Binge away, Sky+ owners: Netflix-style “watch next” coming to set-top boxes
It's never been easier to veg out in front of a Sky box set
Sky’s working hard to launch its new Sky Q set-top box, but that doesn’t mean existing Sky+ customers can’t expect to get an update every now and then.
The latest is coming soon and promises to bring several features Netflix and Amazon Prime Video fans should be familiar with. A new “Watch Next” mode will put a prompt onscreen when you’re getting towards the end of a show, which will jump straight into the next episode if you choose Yes by pressing the green button.
You won’t have to wait around for downloads any more, either. the Series Link feature has been improved with a Download All button, so you can move the entire series straight into your Planner, rather than choosing each episode individually. The first two episodes of a show download automatically, with others downloading as you watch.
Sky has borrowed features from Netflix and Amazon in the past; it added a recommendation engine that suggests TV shows based on your tastes and recent activity back in 2014. That’s when smart series link made a debut too, automatically picking up a series recording when the show returns for a new season.
The Sky Guide has been streamlined too, with more recognisable show images making it easier to choose what to watch. They will appear in New Series, Suggestions, Search and TV Box Sets.
Finally, films in the recently launched Watchlist are organised by date, with movies set to expire from Sky Movies the soonest moved to the top to ensure you don’t miss them.
This month’s update is good news for Sky+ customers, who might have been worried they were staring down the barrel of obsolescence as Sky launches Sky Q. If you haven’t got a 4K TV, or don’t need to record four TV shows at once, it looks like it’ll be fine to stick on Sky+ for the foreseeable future.
Tom Morgan-Freelander
Deputy Editor 
