Tag Archives: Now TV

Sky’s Now TV box isn’t a Roku replacement, but it’s still a great deal

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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.

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Sky and NBC Universal extend content deal with exclusive movie rental window

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Sky and NBCUniversal extend content deal, gets exclusive movie rental window

Sky's war against its VOD rivals could be won before a single shot is fired in anger, thanks to the company's practice of signing exclusive contracts with major Hollywood players. Today, it's extended its contract with NBC Universal, giving Sky exclusive distribution rights to the studio's movies and access to Universal Network's TV offerings such as E!, Movies24, SyFy and Universal UK. When new films like Snow White and the Huntsmen, Les Misérables and The Bourne Legacy leave cinemas, Sky Movies (and Now TV) customers will have an exclusive rental window before they're available to everyone else, as well as full access to a back-catalog that contains childhood favorites like Jurassic Park and Back to the Future. As we've mentioned before, such deals are great news if you're a Sky customer, and not if you're not.

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Sky and NBC Universal extend content deal with exclusive movie rental window originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Nov 2012 10:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sky’s Now TV service hits Xbox, beckons you forth with 30 day free trial

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Sky's Now TV service hits Xbox, beckons you forth with 30 day free trial

After launching it on the PC, Mac, Android and iOS, Sky's adding another big platform to its Now TV service: Xbox. Gamers in the UK can now stream content at 720i, including the service's 11 movie channels. Those with a Kinect lying around can also use the peripheral to navigate around the offering. Interested parties can take advantage of a 30-day trial for free, after which they'll have to plunk down £15 a month for access to Sky Movies Pass titles from studios like Disney, Fox, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros. and Universal. The service has promised more content in coming months, including the launch of Sky Sports. For more info on the offering, check out the press release after the break.

Continue reading Sky's Now TV service hits Xbox, beckons you forth with 30 day free trial

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Sky's Now TV service hits Xbox, beckons you forth with 30 day free trial originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sky adds Bond Channel to its movie offering, will screen entire back catalog in high-definition

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Fresh from his appearance at this year's Olympic opening ceremony, James Bond is getting his own dedicated channel on Sky. The UK broadcaster will start showing all 22 movies in high-definition from October 5th, gearing up to the British spy's latest adventure, Skyfall, which launches a month later. Android, iOS and PC platforms will be able to stream the collection through Sky Go, while its new on-demand service will also be showing the full gamut of Bond adventures in a few months. For England, James.

Continue reading Sky adds Bond Channel to its movie offering, will screen entire back catalog in high-definition

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Sky adds Bond Channel to its movie offering, will screen entire back catalog in high-definition originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 06:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roku picks up financing from BSkyB, News Corp and more, keeps eye on the premium streaming crown

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The little media streamer company that could, Roku, has gained some powerful friends in its latest round of financing, with $45 million in funds coming from the likes of BSkyB, News Corp and another partner who would prefer to remain nameless at this time, as well as previous investors Menlo Ventures and Globespan Capital Partners. While we leave you to ponder which company might be that unidentified source, Roku is simply continuing on, earmarking the money for use in building brand awareness, expanding internationally and much, much more. Also, that MHL-connected Roku Streaming Stick introduced at CES? It hasn't gone away and is still on track for launch later this year, with an eye towards providing a "Roku Inside" bundled experience for otherwise dumb flat-panel HDTVs.

Roku's alignment with BSkyB (which reported a $10m stake in its earnings this morning, as well as the option to distribute its own branded Roku hardware) makes sense after the pay-TV giant launched Now TV recently with the hockey puck as one of its supported platforms, while CEO Anthony Wood tells us the fruitful partnership with News Corp had its root in the Fox News, Wall Street Journal Live and X-Factor channels it launched last year. Wood cites plans to make Roku "the TV distribution platform of the future", and this fifth round of financing -- larger than all previous rounds combined -- may help push it in this direction, check out a few more details in the press release after the break.

Continue reading Roku picks up financing from BSkyB, News Corp and more, keeps eye on the premium streaming crown

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Roku picks up financing from BSkyB, News Corp and more, keeps eye on the premium streaming crown originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jul 2012 02:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Now TV launches in the UK, brings pay-as-you-go streaming to Mac, PC and Android

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Now TV launches, brings payasyougo internet video to Mac, PC and Android

Sky is going online and ditching the contracts... sort of. The UK TV provider is launching a new service called Now TV that will take on more established properties like Lovefilm and Netflix. The streaming video service will initially be available on OS X, Windows and Android with iOS to follow shortly. By the end of the year it will also be available on Xbox, PS3, Roku and Youview. Initially Sky Movies will form the backbone of the service, with titles costing anywhere from £0.99 to £3.49 for playback, or you can purchase unlimited monthly access for £15. Eventually Now TV will expand to include Sky Sports, Sky 1 and plenty of other BSkyB owned properties. For more, check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading Now TV launches in the UK, brings pay-as-you-go streaming to Mac, PC and Android

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Now TV launches in the UK, brings pay-as-you-go streaming to Mac, PC and Android originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Jul 2012 08:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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