Sky starts phased launch of new Sky+HD Guide

March 30, 2009 - PRLog -- Sky has announced that it has begun the phased launch of its new TV guide for Sky+HD customers, following extensive research trials.

The new Sky+HD Guide (http://packages.sky.com/ ) is an evolution of Sky's popular electronic programme guide (EPG) and makes it even easier for HD customers to find, watch and record the programmes they may want to watch live, on-demand via Anytime or at a later date.

The new Sky+HD Guide was introduced to its first group of HD (http://packages.sky.com/ ) customers on Tuesday 10 March. Customers will not lose any of the programmes they have recorded on their boxes and will not have to make any adjustments to receive the new guide.

Benefits of the new Sky+HD Guide include:

- Viewers can now browse and watch TV at the same time so they never have to miss a minute of their favourite show again.  

- Viewers can now view programme information for all programmes across all channels, up to 12 hours ahead without interrupting their current TV viewing.

- Viewers can now record and Series Link at the touch of a button straight from the TV listings without having to go back to their planner. If the programme they'd like to record is part of a series, the new Series Link prompt will ask them if they would like to record it once or record the whole series. Series Link can also be set from the TV Guide, or the Now, Next and Later banner, even while watching a programme.

- The new Series Stack feature helps viewers better manage their recordings in their planner by grouping all the episodes from a series together in the same place under the programme name.

- Viewers will be able to search for their favourite shows and discover new ones up to seven days ahead by programme title, genre or subgenre, such as 'Movies: Comedy'.

Gerry O'Sullivan, Director of Strategic Product Development at Sky (http://packages.sky.com/ ) said: "The launch of our -new on-screen guide means Sky+HD customers will now find it even easier to search, record and watch the thousands of hours of high definition programmes that only Sky+HD delivers".

Ends

About Sky+HD (http://packages.sky.com/ )
Launched in May 2006, it is Sky's fastest ever growing additional TV product with 779,000 Sky homes now enjoying the richness and intensity of high definition TV and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. A Sky+HD box cost £49 and the service offers 32 dedicated HD channels from brands such as National Geographic HD, Sky Sports HD, Sky Movies HD, Sky1 HD, FX HD, History HD, Disney Cinemagic HD, MTVN HD, Sky Arts HD, Sky Arts HD 2 and Discovery HD. BBC HD, Channel 4 HD and Luxe HD are available without any subscriptions (C4 HD requires a valid viewing card). Compatible HD ready TV and Sky+HD box required.

Sky+HD PR contact:
Victoria Etaghene
Sky Consumer PR Executive
BSkyB Ltd
NHC5
Grant Way
Isleworth
Middlesex
TW7 5QD
020 7805 6424
packages.sky.com

# # #

About Sky+HD (http://packages.sky.com/ )
Launched in May 2006, it is Sky's fastest ever growing additional TV product with 779,000 Sky homes now enjoying the richness and intensity of high definition TV and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. A Sky+HD box cost £49 and the service offers 32 dedicated HD channels from brands such as National Geographic HD, Sky Sports HD, Sky Movies HD, Sky1 HD, FX HD, History HD, Disney Cinemagic HD, MTVN HD, Sky Arts HD, Sky Arts HD 2 and Discovery HD. BBC HD, Channel 4 HD and Luxe HD are available without any subscriptions (C4 HD requires a valid viewing card). Compatible HD ready TV and Sky+HD box required.