MUMBAI: UK pay TV service Sky and Five have announced that Five HD will launch this year.
This is, a high definition (HD) version of Five, which will show programming that has been made in HD. Five HD will start broadcasting to more than two million Sky+HD homes in July.
The public service broadcaster’s line-up lends itself to transmission in HD with US dramas such as CSI and FlashForward, soaps including Neighbours and Home and Away, international cricket and live Europa League football, as well as blockbuster movies.
With the addition of Five HD, Sky customers will enjoy the largest range of HD programming across both for free-to-air and pay television.
Five becomes the 42nd channel to commit to join Sky’s HD line-up, following news that ITV 1HD, Sky News HD, Sky Sports HD 4 and Hallmark Channel HD are all to launch in the months ahead. Sky is aiming to have 50 HD channels by Christmas.
Five director of strategy Charles Constable says, "This is an exciting opportunity for Five. Our programme schedule is more suited to HD than any other major free-to-air commercial broadcaster given the wide range of high quality series we broadcast. We’re delighted to begin our HD journey with Sky"
Sky’s director of product management Hilary Perchard commented, "We’re delighted to announce the addition of Five HD to Sky+HD, the UK’s leading high definition service. Sky remains committed to delivering customers the best HD service available, and this means continuing to launch high-quality channels right across the schedule.”
2.1 million Sky+HD homes can currently access up to 37 HD channels spanning entertainment, sports, movies, arts, drama, kids and documentaries, including channel brands such as Sky Sports, Sky Movies, FX, Discovery, Channel 4, Sky Arts, MTV, Nat Geo, ESPN, Disney, the BBC and Sky1.
The Sky+HD box not only provides access to Europe’s most comprehensive HD service and Sky’s new HD electronic programme guide (EPG), but later this year it will also offer customers access to full broadband-enabled video-on-demand service and Sky 3D, Europe’s first 3D TV channel. Sky intends to launch Sky 3D to pubs and clubs in April before reaching residential homes later this year.
