By Dave Snelling,Harriet Morphy-Morris

Copyright walesonline

Anyone in the market for a new TV may be comparing the many deals offered by the likes of Virgin Media, BT, and Sky . In a new update, anyone with a particular Sky TV box can get access to lots more channels for free. Sky Stream, or the integrated Sky Glass TVs are popular products, loved by consumers for their access to hundreds of TV channels, smart streaming, and add ons. But a new update could convince shoppers to look at the Sky Q Box. Users will get new full on-demand access to shows with Sky Q set-top boxes , thanks to the move of ‘U’ to the product. It’s already available on Sky Glass and Stream and now it’s available on the Q box. With free access to on-demand services including UandEden, UandDave, UandDRAMA, and UandYESTERDAY it means viewers will get access to more content, as tech editor Dave Snelling from The Mirror highlighted. Shows including Outrageous, Pete Wicks: For Dogs’ Sake, The Chelsea Detective, and Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over can be found on the programme. Plus, it also allows users to search for their favourite shows and organise them into categories. There’s also a ‘Watchlists’ section where users can save things to view at a later date. For those who may not be aware, ‘U’ is the new name for UKTV, which had a rehaul back in July 2024 to align channels like Dave, Yesterday, and Drama. For those with a Sky Q box, there should be no need to update the device or restart anything and the U app can be found. For new shoppers, it could be an incentive to look at the retailer’s packages. From £30 a month, Sky offers Sky Q on a 24-month contract , however, there is a £20 set-up fee on top of this. A downside compared to the likes of its Essential TV (with Sky Stream packages), which doesn’t require a pesky installation. Alternatively, Virgin Media offers prices from £28 per month, but it’s for broadband and TV combined with the M125 Fibre and Flex package. This includes a Stream box, essential free-to-air channels, and it’s on a 30-day rolling contract. Sky’s own rival Glass TV sets have always been favoured for their smart integrations (like hands-free scrolling and ability to tap into wifi) however, the Sky Q box does come with voice-activated actions. Users can still use the voice remote control to find their favourite shows, by saying “What should I watch?” and options from Sky, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC will pop up. “U is going from strength to strength with ongoing growth in views, reach and quality of content”, said Sam Tewungwa, Managing Director at UKTV. Jon Simkin, Managing Director of Content Partnerships at Sky, also added: “We’re pleased to expand our partnership with UKTV through the launch of the U app on Sky Q, having already launched on Sky Stream and Sky Glass. This gives our customers even more choice and flexibility in how they enjoy great TV on Sky.” BT and EE is taking on Sky by offering hundreds of channels and Netflix access for £1 , for the first six months. This deal has been proving popular with consumer but ends this coming September 25. The provider is offering the option to add the EE Entertainment package to broadband bundles for £1 per month. This means customers will pay £27.99 per month for basic internet access along with Netflix and more than 150 channels such as Sky Atlantic, Sky Showcase, Sky Crime, Sky Witness, Sky Max and Sky Documentaries.