Sky owned channels - launches/rebrands (inc HDR discussion)

Bill Ponderosa

TCP/IP wrote: »

It’s not but you can tune it in manually using the other channels function.

Cheers, any reason why they don't have a HD channel in this day and age?

They already have have film four hd, e4 hd and more 4 hd.

TCP/IP

Bill Ponderosa wrote: »

Cheers, any reason why they don't have a HD channel in this day and age?

They already have have film four hd, e4 hd and more 4 hd.

Like everything it’s all about licensing agreements

peteeeed

update to sky q and sky go rolling out

https://www.pocket-lint.com/tv/news/sky/156358-sky-q-and-sky-go-get-raft-of-new-features-in-latest-update-including-disney-integration

TCP/IP

peteeeed wrote: »

update to sky q and sky go rolling out

https://www.pocket-lint.com/tv/news/sky/156358-sky-q-and-sky-go-get-raft-of-new-features-in-latest-update-including-disney-integration

Talk about rubbish update good to have Disney+ that's about it.
Even if you turn on the extra voice capabilities you automatically lose Dolby Digital+ audio so no Atmos.

peteeeed

TCP/IP wrote: »

Talk about rubbish update good to have Disney+ that's about it.
Even if you turn on the extra voice capabilities you automatically lose Dolby Digital+ audio so no Atmos.

considering disney plus is there already in the app section

icdg

I’ve always been of the view that the voice control is a bit of a waste of time as long as it actually requires me to have the remote in my hand while doing it. (If it was Alexa style “wake word” then it would be of immensely more help to people like me who are always looking for the remote control!). Likewise the Netflix integration is a bit overrated in that I tend to browse Netflix shows using the app anyway.

paulboland

TCP/IP wrote: »

Talk about rubbish update good to have Disney+ that's about it.
Even if you turn on the extra voice capabilities you automatically lose Dolby Digital+ audio so no Atmos.

On Sky community forum
A Sky Q user reported the following

Tried the New Voice guidance 'on with hints' even though it switches HDMI and Optical back to normal 

It will allow you to manually set HDMI to DD+ and Optical to DD
Even with Voice guidance on


If I turn voice guidance off I don't need to change my Audio Settings as

HDMI stays on DD+

Optical stays on DD 

galtee boy

I can't post the link for some reason, but I see in the latest SkyQ promotion for new customers, they are adding in free HD, admittedly for the first 6 months only, but am I correct in saying its the first time they have publicly advertised free HD as an incentive? Could it be the start of HD finally becoming standard with all packages?

DaveyDave

A bit off topic but does anyone know if you need to give a certain days notice for cancelling the 30 day rolling contract stuff like Sky Cinema? I didn't see any cancellation period mentioned specifically for the rolling contract stuff on their website. I assumed it would be similar to Netflix or Disney+ where I cancel before the next bill is taken and it won't continue but my current bill is full price.

peteeeed

Sky Q gets HDR sports at last, first with Olympics then Premier League from August

Starting today, Friday 23 July, coverage of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will be presented in Ultra HD and HDR for compatible Sky Q box owners.

Tune into the Eurosport HD channel and hit the red button (or click on the pop-up) and you will get a dedicated Eurosport 4K feed that includes HLG HDR.

It will include coverage of the opening ceremony and more than 200 hours of sporting action over the 16-day Olympics period. In fact, the feed has been running for a couple of days already, with the Women's football starting before the official opening of the tournament.

Speaking of football, the Olympics is just the start of Sky's HDR sports broadcasts.

From the upcoming season, its live coverage of Premier League matches will be available in 4K HDR. That includes the first match of the new season, Brentford vs Arsenal on Friday 13 August

https://www.pocket-lint.com/tv/news/sky/157781-sky-q-gets-sports-in-hdr-at-last-first-with-olympics-then-prem-league-from-august

peteeeed

a rejig of sky channels on the way and a retirement for sky one

https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/sky-showcase-sky-one-rebrand-1235028208/

Delta2113

The marketing staff have to justify themselves somehow WFH.

icdg

Sky One going is a big shock, because it’s always been there, it was Sky’s first channel in 1982 (rebranded from its original name Sky Channel in mid-1990 but without any major changes other than the name) and the original core of the business. That said, it hasn’t been what it once was. This isn’t just a rebrand either, most of the content will be moving to either Sky Max or Sky Comedy, with the direct replacement channel Sky Showcase being a more “taster” channel.

