Sky HD
Encyclopedia
Sky+ HD is the brand name of the HDTV
service launched by BSkyB
on 22 May 2006 in the United Kingdom
and Ireland
to enable high definition channels on Sky to be viewed. For the first 2 years after launch, the service was branded Sky HD. The service requires the user to have a Sky+ HD Digibox
and an HD ready
TV. Customers who pre-order
ed by paying a deposit
before 6 April 2006 were the first to receive the service, with installations starting on 21 May 2006.
On 30 June 2011, Sky announced that the total number of homes with Sky+HD currently stands at 3.822m.
The HD package, like the sky TV has a one year minimum subscription and after this point an 31 day cancellation period is needed.
Sky+
recording facilities are included at no cost if a customer subscribes to any Sky package. Viewers who do not take a subscription channel package will still receive all free channels, but cannot use the recording facilities.
In Jan 2010, customers started being offered the Sky+ HD box as standard, and it is now optional to take the HD package. The HD package still remains at the same subscription price. The Sky+ box is no longer listed for purchase on the Sky website, and the Sky+HD is now classed as the standard box installation.
HD channels are available which do not require a subscription, only an HD capable digibox such as the Sky+ HD box.
BBC HD
, BBC One HD and Channel 4 HD are broadcast free to air. ITV1 HD launched on 2 April 2010 in England and Wales, and can also be viewed without an HD subscription, although viewers in some regions may require a viewing card. (Viewers in Scotland and Ireland, or viewers without viewing cards, can manually tune in the channel via the 'Other Channels' function.) Channel 5 announced on 17 March 2010 that Channel 5 HD would be added to the Sky platform in July 2010, however it requires a viewing card.. NHK World HD was added to the EPG in July 2011, with channel number 518, becoming the second HD
news channel (after Sky News HD). It is also free to air.
. Sky have since added Samsung, Pace and Amstrad as manufacturers. The Thomson box has been discontinued and is no longer available as an A-grade/refurbished item due to its inclusion of YPbPr component video. A manufacturing fault led to a batch of up to 90,000 units manufactured by Pace / Sky starting to replace boxes, commencing in February 2009 and still ongoing in spring 2009.
For connectivity with HD ready
televisions, the box outputs via a HDMI
connector (adapters to Digital Visual Interface
are available). The box is High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection
(HDCP) compliant. Sky boxes manufactured prior to January 2008 also had analogue component connections (YPbPr
), but as the HDCP copy protection cannot be applied to this type of output it is no longer included. Traditional standard-definition (SD) connections are available via SCART
and S-Video
. All programming is currently output from both HDMI and SD connections, although individual broadcasters have the option to require HDCP (and therefore HDMI) in the future. The digibox also comes with a new slimline version of the Sky+ remote control.
All HD channels are broadcast in 1080i
format (though the box can be set to scale this to 720p
if the user wishes), using the H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
compression standard, from Astra 2A
, Astra 2B
and Eurobird 1
satellites at 28.2°E
and 28.5E in a new DVB transmission standard, DVB-S2
. BBC HD
was broadcast using DVB-S
but switched to DVB-S2 on 6th June 2011.
The Version 5 EPG (electronic program guide
) is almost identical to the one found on Sky+, with the exception being that by pressing TV Guide and then number 2 on the remote control
, listings for only the HD channels are shown. An update was sent to the HD boxes early on March 20, 2007, which also included code for Sky Anytime. Sky Anytime TV is accessed by pressing "TV Guide" and then the red button.
Version 8 of the Sky Guide, dubbed the Sky+ HD guide, has been gradually released throughout 2009 in phases based on the equipment manufacturer. This version boasts a Mini TV (similar to that in version 5's Sky Anytime), improved search functions and a completely new look. Further information can be found in the 'Sky+ HD Guide' section below.
