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Sky's new full HD Now TV box will launch in August for £15
Sky is shedding a little light today on its next-generation Now TV box and a new monthly streaming plan for Sky Sports. Its refreshed hardware, which slipped out earlier this year in an investor presentation, will debut this August for £14.99 with an ethernet port and a five times faster processor. It's based on the Roku 3 player, the same as the company's "Sky Online TV Box" in Italy, which means it should finally support 1080p streaming too.
If Spotify was an '80s record store, it might've looked something like this
Have you ever wondered what a Spotify record store would've looked like in the '80s, or a Now TV-branded video rental chain? Me neither, to be honest, but that didn't stop Vodafone from including these fantasy locations in its retro-inspired "1984G Street." Set up a stone's throw from London's Covent Garden Tube station, the temporary, temporal anomaly was less 'street,' more handful of small pop-up shops with a nostalgia-meets-now vibe; much like Sony's PlayStation '94 20th anniversary store. It was just an elaborate PR stunt and brand awareness exercise, of course, as part of a Vodafone's ongoing campaign celebrating 30 years since its mobile network went live. It might've had something to do with 4G, too, given the name. David Hasselhoff rocked up in Knight Rider mode to officially open 1984G Street, which is fitting as he hasn't changed much in 30 years, despite eating more than his fair share of burgers off the floor. The morning I arrived, the Hoff and whatever crowd he drew had long departed, giving me plenty of opportunity to explore the strange installation.
Now TV gets a Windows 8 app
Whether you're a sports fanatic or a movie buff, December is generally a good month to sit down in front of the tellybox. One way to treat your eyeballs is via Sky's standalone Now TV streaming service, which is preparing for a busy Christmas full of movies, TV shows and live sports coverage. Instead of grappling with the Now TV website though, Sky has finally released a proper Windows 8.1 app for you to sink your teeth into. Available from the Windows Store, the new app embraces Microsoft's unique Metro aesthetic and features both live channels and on-demand video for its three (Entertainment, Movies and Sports) passes. In recent months, Sky has been busy bringing Now TV to new set-top boxes, including Apple TV and Chromecast. Broader platform support is always welcome, but it's good to see that Sky hasn't forgotten about desktop users -- so how about a native Mac app?
Vodafone and Sky grow ever closer as Now TV becomes a new 4G perk
UK carriers are always looking for new incentives that might persuade people to switch allegiances, and Vodafone is no exception. The carrier is enhancing its 4G contracts today by adding Sky's Now TV streaming service to its existing trio of limited-time perks. New subscribers taking out a Vodafone Red 4G plan, as well as anyone buying a £30 or £40 Red 4G Freedom TopUp, can choose Now TV's Entertainment Pass as their preferred perk. To sweeten the deal, Vodafone is also throwing in a 3-month Movies Pass for free.
Sky to release five limited edition Now TV boxes next month
Sky's Now TV puck is an inexpensive way to smarten up your TV, but perhaps you wish it looked a little smarter itself. In a bid to get its box on a few more Christmas lists, Sky's cooked up five, limited edition variants that swap the plain white exterior for something a bit more colourful, including one with a Lego Movie-inspired skin. Sky recently made a special edition puck to celebrate the newest series of The Walking Dead, but it was only available to competition winners. These five new designs will go on general sale November 24th with the same £10 price tag as a plain ol' Now TV box.
Engadget Daily: The deal with Twitch.tv, iCloud celebrity photo leak and more!
Today, we dive into the world of Twitch.tv, learn why many new apps are rejected from the App Store, check out a bling-tastic Galaxy Gear S, investigate the iCloud celebrity photo leak and more! Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last 24 hours.
YouTube comes to Sky's Now TV box
Sky's done a reasonable job of bringing new channels to its Now TV set-top box, especially given the rebranded Roku is just a vehicle for selling short-term entertainment and sports passes to the contract-adverse. Today, that £10 box gets a little bit more useful, with the addition of an official YouTube app to the Now TV channel store. Sky can take credit for giving it the green light, but its arrival is no big surprise when the channel launched across the entire Roku range a few months ago (after being exclusive to the Roku 3 for a time). It's been possible to watch YouTube content on the Now TV box through third-party channels such as Plex, but the official app has a much better interface for searching and browsing. Unfortunately, it's slow to navigate to the point of frustration, but if you want to catch a quick fail compilation while the kettle's boiling, it'll do the trick.
