Downloading on Sky Q
Re-watch your favourite shows again and again, catch up on ones you’ve missed, and save up shows to watch even if live TV isn’t working:
- Press Home on your Sky Q remote and download from: Catch Up TV, Sky Cinema, Sky Box Sets, Home, Sports, Kids or Music.
- Within these menus, you can browse the categories to help you find a show.
- Select the movie or show to add it to your download queue. When it’s ready to watch, we'll let you know
The following Catch Up TV services are available on Sky Q:
Prioritising, cancelling or deleting a download
Press Sky on your Sky Q remote or select Recordings from the Home screen, then Manage and then select Manage and then select Downloading.
From there, you can:
- Prioritise a download: Can't wait a second longer? Find the show  you want to push to the top of the download queue then select Start download or Resume download.
- Cancel a download: Changed your mind? Find the show then select Cancel download.
- Delete a queued download: Find the show then select Delete.
- Pause your download queue: Select Pause queue to pause all downloads (you can’t pause one at a time). To start downloading again, select Resume downloads.
Download on demand in SD, HD or Ultra HD
SD, HD, UHD – whatever your definition of choice, you can download in it if you have the right TV equipment and subscription.
To change your download preferences, you need to complete this on the main Sky Q box, not a Sky Q mini box:
- Press Home on your Sky Q remote and select Settings, then Setup.
- Select Preferences, then On Demand default download format, and choose SD, HD or UHD.
If your default download format is unavailable, it’ll download in the next available format. For example, If HD is unavailable, the show will download in SD.
Individual shows
You can download an individual show in a different format without changing your default settings. Just select the show you want to download, select All formats and choose from SD, HD or Ultra HD where available.
Sky Store
When renting from Sky Store, you’ll be given the choice to download in SD, HD or Ultra HD. When buying, you'll be given the choice to download in SD or HD.
Auto download, Auto play, Persistent PIN and Keep Awake
Binge watching just got easier. When you’re watching an On Demand show, the next episode will automatically be added to your download queue if available and play once your current episode ends, so you can keep watching without interruptions.
To change these features on your Sky Q box, go to Settings, followed by Setup and then Preferences.
Persistent PIN and Keep Awake
Persistent PIN means you only have to enter your Sky TV PIN once when auto playing recordings or downloads, unless:
- The next episode has a higher age rating (e.g. the first episode was a 12 but the next episode is a 15).
- The next episode either starts or will be playing before the watershed time (before 8pm for 12- and 15-rated shows, or before 9pm for 18-rated shows.
Keep Awake means you’ll never lose your place in your TV marathons again.
After 4 hours of inactivity when auto-playing recordings and downloads, we’ll ask you to confirm you’re still watching by pressing any button on your Sky Q remote.
Catch Up series links
If you download the latest episode of a show from Catch Up, a series link will automatically be set to record the rest of the series when it airs, making it easier to stay up-to-date with your favourite shows.
Remember Automatic series links are not available for Kids Catch Up shows or the Ultra HD version of a show.
If you want to turn this feature off, go to Settings, followed by Setup and select Preferences then change Auto record series from catch up to Off.
To learn more about series links, visit Recording on Sky Q.
If you can't download from On Demand, shows keep getting stuck in the download queue or at 0%, you get a No Subscription error when trying to download, or nothing happens when you try to download a show, go to Can't download Sky Q on demand content.
If you need help with recording on Sky Q, go to Using and managing recordings on Sky Q.