On 1 October 2010, Sky began the process of downloading open-source software
to Sky+ HD receivers. Unlike the majority of software upgrades made by Sky, the open source licences require Sky to notify customers that the download has taken place. Subscribers are notified with an on-screen message that refers them to a dedicated section of the Sky website. The website also includes a download of the open source components including the building environment. Sky says that it has found a number of Open Source Software developments that provide capabilities that benefit the software used in the Sky+ HD box.
, Sky Movies 9 HD
, Sky Movies 10 HD
, Sky Sports HD
, Discovery HD
, National Geographic Channel HD, Sky Box Office HD 1 and Sky Box Office HD 2 (now Sky Movies Box Office).
Currently, there are 55 HD Channels available on the Sky+ HD EPG. All HD
channels in the UK can be viewed using Sky HD (except Film4 HD
).
service for owners of Sky+ HD set top boxes. Programmes in high definition and standard definition are recorded overnight to a reserved 140GB of disk space, to give the effect of video on demand.
This has also been used to bring viewers high definition programmes from channels that do not currently broadcast in HD. These have included Sky News
(Technofile, Diana: The Last Word), The Disney Channel
(High School Musical 2) and Nickelodeon
(iCarly
)
The channel listings will now be cached on the hard drive, freeing up the tuner so that users can continue to view programmes in a small Mini TV while browsing the TV Guide. The data being stored on the hard drive also means that loading times decrease and synopsis information can be displayed for channels other than the one you are watching. Other features include a significantly improved programme search system, A Series Stack which groups episodes of the same series together in the planner, and the ability to highlight HD programmes in the TV guide. The new EPG is also presented in 1080i, rather than the previous upscaled version.
As of 9 December 2009, All boxes have been updated to the new Guide.
The current EPG Software Version for Thomson boxes is Sky+ 8.3.2, for the Amstrad DRX780 it's 42.0.5.2_3 and for the Amstrad DRX890, Samsung and Pace boxes it's 47.0.16.1 and Amstrad DRX895 1TB it's 45.0.41.12
On 30 July 2009, Sky confirmed the launch of a ‘pull’ video-on-demand (VOD) service for 2010, adding to the current Sky Anytime ‘push’ VOD service. The service, delivered by broadband internet, will utilise the Ethernet port of existing Sky+ HD boxes. Sky's Anytime+ will only be available to Sky broadband at launch but sky say it will be on all service providers in the near future. Although the service may be similar to DirecTV
's VOD offering that also uses an operating system built by NDS Group
, a Permira
/News Corporation
company. Sky have started the phased roll-out of the new guide software for this service.
On 29 April 2010, BSkyB revealed that it will name its video-on-demand service Sky Anytime+
. “It will be a broad offering at launch with a large range of content across the range of content that we show,” CEO Jeremy Darroch said. “ (It will feature) progressive download using the broadband return pathway and the hard disc in a combined way. All of the boxes are VOD-ready, so we’ll be able to roll it out to all of the box population.” Sky Anytime+ began a staggered roll out from 26 October 2010. In march 2011 it was confirmed by sky that the Thomson sky hd boxes would not be suitable for the new anytime+ service. Customers with Thomson boxes are being offerd New boxes.
On 1 February 2011, BSkyB introduced a new EPG for Sky HD subscribers which switched the standard definition channels with the high definition simulcast. For example, Sky News HD, which was on channel 517, switched to channel 501. The same happened for other non-regional HD channels, including Syfy, Comedy Central, Sky Sports, E4 and Sky1.
channel during 2010, featuring a broad selection of 3D programming, which is expected to include movies, entertainment and sport. Existing Sky+ HD receivers will automatically be compatible with the new 3D service, although customers will require a new 3D compatible HDTV set to view in 3D. A 3D trailer has been in circulation in UK cinemas for the new service.
