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NEWS: Sky HD reinvents its on-screen programme guide

Andrew Everard 29 May 2008 15:13

Sky Hd Guide New

This is the new look for Sky HD's online electronic programme guide, due to be rolled out this Autumn. Presented in high definition and available to the company's 465,000 Sky HD users, it's packed with new features designed to make it easier to use.

Most noticeable is the small live action screen in the top right corner, which will enable you to continue watching the current programme while browsing the TV guide.

Other new features include 'series stacking', placing all the programmes in a series in one listing and making it simple to find and record every episode.

There's also an upgraded search function, allowing direct entry of a programme name or searching by genre and sub-genre. The recording planner is also being improved, and will look like this:

Sky Hd New Planner

Technorati Tags: HDTV, Sky HD

Comments

Andy Grange May 29, 2008 18:25

Looks like they've ripped some ideas from the freeview EPG.

The jury is well and truly out for the moment, nothing wrong with how it is at the moment.

ianj74 May 29, 2008 18:49

Coming in line with Virgin, who have always had a picture with all menus.

professorhat May 29, 2008 18:54

The live action screen would be something I would want (if I actually had Sky HD that is!!).

daveed May 29, 2008 20:32

Very nice. However, it doesn't justify the arm and leg that Sky remove from your body every year, especially since the inception of Freesat, a service which will only improve as consumer take increases!

choddo May 29, 2008 22:44

"Other new features include 'series stacking', placing all the programmes in a series in one listing and making it simple to find and record every episode. "

Well you can already just hit Series Link to record every episode and unless the Guide is expanding hugely in terms of weeks covered, you'd only ever see 2 episodes of a series, but do you mean that recorded shows will sort by series? That would be pretty cool.

I don't agree with Andy Grange; it's about time for an HD guide, the standard one looks very clumsy & ugly on a big screen

skr1 May 30, 2008 00:50

Is this a reason to charge? For HD?

Hope you understand the crptic.

Yes i Know they Charge i pay it.

Andy Grange May 30, 2008 09:39

choddo, you are more than allowed to disagree with me. My main issue with it is the number of channels you can see at one time; down to six from ten.

I personally use the browse facility every day, so to cut down the visibility of the number of channels on screen at one time seems like a bit of a backward step.

Here's hoping you can configure the menus to your required taste; now that would be a step in the right direction

joe_cipolla@bigfoot.com May 30, 2008 11:02

a step in the right direction, but down to 6 channels, and it still only shows 1.5 hours !!

Sky HD Team May 30, 2008 17:31

Hello - just to let you know there's an option to display 11 channels at once - one more than our current view - if you switch off the mini TV!

Cheers for all the feedback...

LINDSEY1 May 31, 2008 00:48

If the new freeview HD is any good. i will drop sky like a hot potato. FAR 2 EXPENSIVE.

im85288 May 31, 2008 14:30

Does this new guide allow you to press the i button on a programme to get details without going to the tv guide? I like to press the left and right buttons when watching a channel to see what else is on, but find it really annoying that pressing i only gives info on the channel currently being viewed

kings monkey June 4, 2008 20:35

You tight arses Sky HD is well worth the money. The movies transfers into HD are amazing not to mention sky sports,concerts on sky arts and all the documentaries shown in HD.There are in total 16 HD channels and most broadcast in DD 5.1. I have a Bluray player but hardly use it, BD are expensive to buy and rentals are limited.I have so much HD content on my sky planner that i dont find time to watch it . I have the the full sky package with HD which works out to about 13 quid a week, how much are the cheapest Bluray discs ? about 17 quid.I rest my case.

Oy of Mid World June 6, 2008 16:07

I am with you Kings monkey.

For an extra £10 a month (30p a day) you get some fantastic HD broadcasts.An bargain if you ask me.

People I work with spend £40 a week on booze without batting an eyelid and then say that SKY at £50 a month for the full package is too expensive.

gmann9116 June 12, 2008 06:35

How is this new HD programme guide obtained on my SkyHD box ???

Soul Destroying June 15, 2008 18:05

Im with Kings and Oy. People spend their money in different ways, I always argue with people at work about paying the extra £10 and I believe its a service worth paying for. If they wanna save that tenner and buy drink instead then thats their choice.

All I can say is that my TV looks way better and is more practical by using HD and I hate the fact that I have to return to substandard broadcasts on many other channels. Sky offer a good service and its about time they updated the menu as it does look dissapointing.

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About Andrew Everard

Andrew Everard, Audio Editor of Gramophone since November 1999 and What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision's Consulting Editor, read English at Queens' College, Cambridge a very long time ago! He started his journalistic career in 1982 on Haymarket's photographic magazines, and subsequently worked on What Hi-Fi?, High Fidelity, Audiophile and Home Cinema magazines, as well as contributing a monthly column to Japanese title HiVi.