ITV have agreed a pay-television deal with broadcasters Sky to bring high definition versions of ITV 2, ITV 3 and ITV 4 to the subscription service.
ITV2 HD will launch in October, just in time for the mega popular X Factor talent show, with ITV 3 HD and ITV 4 HD following soon after.
Adam Crozier, Chief Executive of ITV plc, said: "Building new revenue streams by exploiting our content across multiple platforms is a key part of the ITV Transformation Plan announced today. Pay television has seen continual growth over the last decade and this deal is a great example of how a new, subscription-based launch, can complement ITV's existing free-to-air channels."
Mike Darcey, Sky's Chief Operating Officer, echoed Crozier's sentiments: "The subscription model best rewards those committing to HD and continues to drive its growth. We therefore welcome ITV's move to embrace pay TV to satisfy the demands of millions who now regard anything less than HD as a compromise. This is great news for the one in three Sky homes who have already responded to the increased choice and quality offered by Sky+HD."
Looks as though the 3D content drought may be about to end, as broadcasters Sky have today announced that their 3D TV channel will officially launch on October 1st of this year.
Those with a 3D ready TV, Sky+HD and top channel subscription package will be able to enjoy the new 3D-only channel at no extra cost. The channel will offer a range of programme types, from sport to Hollywood movies.
The intial line-up includes coverage of both the Ryder Cup golf tournament and Premier League football, as well the 3D movies Bolt and Monsters Vs. Aliens. By Christmas, this will expand to include My Bloody Valentine, Alice in Wonderland, Ice Age - Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Coraline, Fly Me To The Moon and Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince.
Jeremy Darroch, Sky's Chief Executive, said: "As with High Definition, 3D is set to transform the way TV is enjoyed in homes nationwide. Following hot on the heels of the success of 3D cinema, Sky customers will now be the first anywhere in Europe to experience 3D TV from the comfort of their living rooms. They can look forward to a fantastic mix of live sport, blockbuster movies, and innovative entertainment and arts shows."
Sky's Anytime video on demand service is to get a massive overhaul later this year. Called Sky Anytime+, we got a sneak peak at at a preview event today which will allow Sky viewers almost instant access to over 500 movies and hundreds of hours of programming.
Piped into your existing Sky HD set-top box through an Ethernet connection, movies and shows will be offered up in standard definition as opposed to full HD, presented in a dedicated section of the Sky EPG. Programmes can be watched within a minute of selection n a 2MB broadband connection, taking around 20 minutes to download an average-length film.
Downloads can be queued, trailers can be watched and the whole system can be searched using a revamped interface tailored to hunting out specific VOD content. Content is subdivided by genre and channel, and can be searched using the alphabet characters on the Sky remote. Downloads can also continue while the box is on standby, using less power to grab shows and movies overnight.
Sky's Box Office service is now fully on-demand too. Purchase a flick and it becomes available within minutes, rather than having to wait for one of the scheduled slots to begin.
A background over-the-air update later this year will upgrade all existing Sky HD boxes with the software needed to run Anytime+, so you wont have to really do a thing to get going with the new service. You wont need to upgrade your Sky HD box in any way, as it already features an Ethernet port which can be used to download the films to your box. However, a Wi-Fi unit will be available for those who'd rather a fully wireless set-up, which looks something like a mini Sky box. Made by NetGear, you'll need a separate Wi-Fi box for each Sky HD box you want to connect to your router.
There is a catch however, and it's a rather big one. The service will only be available to those who also subscribe to Sky's own broadband package, or at least initially.
That means subscribing to Sky's £7.50 a month 20MB broadband tariff. The service comes with an unlimited download quota , which is handy as you'll burn through most limits within a few hours of using Sky Anytime+. Of course, the VOD content you can access is also limited to the Sky TV package that you've already purchased. Don't expect to be streaming movies if you cant already access the Sky Movie channels.
With the service going head-to-head with Virgin's own VOD service, you can understand Sky's reasoning for this closed approach to other ISPs. It's good to hear they are planning to roll it out to other ISPs in the future, but it would have been great to have this feature from the off.
Providing it eventually rolls out to all broadband providers this service could be very exciting indeed. More news on this as we get it.
Sky are lining up a big day of 3D sporting coverage this Saturday 21st May, with three major finals getting a 3D makeover.
Kicking of the 3D hat-trick is the Championship play-off final between Blackpool and Cardiff City at 2pm.
This is then followed by the Heineken Cup Final between Biarritz and Toulouse at 4pm, and lastly the Champions League Final between Bayern Munich and Inter Milan at 6pm.
