It means you can reach programmes within just a couple of clicks which makes it very powerful. It also does clever things like suggest the HD version if you’d prefer.īut if you go backwards in time, then you can see what was on TV – say yesterday – and if you select that programme (and it’s available on demand), then it’ll launch the relevant on demand service like iPlayer or ITV Player and boot up the programme. If you go forwards in time then you can set it to record that programme as usual. But the neatness comes in the way that on demand functionality is built straight into that EPG. What you have is a very smart and very slick looking EPG which at first glance is just a list of Freeview channels. But that probably underplays the power of it. ![]() And there are already plenty of those on the market. In essence, it’s a connected Freeview PVR. It’s been a long time in gestation, but now it’s here, it’s actually quite smart. Lord Sugar – chairman of YouView – kicked off procedings, although most of the demostrations were conducted by CEO Richard Halton. George Entwistle may be the new Director General of the BBC, but the current one, Mark Thompson, was to be found in County Hall this morning alongside representatives of the other shareholders for the launch of YouView. To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication". For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email or phone 020 3353 3857. Gains in total customers and efficiency made up for a 6% decrease in advertising revenue.īSkyB raised its customer total by 321,000 in the period, while subscriptions to various products, notably broadband and telephone, increased by 772,000.ĭirectors authorised a dividend of 9.2p per share for the period, up 5% from the previous year. Net profit was 8% higher in the first half of the company's financial year despite a drop in advertising revenue.įor the six months ending 31 December 2011, BSkyB reported a net profit of £441m, up from £407m a year earlier. Revenues were up to £3.4bn, a rise of 6%, and Sky also announced it is creating 1,300 jobs over the next two years in the UK and Ireland. The figure was 40,000, down from 140,000 during the same period the previous year.īut existing customers bought more broadband and telephone packages and underlying profits grew 15% to a record £601m in the six months to 31 December. Sky's new venture comes as it announced a slowdown in the number of subscribers signing up to its television services in the three months to 31 December. It is not yet known what Sky's new non-subscriber internet TV service will be called.īSkyB announced yesterday that the BBC iPlayer and ITV Player TV catchup services are to be available to its subscribers for the first time via the Sky Anytime+ video-on-demand offering. It was the first UK broadcaster to offer content to download over the internet to its subscribers and the service is now known as Sky Go, which will remain as a bonus addition for existing customers. Sky has offered VoD since 2006, but only to existing subscribers to its pay-TV service. These include a monthly payment for unlimited access to Sky Movies, or viewers can rent a single film on a simple, pay-as-you-go basis. The new service will be available to non-subscribers via different packages. It will allow customers to choose whether to pay monthly, or rent a movie on a pay-as-you-go basis, it added. Sky said the new service will allow customers to pay to watch its content on devices connected to the internet, including PCs, laptops, smartphones, games consoles and TVs. "We have competed in the last few decades against all competitors." ![]() It's further evidence that this is an exciting market and lots of people see opportunities in it. He added: "I don't see it threatening our business at all. The BSkyB chief executive Jeremy Darroch denied that the business was threatened by the growth of online businesses such as Netflix and LoveFilm. The service will be aimed at the 13m UK households who do not subscribe to pay-TV.Īlso on the horizon is the much-delayed YouView, which gives viewers catchup and on-demand programmes and recording facilities via an internet-connected set-top box and is backed by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, BT, Talk Talk and Arqiva. Sky is facing increased competition in the home entertainment sector following the successful UK launch of Netflix, which allows consumers to pay to download films, and rental and download rival LoveFilm. Sport and entertainment are due to be added to the offering soon afterwards.
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