What is Sky Go and Sky Go Extra, what channels can I watch and how do I get Sky Go on my phone or tablet? Our complete guide to Sky Go tells you everything you need to know about Sky’s live and on-demand streaming service for mobile devices.
If you’re a Sky subscriber, then you need to know all about the Sky Go service. This is a bonus feature that comes as standard once you sign up for Sky TV and it allows you to take your shows, movies and other entertainment on the move.
- In recent years, smart TVs and aftermarket set-top boxes are being shipped with a useful feature called “PVR Recording.”By enabling it, you can connect an external hard drive to your smart TV or set-top box and continuously record live programs, as well as pause and rewind while you are watching live TV channels.
- Toshiba TV verdict. Our verdict: We wouldn't be put off should an alluring Toshiba TV deal come along. Check for feature support, especially on cheaper models, as things such as HDR and 4K iPlayer aren't a given, but otherwise there's a fair chance they will offer decent value.
Here’s all you need to know about Sky Go, including what it is, what channels and content you can stream or download, and how to get it on your mobile device.
Toshiba smart tv sky go. My smart tv uses wifi, and i want to connect my xbox to xbox live using the smart tv as a wifi hotspot without an xbox wireless adapter, can i do this; I just bought my netgear n900 wifi dual band usb adapter for my samsung smart tv. It doesnt have built in wifi. But when i connect it, it doesnt turn.
What is Sky Go?
Sky Go is an app which offers up a selection of Sky’s live TV channels and thousands of hours of on-demand TV and movies, to stream on your smartphone, tablet, laptop, PC, Mac, games console or digital TV set-top box. The idea is that you can enjoy Sky programming wherever you roam, as long as you’re a Sky subscriber and you have a compatible device, with a decent enough WiFi or mobile connection.
How do I get Sky Go?
If you don’t have a Sky subscription, go to www.sky.com/shop/tv/sky-go/ and choose a TV bundle to get started. All of Sky’s TV bundles come with free Sky Go access as a tasty side-order.
If you’re already a Sky subscriber, you just need to sign up for a Sky ID to start using Sky Go – if you haven’t done so already. To do this, head to the Sky Go page and click ‘Sign up to Sky Go’. This takes you to an online form, for filling in your personal details. Your Sky ID will be your email address and you can set up a secure password to keep others out.
With that all done, you have a number of possible options for accessing Sky Go.
On a PC or Mac, just head over to go.sky.com on your computer and sign in with your Sky iD (which you should have set up when you first joined Sky). You can then access the Sky Go content right there on your computer, or download the PC/Mac app if you don’t want to watch through your browser.
For mobile devices, see below.
Can I watch Sky Go on my Android phone or tablet?
The Sky Go app is available to download for Android phones and tablets, with pretty much all recent handsets and devices supported.
Just head to the Google Play store on your Android and search for Sky Go. When the app pops up, download it and let it install. When this is done, sign in with your Sky ID and you’re good to go.
Can I watch Sky Go on my iPhone or iPad?
The Sky Go app is available to download for iPhones and iPads, with all of Apple’s recent devices supported.
First, head to the App Store and search for Sky Go. When you find the app, download it and then give it a tap on your desktop to open it. Now all you need to do is sign in with your Sky ID, and you’re ready to get stuck into your Sky TV content.
Can I watch Sky Go on my Blackberry or Windows Phone?
Blackberry and Windows Phone devices are not supported by Sky Go, so you’ll need to use a laptop, Android or iOS device instead.
Which channels can I watch on Sky Go?
With Sky Go you can watch close to a hundred Sky channels live. These include Sky News, Sky Atlantic, Sky1, Sky Living, Sky Arts 1, Dave, Gold, MTV, National Geographic Channel, History, Nat Geo Wild, Eden, Crime & Investigation Networkand Good Food.
Which film channels are on Sky Go?
All 11 of Sky’s standard Movie channels are available live on Sky Go.
