iPlayers? Sky Players? Will we ever miss anything ever again?

What the iPlayer is to the BBC, the Sky Player is to Sky. The last few years has seen us moving towards a new digital era with a faster pace than ever before. Sky Player offers programmes and movies from 32 of the top digital channels – and what’s better is that it is available for free, on your home computer.

One of the key benefits of Sky Player is the wide array of films that it has available. Whether it’s action films, comedies, romances, thrillers, musicals or westerns – Sky Player has them all, ready and waiting to be found. There’s now no excuse for missing your favourite films:

Here’s a quick review of five films that are currently available on Sky Player:

Vantage Point - An anti-terror summit in Salamanca gets off to the worst possible start when the US president (William Hurt) is shot in a crowded plaza.

Superhero Movie - Spider-Man’s in the firing line as super-spoofer Leslie Nielsen whips out his naked guns to take a few potshots at Hollywood ’s comic-based blockbusters.

I’m Not There - Oscar nominated ruminations on the life of Bob Dylan, where six characters embody a different aspect of the musician’s life and work.

The Immortal Voyage Of Captain Drake - Four years after the English fleet defeated the Spanish Armada, Sir Francis Drake and his bitter nemesis are still at war.

Deception - Membership of an elite Manhattan sex club leads to treachery and corruption for Ewan McGregor as he falls for Michelle Williams.

To learn more about Sky and the Sky Player, visit their site today!

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image credit: brymo

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Sky report a sharp increase in sales for their high definition television service, Sky HD

In the last few days, Sky announced that they have more than doubled the number of British households that receive their High-Definition (HD) digital television service.

A sharp increase in sales during the first three months of his year were mostly responsible for the rise – with one Sky HD Box being sold ever thirty seconds in that period. This sudden rush of sales came in reaction to Sky’s decision to lower the price of their HD Box to £49 that matched a growing desire for higher quality television.

By the end of March, the total number of Sky+ HD customers had risen to over a million, which is an impressive increase from 465,000 just a year before.

The growth also mirrors that investment that Sky had poured into their flagship digital service. 33 new different HD channels are now available on Sky, and many viewers have purchased the system in anticipation of a busy summer of sport which includes The Ashes and The Lions tour of South Africa.

Sky’s director of product management, Stephen van Rooyen, spoke in response to the news: ‘The growth of HD is really starting to take off as more people discover the difference in picture and sound quality.’

The shift of people to Sky HD television is part of a wider push to switch from analogue to digital during the next few years helped by great.

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iPhones, HD televisions and complex webbery: just what does our digital future hold for us?

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Digital televisions sets, high-speed Internet, smart phones and virtual communities, you could forgive some of the more pedestrian members of society for finding this digital revolution a touch bewildering.

It’s easy to forget that a mere decade ago we would quite happily invest half an hour boosting up a sluggish Altavista page whilst the sound of mechanical beeps danced in the background; that mobile telephones would come with extendable aerials and, to the majority of us, Channel Five represented the zenith of choice.

Today, the digital landscape is unrecognisable. Jobs and revenue created by digital businesses are at the heart of the government’s scheme to drag the country out of the recession, and yesterday Lord Stephen Carter, the communications minister, announced that every home in Briton should expect the have access to a broadband system by 2012.

‘There is no sector with the possible exception of energy that the rest of the economy relies upon more than this one,’ Carter claimed as he published his interim Digital Britain report.

But what does this mean? What is digital Britain going to look like? Probably one of the most noticeable changes for the majority of Britons is going to be taking place on their television screens.

Firstly, Sky appears to be in the midst of a determined push on their Sky HD packages. High Definition television (or HD, for short) means that the visual quality of programming is improved by around four times. Sky aren’t stopping at this, however, and have hinted recently that within 24 months UK viewers could be treated to something as exotic as 3D broadcasts.

Then, with the soaring speeds of broadband Internet, we could well see more and more households adopting video streaming sites in place of traditional broadcasters. YouTube is the obvious frontrunner with a surge in the number of different channels, but other sites such as Vimeo have been causing a lasting stir online and are tipped to grow strongly this year.

