SkyTV interim result presentation

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BobW

90 posts

Master Geek

#19577 22-Feb-2008 11:04

SkyTV's interim result presentation is available at http://www.skytv.co.nz/Portals/0/data/files/miscellaneous/SKY_Half_Year_Results_Presentation_2008.pdf

In addition to the usual financial and subscriber figures, there is a slide (29) about MySky HDi.

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#112300 22-Feb-2008 14:45

thanks for posting that, interesting stuff.

of most interest was the info on MySkyHD. I see they have gone to the subscription model, rather than the (huge) upfront cost.

openmedia

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#112317 22-Feb-2008 15:42

So under 50,000 UHF subscribers.

Think it is time they were forced to migrate these customers to digital and free up the valuable UHF spectrum for freeview to expand.

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

eXDee

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#112337 22-Feb-2008 17:35

openmedia: So under 50,000 UHF subscribers.

Think it is time they were forced to migrate these customers to digital and free up the valuable UHF spectrum for freeview to expand.

I agree, however i reckon they could have gone with a DVB-T HD box and use the UHF spectrum for that. That means pretty much unlimited HD channels, where as i think their HD broadcasts off the D1 will be limited to a few channels due to transponder space or something.
Though this means less people can get sky HD of course.

Any guesses as what the upfront cost for the STB will be, and the subscription cost for HD?

rugrat

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#112450 23-Feb-2008 11:30

eXDee:

Any guesses as what the upfront cost for the STB will be, and the subscription cost for HD?

If they charge extra for HD channels, (I'm not into sport) then I think I'll get rid of sky, as I'll be able to watch HD series in prime time, and some movies (with adds) for free on freeview. If want movies without adds then blue ray will do job. At around $44 a month start up and another $20 when movies on pay enough already.

Plus hopefully freeview come out with a reasonable price PVR soon. I guess sports people will be stuck though.
I would miss the documentries.

bok007

77 posts

Master Geek

#112935 25-Feb-2008 14:04

I wonder what the politics would be required to get Channels 1,2 & 3 in HD on mySkyHD??
They would lose customers if they couldn't...

sub

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Ultimate Geek

#112945 25-Feb-2008 14:30

bok007: I wonder what the politics would be required to get Channels 1,2 & 3 in HD on mySkyHD??
They would lose customers if they couldn't...

I always thought this was a factor in why they decided to only offer HD Freeview via digital terrestrial. A lot of people are going to want TV1, TV2 and TV3 in HD (I know I do), and if they're not available via Sky....

openmedia

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#112950 25-Feb-2008 15:30

sub:
bok007: I wonder what the politics would be required to get Channels 1,2 & 3 in HD on mySkyHD??
They would lose customers if they couldn't...
I always thought this was a factor in why they decided to only offer HD Freeview via digital terrestrial. A lot of people are going to want TV1, TV2 and TV3 in HD (I know I do), and if they're not available via Sky....

It was more of a technology and capacity driver. Freeview only has two half transponders on Optus D1 and at the time of lauch last year H.264 wasn't really an option. Hence SD MPEG2.

Now if Sky want to do a deal with TVNZ and MediaWorks to re-transmitt the channels in HD on Sky's own capacity that is a different matter. I somehow doubt Sky will persuade them in the short/medium term.

Steve

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

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cyril7

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#112953 25-Feb-2008 15:38

SkyNZ currently has rights to, but not using 2x whole transponders, thats 4x 22,500KSymbol/sec muxs. If used as DVB-S muxs that all STBs (current and the new HDi) can see thats 7-8 SD channels per mux, or if used as DVB-S2 that only the new HDi box can see thats 4-5HD channels per mux or 12-15odd SD or some combination thereof. How they carve it up is anyone guess, ask Sky.

So lets assume Sky will follow Foxtels lead and provide the following HD service intitially, 1x Sport, 1x NatGeo/Discovery, 1xBBC and Movies OnDemand, this will fit into one DVB-S2 transponder.

So what programming do you do next, well the next big winner is prime time network TV, so thats when we see Sky make a deal with TVNZ/Canwest, and hey presto, another DVB-S2 mux appears with TV1,2,3 and Prime in HD, for the FTA broadcasters to make a dime they realise they are going to have to deal with the devil, or die, as by this stage the HDi has been a outrageous success for sports fans, but like hell will they shell out $500 on a DTT box to get FTA channels in HD which they already get on their sky box in SD.

At this point there is still two whole muxs left to fill up with 16 more SD channels before then next band expansion happens when a lowt band Satellite goes to fly with D1 at 160E to provide as much capacity as D1 currently provides, wonder how many years before demand gets us there.

So the capacity is there, the technology is there, all thats needed is lawyers to have their palms greased, money to change hands, voila.

Cyril, then wakes up realises its all a dream.

Cyril

walt12

324 posts

Ultimate Geek

#112959 25-Feb-2008 16:11

Yes but I believe Freeview will hold off renewing the re-broadcast contract, expiring in 2011, until SKY agrees to provide Prime in HD on their DTT platform. If SKY relent then we may see the contract renewed and the other hitherto Freeview-only channels added to the SKY platform (TVNZ6, TVNZ7, TVNZExtra in SD).

