shows without an internet connection or if they’re no longer available.

You can quickly add or remove content to the playlist using the ‘+’ button on the remote. The most recent will be visible in the playlist rail on the home screen or you can click on the first tile to see what else you have saved there.

Sky Stream is updated regularly which makes it better to use over time, whether that’s to add new channels, pop in some new features or fix software-based issues. The fact that it’s always improving is a massive plus point.

(Image credit: Sky)

Sky Stream

(Image credit: Sky)

In terms of channel choice, you won’t have any complaints because there are over 150 live channels to choose from. Granted there are fewer than if you got Sky Q which has over 500, but that’s largely down to the fact that there aren’t any +1 channels and Sky has left out some of the more niche ones that don’t attract as many viewers.

Something that could be more problematic is the fact that streaming over the internet could lead to a slight delay in comparison to satellite, which will be annoying for watching sporting events in particular where you might hear about what’s happened before you’ve seen it.

Sky Stream review: verdict

(Image credit: Sky)

Sky Stream review: puck with remote on white background

(Image credit: Sky)

The Sky Stream could well be the future for Sky - it’s the first truly hassle-free way to watch their content because there’s no tricky installation or waiting times, and it’s also Sky’s cheapest option yet. It’salready been getting great free upgrades too.

Day-to-day I was for the most part impressed. Picture quality was great, the layout of the interface was excellent and there are literally tonnes and tonnes of shows and movies to keep you entertained. Granted I did come across a couple of small issues that slowed me down for a while, but I soon managed to get back to streaming and it didn’t put me off in any way.

I can imagine the Sky Stream will better suit some people than others. For instance, it’ll undoubtedly be more convenient for city dwellers than for those living in the countryside, mostly because you’ll need a very reliable internet connection for it to work.

There are certain things Sky Q users might miss as well, like the ability to record programmes onto the box itself. And if the internet were to go down then you wouldn’t be able to watch any TV at all where you would if you had a satellite dish. But even so, I still think the Sky Stream puck is likely to be the most popular option for Sky customers going forwards simply down to how quick and easy it is to get and then use.

Also consider

If it’s Sky you’re after then you’ll only have the Sky Glass as an alternative, or Sky Q if you don’t mind installing a satellite dish. But if you’re not set on Sky and actually you’d like something a bit cheaper then you might be better off considering theVirgin Media Streaminstead, there’s just a one-off fee to get it although it is only available to Virgin Media broadband customers.

Also worth considering is anAmazonFire device which is a quick and affordable way to get all of the best streaming services on your TV and they do actually have Now TV available if you just can’t live without Sky’s original content. Take a look atAmazon Fire TV Cube vs Fire TV Stick 4Kto find out which one will the best choice for you.

Sky Stream: Price Comparison

$0.99View

Sky Stream

Amazon

$0.99View

$0.99

We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices

TOPICSamazon fire tvAmazonnetflixapple

TOPICS

Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts

A man doing concentration bicep curls in the gym

Build bigger arms in just 30 minutes with this 5-move dumbbell-only workoutIt’ll leave the biceps and triceps popping!

It’ll leave the biceps and triceps popping!

OMEGA Speedmaster Moonphase Meteorite

OMEGA puts the moon on your wrist with its new Speedmaster Moonphase MeteoriteOMEGA adds two new Moonphase Meteorite watches to its Speedmaster line-up

OMEGA adds two new Moonphase Meteorite watches to its Speedmaster line-up

Samsung Galaxy S25 family leaked

There’s an amazing money-off deal on Samsung Galaxy S25 alreadyGet £50 / $50 off a new Samsung Galaxy S25 when you register your interest

Get £50 / $50 off a new Samsung Galaxy S25 when you register your interest

Sky Stream review: price and what’s new#

Sky Stream review: design and setup#

Sky Stream review: performance and features#

Sky Stream review: verdict#

Also consider#

Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox#

Sky Stream review: price and what’s new

Sky Stream review: design and setup

Sky Stream review: performance and features

Sky Stream review: verdict

Also consider

Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox