By Sky’s Ultra HD & Dolby Atmos pack allows you to watch certain shows & channels in 4K HDR quality. Find out what you can watch in 4K & whether it’s worth the money.
In the UK, Sky TV customers who are getting a Sky Stream box or a Sky Glass TV can now add the Ultra HD & Dolby Atmos pack for an extra £6 per month.
The ‘UHD & Dolby Atmos’ pack gives you access to ultra high-definition content from Sky with selected shows, documentaries, sports, films and more in 4K quality. You’ll also get 10-bit HDR picture quality plus Dolby Atmos surround sound on selected programmes from Sky.
In this article, we’ll look at the Ultra HD & Dolby Atmos pack from Sky and what you’re able to watch in 4K when you pay for the upgrade. We’ll also look at the best Sky TV deals with Ultra HD & Dolby Atmos surround sound included.
| Prices From: | £6 per month |
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| Contact Length: | 31-day rolling contract |
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| Requirements: |
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| Best Deals: | See Sky Ultra HD TV deals → |
Contents
What Do I Need For Ultra HD & Dolby Atmos?
Before you add the Ultra HD & Dolby Atmos pack to your Sky TV service, you’ll need to make sure you have a compatible TV and broadband service:
You’ll need a compatible 4K television. To watch in Ultra HD quality, you’ll need a 4K-ready television. This needs to support 3840×2160 pixels (2160p) at 50 frames per second. It also needs to support HDCP 2.2 technology. Most 4K televisions that have been manufactured since 2014 should have support for this technology.- You’ll need a broadband connection with download speeds of at least 25Mbps. To stream in Ultra HD quality, you’ll need at least 25Mbps of available bandwidth on your broadband. It’s important to also take into account the other things that you’re using your broadband connection for (e.g. browsing the web and streaming on other devices at the same time). If you’re using Sky Whole Home, you’ll need to multiply up the bandwidth requirements (for instance, you’ll need 50Mbps if you’re streaming 4K video in two rooms at the same time).
On top of the basic requirements for viewing Ultra HD (4K) content, there are additional requirements for the HDR and surround sound features. For High Dynamic Range (HDR) viewing, your television needs to support 10-bit HLG technology. Meanwhile, for surround sound, you’ll need a compatible Dolby Atmos system (e.g. overhead speakers, upwards-firing speakers, or a soundbar).
If you buy the Sky Glass Gen 2 television, it has all of this built-in, including 4K, HDR, and Dolby Atmos surround sound (via the built-in soundbar). Meanwhile, the cheaper Sky Glass Air has 4K HDR built-in (but it lacks a soundbar so you’ll need a separate system for the surround sound).
If you’re using the Sky Stream box, you’ll need to make sure your own system is compatible before you buy.
Sky Ultra HD Channels & Shows
When you add the Ultra HD & Dolby Atmos pack to your Sky TV service, it will give you access to the following shows and content in Ultra HD quality:
- Sky Atlantic (selected shows): You’ll be able to watch selected Sky Atlantic shows in Ultra HD quality, including some US imports and Sky Originals. For instance, popular shows like House Of The Dragon are available in Ultra HD quality on catch-up.
- Sky Entertainment (if you have Ultimate TV): If you have the Ultimate TV package, you’ll also be able to watch some Sky Original shows and selected Sky Nature documentaries in Ultra HD quality.
- Sky Sports (if you have the Sky Sports Pack): You’ll be able to watch all of Sky’s Premier League games and every F1 race live in Ultra HD quality. There’s also other selected Ultra HD content on the Sky Sports Main Event UHD channel such as international cricket, the DP World & PGA Tours.
- Sky Cinema (if you have the Sky Cinema Pack): You’ll be able to watch selected blockbuster movies in Ultra HD quality.
- and more…
Dolby Atmos surround sound is available on selected 4K content such as English Premier League football matches and selected movies on Sky Cinema.
What’s Excluded From The Pack?
Sky’s ‘Ultra HD & Dolby Atmos’ pack only relates to whether you’re able to watch 4K content on Sky’s own television channels. It doesn’t affect whether you’re able to watch Ultra HD & Dolby Atmos content through any other app or service on your TV.
To illustrate with an example, you can watch Ultra HD content on Netflix when you have the Netflix Premium plan. This is a totally separate and independent upgrade, and it doesn’t relate to Sky’s ‘Ultra HD & Dolby Atmos’ upgrade. In other words, you’ll only need Netflix Premium to watch Netflix in Ultra HD quality and you’ll only need the ‘Ultra HD & Dolby Atmos’ pack to watch Sky’s channels in Ultra HD.
The same principle applies to other apps and services that are available on your Sky Stream box or Sky Glass TV. You’ll be able to watch Ultra HD content through a number of apps such as Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, YouTube, and Apple TV+. In each case, this is according to the subscription you have for each service. There’s no need to have Sky’s ‘Ultra HD & Dolby Atmos’ pack on top of this.
