New Sky EPG line up to make it even easier for customers to enjoy the best in pay TV

[NewsreadeR]

• HD ‘channel swap’ results in 40 HD channels moving up the Sky Guide
  
• Leading pay TV brands to benefit from higher profile channel slots
  
• Sky confirms the launch of Sky Atlantic HD and the relocation of Sky Living HD

Sky has confirmed a number of changes to its Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) which will make it even easier for customers to discover and enjoy the best in pay television. Taking effect from the 1st February 2011, the changes represent one of the biggest updates to the channel line up for over a decade, and include: a High Definition (HD) ‘channel swap’ for Sky+HD subscribers; the relocation of a range of leading pay TV channels on Sky’s EPG ; and the launch of a major new channel.

The revised UK channel line-up will help make great TV - including the best of pay , in HD - even easier to find, which will deliver increased benefits to customers and broadcasters alike, in terms of channel accessibility and programme discovery .

The changes from the 1st February 2011 include:

For Sky+HD subscribers, 40 channels in Sky’s HD pack will ‘swap’ positions in the EPG with their Standard Definition (SD) counterparts . So, for example, HD subscribers will find Sky 1 HD at #106, with Sky 1 moving to #170. This change reflects the increasing demand from those customers to watch their favourite TV in HD. Those customers not subscribing to Sky+HD will be unaffected by this change.

• MTV, Comedy Central, Universal, Syfy and FX (and their associated HD simulcast channels*) will move to new, higher profile channel slots:
  
• Comedy Central /Comedy Central HD moves to 112 (currently 126)
  
• Universal / Universal HD moves to #113 (currently #130)
  
• Syfy / SyFy HD moves to #114 (currently #129)
  
• FX / FX HD moves to #124 (currently #164)
  
• MTV moves to #126 (currently #350) and reclassifies as a general entertainment channel

Sky Atlantic a new channel devoted to some of the most hotly anticipated shows around, including the best of HBO, cult shows such as Mad Men and original UK commissions such as Paul Abbott’s Hit and Miss, will launch at channel #108. Sky Atlantic HD will be available at #108 for Sky+HD subscribers.

Living will rebrand as Sky Living and will move to channel #107, to sit between Sky 1 and Sky Atlantic. Again, for Sky+HD subscribers, Sky Living HD will be found at #107.

Rob Webster, Sky’s Commercial Director, comments: “We want our customers to be able to discover and enjoy the content they are most passionate about. That’s why we’ve worked with a range of partner channels to ensure that customers can find their favourite pay TV channels and programming as easily as possible. And with high definition viewing now demanded as standard, this has also meant swapping HD channels into the EPG numbers that our customers know best.

“The combination of high quality content, an intuitive, easy-to-use EPG, and innovative services like Sky+HD and Sky Anytime+, means our customers benefit from real choice, control and flexibility of viewing, whether linear or on-demand.”

[TheVoyager]

Might be a problem with switching BBC1 HD unless they are going local as well or would it revert to SD for the local news

[reddwarfcrew]

BBC/ITV/C4 etc etc are not swapping.

http://eint.sky.com/Sky-Views/Blog/H...-channel-swap/

[TheVoyager]

BBC/ITV/C4 etc etc are not swapping.

HD channel swap - Intranet

I had a look at that link and the Sky rep just said that some terrestrial channels would not change because of things like local news so that answers my question on BBC1 HD, but I don't see whay ITV and C4 should be affected - I get local programming on ITV HD

[reddwarfcrew]

Only 40 are swapping. Latest blog A new Sky EPG channel line-up - BSkyB

It's shows all the channels new and old numbers and as you can see ITV1HD is staying put (although ITV2/3/4 will swap).

It is the broadcasters choice to swap or stay not Sky's, so we'd need to ask ITV why they aren't doing it.

[TheVoyager]

Thanks for that - better info - It could do with if you live in an area in which I know some people get the wrong ITV channel so they have to look up the regional one they want from the list at the end, maybe they can't do that for HD. I think I'll ask them though.

[Scubbie]

ITV HD has only one regional variation - ITV London. Everyone else has to go back to their local ITV network and watch local news in SD or put up with London's local news & weather. The BBC puts out blank rubbish on BBC1 HD when local variations are on, providing us with no choice at all.

Channel 4 has regional variations (adverts apparently), hence why they aren't changing. I guess Channel 5 might have similar issues.

Perhaps BBC could put up the licence fee so that they could afford the extra bandwidth on Freesat & Sky in order to pump out the local channels in HD 24/7?

[TheVoyager]

Thanks, I thought it might be the regional variation problem, luckily I live in London so I want the London News. If I remember correctly BBC have been capped from putting up the licence fee for the next 2 years so that's a NO GO

[reddwarfcrew]

That's only 4 out of the 14 or so that aren't swapping. So why would Bio HD choose not to swap with it's SD channel?

[tony5101]

ITV1HD also have a regional variation in Manchester (Granada) - which is what we end up going to. Sadly, I can't ever see it happening for ITV TyneTees - so we either watch Manchester/NorthWest based news..or switch to SD.