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Sky HD box
Updated:Tuesday 3 April, 2012
Satellite TV provider Sky no longer offers a specific Sky HD box. Instead it offers a single box from which Sky+, Sky+HD and Sky 3D can be viewed, depending on which package you subscribe to.
The provider also offers a Sky+HD 1TB box, which offers four times as much high-definition storage as the standard box.
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Looking for a high-definition TV package but don’t know which one to choose? Sign-up with Sky and get over 50 channels in super sharp high-definition via a Sky+HD box.
Sky (www.sky.co.uk) is the UK’s biggest satellite TV provider, with almost 10.3 million customers - 3.8 million of which have a subscription to its high-definition service, Sky+HD. Sky is available in 98% of the country, though you will have to check that you can have a satellite dish installed before signing up.
To find out if the Sky High Definition TV service is right for you, read our guide below.
What is Sky+HD?
Sky+HD is the high-definition TV service from Sky. It is available to all homes with a Sky+HD set-top box. The box must be connected to a HD Ready with a HDMI cable, and you must also have a subscription to the Sky HD pack on top of one of Sky’s standard TV deals in order to watch the high-definition channels - apart from some provided by terrestrial broadcasters.
If you’ve got an HD-ready TV and are looking for the widest choice of HD channels, you should consider signing up for a Sky HD TV package. With over 58 channels available, Sky has high-definition content suitable for all the family.
HD channels on Sky
Those 58 Sky HD channels range from films and documentaries to sports and music channels. Channels available include:
- Sky1 HD - Sky1 HD brings you some top US and British series to enjoy in amazing detail - including An Idiot Abroad, Glee and House.
- Sky Movies Premiere HD - Enjoy the biggest and best blockbusters, with 90 of the top 100 Hollywood box office hits each year showing, all in glorious high-definition. Sex and the City 2 and Shrek Forever After are coming soon at the time of writing.
- Sky Sports HD1 - Feel as if you’re in the stadium or at the racecourse as Sky Sports HD1 brings you all the excitement of top live sports events, such as games from the Barclays Premier League and the UEFA Champions League, in high-definition.
- FX HD - FX shows a mixture of top American programmes and first-run drama, comedy and crime shows, including The Wire, Family Guy, Dexter and Life on Mars USA, in high-definition.
- E4 HD - A simulcast of E4, the channel provides access to a wide range of hits series such as Skins, Hollyoaks, Misfits and popular US sitcom How I Met Your Mother, in super sharp HD.
- SyFy HD - Originally named the Sci-Fi Channel, science fiction fans can tune in to watch high-definition episodes of Legend of the Seeker and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Sky’s channels are grouped into two viewing packs - the Sky Entertainment features entertainment, style and culture channels and the Sky Extra includes these channels plus everything else from kid's and documentaries to music channels. It costs £20 for the Sky Entertainment and £25 for the Sky Extra. You can then add Sky Sports and Sky Movies for extra.
To watch the HD channels, you also need the HD pack, which costs an additional £10.25 a month, although BBC HD, BBC One HD, Channel 4 HD, Channel 5 HD and ITV1 HD are available at no extra cost.
Sky+HD set-top box
The Sky+HD box (pictured right) has a number of benefits, including:
- Access to over 58 HD channels - more than any other provider
- Amazing HD picture quality - both 720p and 1080i formats supported
- Space to record up to 185 hours of TV, or 60 hours of HD TV on the built-in hard drive
- The ability to watch one digital channel while recording another
- Access to Sky 3D at no extra cost if you have a 3D TV and subscribe to Sky World HD (all Sky TV packs plus the HD pack)
- Being able to record two different channels at the same time, while watching a recorded show
- An on-screen programme guide that lets you select which shows to record up to a week in advance
- A pause and rewind “live TV” feature
- “Series Link” - record an entire series of your favourite show “at the touch of a button”
- Access to on-demand movies and programmes with Sky Anytime+
- Remote recording - set your Sky+HD set-top box using the internet or your smartphone
Compare Sky's +HD box with other HD set-top boxes below:
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FREE Sky+HD box*
+ FREE set-up
from £12.50 a month
+ 1/2 price HD for 6 months |
FREE V HD box
(£49.95 set-up)
£26.50 a month**
+ FREE HD TV |
FREE V HD box
(£49.95 set-up)
£7.00 a month**
+ FREE HD TV |
from £99.99****
(aerial required)
no monthly
subscription |
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| Over 60 HD channels | Over 30 HD channels | 5 HD channels | 4 HD channels |
| Pause and rewind "live" TV | Pause and rewind "live" TV |
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| Record 2 programmes at once | Record 2 programmes at once + watch a 3rd |
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| Record series automatically | Record series automatically |
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| £25 Marks and Spencer voucher (Online only) | FREE catch-up TV with the BBC iPlayer and more | FREE catch-up TV with the BBC iPlayer and more |
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Visit sky.com or call 08442 410582 |
Visit virginmedia.com | Visit virginmedia.com | Buy at johnlewis.com |
* For new and existing customers taking their first Sky+HD package. Get up to 60 HD channels with addtional Sky HD packs. ** + a Virgin Phone line for £13.90 a month. *** + a Virgin Phone line for £13.90 a month. **** Prices sourced from freeview.co.uk. HD box capabilities vary across manufacturers. Higher prices may apply for recorder and catch-up capabilities.
Sky+HD 1TB set-top box
The Sky+HD 1TB box offers all the benefits of the Sky+HD box, but it also gives you:
- Space to record up to 740 hours of regular TV or 240 hours of HD TV - four times that of the Sky+HD box
The Sky+HD 1TB box costs £49 for existing Sky customers to upgrade to, and set-up costs may apply, while for new customers it starts from £149 upfront and then the monthly cost of your subscription.
Should I get a Sky+HD box?
As well as letting you watch all the HD content (subscription permitting) on Sky, the Sky+HD set-top box allows you to pause, rewind and record live TV, in both standard and high-definition, so you’ll never have to miss an episode of your favourite show.
If you’re looking for the largest selection of high-definition channels, signing up to a Sky HD package could be right for you. It’s important to factor in all the costs however, as its wide range of HD channels come at a price of £10.25 extra a month. Also, as Sky is a satellite TV service, you will need to have a satellite dish mounted to an external wall of your house - in some properties, such as flats or listed buildings, this isn’t always possible.
Use our online price comparison calculator to see if Sky is available at your address, and find out more about costs and installation.
Sky TV Only
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