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back to article Sky confirms telly-on-Xbox launch date

Xbox 360 owners will have access to Sky's TV content through their consoles within two weeks, the broadcaster has confirmed. Sky_player_005 How Sky Player may look on the Xbox 360 Register Hardware reported back in May how Sky had signed a deal with Microsoft to deliver a selection of its channels through Xbox Live. Sky …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    WTF?

    World wide service?

    Will this service be world wide or do the distributors/networks still don't get it? World wide service would be nice :D

    (Just too bad they bring it on such lousy harware. Hope they also bring a version to the playstation...)

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  2. Chimpofdoom!

    I wonder

    How this is going to work through normal ASDL?

    I've tried watching some video's on Xbox live through a 4meg line (yay for living in the sticks) and most of the time video's are stuck buffering...

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  3. Scott Mckenzie

    Please, please, please...

    ....price it sensibly.

    I would dearly love to be able to watch the Rugby on Sky Sports, i don't care about anything else, just Rugby, so i sincerely hope it isn't priced stupidly or that i have to buy huge bundles containing loads of shit i don't want.

    I'm not sure who i'm trying to kid though.....

    As for speed over ADSL - *pats Be 24Mb service*

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  4. GloucesterMatt
    Happy

    TV Licence

    So how does this work.

    If you watch Sky, streamed to your Xbox, and Iplayer on your PC (and no satellite dish, or TV aerial etc) and live in the UK, do you need to still pay a TV licence?

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  5. Gary F

    Low res video on a 40" TV?

    Most people have their Xbox connected to a 37"+ size TV, right? I've watched streamed video on a 40" screen via both a PC and PS3 and the quality is terrible. I'd describe it as VHS quality or S-VHS at best. If it's in a small window then it looks good, but to appreciate dramas and sport you need to watch in full screen. Unless Sky plan on running the service for free I fail to see any benefit for the public, unless they can't physically obtain Sky via satellite or cable.

    We are now in the world of HD so it's rather pathetic providing VHS quality on demand services and expecting people to pay for it. The best streamed quality I've seen is from the BBC iPlayer, but even that looks terrible full screen on a 40" TV.

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  6. jason 7
    Stop

    Standard def and DVD def?

    I thought they were the same give or take a line or two?

    Anyway, If the cost is extortionate I shant partake. If its an extra £5 a month for some decent extra content then yeah maybe.

    But we all know its going to be £25 a month or more.

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  7. blacklight124
    WTF?

    Rip off much?

    Ok so they want existing sky customers to fork out for a "multiroom package" so they can download tv on to their xbox through the internet at standard definition quality!?? Is that a joke?

    How about i dont pay sky anymore money and i just download them on a PC and watch them on my xbox in HD!

    This is only useful as a free addition for Sky customers. A bit like they offer sky player to watch programs you missed on a PC.

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  8. Daniel Wilkie

    @GloucesterMatt

    Yes sadly :( Unless you can disable the ability to watch BBC channels.

    Also, i thought the sky player was supposed to be free for existing subscribers :(

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  9. Dave Fox

    @Daniel Wilkie

    Actually, it doesn't matter if it's BBC channels or not, if you are in the UK and wish to receive a "live" television transmission (from any source!), you require a TV licence.

    Regards,

    Dave

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  10. Gerard Krupa
    Stop

    Multiroom subscription

    Is the multiroom subscription required for everything or just streaming live channels, as it already is for the PC version of Sky Player?

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  11. The BigYin

    OR...

    ...Get and old xBox

    Soft mode

    Install XMBC

    Maybe Navi-X

    Profit!

    Well, maybe not profit as such, but certainly no real cost.

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  12. Yorkshirepudding
    Grenade

    i predict a riot

    will you xbl avatars be able to starting throwing bottles and flares?

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  13. Andrew Moore

    Hmmmmmm...

    Shouldn't the tag line read "The Simpsons, The Simpsons, The Simpsons, The Simpsons, Futurama, The Simpsons, The Simpsons..."

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  14. Andy 70

    bloomin murdock

    i don't know what they think standard definition is if it's not DVD 720x576.

    maybe saying "standard def", is their way of excusing the pixel blockyness of streamed content?

    and pay for multiroom? when i don't get the same quality or amount of channels over skyplayer that i would do normally? wtf? yeah sure, that bird'll fly. if it was a free service like PC skyplayer, then cool. but it's not. so bye bye.

    anyway, i run BBC iplayer with so called"HD" streams over 3Mb adsl with no problem. quality is acceptable on a big screen. dunno what you're whinging about with your la-di-da "i live out in the sticks boohoo" fancy pants 4Mb hook up. ;)

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  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Totally pointless

    Why pay for a multiroom subscription so that you can watch a limited set of channels in shit quality when you can just pay for the multiroom subscription and use the damn sky box that comes with it. (or get one off your favorite tat peddler for cheap if you don't want to pay £50 for the box)

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  16. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    So....

    ..assumedly they will provide a cinema surround system for every user so that you can hear the TV above the XBox's fans howling?

    Just remember - that red ring is NOT a standby light....