Samsung's latest flagship tablets launching July 4th for £319 and up
Samsung has such a fondness for tablets it's sometimes hard to keep up. The recently announced Galaxy Tab S, 8.4- and 10.5-inch Android slates stand out from the crowd as Samsung's newest flagship line, and the company said today they'll arrive in the UK on July 4th (aka next Friday). Both models, which marry high-end internals with WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600) displays, will be available online and through several retails stores (including Samsung's own) from £319 for the WiFi-only, 8.4-inch version and £399 for the full-sized slate. Update: In addition to existing free content partnerships with Deezer, Amazon and everything in the "Galaxy Gifts" package, Samsung's announced its newest slates will also come with a three-month Sky Movies Pass for streaming service Now TV (though you need to activate it by the end of September).
Sky Go and Now TV both coming to British PS4s this summer
Quietly mentioned inside Sky's financial report for this quarter, the broadcaster has revealed that two of its streaming services will arrive on the PlayStation 4 in just a few months. Details are scant (it just says what we've written above), but both Sky Go (for existing Sky subscribers) and the more free-and-loose Now TV will both debut on the Sony console. They'll have a fight on their hands: they'll be up against the likes of Netflix and Amazon Instant Video. Sky also announced that it's renewed its movie deal with Paramount, giving it exclusive broadcast rights to the likes of Anchorman 2 and Noah. So, not even a mention of the Xbox One -- but at least that console's doing its own thing. Update: Sky has issued a fuller press release which also mentions that Sky Go will find its way to PS3 owners (who've so far only had access to Now TV on their consoles).
How to turn Sky's £10 Now TV box into a networked media player with Plex
Update 16/3/17: Sky has begun rolling out an update to all Now TV boxes that disables developer mode and purges any sideloaded apps. At just £10, Sky's Now TV box is pretty good value for money as is. The idea, of course, is that cash continues to flow in Sky's direction by means of the film, TV and sport subscription packages, but there's nothing to stop you from forking out the hardware fee and using it simply as a window to BBC iPlayer, 4OD and other free services. Understandably, the selection of channels is limited -- Sky would prefer you use the box for its paid content -- but with only a few minutes of tinkering, you can easily turn your Now TV into a robust network media player capable of pulling video and audio from your personal network and several internet sources. You see, Sky's hardware is basically a re-branded Roku LT player with a heavily curated app store, but as long as you have the correct file, you can push apps to a Now TV box that otherwise shouldn't be there. Being able to run software like Plex immediately makes the cheap set-top box an even more compelling proposition, and better yet, side-loading apps couldn't be much easier.
Sky's Now TV beta lets you stream shows on most Android devices
Android-toting TV viewers in the UK won't have to worry about what hardware they use to catch up on their favorite shows. Sky has just launched a new Now TV beta that runs on most devices using Android 4.0 or higher, including tablets like the Nexus 7. It also introduces support for the £5 Entertainment Month Pass, which offers 10 live channels that include Comedy Central and Sky1. You can still use the earlier Now TV app if you're running an older Android version, but don't count on the software hanging around -- it'll be phased out later this year.
4oD catch-up streaming comes to Sky Now TV and Roku boxes
A smart TV box for a tenner is a nice thing, but one that streams Homeland on demand is arguably even nicer. As of today, owners of a Sky Now TV media player should see 4oD among their list of free channels, alongside the existing options like BBC iPlayer and Demand 5. Meanwhile, Channel Four's catch-up service has also landed on Roku boxes this week, which makes sense considering that Sky has a sizable investment in that little hardware platform, too.
Now TV gives you Sky's crown jewels for £4.99 a month
In the UK, Sky has three big assets: sports, movies and a raft of premium dramas imported over from the US. If you're a Now TV user, however, then you could only get your grubby mitts on the first two of that trio. That's all about to change, as Sky is now offering a broadcast TV package that'll bolt on to the service for just £4.99 a month. The Now TV Entertainment Month Pass is a contract-free way to watch Sky 1, Sky Atlantic, Sky Living, Sky Arts 1, Discovery Channel, MTV, GOLD, Disney and Fox. In addition to watching the channels live, you'll also be able to access the box-set catalog of older on-demand shows as with full-blown Sky customers. The only downside is that you'll have to sign up before 21st March 2014 -- as that £4.99 per month deal is just an introductory offer.
Sky's Now TV box hits UK retailers with bundled streaming passes
Sky's super-cheap Now TV streamer is losing its online exclusivity and is heading to the UK High Street. From today, the set-top box is available at Argos, Curry's and PC World, with John Lewis set to follow in the coming weeks. Sky is also expanding how customers enjoy its content with new bundled content passes, offering extended access to movies or sports right out of the box. In that respect, £15 nets you a Now TV box with a 24-hour Sky Sports Day Pass or you can opt for a bundled 3 month Sky Movies Pass for £25 -- a saving of between £5 and £10. The expansion helps Sky grab a retail presence and lure customers away from rival services like Netflix and Lovefilm, which can't lean on a multi-million investment in Roku to push their own-branded set-top box.