Sky have been showing 3D sport in pubs since January, using LG screens and polarised 3D. Sky are looking to roll out a 3D channel to their satellite subscribers before the end of the year.
If you fancy checking out the above games in 3D, head over to http://www.sky.com/3dpubs to find your nearest 3d showing.
With preparations for the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa now getting into full swing, Sky have announced details of a limited edition range of Sky+HD boxes.
With specially decorated 1TB boxes from designer Wayne Hemmingway, illustrator Gerald Scarfe and Quadrophenia star Phil Daniels, footie mad tech fans can pick up the limited editions from 26th May, priced £249.
"To mark the World Cup being broadcast live and in high definition this year, Sky has joined forces with three famous faces to produce a limited edition collection of football themed Sky+HD 1TB boxes," Sky's press release reads.
"The exclusive designs are a must have for any football enthusiast looking to soak up every detail of World Cup drama," it adds.
Sky News will be launching a HD channel to mark 2010's Election night broadcasts.
Sky News HD will be a simulcast broadcast of the content from the standard definition Sky News channel, and will launch on Thursday 6th May at 9pm. It will take the Sky channel number of 517.
John Ryley, Head of Sky News said: "We've made the news ourselves in 2010 by launching the first UK news service in HD with sharper pictures and enhanced services for HD viewers. It's an innovation which clearly defines Sky's strengths, our passion and our restless pursuit to be first and to be the best. The detail of Sky News HD is stunning - I hope our viewers will enjoy the new experience."
Sky News HD brings Sky's high-definition channel count up to 40, with all Sky brands now having made the jump to the sharper picture format.
As of 31st December 2009, 2.1 million customers had signed up to receive Sky's HD pack of channels.
Sky have announced a new deal this morning, bringing their on-demand Sky Player to Humax Freeview set-top boxes, expanding the number of Sky viewers by thousands.
The deal comes hot on the heels of similar ones made with 3View and TV manufacturers Cello, as well as Microsoft and the Xbox 360. However, the new partnership with the popular Humax brand is a significant move for Sky, as Humax themselves are key players in the now-lucrative Freeview market.
"Until recently, Sky Player has largely been confined to the PC screen but that is changing fast. Since last autumn, it has been available on the Xbox and this year it will roll out to more broadband-enabled devices through deals with the likes of Fetch TV, 3 View and Cello," said Sky's chief executive Jeremy Darroch.
"Just today, we're announcing a further expansion of Sky Player through a new agreement with Humax, the leading provider of Freeview boxes. And there are more deals in the pipeline."
Speaking in Cannes, much of Darroch's speech focussed on Sky's fight with Ofcom over the price of its premium sports content. The expansion of the Sky Player and the increasing move away from satellite based services seems to show that quality content is the most high on Sky's agenda.
"In providing both new and existing customers with more choice and control over how they access Sky content, we continue to harness secure and high-quality distribution platforms like Humax," said Griff Parry, Sky's Director of On-Demand.
"We know that many Sky homes also have Freeview in other rooms, and this provides a great way for them to enjoy Sky away from their Sky box. And for new customers, particularly those in Freeview homes, it provides an innovative new access point to Sky's high-quality pay TV content."
Humax's Graham North added:"The addition of Sky Player on our Freeview HD boxes ensures Humax is positioned to offer consumers an exciting way to experience digital TV, with great content and a range of home networking and content sharing features."
Sky's online TV service will launch across Humax's new range of IP-enabled high definition Freeview boxes, including the Humax HD-FOX T2.
FIFA and Sony today revealed their 3D broadcasting plans for this summer's 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa.
However, English fans have been left out in the cold, with no group stage fixtures for England making the jump to 3D, nor any TV broadcasting schedule announced. Instead we'll have to hope England get through to the knock-out stages to see Rooney and co. in the third dimension. But even then we'll have to hunt out a cinema projecting the game in 3D, as Sky's 3D channel will not be showing the games.
ITV and BBC are the co-rights-holders of the coverage, and so far neither have announced any further plans to broadcast 3D content from the World Cup.
"You might be curious to know why [sic] the selection criteria," said Niclas Ericson, FIFA's director of TV. "It is a very difficult one but the main issue was that we wanted to have a good spread of the matches in terms of matchdays covered.
"We also wanted to make sure that the key games would be in this production schedule such as the opening, the final stage matches and, of course, the final in Soccer City. There were a lot of other reasons such as production reasons and logistics and space.
