PRESS RELEASE
Sky+, Britain's most popular personal video recorder (PVR), is getting even better with the introduction of brand new Sky+HD and Sky+HD 2TB boxes - both now available with built-in Wi-Fi for the first time.
The new boxes make it even easier for customers to enjoy Sky's On Demand service, which is currently enjoyed in 2.7 million homes and registering an average of 6.2 million downloads a week.
Putting Sky+HD at the centre of the connected home
The new Sky+HD and Sky+HD 2TB boxes connect wirelessly to a home Wi-Fi network with the touch of a couple of buttons. Once connected, customers can instantly access Sky's On Demand service, including up to the last 30 days of TV from the UK's biggest Catch Up TV service, the latest Box Sets, and hundreds of movies from Sky Movies and Sky Store. The new boxes are also Sky's most energy efficient yet.
The Sky+HD 2TB box continues to offer more personal storage than any other subscription TV PVR, allowing customers to record three times more hours of HD TV than with rival boxes*. Sky customers will be able to use the massive capacity to store up to 350 hours of HD content*.
And to ensure that all homes with Sky+HD boxes can get connected, existing customers who have not yet used On Demand can receive a free On Demand connector. This connector will allow them to easily connect their set-top box to their Wi-Fi network, giving them instant access to hours of additional entertainment. To check eligibility Sky customers can visit sky.com/connector.
These homes will join the more than 30,000 Sky customers who connected their boxes to broadband every week during the last year.
More Catch Up TV services and TV Box Sets with On Demand
Sky customers with On Demand will receive up to 20 new channels on Catch Up TV over the next year. The first channels to be added to the service will include Discovery, Dave, Gold and Cartoon Network, all arriving before the end of the year.
This Autumn, Sky will also continue to expand the number of TV Box Sets available. From September this will include Hannibal (Series 1, Sky Living), Friday Night Lights (Series 1 and 2, Sky Atlantic), Falling Skies (Series 1 and 2, Fox) and Rescue Me (Series 1-2, Sky Atlantic).
Luke Bradley-Jones, Sky's Brand Director of TV Products, comments: "Record levels of On Demand viewing show that Sky customers love the flexibility the service offers. When people connect their Sky+HD box to broadband they get instant access to the UK's biggest Catch Up TV service and an extensive On Demand library of TV Box Sets and exclusive movies - and we're seeing a growing demand.
"We want even more people to enjoy these benefits, so we're making it easier to get connected by launching our best ever Sky+HD box with built-in Wi-Fi and offering existing customers a free On Demand connector."
For further information on the new Sky+HD boxes with built-in Wi-Fi visit sky.com/products/kit.
* Compares a Sky+HD 2TB box to a Virgin Media TiVo 1TB box
Sky+HD 2TB provides 1.5TB of personal storage and 0.5TB of storage for On Demand showcase content.
Sky's On Demand service is available at no extra charge to all customers who have connected their Sky+HD box to their broadband connection. The on demand content available depends on a customer's subscription.
TV box sets are available at no extra cost for customers with either an HD subscription, or the Entertainment Extra+ TV package.
Catch Up TV services are available to UK customers only.
About Sky
Sky is the UK and Ireland's leading home entertainment and communications company. Around 40% of all homes have a direct relationship with Sky through its range of TV, broadband and home telephony services.
Sky is the UK's biggest investor in television content, investing more than £2.5 billion a year in channels such as Sky 1, Sky Atlantic, Sky Living, Sky Arts, Sky Sports, Sky Movies and Sky News. Around two-thirds of Sky's content spend is invested in the UK and Sky is the fastest-growing source of investment in original British programmes. More than 30 million people watch Sky content each week.
Alongside its commitment to offering customers a greater choice of high-quality content, Sky is a leading innovator. Customers enjoy total control and flexibility over their favourite TV through Sky+, watch TV on the move through Sky Go, and enjoy the best quality TV experience at home through High Definition and 3D.
Sky distributes its content broadly over several platforms, including satellite, cable, IPTV, mobile and WiFi. NOW TV, Sky's second consumer brand, builds on the company's leadership in internet TV. Sky is also the UK's fastest-growing home communications company and favourite ‘triple-play' provider of TV, broadband and home phone.
Sky believes in making a wider contribution to the communities in which it operates by taking positive action on the environment, supporting grassroots sports and increasing access to, and participation in, the arts. Sky employs 23,000 people, has annual revenues of £7.2 billion and is estimated to support a £5.4 billion contribution to UK GDP. Sky is listed on the London Stock Exchange (BSY). www.sky.com/corporate.
