UPDATED: Sky Player on Xbox has arrived, and TechRadar has had plenty of time on the service, as well as speaking to the key people behind the streaming and VOD television service.
Representing Sky's move onto a gaming console for the first time, for Sky satellite subscribers the Xbox brings true on demand to their television and for other people the chance to get movies, entertainment and sports onto their television without a satellite installation.
So TechRadar has pinned down the likes of Sky's Director of On Demand Griff Parry, Xbox's Jerry Johnson and Neil Thompson and Adrian Pilkington of BSkyB to ask just what the service is.
When is Sky Player for Xbox 360 arriving and how much will it cost?
The UK release date for Sky Player for Xbox 360 is 27 October – The ad campaign has already started in earnest.
"To watch Sky Player on Xbox 360, customers will need an Xbox LIVE Gold membership," explains Sky.
"Non–Sky satellite customers will also require a monthly subscription which starts at £15 per month to Sky Player's Base Entertainment Pack. Customers who want to watch Sky Sports 1, 2, 3 and Xtra, ESPN and the Sky Movies channels will be able to add these channels to their Base Entertainment Pack for an additional cost. In addition to the live channels, customers will also have access to on-demand programmes from channels they subscribe to.
"Existing Sky customers with Xbox Live Gold membership will be able to access Sky Player's on-demand content in line with the channels they are able to access through their core Sky TV subscription. Customers with Sky Multiroom or Sky Broadband Unlimited subscriptions are additionally able to access live channels for no extra charge."
How fast will my broadband connection have to be to be able to watch Sky player?
Xbox Live Product Unit Manager Jerry Johnson: "Right now the minimum requirements are minimum 1Mb connection with a suggestion of 2Mb to get an optimal experience of that. When we see the continued penetration of higher and higher connection then that may change.
"We are continuing to work with Sky to enhance that experience using the various technologies that are available."
The lowest quality streams at 600Kbps, the medium at 1.1Mbps and the best quality at 1.8Mbps.
Your comments (5) Click to add a new comment
madheroesfan
November 1st
5. Haha this is pathetic. Us PS3 owners have iView and many other online VOD channels, as well as PlayTV which gives us full control of FreeView with twin HD tuners.
Everything you soppy xbox owners get you have to pay even more (on top of live) for. so much for a being a cheap console.
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amit290
October 28th
4. @mbb - it says in the article that a Gold Live membership is required.
I dont know if this is a useful service or not, but its good to have a choice of how to watch.
I would rather stick on my TV + Sky box to watch Sky. Better quality, its fast, and it works; going from my jumpy experience of trying to watch a 'Super Sunday' game on Sky Player web site.
I dont think watching a lowish quality stream in a virtual room with 'online friends' will quite beat inviting your mates over with a few beers and watching a football game on TV with a Sky box (or HD box).
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mbb
May 29th
3. iPlayer does work on PS3, but it's not great, Hulu isn't currently available in the UK and the PSPs GoView system was never extended to PS3.
While it is true that the services you listed are free to access, they are not free. All require a TV License. I've seen no announcement that an Gold Live membership is required either.
And you saying that 'dumb' XBox owners paying £100 per month (not quite: £3 for XBL + £45.00 for Sky & Movies & Sports & 16Mb Broadband = £48.00 per month) won't have as much functionality as a Freeview PVR isn't exactly smart, as Freeview doesn't give you the internet, an online gaming service or Sky. Good comparison all round...
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mgillespie
May 29th
2. "sony are missing a trick here."
No, Sony got their deal signed and sorted well over a year ago. Microsoft are very late to the party...
http://stuff.tv/News/sony-psp-gets-sky/6689/
The deal was originally PSP, but it was extended to PS3 too. Also the PS3 has a browser with Flash9 anyway, so iPlayer, Hulu, CatchupTV and Sky Player are all already perfectly usable. All but the Sky offering are totally free, and the Sky offering only needing a Sky Sub. (The Xbox offering needs XboxLive Gold, Sky Subs). Still i'm sure that dumb Xbox owners will lap this up in droves till they realise they are now spending 100quid/month on the combined Sky/MS Live/Broadband services, and still have no more functionality than a freeview PVR.
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kipkitto
May 29th
1. What does this deal between Sky and Microsoft mean for the future of Windows Media Center? Is there any hint of a media center add-in for Sky Player (like Netflix in the US)?
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