Sky Player hits Xbox 360
No dish required
Broadcaster Sky has launched its long-awaited video-on-demand and streaming service for the Xbox 360.
Sky Player's 'Home' screen on Xbox Live
Called Sky Player, the service – the first of its kind for a games console, Sky claimed - works through Xbox Live and provides gamers with access to 24 live streaming channels and “thousands of hours of on-demand programmes”.
As previously reported, Avatar Party Mode (shown below) allows gamers to watch live TV, including football events, with their friends’ on-screen avatars. Once there, virtual chums can chat with one another in real time.
Sky Player doesn’t require Xbox owners to have a dish installed, but in order to access the service gamers must first hold a gold-level Live membership, currently £40 ($65/€44) per year.
Sky Player's Avatar Party Mode
You can then select from numerous Sky monthly subscription packages, each priced at between £15 and £50. Sky Sports packages are also available, but US sports channel ESPN can only be added as a £12 extra.
Gamers can’t pay to watch, say, an individual football match. Nor can they pay for Sky Player with Microsoft’s Xbox Live points currency.
All live content will be streamed in standard definition, while on-demand content will be sent over in "DVD quality", Sky said.
Access requires both gold-level Xbox Live membership and a Sky subscription
Sky has created a Sky Player retail bundle pack priced at £30. It includes a one-month Sky Player Subscription to the Sky Sports Pack, a media remote and a three-month gold-level Live membership.
For more information about Sky Player, consult your Xbox 360. ®
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COMMENTS
Creak creak creak colapse
Still appears to be borked after turning it back on.
So, another Microsoft definition of a successful relaunch today then; you'd have gotten away with it if it wasn't for those damn meddling technical issues.
Coming to PS3 soon anyway..
http://www.digitalchoices.co.uk/sky-player-heading-for-ps3-28102009.html
It's also not going to need a premium console subscription to access either (only the Sky fees).
More? You want MORE Murdoch?
Murdoch actually thinks that we are going to subscribe and pay for something we have already paid for? Well me old cobber, you can stick that idea in your digereedoo and ram it up a kangaroos bottom.
If I want to watch TV / sport on my 360:
evtv.it - for the TV programes
Justin.tv - for the sport
Tversity - to get it from my PC to my 360
And guess what, it's all FREE ... although I have paid for a TVersity license as the software is that good and I have a Virgin Media contract which includes all the Sky channels. However, besides the Ross Kemp programmes, there is absoulutley NOTHING on Sky that I'd want to watch.
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