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  17. Thomas Bottrill

    Some answers

    "Will this service be world wide or do the distributors/networks still don't get it? World wide service would be nice :D"

    I would imagine Sky only have UK broadcast rights for most of their shows.

    "If you watch Sky, streamed to your Xbox, and Iplayer on your PC (and no satellite dish, or TV aerial etc) and live in the UK, do you need to still pay a TV licence?"

    If it's streamed live (as in, if you're watching a feed that's also being broadcast over the air) then yes. If you're just using the on-demand service then no.

    "Is the multiroom subscription required for everything or just streaming live channels, as it already is for the PC version of Sky Player?"

    I can't imagine it'd be different to the exisiting Sky Player service.

    "We are now in the world of HD so it's rather pathetic providing VHS quality on demand services and expecting people to pay for it. The best streamed quality I've seen is from the BBC iPlayer, but even that looks terrible full screen on a 40" TV."

    No idea what quality the Sky service will use, but the upcoming update will include the 1080p live streaming from Zune Marketplace, so it's possible that the Sky service could stream in HD.

    "and pay for multiroom? when i don't get the same quality or amount of channels over skyplayer that i would do normally? wtf? yeah sure, that bird'll fly. if it was a free service like PC skyplayer, then cool. but it's not. so bye bye."

    The PC service requires multiroom for live streaming (as opposed to VOD). However, I think that Sky Player on Xbox will require an Xbox Live Gold subscription.

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  18. mrweekender
    FAIL

    Sky?

    Fuck Sky - Freesat is the way forward!

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  19. Ivor Biggen
    Stop

    fail

    just get a PS3 with PlayTV.

    Once youve paid for the hardware, the content is free... forever, you can record and store the shows and the all the content is upscaled to 1080p.

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  20. RTNavy
    Thumb Up

    BDLive?

    I would like some of that to become available on my BDLive Blue Ray as well! I currently love my Netflix selections in this manner...

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  21. The Original Steve
    Stop

    @Ivor Biggen

    Or get a CHEAPER XBox360 and spend £30 on a TV card for you Windows XP MCE, Windows Vista or Windows 7 PC.

    Save more money, does it in 1080p and I don't need to add a small brick to my console.

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  22. Arnie
    Stop

    Gimme a revo anyday

    buy an asus revo with nvidia ion chip, upgrade to 2gb ram. install xbmc, run some natty scripts, get iplayer, hulu (american multichannel iplayer) and the movie script. job done for 200 notes. oh did I mention it plays every single format and can be run with a wii remote

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  23. david bates

    @AC 14:06

    I cant hear the roar of my XBOX fan above the whisper of the laptop on my lap. as far as Im concerned the XBOS is quieter than the DVD player...

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  24. jason 7
    Alert

    TV licencing...folks please note.

    You legally NEED a TV licence if you use ANY item of equipment that uses a TV tuner circuit that can receive live TV transmissions (analogue or digital).

    That means ANY VCR/PVR/TV that has an aerial socket. Even a Slingbox.

    So if you just stream pre-recorded stuff such as iPlayer to your TV and you dont even have an aerial you still need a licence for the TV.

    Even if you have a piece of gear in the garage technically they could still get you.

    Its not what or how you watch...its down to if any gear has a tuner circuit in it...connected or not.

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  25. Ivor Biggen
    Grenade

    @The Original Steve

    So your saying that having a pc + xbox + tv tuner card = cheaper than a ps3?

    What an idiot, your saving that a pc (£300), xbox (£170) and tv tuner (£30) total of £500... compared to ps3 (£250) and play tv (£60) total of £310.

    £500 set up.... cheaper I dont think so

    then you have downtime due to RROD. seems expensive and impractical to me

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  26. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @jason 7

    Not true (unless it's changed within the last 5 years). A colleage of mine had a TV for ONLY playing VHS tapes and DVDs, he wrote a letter to the TV Licensing folk explaining that he wasn't receiving live transmissions with it and they confirmed he didn't need a license.

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  27. blacklight124
    Go

    @jason 7

    I believe the anonymous coward is correct.

    I had the same situation. I used my TV as a monitor for a PC in my living room & didnt have Sky at the time & ironically couldnt even receive any TV signals cos the flat aerial was broken.

    Wrote to TV license folk & they were fine. All they said was that they might send someone to confirm this... but never did.

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  28. jason 7
    Thumb Up

    Indeed! Its changed!!!

    I have re-checked and it appears they have changed and simplified the rules to allow for the whole internet streaming side.

    Instead of basing it on equipment that is equipped to recieve live TV they now base it on whether you watch live TV or not.

    So if you watch or record any live TV you need a licence. If you dont then no need.

    However, to make sure I'd get that aerial taken down or the socket papered over as this new way seems to geive them a lot of catch outs against the consumer.

    Though I have read the licencing folks the BBC outsource to, are a pretty thick toothless bunch with no actual legal authority.

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  29. Elsie
    FAIL

    Give Murdock more money? No Thanks!

    The only things worth watching on Sky are the Ross Kemp Afghanistan series and the sport. You can download the former (if you know where look) and Justin.TV supplies the live sport. I shall not be partaking!

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