Sky+ in Ireland: Now June 1st.

ShaneOC · 04-04-2003 12:22pm

BSkyB offers 'freeze' option to Irish consumers
Jamie Smyth

Irish subscribers to BSkyB's satellite service will be offered a new feature that enables them to freeze live television pictures and record programmes without using a video from next month.

The British satellite firm plans to extend its Sky + service to the Republic, where it has signed up 272,000 digital television users in the past four years, in early May.

The Sky + service is a type of "personal video recorder" which enables users to manage their television viewing more effectively.

Using the system, Sky subscribers will be able to view one satellite channel while recording another and get instant replays of events that have just appeared on television. Users will also be able to program their system to record an entire series of programmes automatically. Sky + should be intelligent enough not to record repeats.

But the most user-friendly aspect of the Sky + system is the ability to freeze live television pictures - for example, when making a phone call or going to the toilet - and then to resume watching the same programme.

The Sky + system enables subscribers to do this by simultaneously recording the programme when requested, and offering to play the remainder of the programme back when requested. If a subscriber wants to catch up with a live broadcast, a simple fast-forward facility is provided.

Sky + works by recording programmes directly onto a hard disk incorporated into a new generation of set-top box, which has been developed by BSkyB and the US company TiVo. The integrated hard disk offers users up to 20 hours recording without the need for any video cassettes.

The new service will cost users a subscription fee of about €15 per month. But they will also have to purchase an upgraded digital set-top box, which costs about 350 in a once-off payment.

The high cost of getting set up to use the Sky + service is likely to prove a major barrier in the Republic as it has in Britain. In the past 18 months, BSkyB has only managed to sell about 65,000 of its Sky + set-top boxes.

BSkyB has said it is set to reach its target of selling 100,000 set-top boxes by the end of June but not all analysts are convinced that personal video recorders will be the next big thing. Many observers of the market for personal video recorders believe the high cost of the hardware - which retails at anything from 350 to 500 - will slow consumer take- up.

In addition, TiVo, the firm which is the pioneer of the recorders and which has a partnership with BSkyB to develop Sky +, closed its British office earlier this year to cut costs.

However, Pace Micro Technology, the British-based set-top box builder, will begin selling its combined digital terrestrial television receiver and personal video recorder next month. This box will enable viewers of the British "freeview" digital terrestrial service to gain similar functionality to the TiVo recorder.

So don't expect to be using video cassettes for too much longer. An integrated hard disk is likely to be incorporated into your next television set-top box.

© The Irish Times

ShaneOC · 04-04-2003 12:25pm

So €15 per month for the Sky+ features. That is not too bad. €350 for the Sky+ box is very good. It's been a long time coming...

irishgeo · 04-04-2003 12:39pm

Yeah i would love to get it but cant see the family going for it just yet.

I wonder will they do any sort of offer for it. It would be nice if thye said returm your old set top box and get a sky + box cheaper and if they brought in a life time sub as like TIVO

DMC · 04-04-2003 12:49pm

That's great news, and not bad on the face of it.

/DMC holds bat aloft for his 2000th post!

:cool:

LFCFan · 04-04-2003 2:30pm

will they bring in mirrored subs at the same time though like in the UK? At least then you could make use of the otherwise obsolete STB.

Tony · 04-04-2003 3:25pm

Originally posted by LFCFan
will they bring in mirrored subs at the same time though like in the UK? At least then you could make use of the otherwise obsolete STB.

Thats the plan AFAIK

daveirl · 04-04-2003 7:11pm

This post has been deleted.

watty · 04-04-2003 7:55pm

STB = Set top Box
i.e. Satellite receiver, Cable decoder, Digital Cable receiver/decoder, MMDS receiver/decoder etc.

But you mad if you set it on top of the TV!

watty · 04-04-2003 8:01pm

Boycott a Skyu+ till it the same basis as a Sky box,

It is a Sky box witha second tuner and a harddisk.

The satellite signa, unlike analog for tivo is already in form to directly record.

The sky digibox already has a personal planner that works even if ther is NO subscription.

Since you are buying the box outright an extra €15 euro simply to be able to use the recording features is an obscene rip off.

My Gypsy Media Program guide "Digiguide" on PC (much better and more detailled tha Sky EPG) costs only €11 a year! And can control recording to haed disk of my €230 PC satellite card (only sky fee channels though)

daveirl · 04-04-2003 8:03pm

This post has been deleted.

Tony · 04-04-2003 8:52pm

Originally posted by daveirl
Oh I understand now. Wouldn't you need three LNBs then?

No for a sky+ box you only need a twin output lnb but currently only quad (four output) lnbs are available for sky minidishes.

Tony

robert muldoon · 04-04-2003 10:27pm

Originally posted by Tony
No for a sky+ box you only need a twin output lnb but currently only quad (four output) lnbs are available for sky minidishes.

Tony

I think this is good news.its user friendly features for recording certainly appeals to me. When i want to record some program, its usually when i'm going out the door, and its hard to consentrate when your in a hurry, so i just dont bother. I think sky+ will make it so much easier
May I appologise to Tony for doubting his source. i would however like to see an official word direct from Sky

Mountjoy Mugger · 04-04-2003 10:31pm

As Tony is an official Sky installer, I'd be happy to take his word for it.

Mark McG · 05-04-2003 10:50am

So, if I am right - this is what it is likely to cost. I currently have Sky World at €60 per month.

