First look: Sky gives glimpse into its new EPG

[Scubbie]

First look: Sky gives glimpse into its new EPG | News | TechRadar

Changing viewing habits will be reflected in big overhaul

Sky has shown off its next generation electronic programme guide, which reflects the changing nature of the UK's viewing habits.

Sky's latest figures showed that on-demand viewing, both through the Sky box and connected devices using Sky Go is up, with the company's technology and apps proving to be big wins.

The week of Christmas apparently saw 35 million viewing requests through connected devices, a 50 per cent rise compared to last year.

Change ahoy

Sky explains that the trend for on-demand will bring a big visual change to the electronic programme guide - describing it as the 'biggest shake up...since its introduction at the launch of digital TV in 1998.

The first picture is of the EPG homepage and illustrates that on-demand is brought to the fore, with Catch Up TV, TV Box Sets, Sky+ Planner and Sky Store as well as the rather necessary TV Guide.

Perhaps most importantly, search is available from the main page, reflecting the popular app that proliferates on mobile devices.

"We're passionate about giving our customers their favourite content however they want to watch and will continue to make Sky's connected TV services even bigger and better during 2014, including an enhanced EPG that makes it even easier to find on demand content," explained Sky's director of TV products Luke Bradley-Jones.

Obviously we do not yet know the precise launch date for the new EPG, but the suggestion is that it will be in Spring, so the wait should not be too long.

[Koala5]

I hope it doesn't slow my box down any more! I have an early Samsung HD box and with every update the box seems to get slower and slower! There is a noticeable lag between pressing a button on the remote and anything happening on the screen. Even if I press pause the program continues to play for 3 or 4 seconds before the screen freezes.

[Isitme]

There is a good chance the new EPG will not apply to the older boxes, Pace, Samsung and the old Amstrad. I don't think the boxes are powerful enough for the new features. Look out for Sky offering to replace the old boxes free or at a discount.

[Scubbie]

I do not know what is happening with the Samsung, Pace and Amstrad DRX780 STBs at this time.

There is another firmware being rolled out at the moment for the Samsung (R008.063.74.00P). I don't know about the others yet.

[James_Mitchell]

My Samsung box is running just fine with the newest EPG on it (was upgraded again this week to the version Scubbie mentioned above).

Mine did go a bit wonky a while back and stopped updating itself for a while, but once I'd done a full system factory reset, it's been fine ever since and copes well with the EPG updates.

[mattylad]

I wonder if on the new epg, you can order the channels yourself?
Its a pain trying to find a +1 thats a hundred +channels away..

[Scubbie]

With the new on-line search feature you can already find those programmes on the +1 and +2 channels more easily.

This should allow you to set a reminder alert, record the episode/film or change to the channel if it has started.

[James_Mitchell]

Do many people use the search facility though? I don't often, as until Sky come up with a better way to enter text into the EPG (rather than the tiresome way of having to keep pressing the digit buttons multiple times), i really don't think people will bother entering text - it's just too much like hard work.

Sky would be better extending their Sky+ app to act as a full interactive remote control so you can use your device's on-screen keyboard properly to enter text on your TV screen/Sky EPG, like Apple do with Apple TV + their Remote app, that would get more people using the search facility and would make Sky boxes much more interactive.

I think Sky should also extend the favourite channels facility to actually view your favourite channels on screen in a list rather than as they do it now by having the keep pressing the blue button to scroll through you favourite channels.

[seawright]

The full article by Luke Bradley-Jones, Brand Director, TV Products can be read here:

A new look for Sky

[Isitme]

Do many people use the search facility though? I don't often, as until Sky come up with a better way to enter text into the EPG (rather than the tiresome way of having to keep pressing the digit buttons multiple times), i really don't think people will bother entering text - it's just too much like hard work.

I use it quite often. The new search feature is much better than the old one. Very often you only have to enter one letter to get the program you want in the drop down list. Its a big improvement on the old style where you had to enter 3 or 4 letters to get any results and very often you had another list of programs to search through before you found the one you wanted.