It is thought that it will use the new MVC
video codec. The first programme that was broadcast by Sky in 3D was the Arsenal
vs Manchester United football match on Sunday 31 January 2010. The 3D match was available in nine hand-picked pubs in England and in Ireland. On Monday 29 March 2010, Sky 3D
appeared on the EPG at number 217, showing "Programs Start on Saturday". Sky launched its 3D services on 3 April with the Manchester United vs Chelsea
football match being broadcast in over a thousand pubs across England in 3D.
for Personal Storage. The new box allows for up to 240 hours of recording. The original Sky+ HD Box has one 300GB
Hard Drive or 500GB hard drive depending on the model. All the Sky HD boxes use SATA
to connect to the hard drive. The 1TB box, currently made by Amstrad
, is being marketed by Sky as "Sky+ HD 1TB" and the hardware is significantly different to the original Sky HD receiver.It is the first box marketed by Sky to support 1080p in addition to existing 1080i resolution.
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
service launched by BSkyB
British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....
on 22 May 2006 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
to enable high definition channels on Sky to be viewed. For the first 2 years after launch, the service was branded Sky HD. The service requires the user to have a Sky+ HD Digibox
Digibox
The Digibox is a device marketed by British Sky Broadcasting in the UK and Republic of Ireland to enable home users to receive digital satellite television broadcasts from the Astra satellites at 28.2° east. An internet service is also available through the device, similar in some ways to the...
and an HD ready
HD ready
The HD ready is a certification program introduced in 2005 by EICTA , now DIGITALEUROPE....
TV. Customers who pre-order
Pre-order
A pre-order is an order placed for an item which has not yet been released. The idea for pre-orders came when people found it hard to get popular items in stores due to their popularity. Companies were then given the idea to allow people to reserve their own personal copy, before the release, ...
ed by paying a deposit
Deposit account
A deposit account is a current account, savings account, or other type of bank account, at a banking institution that allows money to be deposited and withdrawn by the account holder. These transactions are recorded on the bank's books, and the resulting balance is recorded as a liability for the...
before 6 April 2006 were the first to receive the service, with installations starting on 21 May 2006.
On 30 June 2011, Sky announced that the total number of homes with Sky+HD currently stands at 3.822m.
Subscriptions
A subscription to the HD Mix carries an extra fee of £10.25 on top of the standard Sky subscription. This fee allows customers to view all premium HD channels. SkyHD customers will only see the HD channels that correspond to the mixes they subscribe to. Thus, Discovery HD and National Geographic HD will only be available if you have the entertainment extra package in addition to HD. Before that someone without the Knowledge Pack (part of the entertainment extra of September 2011) cannot view the SD Discovery or National Geographic but they can view the HD versions.Additional Pay-Per-View events on Sky Box Office HD are not available to customers unless they subscribe to the Sky HD mix.The HD package, like the sky TV has a one year minimum subscription and after this point an 31 day cancellation period is needed.
Sky+
Sky+
Sky+, or Sky Plus, is a personal video recorder service for Sky in the UK. Launched in September 2001, it allows the user to record, pause and instantly rewind live TV. The system performs these functions using an internal hard drive inside the Sky+ set top box...
recording facilities are included at no cost if a customer subscribes to any Sky package. Viewers who do not take a subscription channel package will still receive all free channels, but cannot use the recording facilities.
In Jan 2010, customers started being offered the Sky+ HD box as standard, and it is now optional to take the HD package. The HD package still remains at the same subscription price. The Sky+ box is no longer listed for purchase on the Sky website, and the Sky+HD is now classed as the standard box installation.
Free channels
A number of FTAFree-to-air
Free-to-air describes television and radio services broadcast in clear form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscription or one-off fee...
HD channels are available which do not require a subscription, only an HD capable digibox such as the Sky+ HD box.
BBC HD
BBC HD
BBC HD is a high-definition television network provided by the BBC. The service was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007...
, BBC One HD and Channel 4 HD are broadcast free to air. ITV1 HD launched on 2 April 2010 in England and Wales, and can also be viewed without an HD subscription, although viewers in some regions may require a viewing card. (Viewers in Scotland and Ireland, or viewers without viewing cards, can manually tune in the channel via the 'Other Channels' function.) Channel 5 announced on 17 March 2010 that Channel 5 HD would be added to the Sky platform in July 2010, however it requires a viewing card.. NHK World HD was added to the EPG in July 2011, with channel number 518, becoming the second HD
HD
HD may refer to:- Science and technology :* High-definition, reference to:** high-definition video** high-definition television ** Intel High Definition Audio** HD Voice...
news channel (after Sky News HD). It is also free to air.