I shell out €350 for the Sky+ box. I need an installer to do the Quad LNB install and new cabling. That'll probably cost €100.

I now have 2 digiboxes, so I will probably shell out for the mirror sub. If that is €15 per month and Sky+ is €15 per month, I pay out €450 and I now get €90 direct debited each bill.

Last 12 months I would have paid €720 for digital satellite. Next 12 months I will pay €1530 (more than double). Is satellite TV worth €1530 a year? That is what my wife and I will debate tonight over a quiet drink at home!

Mark.

05-04-2003 1:12pm

Originally posted by Mark McG
Last 12 months I would have paid €720 for digital satellite. Next 12 months I will pay €1530 (more than double). Is satellite TV worth €1530 a year? That is what my wife and I will debate tonight over a quiet drink at home!

Mark.

I'm laughing very loudly at that:D
A few years ago, a neighbour of mine came here to look at a 1.5 metre motorised dish.
A flick of the remote and you could hear the monster outside purring, as it moved to the satelite where the channel you wanted to watch was on.
His wife was threatening divorce, if he got one:p
mm

Tony · 05-04-2003 4:24pm

Tony · 05-04-2003 4:28pm

I accept your gracious apology, Sky sometimes dont know their **** from their elbow. They are currently setting up training courses which will start on 8th April

Tony

Originally posted by robert muldoon
IMay I appologise to Tony for doubting his source. i would however like to see an official word direct from Sky

robert muldoon · 07-04-2003 8:43am

Originally posted by Tony
I accept your gracious apology, Sky sometimes dont know their **** from their elbow. They are currently setting up training courses which will start on 8th April

Tony

Training courses for what? The Sky+ system? or how to deal with us belligerent Irish

JDxtra · 07-04-2003 1:47pm

Hey Shane, I wonder if we will be able to activate the recording features on our Sky+ digiboxes prior to the launch in May (considering we don't have to wait for an installer or a digibox).

ShaneOC · 07-04-2003 2:08pm

I don't know. I can't see any technical reason why they could not allow us to do so. I sense a wee email to my contact in Sky. I'll let you know how I get on.

I wouldn't hold my breath though.

JDxtra · 07-04-2003 2:13pm

Yeah, at least we know it is scheduled for early May anyways - so at least things are moving!

Wonder if they will give it a big advertising push in Ireland? There seems to be a heck of a lot of ads for Sky around these days (billboards, sides of buses etc).

Tony · 07-04-2003 3:48pm

Originally posted by robert muldoon
Training courses for what? The Sky+ system? or how to deal with us belligerent Irish

I'm not going to dignify that comment with an answer

ShaneOC · 07-04-2003 5:07pm

Originally posted by robert muldoon
Training courses for what? The Sky+ system? or how to deal with us belligerent Irish

Or more likely how to deal with the folk at Sky

ShaneOC · 07-04-2003 5:09pm

I received a reply from the good people at Sky. According to them they have not been advised of the actual launch date yet. It will be widely publicised when it happens.

Again a perfectly civil but utterly useless reply.

watty · 07-04-2003 5:25pm

My sympathy ShaneOC, but you didn't expect different so not too dissapointed!

robert muldoon · 07-04-2003 5:56pm

Originally posted by ShaneOC
I received a reply from the good people at Sky. According to them they have not been advised of the actual launch date yet. It will be widely publicised when it happens.

Again a perfectly civil but utterly useless reply.

I was in with a Sky disttributor in Naas this am,and they confirm that training courses are starting tomorrow on the Sky+ system.This confirms what Tony has already told us. However thats all they know at this stage.

Galvatron · 09-04-2003 3:51pm

Will you need to have your digibox hooked up to a phone line to get sky+

JDxtra · 09-04-2003 4:30pm

In the UK, the contract states that you must have your Sky+ digibox connected to a phoneline for 12 months.

I'm not sure if this is enforced at all though.

Afterall, you have to buy the damn box yourself in the first place and pay a monthly extra sub for it!

Sky seem to want people to plug their digiboxes into phonelines for everything these days. It's just so they can try and generate some extra revenue from their customers.

Tony · 09-04-2003 4:34pm

Originally posted by jdempsey
In the UK, the contract states that you must have your Sky+ digibox connected to a phoneline for 12 months.

I'm not sure if this is enforced at all though.

Afterall, you have to buy the damn box yourself in the first place and pay a monthly extra sub for it!

Sky seem to want people to plug their digiboxes into phonelines for everything these days. It's just so they can try and generate some extra revenue from their customers.

Perhaps but its also to stop customers from giving viewing cards to other households

watty · 09-04-2003 4:54pm

Definately true on a mirror sub. Which is why on mirror sub BOTH boxes have to be on same line...

Are they told when the other boxes is phoning home so each check that phone line is busy at pretermined time?

Certinally there has been a problem for users who have put the two mirror boxes on different phone lines. Sky has had to be informed of both numbers and then reactivated the blocked box.

The boxes are told by satellite when to "phone home".

If you have ONLY a Sky+ box there is no problem. But if you already have a digibox then ins't both boxes like a special mirror sub (i.e. cheaper than two separate accounts).

I suppose Sky assume you wouldn't have a non-subscription Sky box and a Sky + box (though I would).

Sky+ in Ireland: Now June 1st.

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