Sky Go Update

[Scubbie]

Sky Help Forum - Sky Go Statement - Alun Webber (Managing Director ... - Help & Support from the Official Sky Forum

Evening all

Please find the update as promised from Alun Webber.

Update on Android Tablets
Following on from my previous post on this issue, I am pleased to share our plan for supporting Sky Go on Android Tablets.
Given the amount and complexity of the work involved, we are delivering this in a phased approach. This approach will prioritise providing a good quality content viewing experience ahead of UI changes such as making better use of the screen and enabling landscape mode.
Phase 1 - Interim Solution for Tablets

• Creating a tablet specific application that runs on Android 4.0 and above
• Integrating this application with a different streaming technology that supports higher resolution streams, suitable for large-screen devices
• Modifying the application code such that it will display correctly on a large screen device [but this will still be restricted to portrait format only at this time]
• Enabling access to a specific set of Tablet devices that we have been able to test against.

Phase 2 - Integrated Solution

• Integrating the above changes into a single application shared with other Android devices.
• Removing the ‘Tablet only’ application.

Phase 3 - Complete Solution

• Rewriting the application code to enable it to automatically scale to the screen sizes
• Developing a landscape implementation of the UI
• Improved UI

Our current estimated timing for these phases is as follows:
Phase 1: Customer Beta by end September. Launch early November
Phase 2: Customer Beta January 2014
Phase 3: Early Summer 2014

In the Beta trial for Phase 1 our goal is to support devices from Samsung, Asus, Google Nexus, and Sony. The customer beta will be accessible via Sky Go’s Google+ group, and a link will be made available via the Sky Help Forum before the trial begins.
As new tablets are launched between now and Xmas, we will do our best to enable access to Sky Go on as many of these as we can, as soon as we can.
Thank you for your patience while we worked through the phases outlined above.

[dog-man]

Not Motorola?

[lettice]

Google+
Why on earth will the beta be using that.

[Scubbie]

Whilst there will be a lot who will pick out the negatives from this statement (i.e. portrait display, not all devices) there is some real positives here:

• This is a real change from Sky in showing what they are planning to do for a product over the next year
• A clear timescale which will of course be subject to bug fixing
• A commitment to beta testing Sky Go with their customer base

There has been a lot of complaining over on the Sky forums surrounding Sky Go on Android devices. As a result they have become quite cagey about what has been posted on the topic in public.

Yes we want more, but please appreciate the improvement that this and the previous statement from Alun Webber represent.

[dog-man]

Are we not entitled to our own opinions then?

It is good that they seem to be devoting more development time to the android operating system, but it does make me sad that they currently and perhaps never will have plans to allow my Motorola Xoom to have sky go on it.

[Scubbie]

Of course you are.

I am trying to point out that as a statement, rather than specific content, this is a huge improvement from Sky.

Yes there is a lot more to do. Yes the could do a bit more. No it isn't perfect. It would be nice to have a working solution last week for all the Android devices, but sadly this isn't the case.

Sky's on-line teams recently had a structure change and the new head is working hard to move things forward and get all the teams working together.

[dog-man]

Nice to see that BT Sport allows android devices that sly doesn't allow to access sly go to access their streaming service.

Another reason to consider when deciding to dump sly.

[Scubbie]

Sky Go has restrictions placed upon by the lawyers who get the rights to show material made by other companies.

BT Sport is made by BT Sport. They can show it whereever they want.

Sky Go currently has 38 channels.

How many does the BT app have again?

[joe pineapples]

Creating a tablet specific application that runs on Android 4.0 and above

If this means it will run on Kindle Fire HD, my brother will be happy.

[Rturner003]

Looking at the BT app I did notice one better feature over Sky Go. You can have the app on several devices for only use on two concurrently whereas you have to unregister one device to enable watching on 'new' device.