Sky has started to roll-out an update to Sky Q (that ticks off one of our major complaints about the Sky Q hardware).
The software update brings new voice search features, including the ability to change channels with a quick voice command.
With the new Voice Control features, Sky Q customers with the Sky Q touchpad remote will be able to navigate to their favourite shows, pause, rewind and fast-forward through whatever they’re watching just by talking.
After the update, Sky Q viewers can change channels by saying “change channel to Sky Atlantic”, or play any show stored in their Recordings by saying, for example, “play Tin Star”.
When you’re watching a show or movie, viewers can ask to “skip back 30 seconds” or “watch from the start”.
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Voice Control can also be used to find favourite sports, movies and shows, with phrases like: “go to Sky Store”, “go to Sky Sports”, or other sections of the Sky Q menu.
Customers can also change their accessibility settings using only their voice by saying “turn on audio description”, for example.
The new voice control functionality will land on your Sky Q box in the coming weeks, Sky has confirmed.
Here’s the full list of commands to try when the update arrives on your Sky Q box –
- “Go to my recordings”
- “Go to new series”
- “Go to Sky Store’ or other key areas of the Sky Q Guide like ‘Sky Cinema”
- “Skip 10 minutes” (Or any time required)
- “Go to 60 minutes” (Or any time required)
- “Play…” (plus specific content in your Recordings – e.g. ‘play Tin Star’)
- “Subtitles on/off”
- “Audio description on/off”
- “Pause/play/stop/rewind x12” (or x2, x6, x30)
- “Change channel to…”(channel name)
- Name of a movie, TV show, genre, actor or director
- Movies with a specific age rating, star rating or actor, for example “action movies with Tom Cruise”, “kids movies rated U” and “comedy movies rated five stars”
- Sports, sports team, or sporting event on a particular day, competition or tournament such as “Live cricket on this weekend” or “Liverpool game”
- A collection of famous movie quotes, for example “you can’t handle the truth”, “you had me at hello,” “my precious” and “Houston, we have a problem”
- TV channel to see what’s on now and coming on later, for example, “what’s on Sky Atlantic tonight”
Sky Chief Marketing Officer, Luke Bradley-Jones said: “Our customers already love Voice Search on Sky Q and we think they are going to love Voice Control even more.
“You will be able to find your recordings, rewind an amazing goal to watch again or change channel all through a simple voice command.
“It’s a quicker, easier and more fun way to get to the shows, sports and films you want to watch.”
Alongside the new voice control features, the latest Sky Q software update also boasts a number of other tweaks and improvements.
Following the update, Sky Q customers will find a new “Favourites” menu in the TV Guide, where most-loved channels can be prioritised.
Initially Sky Q will suggest a range of favourite channels based on what the household has been watching, but customers can edit the list – adding up to 99 channels which can be organised into whatever order suits them best.
Plus, Favourite channels will be numbered 1 to 99, making it quick for customers to search for and find their favourite “Favourites”!
Sky Q customers with a 2TB box will also get a dedicated Ultra HD section within My Q, meaning they can find the widest range of UHD content easier and faster than before.
Current Ultra HD content includes new Sky Original Productions like Tin Star and Riviera, blockbuster movies such as The Revenant and X-Men: Apocalypse and 124 Premier League games this season.