Is the UHD & Dolby Atmos Pack Worth It?
It really depends on what you’d like to watch in Ultra HD quality and with Dolby Atmos surround sound.
The most important thing to recognise is that the ‘Ultra HD & Dolby Atmos’ pack is only needed when you want to watch Sky’s own content in Ultra HD. It isn’t needed for watching Ultra HD content in other apps or services such as Netflix and Disney+ (you’ll be able to watch those in Ultra HD quality if your subscription to the relevant service allows it).
When it comes to Sky’s Ultra HD content and what you’re able to watch in 4K, this depends very much on your Sky TV package. For instance, if you only have the basic Essential TV channels, you’ll be restricted to just a couple of shows on Sky Atlantic in Ultra HD quality. As such, it may not be worth the extra £6 per month to upgrade for just these shows. With Ultimate TV, you’ll get more Sky Entertainment channels, which also means more Ultra HD content such as Sky Originals and Sky Nature documentaries.
The equation changes slightly if you have Sky Sports or Sky Cinema on your plan, as both of these have a lot more Ultra HD content available. For instance, if you’re a Sky Sports subscriber, the ‘UHD & Dolby Atmos’ pack will unlock Ultra HD-quality viewing on English Premier League games, along with live Formula 1 races, some international cricket and golf. If you’re a Sky Cinema customer, you’ll also be able to watch some of the latest films in Ultra HD quality.
Finally, before you sign up for the ‘UHD & Dolby Atmos’ pack, it’s worth checking the download speed on your home broadband connection. You’ll need to reserve about 25Mbps for streaming in Ultra HD quality. To avoid buffering and to make sure you have enough bandwidth leftover for everything else, it’s generally best to have a total download speed of at least 50Mbps on your broadband.
Sky TV Deals with Ultra HD & Dolby Atmos
Sky’s Ultra HD & Dolby Atmos pack is available on the Sky Stream box and Sky Glass TV.
At present, you can get a Sky TV package on Sky Stream from as little as £15 per month. Once you’ve chosen this deal, you can add ‘Ultra HD & Dolby Atmos’ for an extra £6 per month.
| Service | Broadband & TV | Monthly Cost (may rise during contract) |
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|---|---|---|---|
 Sky Stream, Essential TV & Netflix
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Broadband not included | £15.00 +£6/month Ultra HD No upfront fee 24 month contract | See deal |
Sky Stream, Ultimate TV & Netflix
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Broadband not included | £20.00 +£6/month Ultra HD No upfront fee 24 month contract | See deal |
For extra savings, consider taking Sky Broadband together with Sky TV. At present, it’s possible to get a combined package from £35 per month which gives you both broadband and TV (plus an extra £6 per month for the Ultra HD & Dolby Atmos pack).
| Service | Broadband & TV | Monthly Cost (may rise during contract) |
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|---|---|---|---|
Sky Stream, Essential TV & Netflix with Full Fibre 150 Broadband
| 150Mbps average download
| £35.00 +£6/month Ultra HD No upfront fee 24 month contract | See deal |
Sky Stream, Essential TV & Netflix with Full Fibre 75 Broadband
| 75Mbps average download
| £35.00 +£6/month Ultra HD No upfront fee 24 month contract | See deal |
Sky Stream, Essential TV & Netflix with Full Fibre 300 Broadband
| 300Mbps average download
| £37.00 +£6/month Ultra HD No upfront fee 24 month contract | See deal |
Sky Stream, Ultimate TV & Netflix with Full Fibre 150 Broadband
| 150Mbps average download
| £37.00 +£6/month Ultra HD No upfront fee 24 month contract | See deal |
Sky Stream, Ultimate TV & Netflix with Full Fibre 75 Broadband
| 75Mbps average download
| £37.00 +£6/month Ultra HD No upfront fee 24 month contract | See deal |
Sky Stream, Ultimate TV & Netflix with Full Fibre 300 Broadband
| 300Mbps average download
| £39.00 +£6/month Ultra HD No upfront fee 24 month contract | See deal |
Sky Stream, Essential TV & Netflix with Full Fibre 500 Broadband
| 500Mbps average download
| £40.00 +£6/month Ultra HD No upfront fee 24 month contract | See deal |
Sky Stream, Ultimate TV & Netflix with Full Fibre 500 Broadband
| 500Mbps average download
| £42.00 +£6/month Ultra HD No upfront fee 24 month contract | See deal |
More Information
For more information about Ultra HD and Dolby Atmos on Sky, please see Sky’s official website.
FFU01 said:
It really isn’t worth it. Hardly any of the content is in Dolby Atmos and you can’t tell if it is until you start watching. It’s a bit of a rip off at the moment!