Sky by broadband FAQ
Sky by broadband FAQ
Just in case there are any obvious things we've overlooked or if anything's not quite clear, we're including some official Sky-by-broadband frequently asked questions (FAQ). We've left lots of them out and also done some re-arranging of the order.
But you can read all of them because the next thing down is a live screengrab of the functional area of the main FAQ page - just click on that and you'll go to the real page and be able to read the lot. Almost without exception the FAQ are well-written, concise and accurate. Whoever is responsible deserves a heartfelt pat on the back.
What is Sky by broadband?
Sky by broadband is a new service from Sky for Sky digital TV customers. It is an application which, when downloaded to your PC, allows you to download and watch films from Sky Movies as well as highlights and news from Sky Sports.
How does it work?
Sky by broadband uses secure peer-to-peer (P2P) technology, powered by Kontiki, to distribute Sky Movies and Sky Sports videos via the Internet. Once a movie or sports video has been downloaded, Microsoft Digital Rights Management (DRM) software will prevent unauthorised viewing and will automatically delete the movie or sports video from your PC once your license to view it expires.
Who can get Sky by broadband?
Sky digital customers who subscribe to Sky Sports 1 & 2 can get Sky Sports from Sky by broadband, while Sky Movies 1 & 2 subscribers can get Sky Movies from Sky by broadband. Sky customers who subscribe to our premium Sky World package can get both Sky Sports and Sky Movies from Sky by broadband - all at no extra cost. Please refer to your broadband service provider for any data download limits.
I have more than one PC - can I install Sky by broadband on all of them?
Sky will only allow you to download the Sky by broadband application onto one PC in your home. However, you can have other members of your household registered to this PC. To add users, login to your Sky.com account. and then click on Additional Users.
Can I save to another hard drive, CD, DVD or other device?
You will only be able to play the video on the PC it was downloaded to. Items cannot be downloaded on to DVD. [Bob C adds - It is possible, to copy/move video files around the PC and still play them from their new locations]
How long will it take to download movies and sports video?
Download times are dependant on your internet connection type/speed, internet conditions and the size of the chosen video. As an example, with a 1MB connection, the download will take approximately the same time as the length of the movie or sports video itself. And of course, the quicker your connection, the less time it will take to download. [Bob C adds - Rather a simplistic and, maybe even misleading, statement. The download rates we've been getting were highly variable though, only in a few case would we describe them as dire. They ranged aren't dire - but did range between but are considerably worse than, say, the download speed from Microsoft's site (115KB/sec here on a 2Meg broadband line).
How much disk space will be used to download videos?
Every movie and sports video will vary depending on the content. As an example, short sports news videos will be around 5 MB. Movies will vary between 300 MB and 1000 MB; on average, a two-hour movie will be around 750 MB.
What will the picture and sound quality of the movies/sports video be?
Videos are encoded at a variable bit rate of 860 kbps, and resolution of 540x432.
Can I watch movies or sports videos if I am not connected to the internet?
Yes, opening Sky by broadband when you are on your home PC but not currently connected to the internet will present your "library" of videos. All videos previously downloaded to your PC are still available for offline viewing, provided that the licence to view the video has not expired. If you have parental controls set up on your Sky by broadband account, these will not be applied when viewing videos offline. Parental control settings can be set to disable offline viewing if desired.
Do I need to download the video before I can watch it?
Movies must be downloaded in full before you can begin to play them. However, some short sports videos have the option to play directly from Sky by broadband without the need to download first.
Sky by broadband is a new service from Sky for Sky digital TV customers. It is an application which, when downloaded to your PC, allows you to download and watch films from Sky Movies as well as highlights and news from Sky Sports.
How does it work?
Sky by broadband uses secure peer-to-peer (P2P) technology, powered by Kontiki, to distribute Sky Movies and Sky Sports videos via the Internet. Once a movie or sports video has been downloaded, Microsoft Digital Rights Management (DRM) software will prevent unauthorised viewing and will automatically delete the movie or sports video from your PC once your license to view it expires.
Who can get Sky by broadband?
Sky digital customers who subscribe to Sky Sports 1 & 2 can get Sky Sports from Sky by broadband, while Sky Movies 1 & 2 subscribers can get Sky Movies from Sky by broadband. Sky customers who subscribe to our premium Sky World package can get both Sky Sports and Sky Movies from Sky by broadband - all at no extra cost. Please refer to your broadband service provider for any data download limits.
I have more than one PC - can I install Sky by broadband on all of them?
Sky will only allow you to download the Sky by broadband application onto one PC in your home. However, you can have other members of your household registered to this PC. To add users, login to your Sky.com account. and then click on Additional Users.
Can I save to another hard drive, CD, DVD or other device?
You will only be able to play the video on the PC it was downloaded to. Items cannot be downloaded on to DVD. [Bob C adds - It is possible, to copy/move video files around the PC and still play them from their new locations]
How long will it take to download movies and sports video?
Download times are dependant on your internet connection type/speed, internet conditions and the size of the chosen video. As an example, with a 1MB connection, the download will take approximately the same time as the length of the movie or sports video itself. And of course, the quicker your connection, the less time it will take to download. [Bob C adds - Rather a simplistic and, maybe even misleading, statement. The download rates we've been getting were highly variable though, only in a few case would we describe them as dire. They ranged aren't dire - but did range between but are considerably worse than, say, the download speed from Microsoft's site (115KB/sec here on a 2Meg broadband line).
How much disk space will be used to download videos?
Every movie and sports video will vary depending on the content. As an example, short sports news videos will be around 5 MB. Movies will vary between 300 MB and 1000 MB; on average, a two-hour movie will be around 750 MB.
What will the picture and sound quality of the movies/sports video be?
Videos are encoded at a variable bit rate of 860 kbps, and resolution of 540x432.
Can I watch movies or sports videos if I am not connected to the internet?
Yes, opening Sky by broadband when you are on your home PC but not currently connected to the internet will present your "library" of videos. All videos previously downloaded to your PC are still available for offline viewing, provided that the licence to view the video has not expired. If you have parental controls set up on your Sky by broadband account, these will not be applied when viewing videos offline. Parental control settings can be set to disable offline viewing if desired.
Do I need to download the video before I can watch it?
Movies must be downloaded in full before you can begin to play them. However, some short sports videos have the option to play directly from Sky by broadband without the need to download first.
Main FAQ page - click to go to
live page