These are Sky Movies Premiere, Sky Movies Showcase, Sky Movies Family, Sky Movies Comedy, Sky Movies Action & Adventure, Sky Movies Drama, Sky Movies Sci-Fi & Horror, Sky Movies Classics, Sky Movies Indie, Sky Movies Modern Greats and Sky Movies Crime & Thriller.
You can also stream Film 4.
Which sports channels are on Sky Go?
Sky Sports 1-5, Sky Sports News HQ, Sky Sports Mix, Sky Sports F1 and Eurosport 1 and 2 can all be streamed live on Sky Go.
What kids channels are on Sky Go?
Kids can enjoy live streaming of the Disney, Disney XD and Disney Junior channels, Nickelodeon and Nick Jr, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Cartoonito and CITV through Sky Go.
What on-demand Sky content is there on Sky Go?
As well as streaming live Sky channels with Sky Go, you can also stream a load of on-demand content.
This includes recent sports highlights including Premier League football matches and GPs, as well as a wide range of TV boxsets, covering everything from crime and drama to comedy. You can also catch up with shows that are currently airing on Sky, if you missed the last episode. Kids are well catered for too, with lots of fan favourites such as Peppa Pig, Thomas and Friends and Paw Patrol present and correct.
Finally, Sky Go offers up lots of movies to stream in full, in the Sky Cinema section. This includes all of the big new releases that you can watch at home using your Sky subscription.
Can I download Sky TV shows and movies using Sky Go, to watch offline?
The standard Sky Go service only allows you to stream shows and movies to your device, so you’ll need a decent WiFi or mobile connection to use it. However, it’s also possible to download Sky content to watch at a later time, if you’re going on holiday for example.
For this, you’ll need to be a Sky Go Extra subscriber.
What is Sky Go Extra?
Sky Go Extra costs an extra £5 per month, or is free to Sky Multiroom and Sky Q subscribers.
The Sky Go Extra service allows you to download Sky TV content to your mobile device or laptop, so you can watch it when you’re offline. That’s particularly handy if you’re taking a flight or heading anywhere with patchy WiFi.
Sky Go Extra also allows you to register an extra device for watching Sky Go (see below).
How many devices can I watch Sky Go on with my Sky ID?
Note that you can only watch Sky Go on one device at a time using your Sky ID, although you can register up to three different devices at one time. You can’t remove old devices and add new ones whenever you like, however; you can only swap one registered device for a new one every 30 days.
If you have Sky Go Extra, you can register up to four devices at one time.
Can I watch Sky Go on my Xbox or Playstation?
Xbox One owners can watch Sky content as long as they have an Xbox Live subscription and a Sky Go Extra subscription. Hitachi port devices driver download. Check out Sky’s Xbox guide for more info.
Playstation fans with a PS3 or PS4 can also watch Sky Go, providing they have a Sky Go Extra subscription. Head over to Sky’s PS page for more info.
Can I watch Sky Go on my smart TV or set-top box?
Sky Go is not currently available on any other smart TVs, or connected set-top boxes such as Freeview and Freesat boxes, DVD and Blu-ray players, Google TV or other media players.
Can I stream Sky Go to a TV, projector or other big screen device?
At the moment, Sky Go is seriously restrictive when it comes to connecting your mobile phone or tablet to a TV and enjoying your Sky content on a big screen when you’re away from home. If you’re trying to hook up your mobile device to a telly via HDMI or cast your screen to a big display, check out our how to stream Sky Go to a TV feature.
In recent years, smart TVs and aftermarket set-top boxes are being shipped with a useful feature called “PVR Recording.” By enabling it, you can connect an external hard drive to your smart TV or set-top box and continuously record live programs, as well as pause and rewind while you are watching live TV channels. The feature is quite versatile, which is why USB HDD for TV sells like hotcakes nowadays.
On LG Smart TVs (select models), the recording feature is branded as Time Machine II. If you have a Samsung Smart TV, then look for the Timeshift feature.