Delta2113

Sky Max is basically your old Sky One less comedy but they just add basically a duplicate channel like Sky Sports Main Event and make out everything is great.

For old sentimental reasons it's sad to see Sky One go. Be interesting when Sky Atlantic looses the HBO stuff in a few years time.

EdmondShiels3

I read that Nat Geo and Nat Geo Wild are being removed at the end of the year. It is getting worse value for money. We are loosing channels here but other country still have them, Fox and Disney channel. I am watching a lot of the free channels on it but in HD which I can't with some of them as only in HD on sky. If it keeps loosing channels and increasing the price, I will consider leaving. They will market the new channels as 2 channels but they are just replacing sky one. They did this with the history channel, like it was a new channel and it was only a re brand. If HBO max launches here it will be the end of sky.

bassy

Sky is making major changes to its suite of entertainment channels, in the process replacing Sky One with a new flagship brand.

Launching in September, Sky Showcase will be a linear-only ‘main event’ channel that will curate a selection of the top shows from across Sky’s portfolio of entertainment brands including Sky Witness, Sky Documentaries, Sky Crime, Sky Nature, Sky Arts, Sky Max, Sky Comedy, Sky History, Sky Kids, SyFy and E!. It will also air selected highlights from Sky Cinema and Sky Sports.

Sky Showcase follows the model of Sky Sports Main Event that moves between the most significant fixtures from the individual Sky Sports channels.

Also launching is Sky Max, a linear channel and on demand service, that will be home to Sky’s entertainment content such as original dramas A Discovery of Witches and COBRA and original comedy entertainment including panel shows like A League of Their Own and the return of Never Mind The Buzzcocks.

Sky Comedy will benefit from the transfer of Sky One shows Code 404 and Hitmen Reloaded and will continue to screen the best of US comedy such as The Office US, PEN15 and Miracle Workers.

Sky Atlantic will continue to offer a slate of original dramas such as Landscapers, I Hate Suzie, Gangs of London and Chernobyl, as well as being the home of drama from HBO and Showtime.

Zai Bennett, MD of Content Sky UK & ROI, said: “In this golden age of television, the sheer volume of incredible programming can be overwhelming. Over the last 12 months we’ve been making it easier for people to find what they want to watch.”

The changes will come into effect from 1 September and the new channels have been confirmed to on streaming service NOW and on Virgin and BT.

Sky One evolved out of the old Sky Channel shortly after the launch of the original four-channel analogue package in February 1989.

Sky’s entertainment channels and EPG numbers from September 1

Sky Showcase – 106

Sky Max – 113

Sky Witness – 107

Sky Atlantic – 108

Sky Comedy – 114

Sky Documentaries – 121

Sky Crime – 122

Sky History – 123

Sky Nature – 124

Sky Arts – 130

Sky Kids

E! – 151

SyFy – 152

icdg

Merged and renamed - though I’m open to the suggestion that the HDR and channels stuff are really two different threads/discussions, the original announcement re Nature/Docs happened at the same time as HDR was announced which was how we ended up with one thread for both.

peteeeed

Peacock to join Sky and NOW in UK

The streaming platform, which is NBC’s answer to Paramount+ and HBO Max, is the latest VOD play from a US network and brings together the company’s extensive back catalogue, including such shows as 30 Rock, Bates Motel, Battlestar Galactica, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Cheers, Frasier, Friday Night Lights, House, The Office, Parks and Recreation, Saturday Night Live and Will & Grace.

With NBC owners Comcast already the owners of Sky in the UK, and with Peacock based on the infrastructure used by Sky’s own streaming interfaces, we’ve previously predicted that rather than launch in the UK, Peacock would likely be part of Sky instead. Now, NBC has confirmed that Peacock will indeed be joining Sky, although it will be doing so under the Peacock brand.

Peacock will be available at no additional cost across Sky platforms, including Sky Q and NOW.

https://vodzilla.co/blog/vod-news/peacock-unveils-content-slate-for-us-streaming-service/

peteeeed

peacock streaming arriving to sky Q & glass tomorrow

Sky subscribers will get access to "thousands" of free movies and TV shows

Peacock – the US streaming service owned by NBCUniversal – will land in the UK and Ireland on Tuesday 16th November. 

The "soft launch" will give Sky Q, Sky Glass and Now Entertainment subscribers free "early access" to Peacock content, which includes hit movies such as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, plus TV favourites like The Office, 30 Rock and Battlestar Galactica.

