In amid the furore over Sky launching its 3DTV service in 2010, the company has also announced that it will bring video on demand to its HD customers via the internet connection on the box.
Sky's networked home concept has been shown off for some time, but customers with an HD box will not have long to wait, with the service now confirmed for launch in 2010.
"Sky has also confirmed the launch of a comprehensive 'pull' video-on-demand (VOD) service next year, to provide Sky+HD customers with additional choice and control to complement Sky+ and the current Sky Anytime 'push' VOD service," said Sky's release.
"This new service will use the broadband capability of existing Sky+HD boxes."
Completing the circle
This has been termed 'completing the circle' by Sky's Director of On Demand Griff Parry, who is also in charge of the current internet service Sky Player.
It remains to be seen if the VOD service offered will also bring some of the other parts of Sky's concept for a networked home with it – like roaming profiles and recordings.
Regardless, the arrival of VOD functionality through a broadband connection is a key step for Sky, a company that has led the way on the likes of PVRs and HD but is lagging behind rival Virgin Media in VOD.
But Sky's latest announcement, which suggested more details would be made available closer to launch, allied with the likes of the Microsoft Xbox 360 Sky Player means that the company is beginning to work around its problem.
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caimbeul
July 30th 2009
1. Sky need to focus on getting their equipment to work. I am on my 3rd HD box in as many years and still it freezes and crashes frequently. The equipment cannot handle what it is supposed to at the moment, let along HD streaming over ethernet.
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