Other TV manufacturers like Sony also includes the USB HDD TV recording feature in certain regions. As long as your TV has a dedicated USB port specially labeled for HDD recording, there shouldn’t be any compatibility issues.
However, you will need a fast and reliable external hard drive for continuous recording, with decent read/write speeds and guaranteed prolonged usage.
You can check out our top picks for the best external hard drives for TV recording below.
Also, See –Can Alexa Work With Sky Q?
Contents
- 1 Best External Hard Drives for TV Recording (Samsung, Sony, LG, etc)
- 2 What should you Look out for When Buying an External Hard Drive for TV?
Best External Hard Drives for TV Recording (Samsung, Sony, LG, etc)
Aside from using an external hard drive for PVR on your TV, you can also use it to back up your important files on Windows and Mac devices, or extend the storage space on your game console.
You can use an external hard drive in several ways, which is why we have listed only the best HDDs below.
It’s worth mentioning that most TVs support external hard drives with a max capacity of 2TB, so make sure that you confirm the fact before buying a high-capacity USB HDD for your TV.
1. WD 1TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive
If you are looking for the best USB hard drive for tv then you should definitely check out WD 1 TB Elements Portable hard drive. The WD 1TB Elements external hard drive is one of WD’s best-selling products, and it currently is Amazon’s Choice for external hard drives.
It is available in other storage variants as well, which goes up to 5TB, retaining the same compact and portable form factor. The internal drive speed maxes out at 5,400 RPM.
This external hard drive supports USB 3.0 connectivity, providing faster data transfer speeds than its predecessors. However, you can also connect it to a USB 2.0 port, as it’s backward compatible with the older USB interface.
The WD Elements external HDD also has a slick black plastic casing, with an LED indicator on top. The 1TB variant weighs only 130 grams, whereas the 2TB variant weighs almost 235 grams.
It still is quite stealthy and compact enough to be left behind your TV or soundbar.
2. Seagate Portable 1TB External Hard Drive (STGX1000400)
Seagate is another American storage solution company trusted for its consumer and enterprise-level high-density hard disk and solid-state drives.
The 1TB Seagate Portable external hard drive is a decent choice for TV recording, alongside storage expansions and file backups.
It’s a plug-and-play solution for all USB-compatible devices. It has an internal drive speed of 5400 RPM, and the max variant of the Seagate Portable external HDD is 6TB. The drive supports USB 3.0, which can transfer data at up to 625 MB/s.
While only SSDs can achieve such speeds, it leaves the external HDD with plenty of bandwidth to work with. It also works with USB 2.0 in backward compatibility mode.
The 1TB variant of the Seagate Portable external HDD weighs 190g, but it’s quite portable. However, note that it’s not covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, but you get a 30-day return window from Amazon if something goes wrong.
3. Toshiba Canvio Basics 1TB Portable External Hard Drive
Although the Japanese electronics brand isn’t primarily known for its data storage products, it still is one of the few reputable HDD manufacturers in the market.
The Toshiba Canvio Basics is an excellent option for you in case you are searching for an external hard drive for tv recording with a smaller footprint.
Similar to the previous external HDDs from WD and Seagate, the Toshiba Canvio Basics comes with USB 3.0 data transfer speeds of up to 5Gbit/s.
It also works with the legacy USB 2.0 interface, with a maximum bandwidth of 480Mbit/s. You can connect the external drive to a USB 3.0 port and still saturate the full read and write speeds.
The 1TB variant of Toshiba Canvio Basics is often discounted, so keep your eyes for sales if you want to grab one for cheap. Other variants of this external HDD include 500GB, 2TB, 3TB, and 4TB. The 1TB version weighs only 149g, and its slim casing looks very premium.
4. Transcend 1TB Slim StorageJet 25M3S
Taiwan-based storage solution brand Transcend is mostly popular for its flash memory cards, pen drives, card readers, and other storage accessories.
They also make portable hard drives, and its Slim StorageJet 25M3S (S stands for Slim) is a popular choice on Amazon.
