Sky+ delayed until late summer/early autumn

kevmac

Even though Sky+ is being advertised in the Sky mag and also on TV ads with an Irish number on Sky News there is now another fcuk up.

www.plusworld.co.uk (which is the best site IMO for Sky +) has some bad news for all of us.

"Just as well customers in the Republic of Ireland are good at waiting. Because the long anticipated launch of the Sky+ service there is going to be delayed a little longer.

Sky were asked by Plusworld when Sky+ was going to be available: 'late summer/early autumn' was the response."

Some observers are saying that it will be launched at the same time as the big UK advertising campaign in September along with the fabled Dual Recording feature.

johnnyq

:eek: :eek: :eek:

I am so shocked it got delayed again !

robert muldoon

Originally posted by kevmac
Even though Sky+ is being advertised in the Sky mag and also on TV ads with an Irish number on Sky News there is now another fcuk up.

www.plusworld.co.uk (which is the best site IMO for Sky +) has some bad news for all of us.

"Just as well customers in the Republic of Ireland are good at waiting. Because the long anticipated launch of the Sky+ service there is going to be delayed a little longer.

Sky were asked by Plusworld when Sky+ was going to be available: 'late summer/early autumn' was the response."

Some observers are saying that it will be launched at the same time as the big UK advertising campaign in September along with the fabled Dual Recording feature.

Why dosent some media hack get on to Mark Deering (BSky Irl) and ask him what the hell are Sky doing to their Irish customers, because thats the only people they respond to, Deering is only accessable to the media and it seems nobody else, does anybodt even know where his office is??

To be honest, there are no sources mentioned in the above link, it just some forum talk, it's just speculation, lets wait for Sky to comment shall we?

Sky were asked by Plusworld when Sky+ was going to be available: 'late summer/early autumn' was the response."

Errr, sound like they rang, the same Sky number, as we do ourselves....
I wonder how many times...,to get the above random reply??

I'm too tired today to give this more investigation...
shane, what is the latest???
mm

kevmac

Plusworld is very closely alligned with Digitalspy and over the last year has consistantly got all the breaking Sky+ news first.

Digitalspy has had exclusive access to Sky + programmers and engineers in three very indepth reports on the machine over the last year.

So they obviously have insider contacts - They don't mean that they rang the Sky centre to ask the muppets.

Do a search on DS.

I rang Sky (again!) on Saturday night and the usual happened: Girl didn't know why she couldn't take an order and went off to check - came back with a real sheepish attitude and said that it was delayed.

I asked was it only delayed for a few weeks and she didn't replay. I then said was it delayed until later in the year and she said that was the impression she got.

Then again if they don't know its delayed in the first place you might take their answers with a pinch of salt.

watty

Since BBC News24 now works on ROI text can we assume that BBC is FTA from 14 July.


Then you could buy a FTA MPEG2 / Satellite PVR or a Hauppauge Nexus PCI/DVBs card for PC. Will do most of what a Sky+ does at same or better quality, with more flexibility, WITHOUT the rediculous "recording tax" of €20 pm (or is it 15?).

I've had HardDisk direct from Sateelete recording free for over a year now (TCM, DW TV, EBs, Travel, S4C~Digidol, BBC World TV, over 480 radio stations inc most of Sky.. Gypsy Media "diguide" for program listings).

kevmac

Watty, with all due respect, no mainstream Sky satellite viewer is going to want or even understand that type of equipment.

I know why you enjoy the gear (I've been a hardcore hi-fi nut for 20 years) but Sky+ is a plug and play box that operates with one click.

As always the simple things work best in the marketplace.

Just look at how many people still can't programme a VCR and that's with SmartPlus!

Originally posted by kevmac

As always the simple things work best in the marketplace.

Usually, but the take up of Sky plus has been to date poor in the UK, mainly because of the cost, and the stupid monthly charge.
DVD recorders are dropping in price like stones at the moment, and in a year or two, maybe Sky will get worried about this and drop the monthy tax.
That said the Sky plus boxes are raved about, by most who have them , with all features working-but then they are a very tiny minority of Sky subscribers,a minority with the wads to pay and who don't care what it costs.

Just look at how many people still can't programme a VCR and that's with SmartPlus!

True but if sky had done their homework right, at least half their customers would have sky plus functionality.
Instead, they've created a niche market, which is not open to the ordinary cash starved customer.
mm

robert muldoon

Originally posted by Man
Usually, but the take up of Sky plus has been to date poor in the UK, mainly because of the cost, and the stupid monthly charge.
DVD recorders are dropping in price like stones at the moment, and in a year or two, maybe Sky will get worried about this and drop the monthy tax.
That said the Sky plus boxes are raved about, by most who have them , with all features working-but then they are a very tiny minority of Sky subscribers,a minority with the wads to pay and who don't care what it costs.


True but if sky had done their homework right, at least half their customers would have sky plus functionality.
Instead, they've created a niche market, which is not open to the ordinary cash starved customer.
mm

If there is such a poor take-up of Sky= in the UK, why are the boxes so hard to get?

kevmac

DVD is exciting but will never succeed over PVRs (especially Sky+) because of the simplicity of the Epg where you can book recordings over the next week with just one click.

As to the low take-up of Sky+ in the UK and the alleged lack of availability of the boxes in the Republic: Good question and I'd love answer!

callum

Hello guys!
My name is Callum, Editor of Plusworld.
Sorry about breaking the news on the delay of Sky+.

My source is cohn and wolfe, who handle all PR for Sky over here.
The lady I spoke to went and asked and got the official word from Sky Marketing.

Despite the helpfulness of Sky customer care, they are not always the ones in the know.

