We all know that Sky Go does not support HDMI and typically brings up an error stating that the external output monitor is blocked.
Well, the answers online are a complete mess, 99% of which don’t even work, so in this guide, we’ll teach you some working bypasses and hacks!
Sky Go doesn’t allow streaming via HDMI on a big TV screen because of their content rights restriction.
One way to bypass this limitation is to use a remote desktop app or simply record your device’s screen and broadcast the stream to an online destination.
We’ll explain everything in easy steps!
Sorry Sky Go Does Not Support HDMI – Why?
Sky Go does everything in its power to discourage external streaming outside the Sky Go app to prevent illegal content distribution.
Their measures surpass many users’ expectations and are very hard to bypass, and most people give up after realising that it’s not that simple!
However, there are a couple of ways to send the content played in the Sky Go app on almost any device and then view the content on your big TV screen.
Well, the working methods are not as straightforward as pressing a button; instead, there are quite a few extra steps involved.
There are a couple of ways to bypass the Sky Go content-sharing limitations:
If you’ve already attempted several different suggestions from the web, and they don’t work, well, this is expected.
The online space is full of misleading information, but the bypasses listed above are 100% working bypasses for the Sky Go content sharing limitations and restrictions.
Note: The guide below does not include steps with HDMI or Chromecast!
Sky Go Does Not Support HDMI – 3 Working Bypasses!
The bypasses below require an active internet connection on your Sky Go playout device and on the big-screen TV or monitor you wish to stream Sky on.
1. Stream Sky & Record Device’s Screen!
One of the easiest methods to transfer the content from the Sky Go app from the mobile app or the computer app to the TV would be by recording your screen.
The way this works is by streaming an entire movie or a few episodes from a Sky Go TV show overnight to have the full recording in the morning.
Then, when the recording is locally stored on your device, there are numerous ways to get the file playing on your smart or non-smart TV.
How to Record iPhone Screen?
First, go into Settings > Control Centre, and add Screen Recording to the quick menu.
Then simply swipe down from the top and tap on the record icon to start capturing your phone screen.
How to Record Android Screen?
On Android, swipe up from the top to access the quick menu and locate the recorder icon.
Tap the icon to begin the process, select that you want to record your screen, and you’re ready!
How to Record Windows Screen?
On Windows, there are endless ways to record your screen.
You’ll have to download an app to do so, and we recommend going with OBS (Open Broadcast Software).
How to Record MacOS Screen?
On macOS, press Shift + Command + 5, which will open the recorder tool.
Then you only need to adjust the capturing screen area and click “Record” to start recording your Sky Go stream.
How to Export the Recording to TV?
The final step is to find the recorded file on your machine and take this file to your TV. You can use different methods based on your operating system.
For example, if you are recording on iOS or macOS, you can easily access iCloud.com from your Smart TV and then play the recording from Photos.
On Android, you can use the Miracast or any other casting application to mirror your device’s screen playing the Sky Go recording.
Tip: As a last resort, you can transfer the Sky Go recording to a USB drive and plug the dongle into your TV to stream the recording locally.
2. Stream Your Sky Go Content Online!
We all know that many online websites like YouTube and Twitch allow users to broadcast their content for free.
We can use this to our advantage by broadcasting the screen of our Sky Go device while streaming Sky Go content so that we can view the content from any device.
Note: Don’t worry; this is not illegal as long as you’re streaming privately!
How to Stream on YouTube?
It’s very easy to stream on YouTube from any device. When you open YouTube from the web or the mobile app, at the top-right, you’ll see a button “Create.”
When you click this button, you’ll see “Go Live,” allowing you to broadcast your device’s display for real-time viewing on the web.
The screen of your device will be shared as a Live in your YouTube account, and then you only need to open the Sky Go app and start streaming.
When done, you can easily access the YouTube app or website from your smart TV, go to the live stream URL, and enjoy Sky Go.
Streaming to YouTube on PC?
If you have the Sky Go app on a computer, we suggest using OBS, allowing you to stream to YouTube in Full HD or 4K.
This software works by configuring the Live settings and merging the program with your YouTube account by using a live stream key.
You can discover the live stream key on your YouTube creator’s page, ultimately allowing you to stream your computer desktop to YouTube in real-time.
When you’re ready, you can open the YouTube URL on your smart TV or any other device and stream Sky Go in very good quality.
Important – Delete Your Streams!
When you’re done watching your YouTube streams, they will appear as a recording in your creator studio.
Then we recommend deleting those recordings to avoid getting a copyright strike, even if those recordings were completely private without public viewing enabled.
Note: You may need to carry out a YouTube verification process, which takes up to 24 hours!
3. Use a Remote Desktop Application!
In case you didn’t know, there are numerous remote desktop applications whose primary goal is to allow users to control their computers from another machine.
The app must exist on both of the machines and by providing the connection key (ID) and password, you can connect anytime.
The way it enables Sky Go viewing on your TV is because these apps clearly show the connection machine’s display.
Hence, if Sky Go is playing on this machine, you can see the stream from the machine you’re connecting to; thus, this can be your computer or smart TV.
You can use any of the following remote desktop apps:
Note: You must verify that the selected remote desktop app is supported on your Sky Go computer and smart TV or big-screen monitor machine.
How to Use a Remote App To Stream Sky Go?
- First, install the remote app on your Sky Go device.
- Then, install the same app on your big-screen TV.
- Next, open the remote application on both machines.
- Tip: Now, you must connect your TV to a Sky device.
- Note the IP shown in the app of your Sky Go device.
- Then, insert the IP in the remote app on the smart TV.
- Click on the “Connect” button to begin the process.
- On your Sky Go machine, accept the TV connection.
Viola!
The screen of your Sky Go device will immediately show up on your TV screen, plus you’ll be able to control your Sky Go machine from your TV.
Finally, you only need to open the Sky Go app and start playing content you’ll enjoy on your big TV screen as long as you need to.
Tip: The remote desktop apps typically have an option to reduce quality and lag or increase the quality in case of a fast internet connection.
Quick Recap:
So, Sky Go does not support HDMI, no problem.
Alternative viewing options include capturing your device’s screen and then locally exploring the file for streaming on your TV.
Another way is to stream your device’s screen online or use a desktop remote app!
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Finn Wheatley holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from UCL, London. He helped small data science consultancy firms, helping large corporations to grow their data capabilities, deploy advanced machine learning-based analytics and troubleshoot tech-related issues. Check out more about him here.