Sky's Now TV box isn't a Roku replacement, but it's still a great deal
It's fair to say, no one was expecting Sky to release a dedicated streaming box for its Now TV service the same week Google entered the same market. But, it did, and with relative panache, too. Why? Well the hardware it's using is based on Roku's popular LT player, and it's only charging £9.99 for it. That, in itself is a pretty good deal. There are, of course, some caveats. Most notably a custom version of the UI that denies access to certain channels -- high profile ones at that. And, of course, it heavily pushes Sky's own premium channels. Still, for such a low price, with no subscription to Sky's own services actually needed, could this be the ultimate budget TV box for UK viewers? We compare it to the pure Roku experience to find out.
Sky's Now TV box is a £9.99 Roku clone that streams iPlayer and more
BSkyB started investing in Roku last year and it's leveraged that involvement to develop this new Now TV set-top box. Going on sale today for just £9.99 (including shipping), it brings a rebranded Roku 2 XD (no gaming remote) with software built for Sky's IPTV platform and a curated list of additional channels. Notably missing from the list are Netflix, Lovefilm, ITV Player, and 4oD, however Now TV (of course), iPlayer, Demand Five, Spotify, Facebook and several Sky channels are included. It gives up a bit in flexibility compared to the standard player, but the ultra-low entry price certainly makes for a compelling option. Roku is facing more competition than ever with new game consoles, Google's Chromecast and even Apple's TV ambitions, we'll see if partnering with traditional providers makes it the "operating system for TVs" CEO Anthony Wood wants it to be. For Sky, this is just part of a multi-pronged plan to move its TV offerings into the future, detailed in today's earnings report. Starting in September it will offer a WiFi equipped Sky+HD box to customers as the standard, and low cost wireless adapters to those with older hardware that isn't already connected. It's also enhancing Sky Go, with plans to add 10 new channels in the next year while marketing Sky Go Extra more. Finally, it's adding more content to the Catch Up TV and Sky Store VOD bundle -- check the PDF linked below for more details.%Gallery-194728%
LG inks Sky deal for exclusive Now TV streaming access on smart TVs
When LG invited us to an event in (thankfully) sunny London, we thought we'd be hearing about 4K, curved OLED and huge price tags. It wasn't about hardware at all, in fact, as LG announced it has partnered with Sky to add the Now TV movie and sport streaming service to its smart TV line-up. Starting in August, Now TV content will be exclusive to LG sets for "a minimum of 12 months." Those purchasing new home entertainment kit will get three months of free access to Now TV's movie catalogue, as well as three free 24-hour sports passes. If you're in possession of an LG smart TV from this year or last, or a 2013 era Blu-ray player or home cinema system, you may miss the introductory offer but will still be able to download the Now TV app. The only kicker is that Now TV doesn't currently broadcast HD content, so don't expect those movies to pop on your 84-inch 4K monster.
PlayStation 3 adds Now TV in the UK, offers access to Sky Movies and Sky Sports
Sure, the PlayStation 3 is going to be making way for the new generation soon, but something tells us folks won't complain about having access to more entertainment on Sony's aging console. To wit, Now TV's just announced that its video services have reached yet another audience, allowing those in the United Kingdom to watch Sky Movies and Sky Sports via the PS3. While subscribers can currently stream a good amount of live sporting events and some relatively new movies, Now TV has promised that additional content from Sky is "due to be added this year" -- such as programs from Sky 1, Sky Arts, Sky Living and US shows.
Sky Sports comes to Now TV: £9.99 for 24 hours
In an attempt to offer a compromise for UK viewers who may want to watch the occasional sporting event but don't want a full pay-TV package, Sky Sports is available in pay-as-you-go form on its Now TV service. Access won't come cheap however, priced at £9.99 for 24 hours of access to Sky's six sports channels. That does however open up streams for all of the sports it airs, like F1, soccer, cricket and more, on TV-connected devices like the Xbox 360 and its mobile apps. Check below the break for the details in the press
Sky cuts a deal with Disney for exclusive access, launches Sky Movies Disney
In Sky's latest bid (after getting Sony and Warner on the hook) to corner premium viewing content in the UK before rivals including Lovefilm and Netflix get traction, it has announced an extension to its 24-year agreement with Disney. Beyond guaranteeing Disney -- which means Lucasfilm, of course -- Pixar and Marvel flicks will be on Sky (plus Sky Go, and 3D movies on Sky 3D) a year before any other service, it's also creating a new Sky Movies Disney Channel in its lineup that launches March 28th. In order to reach those not with the typical TV package, the deal also brings Disney's movies to Sky's Now TV internet video service for users with a monthly movie pass. We're sure 24 years ago, such deals didn't cover so many devices or avenues of access but snagging exclusives to gain a market advantage has stayed exactly the same.
