How to watch HDR on Sky Q

Sky Q supports HDR content, but how can you watch content HDR on your Sky Q box, and what’s available? This article has all the details you need.

How to watch HDR on your Sky Q box

Sky launched its HDR service on May 27th, 2020, though not all its boxes were compatible. The original Sky Q Silver box shipped with a HDMI 1.4 output, which was before the current HDR standard was established and as a result it cannot play HDR content.

What you need is a Ultra HD or Sky Q Experience subscription for 4K content and a compatible set-top box. You can find out if your current box is compatible via the process below.

• Press the Home button
• Select Settings
• Select System info to view the box’s hardware version/number

Only Sky Q boxes with these numbers are compatible with HDR:

Sky Q 2TB boxes

• 32B1xx
• 32B205
• 32B206

Sky Q 1TB boxes

• 32B203
• 32B204
• 32B205
• 32B206

Sky Q Mini boxes do not support Ultra HD and so you can’s watch any HDR programming on these units. For customers with 2TB boxes, a fee of £50 is required and this includes postage, administration fees and the return of your old Sky box. For those who need a replacement for a 1TB box, the charge is reduced to £25.

You can have a look here as to watch packages Sky is selling with its boxes. If you’re not interested in HDR, Sky will still support older boxes.

Next up is to make sure your TV is HDR compliant (virtually all new 4K TVs are), and then another trip into the Settings to enable HDR:

• Press Home
• Select Settings
• Select Setup, then Audio visual
• Choose 2160p (UHD)

You’ll receive a prompt asking to select 8-bit, 10-bit or ‘Find it for me’. To make it simple, select 10-bit, as that is what’s required for HDR playback.

How to find 4K HDR content on Sky Q

Sky is adding more and more content to its service in the lead up to Christmas. Disney Plus is available in 4K HDR on the Q service and so is Netflix.

HDR is on its way with the next Premier League season confirmed as being broadcast in 4K HDR and Sky is broadcasting the 2020 Olympics in HDR too via its dedicated Eurosport 4K channel.

Here’s a list of 4K HDR content available on the service and incoming:

Sky Original TV series

• A Discovery of Witches
• ALOTO: Loch Ness to London
• Bloods
• Brassic 2
• Breeders (s2)
• Britannia II
• Bulletproof
• Cobra
• Domina
• Intelligence (s2)
• Intergalatic
• Save Me Too

Sky Q documentaries

• Gangs of Lemur Island,
• Pridelands: Wilderness Reborn
• Malawi Wildlife Rescue
• America’s Wild Border
• Kingdom of Tide
• A Bee’s Diary
• After the Wildfires

Sky Cinema

• The Secret Garden
• Dolittle
• Joker
• Terminator: Dark Fate
• Le Mans ’66
• Jumanji: The Next Level
• Pokemon: Detective Pikachu
• JoJo Rabbit
• Last Christmas
• The Hunt
• Doctor Sleep
• The Invisible Man
• A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood
• Bloodshot
• Harriet
• Just Mercy
• The Good Liar
• Shazam!
• Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
• Rocketman
• Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
• Harry Potter and the Death Hallows Part 2
• Batman Begins
• The Dark Knight
• The Dark Knight Rises
• Trolls 2: World Tour
• Emma
• To Olivia
• SAS: Red Notice
• Unhinged
• Tenet

Sky Sports

• Tokyo Olympics 2020 via Eurosport 4K channel (21st – August 8th)
• Premier League 2021/22 season