ALL Sky’s channels will disappear from some boxes today unless customers upgrade.
The broadcaster has been warning viewers of the upcoming shake-up for some time.
SD (standard definition) versions of channels are closing down on satellite, meaning they will only be HD (high definition) or UHD (ultra high definition) where available.
This won’t be a problem for most people, such as those with Sky Q or Sky+HD, as these boxes are built to work with HD broadcasts.
However, it presents a problem for much older boxes that aren’t built to handle HD, meaning they effectively lose Sky channels.
Sky isn’t the first firm to do this – the BBC and ITV have already done the same.
Sky previously warned customers that all its SD channels will close on August 31.
It has since gone a step further, telling affected customers they have until August to upgrade or their account will be terminated.
“We’re changing how we deliver our TV services,” Sky’s website now reads.
“To keep your Sky TV services you’ll need to upgrade to a HD compatible box before your payment due date in October.”
The company is dishing out a free upgrade to Sky Q for those impacted.
If your box model is listed below, you will lose channels.
Sky+
To find the model number, press services on your Sky remote, followed by the the 4 key, then the 5 key.
Alternatively, you can see if you’re affected by going to channel 101 on your remote.
If it shows as “BBC One HD” you’re not affected.
Analysis by Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun
The move to shutdown SD channels is unsurprising as most people have HD TVs now.
Continuing to broadcast two versions of the same thing costs money, and it becomes harder to justify as more people move away from SD.
Not to mention BBC and ITV have already taken down their SD channels on satellite, meaning affected boxes are already without several key channels.
It’s important to note, the SD switch off is only happening on satellite – not other services.
Freeview for example will continue to have SD channels for the foreseeable future as there isn’t enough capacity in the technology to offer more than a handful of HD feeds.