The Transcend 1TB Slim StorageJet external HDD uses the USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5Gbit/s) interface for data transfer. At the same form factor and dimensions, it’s available in 500GB and 2TB variants as well. The 1TB variant is 185g, but the 4TB version weighs 294g.
One of the best things about this external HDD is its rugged build quality. Instead of regular plastic, the Transcend Slim StorageJet 25M3S uses a reinforced hard casing, protected by an outer silicone rubber case.
There’s also an internal suspension damper that absorbs vibrations, overall providing three-stage shock protection that meets the military drop-test standards. It’s also covered by three years of manufacturer warranty.
In case you decide to use this drive as a backup drive for your Windows or macOS computer, the auto-backup button on the drive can instantly back up your data with a single press. However, you will have to install the Transcend Elite software.
5. Maxtor M3 Portable 1TB Hard Drive
Maxtor is a subsidiary brand of Seagate, and its 1TB M3 Portable external HDD is a decent choice under £70. It’s available in up to 4TB of capacity, similar to all other portable drives listed here.
The drive speed is rated at 5400 RPM, and it uses the USB 3.0 SuperSpeed (5Gbit/s) interface for data transfer. The M3 Portable drive also comes pre-formatted in NTFS format, and it’s a ready-to-go solution.
It will work perfectly even when connected to a USB 2.0 port, as it’s fully compatible with the legacy USB interface.
The matte black plastic shell can stand up to the rigors of day-to-day usage, and its weight of 150 grams is lightweight enough to be carried everywhere.
For TV recording, we would recommend you go for the 2TB version of the Maxtor M3 Portable HDD, as it costs only £10 more than the 1TB variant.
What should you Look out for When Buying an External Hard Drive for TV?
When buying a new external hard drive for TV, there are a few things you should be aware of. The drive speed of the external HDD matters the most, which is rated by RPM (Revolutions Per Minute). The faster it is, the better read/write speed you will get on the mechanical hard drive.
5400 RPM and 7200 RPM are two of the most common hard drive speeds. While 5400 RPM drives are generally more affordable, 7200 RPM drives are considered significantly faster.
However, most high-density external drives have a rated 5400 RPM speed, as it draws less power from the USB port.
Also, make sure that your device has USB 3.0 ports, as it can utilize the maximum potential of an external hard drive. USB 3.0 ports are labeled blue, whereas 2.0 ports are black.
Fortunately, most TVs and set-top boxes with PVR functionality come with USB 3.0 ports. Hence, you won’t have to worry about limited bandwidth for data transfer.
Can You Download Sky Go On A Toshiba Smart Tv
Should you get an External SSD for TV Recording?
You probably have heard about SSDs before. It stands for “Solid State Drive,” and it has no moving parts, unlike mechanical hard drives.
Since there are no mechanical components in SSDs, they are not only more durable but also marginally faster than HDDs.
An HDD at 7200 RPM can reach a maximum read and write speed of 80-120MB/s, while an SSD comes with an average 250-550MB/s read/write speeds (SATA III interface).
SSDs can provide read and write speeds as high as 3500MB/s on the NVMe interface!
As much as we would recommend you to buy an SSD and use it as your PC boot drive or storage, you won’t notice any difference when using it for recording TV. Also, external SSD solutions are often overpriced compared to regular HDD.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Should I leave my external hard drive connected to the TV 24/7?
Can I Get Sky Go On My Toshiba Smart Tv
It’s completely fine to leave your external hard drive connected to your TV all the time since they are built to last long. When not in use, the hard drive will automatically go into idle mode and save power.
2. Is 1TB of storage enough for TV recording?
It depends on how many hours of TV shows or sports programming you usually record. With a 1TB external drive, you can record up to 180 hours of high-definition content, which should be enough for your needs.
3. How long does an external hard drive last?
External hard drives generally last three to four years of daily usage, assuming that you don’t drop it or leave it in a hot place for prolonged periods. Most manufacturers offer 2-3 years of warranty on their external hard drives, so it should be fine.