Sky to launch new DTT service - Digital World Cable Satellite Console Forum

al pacino · 8th February 2007, 18:59

Sky has announced that it is developing plans for the launch of a subscription television service on digital terrestrial television (DTT) this summer.

The new service will allow customers to receive some of Sky's most popular programmes - including sport and movies - through a conventional rooftop aerial and a DTT box for a monthly subscription.

The announcement comes on the day that the merged companies of Virgin Mobile and NTL Telewest relaunched as Virgin Media.

The line-up of channels on the new Sky service will offer a range of content including sports, movies, entertainment and news. The sports service will include live coverage from the Barclays Premiership and other top events. Full details, including branding, pricing and the complete channel line-up, will be revealed closer to launch.

Previously, a selection of Sky's basic and premium pay TV content - including live Premiership football - was available on DTT from 1998 to 2002.

The new service will make use of existing capacity that Sky currently uses to broadcast Sky Three, Sky News and Sky Sports News. As a result, these channels will cease to be available free-to-air via DTT in advance of the launch of the pay-TV service.

Mike Darcey, Sky's chief operating officer, said: "We look forward to bringing some of Sky's most popular content to digital terrestrial viewers. This will give families more choice and increase the availability of leading content and channel brands."

Sky plans to broadcast its pay-TV channels on DTT using the more efficient MPEG4 compression technology, enabling Sky to offer four 24-hour video streams in place of the three Sky channels currently available, with further improvements expected in future. The pay-TV service will use a highly secure conditional access (CA) system similar to the one that Sky uses for its satellite television service.

To access the service, customers will have to buy a new set-top box that includes the relevant CA software and MPEG4 decoder. It is anticipated that once the service launches multiple manufacturers will have the opportunity to produce compatible set-top-boxes.

The launch of the new service is subject to approval by Ofcom. The regulator would have to modify licences held by Sky and transmission provider National Grid Wireless in order to permit the service to operate.

Copyright © 1999-2007 Digital Spy Limited

sakiblateef · 8th February 2007, 19:37

Interesting. It mentions they will use a similar encryption to the one they are using. This means they will not be using NDS as they do with their own boxes. The only secure encryption I can think of at the moment is Irdeto 2.

Phwed · 9th February 2007, 08:10

<qoute> It mentions they will use a similar encryption to the one they are using. This means they will not be using NDS</quote>

Erm doesn't that mean the opposite? ie if it's a similar system then it <b>must</b> be from NDS?

icemanv3 · 9th February 2007, 18:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by al pacino

To access the service, customers will have to buy a new set-top box that includes the relevant CA software and MPEG4 decoder. It is anticipated that once the service launches multiple manufacturers will have the opportunity to produce compatible set-top-boxes.

Well if they allowed other manufacturers to make compatiable boxes, im sure the encryption would be cracked soon, specially if some cheap manufacturers wanted to make some

sakiblateef · 9th February 2007, 18:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by icemanv3

Well if they allowed other manufacturers to make compatiable boxes, im sure the encryption would be cracked soon, specially if some cheap manufacturers wanted to make some

I don't see why not. Sky have already lost the battle to stop third party boxes from having their encryption in their boxes. There is a recent post about somewhere in this forum I think about this but can't seem to find it.

nozzer · 9th February 2007, 19:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by icemanv3

Well if they allowed other manufacturers to make compatiable boxes, im sure the encryption would be cracked soon, specially if some cheap manufacturers wanted to make some

There are multiple different versions of mutually incomptible NDS encryptions so the release of an NDS dvb-t cam would have little or no effect on the system NDS currently use for SKY UK.

The CAMS themselves really have little to do with the security system anyway except in so far as it may impact tying card to a particular box !

nozzer · 9th February 2007, 19:44

If this goes ahead then I must admit to feeling a bit sorry for all those people who have succumbed to the BBC's advertising campaign and already bought a freeview box.

Admittedly, their boxes will continue to work with the present freeview channels but this change will lose 3 of those channels in favour of new channels they cannot get without purchasing another box and a subscription !

dips_007 · 10th February 2007, 16:28

I dont know how good this will be, losing 3 free channels, and buying a new box, may noy be a good move

8th February 2007, 18:59	#1 (permalink)
al pacino Senior Member +++ Join Date: May 2005 Location: Cuba Posts: 739 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Sky to launch new DTT service Sky has announced that it is developing plans for the launch of a subscription television service on digital terrestrial television (DTT) this summer. The new service will allow customers to receive some of Sky's most popular programmes - including sport and movies - through a conventional rooftop aerial and a DTT box for a monthly subscription. The announcement comes on the day that the merged companies of Virgin Mobile and NTL Telewest relaunched as Virgin Media. The line-up of channels on the new Sky service will offer a range of content including sports, movies, entertainment and news. The sports service will include live coverage from the Barclays Premiership and other top events. Full details, including branding, pricing and the complete channel line-up, will be revealed closer to launch. Previously, a selection of Sky's basic and premium pay TV content - including live Premiership football - was available on DTT from 1998 to 2002. The new service will make use of existing capacity that Sky currently uses to broadcast Sky Three, Sky News and Sky Sports News. As a result, these channels will cease to be available free-to-air via DTT in advance of the launch of the pay-TV service. Mike Darcey, Sky's chief operating officer, said: "We look forward to bringing some of Sky's most popular content to digital terrestrial viewers. This will give families more choice and increase the availability of leading content and channel brands." Sky plans to broadcast its pay-TV channels on DTT using the more efficient MPEG4 compression technology, enabling Sky to offer four 24-hour video streams in place of the three Sky channels currently available, with further improvements expected in future. The pay-TV service will use a highly secure conditional access (CA) system similar to the one that Sky uses for its satellite television service. To access the service, customers will have to buy a new set-top box that includes the relevant CA software and MPEG4 decoder. It is anticipated that once the service launches multiple manufacturers will have the opportunity to produce compatible set-top-boxes. The launch of the new service is subject to approval by Ofcom. The regulator would have to modify licences held by Sky and transmission provider National Grid Wireless in order to permit the service to operate. Copyright © 1999-2007 Digital Spy Limited

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8th February 2007, 19:37	#2 (permalink)
sakiblateef satellite file hunter Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Notts Posts: 2,818 Thanks: 37 Thanked 70 Times in 41 Posts	Interesting. It mentions they will use a similar encryption to the one they are using. This means they will not be using NDS as they do with their own boxes. The only secure encryption I can think of at the moment is Irdeto 2.

9th February 2007, 08:10	#3 (permalink)
Phwed Jnr Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 16 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	<qoute> It mentions they will use a similar encryption to the one they are using. This means they will not be using NDS</quote> Erm doesn't that mean the opposite? ie if it's a similar system then it <b>must</b> be from NDS?

9th February 2007, 19:44	#7 (permalink)
nozzer Moderator+ Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: In a house! Posts: 6,007 Thanks: 5 Thanked 112 Times in 66 Posts	If this goes ahead then I must admit to feeling a bit sorry for all those people who have succumbed to the BBC's advertising campaign and already bought a freeview box. Admittedly, their boxes will continue to work with the present freeview channels but this change will lose 3 of those channels in favour of new channels they cannot get without purchasing another box and a subscription !

10th February 2007, 16:28	#8 (permalink)
dips_007 Jnr Member ++ Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 47 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I dont know how good this will be, losing 3 free channels, and buying a new box, may noy be a good move