Sky is introducing a series of changes to its EPG, the first major upgrade since the launch of its HD EPG early in 2009.
Changes to the design of the pages reflects the increasing popularity of on-demand viewing, following the success of the internet delivered video on-demand service Sky Anytime+, which as of last month is now available to 5 million homes with a Sky+HD box through any internet connection.
Improvements include Pinpoint HD graphics that make for a sharper and sleeker looking user interface; updated navigation with the number of channels featured on each page of the TV Guide increasing from six to eight, providing Sky customers with a more convenient way to browse through content; new categorized recordings that allow customers to browse through their recorded programmes by genre; and a new landing page with a range of icon-based options.
Luke Bradley Jones, Sky’s brand director, TV Products, comments: “Hosting over 1.2 billion customer interactions each month, the Sky Guide is a fundamental part of the Sky experience, which is why we’ve worked hard on these new features to continue to give our customers the best experience we possibly can.”
The new Sky Guide will be available on all Sky+HD boxes by the end of the year, excluding Thomson boxes. The new look EPG will begin to roll out to Sky+HD 890 and 895 boxes this month, and subsequently on Pace, Samsung and Sky+HD 780 boxes later this year.