I approached Sky through C&W, because I saw in The Digital Spy PVR forum that people were complaining that Sky+ had been delayed again. I thought as no-one knew a date, I had better ask Sky, so we all knew.

I expect you will get Sky+ as soon as Dual Recording is released. Sky do have quite a lot on their corporate plate at the moment.

Sky+ version 2 owners are still waiting for the previous software update that Version 1 owners got on 16th April 2003.

Plusworld will bring you any news about Sky+ in the Republic of Ireland as soon as it becomes available.

It will all be worth it in the end guys!

kevmac

Welcome to the mad and strange Sky+ world in the ROI, Callum.

Can you find out what the real problem is?

Sky have advertised Sky+ in the Irish edition of the Sky Mag for two months for a June 1 debut and even the Sky News Irish feed had an Irish number for Sky+ on Saturday June 8.

Rang immediately and girl said that it would be pulled (ad that is, you dirty feckers) that night as it was being broadcast by mistake.

Is it a shortage of boxes (unlikley as the the take up in the UK has been small) or is it a fcuk up in the accounts department over Euro billing as reported by Digital Spy?

Or is it the management deciding at the last minute to pull (there you go again) the ROI launch and delay it it to coincide with September-December UK ad push and Dual Recording?

Any info is appreciated as we're totally in the dark.

ShaneOC

As I said in the other thread, I was given a date of 10th June which is tomorrow. They shall be receiving a call from me and I am going to be really upset if they have delayed it again.

DaithiSurfer

But being upset with them won't help.
the poor biddies take that **** and your fuming won't get past them.
My sister works in a call centre (who get a lot of comlaints. They are well known in here lol) and they are told that if a customer starts to rant and rave that they can turn down the volume and ignore them if they want, but have to seem really apologetic and nice. Then they have a good laugh after the call.
You're just comic relief for them lol and you'll never get a result.
I assume they are all the same

ShaneOC

Don't plan on ranting and raving. You can be entirely civil yet still express anger at further delays. I do realise that it is not the fault of the call centre operator, so there is no point in lashing out abuse to them. They are much more likely to be helpful if you are polite.

It's nice to be nice.

DaithiSurfer

But hey won't be helpful because they CAN'T be helpful.
A civil sounding complaint is much the same as a ranting and raving complaint.
Actually SKY kind of remind me of trying to get something to happen in Ryanair. Impossible.

watty

Originally posted by kevmac
DVD is exciting but will never succeed over PVRs (especially Sky+) because of the simplicity of the Epg where you can book recordings over the next week with just one click.

As to the low take-up of Sky+ in the UK and the alleged lack of availability of the boxes in the Republic: Good question and I'd love answer!

There are now easy to use Analog *AND* satellite Hard Disk PVRs. Some have DVD Video players or even DVD R orDVD RAM also. These are no harder than Sky+.

I agree that XP plus ShowShiifter for Analog and Technotrend DVBs Satellite and GypsyMedia Digiguide is too complex for most people, even probabily on "XP Metia Centre" which is now released.

Sky+ is monoplolistic as Sky won't let licencensd Sky+ maker add non-Sky features, nor allow a CAM for the exellent non-Digibox "set-top" European Satellite PVRs, that don't cost each month to record.

The "delays" shows that Sky is too much a monpoly!

Originally posted by robert muldoon
If there is such a poor take-up of Sky= in the UK, why are the boxes so hard to get?

Because, Sky let the supply of version one boxes run out, in readiness for the version two boxes.
Clearly they expected the take-up to be either similar or only slightly improved, cause as I said earlier, when you are talking spending £500 sterling plus ( pardon the pun ) extra over two years for a recording service , people will be slow to spend.
With all the rain, 2 weeks in the Canaries would be more inviting!

If you want to see exactly how small percentage wise the take up, of Sky plus ids in the UK, you'll get the figure in their accounts press release on their web site.
mm

robert muldoon

I would be interested to know how do you record from 'other channels' from a Sky+ box or can you?

AFAIK you can, but you will be doing a "manual" record to the Sky plus hard drive, that function is available.
Because it's not on the EPG you cannot take advantage of pre-setting or series link etc.
I haven't tried it obviously as , this country left the United Kingdom some time ago.... ( the only reason I can come up with now,for Sky + delays and the higher charges here being
discrimination-pure and simple against paddy. )
mm

ShaneOC

Don't think you can record from other channels. Manual recording was added in a s/w update a few months back enabling you to set a start time, finish time and the channel number. I remember people on Digital Spy complainig that the could not record other channels.

ShaneOC

Of course recording the regular EPG channels would be a huge improvement for the moment :rolleyes:

ShaneOC

Latest from Sky is that Sky expect to have Sky+ available here within 10 days.

JDxtra

There was an advert last night on Discovery which quoted a number to call for viewers in ROI wanting Sky+.

DaithiSurfer

more sky lies?

robert muldoon

Originally posted by ShaneOC
Latest from Sky is that Sky expect to have Sky+ available here within 10 days.

I had my new vers 2 Sky+ box installed today by a venerable member of this forum and just ready to go! (I got the box in the Uk)

callum

I officially have "no life" for knowing this - but you can't record Other Channels on Sky+ using Sky+. In fact you can't even pause "Other Channels" !

However if you have an old fashioned VCR you can record the output of said other channel to the VCR.

dmeehan

i seen the Sky+ add on tv last night with the irish phone number

i think it was 0818-719XXX and i cant remember the rest. can anyone fill in the blanks?

ShaneOC

Almost certain it is 0818 719811

watty

At this stage the keys 1, 7, 8,9 and 0 have the lettering worn off on Shane's phone.

ShaneOC

Originally posted by watty
At this stage the keys 1, 7, 8,9 and 0 have the lettering worn off on Shane's phone.

Don't be silly.

I have it on speed dial