Most people don’t know much about Vimeo. Currently it is the technological playground of individual users and small businesses, but there is every chance that over the next few years broadcasters such as the BBC and Sky will begin to invest more and more of their resources in online technology, dragging more viewers online, and exposing them more and more to sites like Vimeo and YouTube.

Whether it’s Sky, Vimeo, YouTube or the good old BBC, the digital juggernaut is already off down the hill, and where it ends up is probably going to surprise us all. For 2009, however, there is one thing of which Sky are certain, that High Definition TV isn’t just for the privileged, but for everyone.

Tags: BBC, Digital TV, Sky, Switchover // 1 Comment »

HeadDonistic: Has HD’s moment arrived?

Britain’s now awash with chatter about the digital switchover and Sky, it appears, are attempting to seize the moment by offering the cheapest entry to their HD broadcast system yet. Savings of £150 are to be scooped with the offer launched on 28th January, which offers potential customers a Sky+ HD box for just £49.

It’s a sensible move by Sky. With the economy hobbling along, Britons are increasingly choosing to stay at home rather than venturing out to expensive meals or parties. ‘Intertainment’ is the new word that has slipped into the English dictionary, describing people’s growing desire for home-based leisure activities, from cooking to television.

The acquisition of a Sky HD Box obviously slips into this category: because intertainment Sky HD certainly is. It means unrivalled vision and sound quality across an ever growing network of channels. Sports fans can settle down before the annual Six Nations ruck or the imminent resurrection of the Champions League, all in unprecedented detail. Those who prefer films have Hollywood’s award season on the horizon, replete with the Oscars and the Baftas and movie premieres from Pineapple Express to Tropic Thunder.

‘High Definition. Now it’s for everyone’, reads a banner on the Sky website. At less than £50, they certainly have a point. With offers like these around there is always the chance that we won’t be forced off to the local gastro pub each time we want to catch the latest Premier League battle or International showdown. To find out more information about this current offer, you can visit the Sky HD Deals.

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Image Credit: RoBeE on Flickr

Tags: Digital TV, Sky // 1 Comment »

Marie Kemplay jots down just how Sky can improve your life

Nobody has time to think these days; everything always seems to be getting more complicated, if it’s not fixing today’s technical hitch with your computer/DVD player/latest kitchen gadget it’s trying to think of the right terminology to order a regular coffee. You may think that Sky is just another complication in your already overfilled and overstretched life; however Sky could be just what you need to make things easier – well ok, entertainment-wise at least. With the government releasing its latest ad campaign ‘eat better, move more, live longer’ to get us healthier and those new years resolution still just about fresh in your mind it might seem strange that I’m encouraging you back onto the sofa, but Sky could in fact be the way to a new you.

Sky has some great new shows to help you counteract the season of excess with some healthier fare. Lorraine Kelly’s Tips on Nutrition will be showing on Sky Real Lives everyday at 9.30 am and pm. Lorraine offers a no-nonsense approach to nutrition, sharing common sense advice and how to make tasty, yet healthy grub. Viewers of UKTV on weekdays at 7pm are in for a treat, Market Kitchen features guest chefs every show and is full of delicious wholesome food. And if these two programmes aren’t enough inspiration Body in Balance is an entire channel dedicated to health and fitness and can be found on Sky 275. If the rest of your life needs a health check then Kim’s Rude Awakening is the show for you. Kim Woodburn, of How Clean is Your House fame, tackles some of the messiest and least organised homes in Britain - at the very least it should make you feel less slovenly than you might have before; you can find it on Sky Real Lives.

And after all the hard work improving your diet, body and home it’s probably time for a well deserved break. Sky Travel Shop, 669 can help you book the perfect holiday and has plenty of great value deals. For the more adventurous traveller The Travel Channel, Sky 251, and Discovery Travel and Living, Sky 265 are worth exploring, from programmes about trekking in Africa to tips on how to buy the perfect property abroad.

If you don’t have time to watch these great shows or you’re too busy to set recordings before you go out and have Sky plus, Sky have introduced a fantastic way to keep up with those all important TV shows. It’s now possible to record shows onto your digibox over the internet at sky.com and even using your mobile, magic! Just register a My Sky account at Sky.com and then press the interactive button on your sky plus remote and then select ‘Remote Record’ from the list of Sky Products.

