If you’re still watching television on an older Sky set-top box, you will lose access to ITV1 and ITV2 in Standard Definition (SD) on Thursday, October 3, 2024. The shake-up will impact viewers with ageing Sky+ boxes, as ITV switches to only supporting High Definition (HD) broadcasts on satellite.
Why you must switch to HD to watch telly in the UK today
ITV is the latest in a series of broadcasters to pull SD-quality broadcasts from older boxes. The BBC removed many of its channels from the same satellite hardware at the beginning of the year. That was followed by a slew of Sky TV channels being ditched back in May.
Without an HD-compatible set-top box, it’s now impossible to watch ITV1 and ITV2. Thankfully, ITV1 HD and ITV2 HD are available free-to-air on Freeview, its successor Freely, Freesat, Sky Glass, and Sky Stream. High Definition offers sharper picture quality and improved audio performance.
Sky Q and Sky+ HD boxes will lose ITV SD channels from the TV Guide, which were found on Channel 803 and 816. However, these newer boxes are compatible with the full ITV regional service in HD, found on Channel 103.
All HD channels from ITV will remain free-to-air. The latest hardware from the British broadcaster, Sky Glass and Sky Stream, are unaffected by the latest shake-up. Both of these gadgets drop the need for a satellite dish, streaming live television via Wi-Fi instead. The best Sky Stream deals and best Sky Glass deals include HD as standard — something that cost extra each month on Sky Q and Sky+ HD.
As a result, ITV HD is the only option to watch on these newer devices.
Following the announcement of its latest blockbuster EntertainmentOS update, Sky confirmed that 90% of all new customers signing up with Sky TV were taking out a broadbrand-powered product, like Sky Stream and Sky Glass. In fact, the 55-inch Sky Glass TV was the best-selling single model of Smart TV in the UK last year.
Sky confirmed to GB News that all Sky+ customers can upgrade to the newer Sky Q box free of charge by calling the Sky Customer Service helpline on 0333 759 5121. The cost of your monthly package will not increase as part of the upgrade to the newer, HD-compatible hardware, the broadcaster has reassured.
Sky has provided instructions to work out whether your Sky+ box will be impacted by the ITV switch-off. First up, it suggests heading to Channel 101 on your Sky remote. If BBC One HD appears as normal, you’re watching on a set-top box that is not affected by the latest shake-up.
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However, if you see BBC One broadcast in Standard Definition (SD) then you will be impacted. Likewise, if you see a warning screen from the BBC that reads “This service is now closed,” you’ll also be affected.
Another way to check is to press the Services button on your Sky remote, then press the 4 and 5 numbers on the keypad. This will load up a little-known menu that shows the version number of your box.
If the number matches any of the below, then you will lose access to Sky Cinema and Sky Sports within the next eight weeks. The affected boxes are:
Digibox
4F01 to 4F08 (Amstrad)4E01 to 4E05 (Grundig)9F01 to 9F08 and 9F0A (Pace)0F01 to 0F05 (Panasonic)4E06 to 4E08 (Thomson)
Sky+
4F2001 to 4F2006 (Amstrad)4F2101 to 4F2118 and 9F2101 to 9F2137 (Amstrad or Pace)9F2001 to 9F2024, PVR2, 9F2201 to 9F2235, 9F2301 to 9F2339 (Pace)4E2101 to 4E2141 (Thomson)