"Some of you here I'm sure will wonder why...England versus USA is not being used. It's a very hot match on June 12 and [it] is not possible to do it because of the various constraints that we have.
"But we feel you should not despair. England will make it through the final rounds and then we will show that."
Nice try at smoothing things over Ericson, but considering Brazil are getting three 3D group games and Spain, Argentina, Germany, Holland and Nigeria are getting two apiece, it still doesn't seem all that fair.
Sky and Channel Five have today revealed that Five will be launching a HD service for Sky+HD subscribers in July of this Summer.
It means Five's many top-rated US dramas such as CSI and FlashFoward will get a HD makeover, as well as Aussie soaps Neighbours and Home & Away, Europa League Football, international cricket and movies.
Five becomes the 42nd channel to hit Sky's HD line-up, following news that ITV 1HD, Sky News HD, Sky Sports HD 4 and the Hallmark Channel HD are all set to launch in the coming months. Sky plan to have 50 HD channels by this Christmas.
Charles Constable, Five's Director of Strategy, said: "This is an exciting opportunity for Five. Our programme schedule is more suited to HD than that any other major free-to-air commercial broadcaster given the wide range of high quality series we broadcast, such as our top-rated line-up of US dramas. We're delighted to begin our HD journey with Sky."
Migrating to new tech always tends to bring with it some compatibility issues between devices, but thankfully Sky seem to have ironed out any possible problems with their upcoming Sky 3D service.
The satellite TV giants sent out a message today, reiterating that "Sky 3D, its forthcoming 3D TV service and Europe's first 3D TV channel, will be compatible with all 3D TVs being introduced by Sony, Samsung, Panasonic and LG. Sky 3D will work with both 'active' and 'passive' 3D formats." That means that no matter what new 3D TV set you get, Sky have pretty much got you covered.
Dont fret if you're already a Sky+ HD subscriber but are not planning on upgrading your set just yet. Sky's HD content already available will not be affected by the additional 3D channels.
Look for Sky 3D to roll out sometime over the summer. For more info, click here.
A new range of Sony Bravia HD TVs, the UK's first to feature an integrated Freeview HD tuner, will be hitting UK stores this week.
Rather than having to shell out for a HD compatible set-top box, these HX, NX and EX sets will let their owners watch Freeview HD channels straight out of the box.
They're pretty stylish too, with a minimalist design that should see them fit right in in almost any home.
Each set will include a range of IPTV features too. LoveFilm accounts can be accessed through the sets, along with Twitter feeds and the Demand Five VOD service.
To sweeten the deal even further, the HX models will be fully 3D compatible once Sony start rolling out firmware updates to their Blu-Ray players and PS3 consoles.
Click here for more details.
Perhaps it's a knock on effect of the global rescession, but the latest report by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising has found that TV viewing is at the highest it has been in 18 years.
Viewers watched an average of 3.75 hours of TV a day last year, the highest figure since 1992, according to IPA research.
As one would expect to find, the first and last quarters of the year, with less daylight and fewer people away on holiday, tended to show the highest television viewing figures.
Interestingly, the IPA revealed that only 8.2 % of UK households relied on an analogue signal to catch their favourite shows, showing that the digital switch-over is almost complete.
While ITV and GMTV gathered 19% of the total television audience in the last three months of 2009, likely thanks to the popularity of the X-Factor, BBC1 continued to achieve the highest share of all the terrestrial channels, at 21%. All five analogue channels continue to lose ground however, as multi-channel satellite options grow in prominence.
All the scrum crunching, drop kicking action of the 2010 6 Nations Rugby tournament will be broadcast in high-def, free of charge, thanks to Freesat HD and the BBC HD channel.
This year's 6 Nations rugby tournament will be broadcast on BBC HD from February 6th until the 20th of March, with Ireland and Italy squaring up in the first match.
It's a good year for Freesat HD-owning sports fans. They can also look forward to The World Cup on the BBC HD channel and ITV1 HD, as well as Winter Olympics, Golf Masters, Wimbledon, FA Cup and UEFA Champions league matches.
For more info, check out www.freesat.co.uk.
You may have only just finished shovelling the snow off of your driveway, but it looks like more will soon be headed to your flatscreen too. Freesat have today confirmed that you'll be able to watch all the coverage from this years 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics in high-definition, as free as ever.
The HD coverage kicks off on the 12th February with the game's grand opening ceremony. Snowboarding, slalom skiing, bobsleigh runs and (everyone's secret favourite) curling will all be featured.
