Digital TV News

TVs and set-top boxes to get Sky Player built-in

Thursday 25 March, 2010

By Becca Talbot - becca@consumerchoices.co.uk

Sky is teaming up with set-top box and TV manufacturers to offer viewers its online on-demand TV service, the Sky Player, direct to their living rooms.

The Sky Player (www.skyplayer.com), an online catch-up service from satellite TV giant Sky, will be available on a range of new internet connected TVs and set-top boxes, following deals with manufacturers Cello and 3View.

The TV service gives users access to a range of live and on-demand TV programmes. Existing Sky (www.sky.co.uk) customers can watch content for free, while non-Sky customers can subscribe to Sky Player TV packs to watch live TV channels and a selection of programmes on-demand, from just £15 a month.

Sky’s agreement with manufacturers Cello and 3View will see a range of LCD TVs and IPTV set-top boxes being offered with the Sky Player already built-in.

Griff Parry, director of on-demand at Sky, said: “The coming together of ground-breaking video services like Sky Player with innovative platforms like Cello and 3View demonstrates the vibrancy of the evolving internet video-on-demand sector.”

Cello is a provider of LCD TVs and launched the iViewer in 2009, the UK’s first internet connected TV that enabled consumers to access internet-based media directly - without the need for a set-top box, games console or computer.

The other deal, with internet-enabled set-top box provider 3View, will see a range of personal video recorders (PVRs) being launched, which will incorporate internet TV services with Freeview.

Managing director of 3View, John Donovan, said that by offering the Sky Player via its set-top box, 3View users will have access to a great range of movies, sport and other Sky programmes.

Both Cello and 3View’s products will be available from major consumer electronics retailers, and the Sky Player will be available as a pay TV option on both platforms.

The Sky Player is currently available to watch online on PCs and Macs through Windows Media Center, on the Xbox 360 and on Fetch TV.

Griff Parry added that Sky is looking at other possible ways to integrate the Sky Player across new platforms, “to give consumers even more choice and control over how they access high-quality pay TV content.”