Sky’s New Deadline: Upgrade Old Boxes Or Face Blackout

Big changes are coming for some Sky viewers: If you’re still using an old SD Sky box (such as Sky+), it’s time to pay attention.

Sky has previously announced that these older boxes will eventually lose access to all of Sky’s channels, marking a significant shift for those who still use them.

But recently, Sky finally unveiled the exact timeline for these older boxes to stop working, with some affected subscribers seeing warning notifications on their TVs.

This move isn’t happening in isolation – it follows the BBC and ITV’s lead and is part of a wider push across the industry to improve picture quality and the overall viewing experience.

However, this doesn’t mean SD broadcasting is disappearing from Sky entirely – SD channels will still be available on more modern devices like Sky Q, catering to viewers who, for various reasons, may prefer or require SD viewing (with Sky STILL charging extra for HD on some devices and plans).

However, for those clinging to the older technology, the message is clear: upgrade or miss out.

The switchover will come in several stages. First, on March 26, 2024, all BBC SD channels will be removed from Sky’s satellite platform for good (those channels stopped broadcasting in January, but they’re still showing notification messages).

Then, in May, customers with older SD channels will lose access to a few key Sky channels (such as Sky Cinema). And lastly, in August, those customers will lose access to ALL of Sky’s channels.

The good news? Sky is offering free upgrades to those affected – but you’ll need to move fast to beat the deadline (see below for the full details).

The End Of (Some) SD Channels

Earlier this year, the BBC and ITV shut down most of their SD channels on satellite platforms (such as Sky and Freesat), reflecting a broader industry trend towards better picture quality.

HD offers significantly better picture quality and sharper resolution, which are increasingly becoming the standard expectations among viewers.

However, it’s worth remembering that there are still a lot of SD-only channels in the UK. On Freeview, for example (which was not affected by any of the recent changes), most of the channels are still – somewhat embarrassingly – SD only.

In 2022, the BBC undertook a major step by making all its channels available in HD, including its regional news on BBC One. 

Then, the BBC started a multi-phase set of changes, to gradually remove the leftover SD channels from its satellite-based roster. ITV followed suit, announcing the shutdown of most of its SD channels on Freesat and Sky.

The BBC then accelerated its switch-off of SD channels on Freesat and Sky to January 8, 2024, moving all its broadcasting to HD. 

According to the BBC, this was due to very low demand – meaning very few households were still using SD channels. 

Sky’s Announcement: The End of SD Boxes

Following up on the BBC and ITV’s changes – Sky took this opportunity to announce that older SD-only boxes will cease to properly function in 2024.

Recently, Sky detailed its timeline for discontinuing support for these older boxes.

It’s important to clarify that Sky isn’t ceasing the broadcast of its channels in SD entirely. Rather, they’re altering the method of SD channel delivery, and as a result of these technological changes, older devices will become incompatible.

Nonetheless, certain channels will remain accessible in SD on more modern devices like Sky Q. Interestingly, some users opt for SD channels to maximize recording capacity, as SD allows for recording significantly more content.

The general move from SD to HD on Sky will come in three stages:

Stage 1: BBC SD Channels Being Removed

All of the BBC’s SD channels on Sky (and Freesat) have already stopped broadcasting back in January – but the channels kept their places on the EPG, with notifications about the changes.

Starting March 26, 2026, these channels will be removed from Sky’s satellite platform (Sky Glass and Sky Stream never had them to begin with).

The HD versions of the channels will replace the SD channels on the EPG.

Here’s the full list of changes:

