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What is Sky World HD?

Our digital TV expert says...

Anyone looking to join Sky (www.sky.com) has a wealth of options to choose from. Whether you’re eager to switch your home phone and broadband too, or just take advantage of the subscription TV service, there’s a huge amount of choice - so finding the right deal can be a challenge.

The things you need to bear in mind, Paul, are essentially how much money you want to spend each month and exactly what content you’d like to receive. Sky has lots to offer sports fans like yourself, but you’ll pay extra for the premium channels, and even more if you want movies too.

So the best thing to do is compare digital TV providers and decide whether a Sky subscription really is the way to go. Sky World HD is not a conventional package, but instead a sort of bundle made from several other packs.

What is Sky World HD?

The first thing you need to know, Paul, is that Sky World HD is by no means a standard TV package. It is basically the level of Sky’s satellite service you need to be receiving in order to get Sky 3D, Europe’s first 3D television channel.

You’ll need a 3D-ready TV and at least one pair of 3D glasses, but Sky 3D can be accessed at no additional cost by becoming a Sky World HD customer. This means subscribing to a basic Sky viewing pack, the Sky Sports and Sky Movies channels and Sky HD.

TV with Sports

Company	Package Name	Included Sports Channels	Sky Sports	ESPN	HD Sports Channels
	Sky Entertainment TV + Sky Sports + ESPN	15
	TV: XL + Sky Sports Collection	16

Why choose Sky World HD?

The main reason you might specifically choose Sky World HD is to receive the Sky 3D channel free of charge. You’ll need a 3D-ready TV set for this to be possible, so it’s quite a big investment and only really suited to hardcore telly fans.

As well as access to Sky 3D, a Sky World HD customer can watch around 90 entertainment channels - including Sky1, Sky Atlantic and Sky Living - as well as Sky Sports, Sky Movies, and more than 50 channels in high-definition (HD), provided your TV is HD-ready.

A subscription to Sky World HD includes all of the following:

• Entertainment Extra - This gives you all 40 channels from the standard Entertainment Pack, including Sky1, Sky Arts, Sky Atlantic and Sky Living, plus an extra 51 channels for just a few pounds extra each month. The additional channels range from Sky Sports News and MTV to Discovery and kids’ channels like Disney XD.
• Sky Sports - You said sports were a necessity, Paul, and with the Sky Sports pack you can get up to five dedicated sports channels. As well as exclusive live coverage of Barclays Premier League football, you’ll be able to watch international cricket, golf tournaments and rugby’s Aviva Premiership.
• Sky Movies - Comprising up to 12 separate channels, the Sky Movies pack delivers more than 450 films each week, as well as weekly premieres of five new movies. You’d also have access to more than 500 movies on-demand, thanks to the Sky Anytime+ service available to all Sky customers.
• Sky HD - Five times sharper than regular television, HD TV provides an ultra-realistic experience with unparalleled levels of detail. The Sky HD pack gives you more than 50 channels in HD and you’ll also get a Sky+HD box thrown in. As well as delivering the HD channels, this acts as a digital video recorder allowing you to pause, rewind and record Sky TV.
Remember that your television will need to be HD-ready if you want to watch TV in HD.

How much does it cost?

The Sky World HD set-up is by no means the cheapest Sky TV package, so if you’re on a budget, Paul, you may want to consider other options - such as Freesat for subscription-free satellite, Virgin Media for cable TV or a more basic Sky package.

To add to the confusion, there is no set price for Sky World HD. It is basically a subscription to all the required packs, so the overall expense is a reflection of how much they each cost. At present, Sky World HD would set you back over £60 a month.

Which Sky package is best for me?

Based on what you’ve told me, Paul, I think you’re essentially looking for a Sky package with Sky Sports. Bear in mind that, whatever you build into your subscription, the basic Sky channels will cost over £20 per month depending on how many you receive.

One way to keep costs down might be to stick with a standard Sky+ box instead of paying extra for Sky HD, but if you have the HD-ready TV sorted, you might not be willing to compromise! And remember, if you want Sky 3D as well, you’ll need the packs that will make you a Sky World HD subscriber, as outlined above.

Choosing the right Sky package for you means deciding how much sport and how many movies you want to be able to watch, and ultimately how much you want to spend. Visit www.sky.com) for more information on the channels each Sky pack includes, what they cost and how to subscribe.

Alternatively, compare Sky with other digital TV providers at DigitalChoices.co.uk to make sure you couldn’t be getting a better deal elsewhere. It’s also worth remembering that you’re usually able to save money by bundling your TV, phone and broadband services together with a single provider.

TV, broadband and phone packages

Company	Package Name	Channels	Broadband	Home Phone
	Sky Entertainment TV + HD + Sky Broadband Unlimited + Talk Freetime	Get channels like Sky 1, Sky Living, Sky Atlantic and more
	TV Essential + More Broadband and Calls	70 Freeview channels
	TV: L + Broadband: 30Mb + Phone: M	100 channels including Virgin 1, Sky1, Comedy Central, Bravo and many more

Ask us a question

If you have a general switching or provider query please email us at ourexpert@digitalchoices.co.uk