Technical information
The first generation of Sky+ HD Digibox were produced by ThomsonThomson SA
Technicolor SA , formerly Thomson SA and Thomson Multimedia, is a French international provider of solutions for the creation, management, post-production, delivery and access of video, for the Communication, Media and Entertainment industries. Technicolor’s headquarters are located in Issy les...
. Sky have since added Samsung, Pace and Amstrad as manufacturers. The Thomson box has been discontinued and is no longer available as an A-grade/refurbished item due to its inclusion of YPbPr component video. A manufacturing fault led to a batch of up to 90,000 units manufactured by Pace / Sky starting to replace boxes, commencing in February 2009 and still ongoing in spring 2009.
For connectivity with HD ready
HD ready
The HD ready is a certification program introduced in 2005 by EICTA , now DIGITALEUROPE....
televisions, the box outputs via a HDMI
High-Definition Multimedia Interface
HDMI is a compact audio/video interface for transmitting uncompressed digital data. It is a digital alternative to consumer analog standards, such as radio frequency coaxial cable, composite video, S-Video, SCART, component video, D-Terminal, or VGA...
connector (adapters to Digital Visual Interface
Digital Visual Interface
The Digital Visual Interface is a video interface standard covering the transmission of video between a source device and a display device. The DVI standard has achieved widespread acceptance in the PC industry, both in desktop PCs and monitors...
are available). The box is High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection
High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection
High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection is a form of digital copy protection developed by Intel Corporation to prevent copying of digital audio and video content as it travels across connections...
(HDCP) compliant. Sky boxes manufactured prior to January 2008 also had analogue component connections (YPbPr
YPbPr
' is a color space used in video electronics, in particular in reference to component video cables. is the analog version of the YCBCR color space; the two are numerically equivalent, but YPBPR is designed for use in analog systems whereas YCBCR is intended for digital video. cables are also...
), but as the HDCP copy protection cannot be applied to this type of output it is no longer included. Traditional standard-definition (SD) connections are available via SCART
SCART
SCART is a French-originated standard and associated 21-pin connector for connecting audio-visual equipment together...
and S-Video
S-Video
Separate Video, more commonly known as S-Video and Y/C, is often referred to by JVC as both an S-VHS connector and as Super Video. It is an analog video transmission scheme, in which video information is encoded on two channels: luma and chroma...
. All programming is currently output from both HDMI and SD connections, although individual broadcasters have the option to require HDCP (and therefore HDMI) in the future. The digibox also comes with a new slimline version of the Sky+ remote control.
All HD channels are broadcast in 1080i
1080i
1080i is the shorthand name for a high-definition television mode. The i means interlaced video; 1080i differs from 1080p, in which the p stands for progressive scan. The term 1080i assumes a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, implying a frame size of 1920×1080 pixels...
format (though the box can be set to scale this to 720p
720p
720p is the shorthand name for 1280x720, a category of High-definition television video modes having a resolution of 1080 or 720p and a progressive scan...
if the user wishes), using the H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
H.264/MPEG-4 Part 10 or AVC is a standard for video compression, and is currently one of the most commonly used formats for the recording, compression, and distribution of high definition video...
compression standard, from Astra 2A
Astra 2A
Astra 2A is a communications satellite owned by SES Astra. Launched in 1998, half its expected end-of-life capacity of 28 transponders were pre-booked by BSkyB, who utilised it to launch their new Sky Digital service...