It looks set to be a good year for sport-loving Freesat owners. The World Cup, Golf Masters, Rugby Six Nations and Wimbledon will all be available on the BBC HD Channel with the FA Cup, England World Cup internationals and UEFA Champions league matches also being presented in high definition over on ITV1 HD.
For more info, visit www.freesat.co.uk.
The message boards over here at HDTVUK have been alight with readers venting their spleens over the new-look Sky + HD guide, which completed its nationwide roll-out last week.
Many of you have been complaining that the new Sky Guide isn't up to scratch, either running too slowly, not being particularly intuitive or with text too small to read.
Alex Foligno posted on December 17th:
SERIOUSLY AWFUL the greatest injusticed (sic) is the fact that non-HD (lower paying customers) have the classic menu which we have all loved for the past decade. A CLASSIC option would be much appreciated.
James followed up with a similar sentiment:
I thought I would give it a go for a week before I complained as I thought it would grow on me. I was wrong. I still hate it. I want the old one back. The old one was straight forward and easy to use. This one is just a mess. It really puts me off watching TV.
Some readers have had such difficulty reading the new guide that they have contacted the Royal National Institute of Blind People, believing the new guide to be an affront to accessibility for the visually impaired.
Your complaints have not fallen upon death ears completely however! A Sky customer services representative today confirmed to HDTVUK that visually impaired Sky viewers will be able to revert back to the previous Sky + EPG. However Sky + HD subscribers will have to downgrade to a Sky + box in order to get the old guide back. This may be however just a temporary solution, as all Sky boxes, including earlier models, are expected to take on the new look guide sooner rather than later.
What do you think? Should all Sky +HD subscribers be given the option to revert back to the previous guide? Or are the complaints all smoke and no fire, with the guide being well suited to your needs?
Let us know!
(Thanks to HDTVUK reader Mark for the tip!)
PS3 in one room and your HD TV in another? Fear not, for the Rocketfish WirelessHD adapter is here to foil your madcap plans to run HDMI cables through walls and up banisters!
Providing your two devices are no more than 33 ft apart and are HDMI compatible, connecting a Rocketfish WirelessHD adapter to each will let you wirelessly throw 1080p HD content around the house without the need for lengthy cabling. It's also totally compatible with 7.1 audio sources and screens with 120hz refresh rates.
Currently only available to US readers, at $599.99 (circa £365) it's one of the cheapest Wireless HD options we've yet seen.
Via: Engadget
It's one year since Freesat launched in the UK and despite a few teething problems with poor marketing and availability of boxes, the company has heralded the first twelve months as a success.
Some key statistics include:
- Nearly 400,000 overall Freesat sales;
- Up to 70 hours of HD programming shown on Freesat every week;
- 3,000 hours of BBC and ITV high definition programming shown since launch;
- Nine out of ten Freesat customers would recommend the service to a friend.
Freesat has announced a new partnership with German consumer electronics company TechniSat to produce high definition digital boxes for the subscription-free satellite service this year.
No specific hardware details have yet been announced.
MD of Freesat, Emma Scott, said, "The new HD digital boxes by TechniSat will provide a quality option for consumers to enjoy the choice and range of channels that are available on Freesat."
MD of TechniSat Digital UK said, "We are extremely pleased to be working with Freesat. This provides us the ideal opportunity to introduce the high-quality TechniSat brand and Freesat HD receiver into the UK market."
The BBC will be showing this year's Six Nations Rugby matches, with all of England, Wales and Scotland's home matches available in high definition.
Freesat is keen to point out that it offers a subscription-free way to watch those matches via the BBC HD channel. Of course, you can also catch it via a Sky HD package.
Matches include:
- Sat 07/02 England v Italy
- Sun 08/02 Scotland v Wales
- Sat 14/02 Wales v England
- Sat 28/02 Scotland v Italy
- Sat 14/03 Scotland v Ireland
- Sun 15/03 England v France
- Sat 21/03 England v Scotland followed by Wales v Ireland
Sky has decided that it's time to get really aggressive when it comes to high definition in the UK, and to that end has slashed the price of its Sky+HD box to just £49. That's a third of the price it was early last year (£150) and is the satellite broadcaster's hope of getting many more subscribers hooked on pay-for-HD.
In fact, thanks to a lot of enticing marketing and the lure of a variety of sports, films and other content in high definition, Sky has just had its best quarter -- in the three months to the end of December, 188,000 people signed up for high-def services, taking the total number of subscribers to nearly 800,000.
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