Sky launches new online TV service

THE PC has taken a step closer to becoming the centre of home entertainment with the launch of Sky's new online subscription TV service.

The Sky Player service, which includes a mix of live television and video on demand, does not require customers to sign up for a digital TV-based service.

Until now, only existing Sky TV customers could access the online Sky Player, which initially offered legal movie downloads to existing TV customers as a "bonus" service. Since its launch in January 2006, however, the service has expanded to include on-demand content from third-party channels, as well as Sky's own channels, and now hosts content covering entertainment, films, sport, news, arts and documentaries. Under the new service, up to 12 channels will be offered for live broadcast.

The Sky Player service will offer three online subscription packages, including one entertainment package and two sports packs, which cost between €18 and €50 a month and can be accessed through any broadband-enabled PC or Mac.

Sky TV customers will still be able to access on-demand content through Sky Player, based on the channel packages they subscribe to.

"We want to give customers as much choice as possible, not just in what they watch, but in how they watch it. Sky Player TV recognises that, for some, the computer screen is now the preferred screen through which to watch TV," said Mark Deering, director of Sky Ireland. "In developing a standalone subscription to a secure online platform, we are responding to the diverse needs of today's customers."

The new service is one of several that offer Irish viewers a way to watch TV without a television set. Channel 4's 4oD service allows Irish users to download and view programmes broadcast on the UK channel for a limited time after they are shown.

The BBC's online service, iPlayer, which is not available to Irish users, has led to some speculation that the licence fee may soon be circumvented as people ditch their TV sets for online, on-demand services.

The new Sky service may prove to be something of a grey area for current TV licensing rules, which require a licence for equipment capable of receiving a broadcast TV signal.

However, Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan last month said there was provision in the Broadcasting Bill to allow the Government flexibility at a later stage as to how the licensing would be applied.

"My instinct . . . is not to be restrictive at this time, not to apply the licence to laptop or other devices. That might, in effect, restrict endeavour which we might want to encourage and it would be very difficult to apply," he said at the committee stage of the Broadcasting Bill.