, Astra 2B
Astra 2B
Astra 2B is a communications satellite owned and operated by SES Astra, launched in 2000 to join Astra 2A at the Astra 28.2°E orbital slot providing digital television and radio broadcast services to the UK and Republic of Ireland....
and Eurobird 1
Eurobird 1
Eurobird 1 is a Eutelsat operated Eurobird satellite, used primarily for digital television. It is located at 28.5° east in the Clarke Belt, just within the range of most satellite dishes pointed at SES Astra's Astra 2A, 2B and 2D at 28.2° east...
satellites at 28.2°E
Astra 28.2°E
Astra 28.2°E is the name for the group of Astra communications satellites co-located at the 28.2° East position in the Clarke Belt that are owned and operated by SES based in Betzdorf, Luxembourg...
and 28.5E in a new DVB transmission standard, DVB-S2
DVB-S2
Digital Video Broadcasting - Satellite - Second Generation is a digital television broadcast standard that has been designed as a successor for the popular DVB-S system. It was developed in 2003 by the , an international industry consortium, and ratified by ETSI in March 2005...
. BBC HD
BBC HD
BBC HD is a high-definition television network provided by the BBC. The service was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007...
was broadcast using DVB-S
DVB-S
DVB-S is an abbreviation for Digital Video Broadcasting — Satellite; it is the original Digital Video Broadcasting forward error coding and demodulation standard for satellite television and dates from 1994, in its first release, while development lasted from 1993 to 1997...
but switched to DVB-S2 on 6th June 2011.
The Version 5 EPG (electronic program guide
Electronic program guide
Electronic program guides and interactive program guides provide users of television, radio, and other media applications with continuously updated menus displaying broadcast programming or scheduling information for current and upcoming programming...
) is almost identical to the one found on Sky+, with the exception being that by pressing TV Guide and then number 2 on the remote control
Remote control
A remote control is a component of an electronics device, most commonly a television set, used for operating the television device wirelessly from a short line-of-sight distance.The remote control is usually contracted to remote...
, listings for only the HD channels are shown. An update was sent to the HD boxes early on March 20, 2007, which also included code for Sky Anytime. Sky Anytime TV is accessed by pressing "TV Guide" and then the red button.
Version 8 of the Sky Guide, dubbed the Sky+ HD guide, has been gradually released throughout 2009 in phases based on the equipment manufacturer. This version boasts a Mini TV (similar to that in version 5's Sky Anytime), improved search functions and a completely new look. Further information can be found in the 'Sky+ HD Guide' section below.
On 1 October 2010, Sky began the process of downloading open-source software
Open-source software
Open-source software is computer software that is available in source code form: the source code and certain other rights normally reserved for copyright holders are provided under a software license that permits users to study, change, improve and at times also to distribute the software.Open...
to Sky+ HD receivers. Unlike the majority of software upgrades made by Sky, the open source licences require Sky to notify customers that the download has taken place. Subscribers are notified with an on-screen message that refers them to a dedicated section of the Sky website. The website also includes a download of the open source components including the building environment. Sky says that it has found a number of Open Source Software developments that provide capabilities that benefit the software used in the Sky+ HD box.
Channels
The launch line-up consisted of Sky1 HD, Sky Arts HDSky Arts
Sky Arts and Sky Arts HD is the brand name for a group of art-oriented television channels offering 18 hours a day of programmes dedicated to highbrow arts, including theatrical performances, movies, documentaries and music...
, Sky Movies 9 HD
Sky Movies
Sky Movies is the collective name for the premium subscription television movie channels operated by Sky Television, and later British Sky Broadcasting. It has around 5 million subscribers, via satellite, cable and IPTV in the UK and Ireland...
, Sky Movies 10 HD
Sky Movies
Sky Movies is the collective name for the premium subscription television movie channels operated by Sky Television, and later British Sky Broadcasting. It has around 5 million subscribers, via satellite, cable and IPTV in the UK and Ireland...
, Sky Sports HD
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
, Discovery HD
Discovery HD
Discovery HD is the international name of the high-definition television channels from Discovery Communications.The international Discovery HD first launched in Korea on February 2005 as a programming block...
, National Geographic Channel HD, Sky Box Office HD 1 and Sky Box Office HD 2 (now Sky Movies Box Office).