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Every hour, every day

Ever since the US military spoke about the “CNN effect” during the first Gulf War we have become increasingly attached to 24 hour rolling news.

Whether you are a 24 hour-a-day TV news junkie or just someone who skims across the internet before leaving work, the fact is our information gathering has changed forever.

Advanced technology means that the days of the nation all sitting down together at 6 o’clock to watch the same news programme is over; something that says a lot about how society has changed since we were all kids.

But does the increased choice of sources actually improve the quality of news content that comes our way?

Unfortunately the rush to be the first to get the story on their news platforms usually means that the days of assiduous fact checking and journalistic reflection have been subordinated to the war for ratings; journalists are finding themselves under increasing pressure to deliver the goods at high speed.

On the other hand you can argue that the plurality of information sources has increased the flow of information around the world to places that were previously denied access to news, Burma and China being a good case in point.

Ultimately, although having lots of choice can expose us to hearsay and speculation, it also makes our ability to decipher the truth more sophisticated, and that has to be a positive factor.

Tags: BBC, Digital TV, Programmes, Sky // Add Comment »

Top Five Oscar Moments:

The red carpet has been rolled up and the fifty thousand pound frocks have retreated back into the walk-in wardrobes. 2009’s Academy Awards were a typically overblown affair, and ultimately Slumdog Millionaire emerged from them as the clear victor.

But in the clear light of day, just what have been the most memorable of all Oscar moments? Here’s a quick list:

1. Roberto Benigni accepts the Oscar for Life is Beautiful [video]

“Thank you! This is a moment of joy and I want to kiss everybody, the makers of the joy.”

2. Halle Berry wins Best Actress in 2002 - [video]

This moment is so much bigger than me. This moment is for Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne, Diahann Carroll. It’s for the women that stand beside me, Jada Pinkett, Angela Bassett, Vivica Fox. And it’s for every nameless, faceless woman of colour that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened. Thank you. I’m so honoured. I’m so honoured. And I thank the Academy for choosing me to be the vessel for which His blessing might flow. Thank you.

3. Marlon Brando’s protest in 1973

I think awards in this country at this time are inappropriate to be received or given until the condition of the American Indian is drastically altered. If we are not our brother’s keeper, at least let us not be his executioner.

4. Michael Moore’s controversial acceptance speech after winning the Oscar for Bowling for Columbine - [video]

I have invited my fellow documentary nominees on the stage with us, and we would like to — they’re here in solidarity with me because we like nonfiction. We like nonfiction and we live in fictitious times. We live in the time where we have fictitious election results that elects a fictitious president. We live in a time where we have a man sending us to war for fictitious reasons. Whether it’s the fiction of duct tape or fiction of orange alerts we are against this war, Mr. Bush. Shame on you, Mr. Bush, shame on you. And any time you got the Pope and the Dixie Chicks against you, your time is up. Thank you very much.

5. Charlie Chaplin receives the longest standing ovation in the award’s history - [video]

(For the latest film news, reviews and showing times - visit Sky Movies: the ultimate digital channel is now in HD)

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Anthony Pearce takes a breezy look at Sky HD

You can now enjoy the UK’s widest selection of high definition programmes with Sky+ HD. The Sky HD Pack has 31 HD Channels available: the largest selection by any HD TV Provider in the UK by some way.

Sky+ HD really brings entertainment to life offering up to 4 times better picture detail with superb colours and sound. You can enjoy everything from Sports and Movies, to Documentaries and Dramas.

If you’re into James Bond then make sure you don’t miss The Bond HD Weekend on Sky Movies HD starting on Friday 27th March.

Also coming in March on National Geographic HD is Kingdom of the Blue Whale which sees the best Blue Whales Scientists attempt to find and tag California Blue Whales.

If you’re more into your sports, then there is plenty to get your teeth into. England look to fight back in the Caribbean and the Champions League enters the later stages.

The 31 Sky+ HD Channels include:

Sky 1 HD, Sky Sports HD, EuroSport HD, Sky Movies HD, Discovery HD, National Geographic HD, History HD, MTV HD, SciFi HD, Disney Channel HD, Bio HD, BBC HD, 4HD

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Image Credit: James Jordan

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