Of course something has to happen after analog switch-off (which I realise, is some way off, nevertheless) because SKY then lose their only FTA outlet which undermines their ability to bid for some of the large broadcast rights contracts. This is why Freeview are playing a game of chicken with SKY. Time is SKY's enemy, not having all of the content on Prime is Freeview's problem.

cyril7

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#112962 25-Feb-2008 16:15

Of course something has to happen after analog switch-off (which I realise, is some way off, nevertheless) because SKY then lose their only FTA outlet which undermines their ability to bid for some of the large broadcast rights contracts. This is why Freeview are playing a game of chicken with SKY. Time is SKY's enemy, not having all of the content on Prime is Freeview's problem.

Yep, this whole cat and mouse game may come unstuck for both sides, I suspect before the days out the Gvment will have its foot on both sides necks.

Cyril

eXDee

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#112970 25-Feb-2008 16:38

cyril7: SkyNZ currently has rights to, but not using 2x whole transponders, thats 4x 22,500KSymbol/sec muxs. If used as DVB-S muxs that all STBs (current and the new HDi) can see thats 7-8 SD channels per mux, or if used as DVB-S2 that only the new HDi box can see thats 4-5HD channels per mux or 12-15odd SD or some combination thereof. How they carve it up is anyone guess, ask Sky.

So lets assume Sky will follow Foxtels lead and provide the following HD service intitially, 1x Sport, 1x NatGeo/Discovery, 1xBBC and Movies OnDemand, this will fit into one DVB-S2 transponder.

So what programming do you do next, well the next big winner is prime time network TV, so thats when we see Sky make a deal with TVNZ/Canwest, and hey presto, another DVB-S2 mux appears with TV1,2,3 and Prime in HD, for the FTA broadcasters to make a dime they realise they are going to have to deal with the devil, or die, as by this stage the HDi has been a outrageous success for sports fans, but like hell will they shell out $500 on a DTT box to get FTA channels in HD which they already get on their sky box in SD.

At this point there is still two whole muxs left to fill up with 16 more SD channels before then next band expansion happens when a lowt band Satellite goes to fly with D1 at 160E to provide as much capacity as D1 currently provides, wonder how many years before demand gets us there.

So the capacity is there, the technology is there, all thats needed is lawyers to have their palms greased, money to change hands, voila.

Cyril, then wakes up realises its all a dream.

Cyril

Wow, quite an educated theory of what will happen there, any guesses as to when FTA HD will appear on sky if this did happen?
Its going to be annoying constantly switching between the media centre for DVB-T and HDi for sky channels, espcially since it takes about 5 seconds to switch input on the TV + Receiver + wait for them to both click over. Damn, a HDMI w/HDCP capture card would be very useful, but thats irony (and a HDCP remover is expensive).

openmedia

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#112972 25-Feb-2008 16:44

eXDee:
cyril7: SkyNZ currently has rights to, but not using 2x whole transponders, thats 4x 22,500KSymbol/sec muxs. If used as DVB-S muxs that all STBs (current and the new HDi) can see thats 7-8 SD channels per mux, or if used as DVB-S2 that only the new HDi box can see thats 4-5HD channels per mux or 12-15odd SD or some combination thereof. How they carve it up is anyone guess, ask Sky.

So lets assume Sky will follow Foxtels lead and provide the following HD service intitially, 1x Sport, 1x NatGeo/Discovery, 1xBBC and Movies OnDemand, this will fit into one DVB-S2 transponder.

So what programming do you do next, well the next big winner is prime time network TV, so thats when we see Sky make a deal with TVNZ/Canwest, and hey presto, another DVB-S2 mux appears with TV1,2,3 and Prime in HD, for the FTA broadcasters to make a dime they realise they are going to have to deal with the devil, or die, as by this stage the HDi has been a outrageous success for sports fans, but like hell will they shell out $500 on a DTT box to get FTA channels in HD which they already get on their sky box in SD.

At this point there is still two whole muxs left to fill up with 16 more SD channels before then next band expansion happens when a lowt band Satellite goes to fly with D1 at 160E to provide as much capacity as D1 currently provides, wonder how many years before demand gets us there.

So the capacity is there, the technology is there, all thats needed is lawyers to have their palms greased, money to change hands, voila.

Cyril, then wakes up realises its all a dream.

Cyril

Wow, quite an educated theory of what will happen there, any guesses as to when FTA HD will appear on sky if this did happen?
Its going to be annoying constantly switching between the media centre for DVB-T and HDi for sky channels, espcially since it takes about 5 seconds to switch input on the TV + Receiver + wait for them to both click over. Damn, a HDMI w/HDCP capture card would be very useful, but thats irony.

If a HD deal happens with Sky I'd expect the HD FTA channels to be encrypted, thus forcing satellite users down the Sky path for HD.

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

cyril7

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#112973 25-Feb-2008 16:46

As noted in the 2nd line of my post

Cyril, then wakes up realises its all a dream

And thats about it me thinks for sometime yet. As Walt says, there is more political/business games afoot than most would realise, but as I said I would not be surprised if the Gvment didnt wade in and bash some heads together, whilst 50% of the population happily (or appear to) subscribe to the paytv model for the right or wrong reasons, it too big a % to just ignore and the Gvment know it, FreeView know it, the Rugby union know it, every other major sport code knows it, interesting times ahead as they battle it out.

If a HD deal happens with Sky I'd expect the HD FTA channels to be encrypted, thus forcing satellite users down the Sky path for HD.

Agreed

Cyril

jburrows

31 posts

Geek

#113151 26-Feb-2008 14:15

Do you know what the Make/Model of the MYSKY HDi is?

Trying to do some research.

bok007

77 posts

Master Geek

#113161 26-Feb-2008 14:33

http://hd.foxtel.com.au/hd-on-foxtel/iq2.php

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