Sky+ offers remote recording via mobile or web

[Bob Crabtree]

Owners of Sky+ and SkyHD PVR boxes can now set up remote timed recordings by mobile phone - and a web-based option from PCs is promised a little later in summer.

The Sky+ Remote Record service works with ordinary mobiles, acting on short text message sent to a special number. Users of fancier phones (2.5G, 3G or GPRS) with mobile internet capabilities can do the same or they can download an application - Sky by mobile 1 - that makes the whole business interactive.

More in this HEXUS.headline.

[DR]

Fantastic - finally exactly what I have been hoping for - shame they didn't launch it before the World Cup

[BlackDwarf]

Nice idea. I can then tell the Sky+ box downstairs to record the midnight freeviews from upstairs in my bedroom from my N80

[Bob Crabtree]

Fantastic - finally exactly what I have been hoping for - shame they didn't launch it before the World Cup

What I didn't say in the piece - I thought it was a given (but may have been wrong) - is that you can receive the Sky listings on your phone or BlackBerry even when you are abroad, and can, of course, send recording requests from abroad, too.

I don't know how much extra this would cost compared to doing it all in the UK but it looks ideal for live-alone Sky+ subscribers who travel a lot - I'd reckon they'll have plenty of time on their hands while travelling to browse the programme guide and more time than they'd have when their at home.

Of course, whether such travellers would ever have time to watch all the recordings when they do get home is quite another matter.

[DR]

Sound like my life

[Bob Crabtree]

An unhappy coincidence. Nothing more. Cough!

[cubabit]

Has anyone else signed up for this yet? It's great!

[Parm]

I'd love to use it but unfortunately it doesn't appear to support the Nokia N80 yet.

[Parm]

Nice idea. I can then tell the Sky+ box downstairs to record the midnight freeviews from upstairs in my bedroom from my N80

Did you manage to get it working on your N80?

[Norky]

"Oh yeah, it's this new thing, I can set Sky+ recordings on my phone, watch...."

Beep boop beepidy boop

"Mum? Can you set The Simpsons to record for me? Yeah? Thanks, bye!"

[Noli]

How very disappointing - would be ideal if this was at a level where my mum or dad could set it up but it's at a level where even techies struggle. This is not going to help skype win the voip at home (as opposed to voip on a computer at home) market. The former should work even when the computer is off cos most people don't have silent computers permanently on in their living rooms....

From reading around the internet, I gather that skype (which i use myself) does not conform to the SIPS (i think) protocol which almost all other voip providers do. Apparently skype does some proprietary node networking thing to connect to other users. The advantage of this is that it almost always connects and can traverse peoples' firewalls without them having to set up port forwarding etc (ie my dad can install and run it without needing help and giving up) but the disadvantage is that a call from London to London might be routed via Acapulco (apparently this sort of thing does actually happen frequently enough) which might deteriorate line quality and result in dropped calls.

Other voip providers on SIPS don't have this advantage so need to set up routers properly etc. However, this protocol does apparently allow voip phones to be plugged straight into routers (once set up properly) and be 'always on' even when computer is off, which is exactly what voip should be about if it is to compete with traditional pstn phone.

Also, can't quite remember but either one or both of the methods don't allow emergency 999 (or 911 if in states etc) calls to be made due to the way they are routed, so not tempting to drop the old traditional phones just yet!

Basically, what's the point?! It's all a pain in the arse and voip *still* has a lot of problems to iron out before becoming mainstream, just as the review highlighted. How frustrating and a real shame...

[Noli]

oops! wrong thread! soz, will repost in the correct place....

[Parm]

Ah nuts, I just read your whole post cause I was sure it'd relate to Sky+ somewhere at the end.

[jimborae]

Unfortunately to use this you have to suscribe to either both movie packages or both sports packages or all movies & sports packages. So those folks like me that have one sports and one movie package are left out in the cold just like we are for Sky movie/TV download service. Typical bloody Sky, screw the subscriber for all he's got