Sky says that after the UK and Ireland soft launch, "Peacock will continue to rollout... across Sky platforms in territories including Germany, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland in the coming months, making it available to almost 20 million Sky customers in total."

The downside? Adverts. According to a previous Sky announcement, Peacock's programming will be ad-supported (as it is in the US). There's no word on whether the ad-free Premium tier, which costs $10 a month, will ever make it to the UK. Content availability will differ from what’s available on Peacock in the States, too. 

Peacock Originals: Saved by the Bell, Rutherford Falls, Punky Brewster, The Girl in the Woods, Five Bedrooms, and Vanderpump Rules; in addition to upcoming series MacGruber, Bel-Air, Joe Exotic (working title), Killing It, Vampire Academy, Irreverent, The Innocent, The Resort, The Missing, The Best Man, Angelyne, Ted, and Battlestar Galactica/

Peacock TV shows: The Office, Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock, Psych, Superstore,A.P. Bio, The Mindy Project, Will & Grace, Mr. Mayor, Young Rock, and Saturday Night Live; popular dramas such as Battlestar Galactica, Monk, Bates Motel, Heroes, Friday Night Lights, 12 Monkeys, Downton Abbey, House, Suits, Quantum Leap, Warehouse 13, The Equalizer, and Grimm; and unscripted hits like Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Million Dollar Listing, Southern Charm, Below Deck, The Real Housewives, and Top Chef.

Peacock movies: The Best Man, Bird on a Wire, Bowfinger, Brüno, Bulletproof, Children of Men, Definitely, Maybe, Far and Away, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Game, Hanna, Hannibal, The Last House on the Left, MacGruber, A Million Ways to Die in the West, Meet Joe Black, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Out of Sight, Pride & Prejudice, Scent of a Woman, Seed of Chucky, A Simple Wish, The Skeleton Key, Tower Heist, United 93, Very Bad Things, What Dreams May Come, and You, Me, and Dupree.

https://www.whathifi.com/news/peacock-streaming-service-to-soft-launch-on-sky-this-week

DaveyDave

It's not free if their prices go up though...

Dave_Dublin

My subscription is INCREASING by €4 per month from next month - - it's NOT "at no extra cost"

jones

After all the drama with my launch Q silver box not having HDR sky sent me a new 2TB HDR box as a replacement - as my last box started to overheat. According to the engineer all the 2TB boxes give problems he said the 1tb are fair more reliable.

In terms of HDR so far so good. I watched some matches on 4k HDR which did "pop" but there really isn't a lot of content on sky at the moment which takes advantage of HDR (i'm not complaining i'm happy to have it finally but it does seem anticlimactic). My internet is a bit rubbish to be downloading the 4k HDR versions of movies (not to mention the space they take up on the HDD).

I do note the new HDR boxes have an external power brick as opposed to the original internal one so this must be to try sort the overheating issue the engineer spoke about.

arthursway

Just ordered a newer sky HDR compatible box.

Just wondering can you tell the difference much compared to ultra HD?

dam099

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118707509#Comment_118707509

I don't have Sky but on the likes of Netflix the difference between HDR and non HDR shows is generally more noticeable than that between 1080 and 4k.

jones

Yes agree with above, in general terms HDR is the game changer rather than the resolution jump from 1080 to 4k. I don't think there's a massive difference on the sky HDR but due to crap internet I rarely download stuff in full 4k HDR on sky. But on other media is very apparent.

dublinman1990

I've just heard Sky have begun to carry this job for 3 of their Sky Cinema channels today.

https://rxtvinfo.com/2022/sky-starts-standard-definition-switch-off

From the article above.

It says that Sky Cinema Comedy, Sky Cinema Drama & Sky Cinema Thriller are in now in HD only on the Sky platform. The SD variants of these channels have been switched off.

I think this move may infer that Sky maybe moving away from SD to go HD as standard and maybe gradually go into UHD/HDR broadcasting at some point in the future.

peteeeed

Sky is to offer its Sky Stream puck streaming device as a standalone product for those who would prefer to get Sky TV over an internet connection rather than satellite.

That means customers who do not want to swap their TV and/or sound system for Sky Glass, but still want the on demand and live TV experience, can opt for the puck instead.

https://www.pocket-lint.com/tv/news/sky/160747-sky-stream-puck-to-be-a-standalone-internet-tv-product-for-full-sky-tv-over-broadband