It's very interesting to me (and helpful to have it confirmed, thanks!) to see this thread revived.
We're currently still on SD for our TV (yes, I know, but we haven't cared enough to change it) and the BBC are getting rid of it - without releasing any official notice beforehand, unlike with the responsible and extensive way that they and the other broadcasters were able to handle the changeover from analogue to digital back well over a decade ago and still treat viewers as important.
All they've done is suddenly drop our regional news, with no warning at all apart from us turning it on and finding it gone one day; and now they put a big red banner across the bottom third of the screen for the entire duration of every other programme on BBC1 'warning' us that we are going to 'lose' our programmes, when in reality, their banner is already deliberately spoiling and making those programmes unwatchable. It's a bit like somebody vociferously warning you of the mugger around the corner whom you obviously want to avoid whilst raining punches on you.
Anything with titles/text or clocks, questions or scores (as on quiz/gameshows) is hidden, making all of those programmes pointless (and not only the one that actually bears that description as its name). It's particularly nasty and discriminatory that they are deliberately ignoring the needs of deaf/hard-of-hearing and a great many elderly viewers - all of whom pay their licence-fee too.
Anyway, that rant over, the banner spoilers tell Sky viewers to contact Sky for help to 'upgrade'. In fact, Sky themselves frequently flash up nagging pop-ups, urging you to call them to 'upgrade' to Sky Q (although their nags can be cancelled and disappear after 'only' a few minutes of their own accord if you've set something to record whilst away).
Like many people, we don't want Sky Q - the questionable reliability, the extra monthly cost, the superfluous and complicating functions that absolutely do not interest us. We have ordered a used Sky+HD box from eBay and will swap it over ourselves - but I'm guessing that a lot of less tech-savvy people will not realise that this is an option for them.
I really resent the BBC forcing licence-payers to pay more money to keep their services, whether in increased monthly premiums to Sky or in having to buy new third-party Sky or Freesat equipment.
We'll ask Sky to supply a replacement HD-compatible viewing card, but if they refuse to do so without our taking Sky Q, we'll just cancel the contract with them and use the new HD box for the free-to-air channels, which represent 97% or so of our viewing. We have no interest in sport or blockbuster films. We can always get Now TV at a fraction of the current monthly cost of 'standard' Sky for the small amount of Sky-exclusive content that we like (tbh, we're thinking of cancelling Sky 'proper' and doing this anyway, now that we have to act to make some changes to our setup).
We are not luddites and are happy with TV streaming services, for which we often connect a laptop to view on the TV; we just wish to keep our internet TV provision controlled by 'proper' internet devices and not be forced to use a smart TV, for a number of personal reasons. I realise that many people do like and prefer a smart TV and/or Sky Q - and they absolutely should have that option available; but I equally want to have the option for us not to choose that setup.
Thank you to those people who have confirmed (to our satisfaction, at least) that we are not being silly or petty in declining Sky Q without reason!