Currently, there are 55 HD Channels available on the Sky+ HD EPG. All HD
HD
HD may refer to:- Science and technology :* High-definition, reference to:** high-definition video** high-definition television ** Intel High Definition Audio** HD Voice...
channels in the UK can be viewed using Sky HD (except Film4 HD
Film4
Film4 is a free digital television channel available in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, owned and operated by Channel 4, that screens films.-Programming:...
).
Sky Anytime
On 27 March 2007, Sky launched its Sky Anytime on TV Push-Video on DemandVideo on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
service for owners of Sky+ HD set top boxes. Programmes in high definition and standard definition are recorded overnight to a reserved 140GB of disk space, to give the effect of video on demand.
This has also been used to bring viewers high definition programmes from channels that do not currently broadcast in HD. These have included Sky News
Sky News
Sky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
(Technofile, Diana: The Last Word), The Disney Channel
Disney Channel (UK)
Disney Channel is a children's entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland since 1 October 1995. A one hour timeshift service called Disney Channel +1 is available on Sky and Virgin Media...
(High School Musical 2) and Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon UK
Nickelodeon is a children's television channel available on Sky, Virgin Media, Smallworld Cable, TalkTalk TV and UPC Ireland in the United Kingdom and Ireland, including on demand on BT Vision. The channel was launched on 1 September 1993...
(iCarly
ICarly
iCarly is an American sitcom that focuses on a girl named Carly Shay who creates her own web show called iCarly with her best friends Sam and Freddie. The series was created by Dan Schneider, who also serves as executive producer. It stars Miranda Cosgrove as Carly, Jennette McCurdy as Sam, Nathan...
)
Increase in HD channels
In over three years since launch, the number of HD channels available has increased significantly, thus Sky+ HD is the world’s largest HD offering outside North America.The Sky+ HD Guide
Since the launch, the Sky+ HD EPG has been based upon the Sky Guide, which has changed little since the launch of Sky in 1998. For two years, Sky have been working on a completely new EPG exclusively for Sky+ HD boxes. This was first made available to customers with Thomson boxes in March 2009. As of December 9, 2009 all Thomson, Pace, Samsung and Amstrad models have been upgraded to the new EPG. Further information and details about the EPG are available on the Sky+HD Guide website, with a user guide on how to use the EPG and new instruction manuals for the boxes.The channel listings will now be cached on the hard drive, freeing up the tuner so that users can continue to view programmes in a small Mini TV while browsing the TV Guide. The data being stored on the hard drive also means that loading times decrease and synopsis information can be displayed for channels other than the one you are watching. Other features include a significantly improved programme search system, A Series Stack which groups episodes of the same series together in the planner, and the ability to highlight HD programmes in the TV guide. The new EPG is also presented in 1080i, rather than the previous upscaled version.
As of 9 December 2009, All boxes have been updated to the new Guide.
The current EPG Software Version for Thomson boxes is Sky+ 8.3.2, for the Amstrad DRX780 it's 42.0.5.2_3 and for the Amstrad DRX890, Samsung and Pace boxes it's 47.0.16.1 and Amstrad DRX895 1TB it's 45.0.41.12
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
's VOD offering that also uses an operating system built by NDS Group
NDS Group
NDS Group Plc. is a developer of pay TV technology. NDS was established in 1988 as an Israeli start up company. It was acquired by News Corporation in 1992. The company is currently headquartered in Staines, United Kingdom...
, a Permira
Permira
Permira is a United Kingdom-based private equity firm with global reach. The firm advises funds with a total committed capital of approximately €20 billion....
/News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
company. Sky have started the phased roll-out of the new guide software for this service.
On 29 April 2010, BSkyB revealed that it will name its video-on-demand service Sky Anytime+
Sky Anytime+
Sky Anytime+ is the brand-name of a ‘pull’ video on demand extension to the Sky Anytime service on BSkyB's Sky satellite television platform.-History:...
