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NEWS: Sky expands range of high-definition channels with more movies and sport

Andy Clough 27 February 2008 15:45

Blood 1

Sky is expanding the range of channels available on its high-definition TV service.

In the coming months the satellite broadcaster will add Sky Sports HD 3, Sky Movies Premiere HD and FX HD to its high-definition line-up – bringing the total number of HD channels to 17.

Virgin Media customers can only look on and weep at the amount of HD content now available on Sky, although some may question the decision to launch the Sky Movies Premiere HD channel with Titanic in HD!

Other forthcoming HD films include Blood Diamond, Flags of Our Fathers, Fracture, Babel, Mr Bean's Holiday and Ghost.

The launch of Sky Sports HD 3 will mean Sky is the first broadcaster globally to offer live, high-definition coverage of European Tour golf. The channel will also broadcast World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

And FX HD will be a bespoke drama channel, specially created for Sky's HD service. It will broadcast between 7pm and 2am daily, seven days a week, with at least 90 per cent of the schedule originated in HD. As part of the deal, Sky will also offer HD and SD programmes on-demand via Sky Anytime on TV.

Technorati Tags: high-definition, satellite TV, Sky HD

Comments

Eddiewood February 27, 2008 15:55

Interesting, I wonder if this is meant to fire a shot over the freesat bows.

felicia February 27, 2008 16:08

don't work for sky myself but do know someone (middle management) in there call centre in Livingston who (unofficially of course) informed me that this is the one and only time that sky are worried about losing customers to another provider (freesat). They have been trying to sign up another 5% -20% (since Jan 08) to sky before Fresat switches on this spring/summer but have not reached even 5% as yet. Its about time Sky had a wake-up call, they may even scrap the HD charge as well if HD freesat take-up is above 30% of all boxes sold. Here's hopping

Nick From Philly February 27, 2008 17:49

Could anyone tell me what happened to CH 4? They press released the fact that they would be High Def by Christmas.

Also BBC recieved the Green Light to turn on their BBC HD Channel. Any date?

and another thing, what the hell happened to Alf???

Andy Clough February 27, 2008 17:54

C4 HD is now available on Sky HD, and the BBC HD channel is broadcasting on Sky and Virgin Media. The ITV HD trial that was running on Virgin has now ended.

Bullseye February 27, 2008 22:50

About bloody time. Also alot of the time these channels are not actually broadcasting HD content. For the money I am paying €90+ i should have more HD channels.

Bullseye February 27, 2008 22:51

BTW Sky do not offer the C4 and BBD HD channels to Republic of Ireland customers which sucks.

Nick From Philly February 28, 2008 11:16

AH that explains why I don't have them. although in responce to Bullseye you can get the BBC HDPreview channel IF you program it yourself.

brazil10 February 28, 2008 19:04

Anyone got any news of Sky dropping their charges for upgrading from Sky+ to the HD service in R.O.I ? and it reaaaally sucks that they dont offer the C4 and BBC HD here in Ireland !!!

Bullseye February 28, 2008 20:56

Also I wanted to invest in a second HD box as i have multi-room already set up and they were looking for €400+ for the second box. I have been a Sky customer for 10 years and it seems to make no difference.

kacey68 February 28, 2008 21:04

Good news. Its about time we hd box owners got a bit more content .. all they need to do now is scrap the £10 a month sub charge which is a bit much when we've already paid out a couple of hundred for the box.. and that was off e bay as sky would'nt sell me the box for anything less than £300 and after buying it for £181 delivered they called me and offered me a box for £249.... Drop thise prices pleeze... Then more will take it up

Bullseye February 29, 2008 00:49

I never considered ebay for a second box. How did that work out for you Kacey? You still needed a viewing card though?

Sams Son March 5, 2008 08:36

I would love to buy a Sky HD box for my Samsung F86 HDTV but i think they are way too expensive for what you get.

DROP THE PRICES PLEASE SKY... YOU ARE TOO GREEDY :(

bullitt April 19, 2008 14:16

Is it worth getting sky hd, if free sat is coming ?

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About Andy Clough

Andy Clough studied English and French at Leeds University and has been a journalist for 20 years. Andy was editor of What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision for five years, before launching Home Cinema magazine and editing the Ultimate Guide series. Andy is now Editor of whathifi.com