Sky HD Interview - Questions please

[Nick F]

We are trying to get an interview with the guys that are involved with Sky HD. Have you got any questions for them?

[chuckskull]

Why were the first two things available in HDTV darts and golf?

[BEANFro Elite]

Why have't they got Terminator 2 in HD or Aliens 2?? :O

[bigblue]

Could you see if they'll elaborate on the choice to use 1080i ? I know you can manually change the output of the box but I'm still wondering.

Things I'd love to know but don't expect answered:

Will there be third party HD boxes ? I was glad to receive a Sony digibox after a long wait.
Will there be boxes with bigger capacity HDD's as with Sky+ 160 ?
Oh, and see when the first promotions will be available on HD Well, ones that don't involve buying a Sony TV (I know, 2 chances, none and... )

It'd be great if you could interview them, it'd be good to see things from a more "techie" viewpoint.

Thanks

[Parm]

Q) Are there going to be any better priced subscription plans for Multiroom HD users in the near future?
With the top channel package currently costing £42 a month, the HD package costing £10 a month and Sky Multiroom an additional £10 a month, the premium becomes very high for Multiroom users.
Would it be wrong to assume that HD subscribers may one day have the option of free Multiroom?

[5lab]

will multiroom hdtv stuff be available without needing 2 really expensive boxes

is it worth putting hd on a non-hd tv (better bit rates etc? sick of mpeg artifacting..)

when are you going to drop yer prices

[chrestomanci]

Originally Posted by 5lab

will multiroom hdtv stuff be available without needing 2 really expensive boxes

Only when they make an HD box without PVR (Sky+) funtonality.

The first HD box had PVR because it needed to be a high end solution for early adopters, who expect Sky HD to do everything their current Sky+ 160 box does and receive HD. Imagine the complaints if those home cinema and gadget geeks where forced to choose between HD and PVR functionality.

Sky’s box manufacturers (Pace, Thomson, Amstrad etc) all have non PVR HD boxes on their roadmaps, but I would not expect anything for at least 18 months. That first box was rushed out the door quickly and expensively in order to beat the cable suppliers and sky are probably subsidizing the retail price. The next boxes will need to be designed to be cheap to manufacture for the mass market, and that will take much longer than just leaving out the hard disc.

Originally Posted by 5lab

is it worth putting hd on a non-hd tv (better bit rates etc? sick of mpeg artifacting..)

Perhaps, but it would only help you on the ten or so HD channels, and you would still need an HD subscription to see them, so I don’t see much point.

Originally Posted by 5lab

when are you going to drop yer prices

Only when sky have met all the pent up demand, or when the cable services really start to hurt them. Right now people are complaining about £62 per month for the full package + HD + multiroom, but they are still subscribing. Perhaps Sky will reduce prices in six months to a year when the demand for HD subscriptions slackens off but not now.

[Bob Crabtree]

I presume it goes without saying that you'll put to Sky in forceful terms the very worrying issues about HDMI-nasties that Matt highlights in this HEXUS.headline.

[Nick F]

Sorry about the lack of this interview. We are working hard to obtain it.

Are there anymore questions?