. “It will be a broad offering at launch with a large range of content across the range of content that we show,” CEO Jeremy Darroch said. “ (It will feature) progressive download using the broadband return pathway and the hard disc in a combined way. All of the boxes are VOD-ready, so we’ll be able to roll it out to all of the box population.” Sky Anytime+ began a staggered roll out from 26 October 2010. In march 2011 it was confirmed by sky that the Thomson sky hd boxes would not be suitable for the new anytime+ service. Customers with Thomson boxes are being offerd New boxes.
On 1 February 2011, BSkyB introduced a new EPG for Sky HD subscribers which switched the standard definition channels with the high definition simulcast. For example, Sky News HD, which was on channel 517, switched to channel 501. The same happened for other non-regional HD channels, including Syfy, Comedy Central, Sky Sports, E4 and Sky1.
3D
Following demonstrations in December 2008, Sky announced on 30 July 2009 its intention to launch a 3DDigital 3D
Digital 3D is a non-specific 3D standard in which films, television shows, and video games are presented and shot in digital 3D technology or later processed in digital post-production to add a 3D effect....
channel during 2010, featuring a broad selection of 3D programming, which is expected to include movies, entertainment and sport. Existing Sky+ HD receivers will automatically be compatible with the new 3D service, although customers will require a new 3D compatible HDTV set to view in 3D. A 3D trailer has been in circulation in UK cinemas for the new service.
It is thought that it will use the new MVC
Multiview Video Coding
Multiview Video Coding is an amendment to H.264/MPEG-4 AVC video compression standard developed with joint efforts by MPEG/VCEG that enables efficient encoding of sequences captured simultaneously from multiple cameras using a single video stream....
video codec. The first programme that was broadcast by Sky in 3D was the Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
vs Manchester United football match on Sunday 31 January 2010. The 3D match was available in nine hand-picked pubs in England and in Ireland. On Monday 29 March 2010, Sky 3D
Sky 3D
Sky 3D is a 3DTV channel on the Sky platform, that launched on 3 April 2010 with the Manchester United vs Chelsea football match being broadcast in over a thousand pubs across England in 3D. On 1 October 2010, Sky 3D became available to residential subscribers...
appeared on the EPG at number 217, showing "Programs Start on Saturday". Sky launched its 3D services on 3 April with the Manchester United vs Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
football match being broadcast in over a thousand pubs across England in 3D.
1TB Storage
A new model Set Top Box introduced in late 2009/early 2010, offers a new storage capacity of 1TBTerabyte
The terabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information. The prefix tera means 1012 in the International System of Units , and therefore 1 terabyte is , or 1 trillion bytes, or 1000 gigabytes. 1 terabyte in binary prefixes is 0.9095 tebibytes, or 931.32 gibibytes...
for Personal Storage. The new box allows for up to 240 hours of recording. The original Sky+ HD Box has one 300GB
Gigabyte
The gigabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage. The prefix giga means 109 in the International System of Units , therefore 1 gigabyte is...
Hard Drive or 500GB hard drive depending on the model. All the Sky HD boxes use SATA
Sata
Sata is a traditional dish from the Malaysian state of Terengganu, consisting of spiced fish meat wrapped in banana leaves and cooked on a grill.It is a type of Malaysian fish cake, or otak-otak...
to connect to the hard drive. The 1TB box, currently made by Amstrad
Amstrad
Amstrad is a British electronics company, now wholly owned by BSkyB. As of 2006, Amstrad's main business is manufacturing Sky Digital interactive boxes....
, is being marketed by Sky as "Sky+ HD 1TB" and the hardware is significantly different to the original Sky HD receiver.It is the first box marketed by Sky to support 1080p in addition to existing 1080i resolution.
See also
- British Sky BroadcastingBritish Sky BroadcastingBritish Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....
- Sky (UK & Ireland)
- High-definition televisionHigh-definition televisionHigh-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
- High-definition television in the United KingdomHigh-definition television in the United KingdomHigh-definition television in the United Kingdom is available via cable, IPTV, satellite and terrestrial television. The first high-definition broadcasts began in 2006 and the number of channels has grown to 65 ....
External links
- Sky+ HD at sky.com