• BBC One SD Nightlights all close at 101. All BBC One regions at 801 have smart swap removed and replace the BBC One Nightlights at 101 in their regions. 801 closes in the UK.
• BBC One (ROI) SD closes at 141. BBC One NI HD (ROI) replaces BBC One (ROI) SD at 141. 832 closes.
• BBC Two Network SD closes at 102. BBC Two HD, BBC Two Wales HD, BBC Two NI HD (802) have smart swap removed and replace the SD at 102. 802 closes in the UK.
• BBC Two Network ROI SD closes at 142. BBC Two NI HD ROI (844) has smart swap removed and replaces the SD at 142. 844 closes in ROI.
• BBC Three SD closes at 115(UK), 117(Wales), 121(Scotland). BBC Three HD (845) has smart swap removed and replaces the SD at 115(UK), 117(Wales), 121(Scotland). 845 closes in the UK.
• BBC Three ROI SD closes at 169. BBC Three ROI HD (845) has smart swap removed and replaces the SD at 169. 845 closes in ROI.
• BBC Four SD closes at 116. BBC Four HD (815) has smart swap removed and replaces the SD at 116. 815 closes.
• BBC Four ROI SD closes at 143. BBC Four ROI HD (833) has smart swap removed and replaces the SD at 143. 833 closes in ROI.
• BBC Scotland SD closes at 115(Scotland) & 187(UK). BBC Scotland HD (844) has smart swap removed and replaces the SD at 115 in Scotland and 187 everywhere else apart from ROI. 844 closes in the UK.
• BBC ALBA SD closes at 117(Scotland) & 169(UK). BBC ALBA HD (847) has smart swap removed and replaces the SD at 117 in Scotland and 169 everywhere else apart from ROI. 847 closes.
• CBBC SD closes at 607. CBBC HD (643) has smart swap removed and replaces the SD at 607. 643 closes in the UK.
• CBBC ROI SD closes at 607. CBBC ROI HD (643) has smart swap removed and replaces the SD at 607. 643 closes in ROI.
• CBeebies SD closes at 608. CBeebies HD (644) has smart swap removed and replaces the SD at 608. 644 closes in the UK.
• CBeebies ROI SD closes at 608. CBeebies ROI HD (644) has smart swap removed and replaces the SD at 608. 644 closes in ROI.
• BBC News SD closes at 503. BBC News HD (882) has smart swap removed and replaces the SD at 503. 882 closes.
• BBC Parliament SD closes at 504. BBC Parliament HD (887) has smart swap removed and replaces the SD at 504. 887 closes.
• BBC Red Button 1 SD closes at 970. BBC Red Button 1 HD (971) has smart swap removed and replaces the SD at 970. 971 closes.

Phase 2: Major Sky SD Channels Revmoed

Starting in May 2024, viewers with older SD-only boxes will lose access to Sky Sports channels, Sky Cinema channels, and the MUTV channel.

For subscribers, this means any existing subscriptions to the channels mentioned will be automatically cancelled unless they upgrade to an HD box.

Sky says that those subscribers will also be able to cancel their subscription altogether – without paying any early termination fees. Alternatively, they can continue watching without the channels mentioned above.

Phase 3: All Of Sky’s Channels Removed

By August 2024, the transition will be complete, with all Sky channels no longer available to SD box users.

You could, in theory, continue to watch the other channels that will still be available in SD at that point (so non-BBC and non-Sky) – but there’s really no point in paying Sky for a subscription, without getting any of Sky’s channels.

How Do I Know If My Sky Box Is Affected?

To check if your Sky Box is SD-only (and will therefore lose access to all of Sky’s channels by August), Sky suggests you:

• Select Channel 105 on your remote.
• If you see Channel 5 HD, you’re not affected. If you see Channel 5 in SD, you are, and you’ll need to upgrade your Sky box.

Note that Channel 5 isn’t affected by these changes – it’s just a way to check whether your box is currently capable of showing HD channels. 

Alternatively, you can:

• Press Services on your Sky remote
• Press 4 ,then 5
• Check your box’s version number, as seen here:

The affected Sky boxes are:

Digibox:

• 4F01 to 4F06 (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)

These changes will not affect Sky customers with newer Sky boxes, such as Sky Q, or the streaming-based devices.

How Can I Upgrade My Sky SD Box?

If you have one of the affected, older Sky SD-only boxes, Sky is offering to upgrade you to Sky Q at no extra cost.

Importantly, Sky says there’ll be no change to your Sky TV package or pricing. 

That’s significant, as usually customers who wish to upgrade their Sky equipment are also asked to upgrade their plans and contracts – and that won’t be the case here (also see our guide on Sky’s HD pricing).

Once you sign up, one of Sky’s engineers will install the new Sky Q box on a date that works for you.

At that point, you’ll be able to watch all the BBC and ITV channels in HD, as well as all the Sky channels that you are subscribed to.

To start the upgrade process, Sky customers can call 0333 759 5121 or upgrade online via this link.

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