Microsoft's cloud service - SkyDrive - is shortly to be no more, but will be instantly re-incarnated as OneDrive. This is as a result of a court case between BSkyB and Microsoft which the latter lost. BSkyB Group - more commonly known as Sky in the UK - considered the name 'SkyDrive' an infringement of copyright and that people might believe it was something to do with them. The judge agreed, so Microsoft were ordered to rename it and they have now announced that it will shortly become OneDrive. It is a rebranding exercise only; everything will work as before without change and no data will be lost.
Sound too good to be true? Well, there are some restrictions but it's true - you can watch Sky TV for a fiver a month (actually it's £4.99!). The key to this is the Now TV streaming box, itself only £10 and which we discussed back in August (see http://ctacs.weebly.com/1/category/sky/1.html). To recap, the streaming box is a small device that plugs into the back of your television and connects to your wireless network. TV channels are streamed over the internet and into your home. On the Now TV box (or the Roku on which it is based) there are a handful of free channels - Sky News, BBC News, RT and so on - plus some weird and wacky stuff. Additionally, you can watch Sky Sports for £9.99 a day (!) or Sky Movies for £8.99 a month. But now Sky have introduced an 'Entertainment pack'. This gives both live and on-demand access (there are some restrictions) to 10 channels: Sky 1, Sky Living, Sky Atlantic, Sky Arts 1, Comedy Central, Gold, Discovery, MTV, Fox and Disney Channel. The price is just £4.99 a month for people who sign-up before 31st March 2014; Sky are not saying, but presumably the price will increase thereafter. Just to be very clear - this does not use a Sky dish. Everything is done over the internet, but you don't have to be a Sky broadband customer or indeed any sort of existing Sky customer. No doubt some people who do have a Sky satellite subscription will switch to this lower cost service, but it should really appeal to people who maybe have Freeview or Freesat but who would like a limited selection of quality channels at an affordable price on top. The terms and conditions are very generous. You are not restricted to Now TV or Roku boxes - it also works (or shortly will) on PCs, Macs, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, iPads and iPhones. You are allowed to register four devices per household, and two can be in use at the same time. There is no long term contract - it is just 30 days at a time. So, even if the price went silly after the introductory rate ends, you are not tied in and your investment has been minimal. Most new televisions (other than budget models) are "smart", meaning they are able to connect to the internet. Typically they can access YouTube, BBC iPlayer and a film subscription service such as Netflix or LoveFilm. Additionally, most new Blu-ray players (again other than budget models) can do this. But there remains a market for adapters that can add these capabilities to existing televisions, or perhaps provide additional services or do things in a different manner. The latest company to get involved is Sky, who have launched their Now TV box for a rather amazing £9.99. The Now TV adapter is essentially a Roku, which normally retails for £40-£50. As Sky are a major investor in Roku this is not surprising. There are a few changes: the Now version is coloured white rather than blue (and arguably looks better), plus Sky have changed the software to emphasise their services and remove some of their competitors. So what exactly does it do? The box itself is miniscule; it plugs into the back of a TV via the HDMI port and connects wirelessly to your router/hub. The menu is simplicity itself and provides access to Sky News, BBC iPlayer, Demand 5, Spotify, Facebook and the Roku store, where you can add additional channels. But the main focus is on Now TV. There are two basic services: Sky Movies Monthly Pass and Sky Sports Day Pass. The former gives access to 600 movies; it is free for 30 days, £8.99 a month for the first 3 months, then the price increases. It is thus more expensive than similar offerings from Netflix and LoveFilm, although it does show new titles before both of them. Sky Sports Day Pass gives 24-hours access to the Sky's 6 sports channels for £9.99, thus making it of interest to someone who wants to watch a particular event but does not wish to have a monthly subscription to Sky Sports. The Now TV box does have some omissions, the most noticeable of which is the absence of YouTube, arguably the most useful source of internet television. And, like the Roku which it really is, it does not like to connect to home networks for streaming videos and photos. But for a penny less than a tenner it seems churlish to complain. If you liked this article you might want to check this one too: http://ctacs.weebly.com/1/category/television/1.html The UK broadband market continues to consolidate, with the news that O2 are selling their broadband operation to Sky. Several years ago, there were dozens of broadband suppliers to choose from. Some remain, but the market is now almost totally dominated by BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin. Most of the smaller names are resellers for the Big Four, or are owned by them (for instance, PlusNet is owned by BT).
Once upon a time there was a very highly regarded supplier called 'Be'. O2 - owned by Spanish telecoms giant Telefonica - spotted them, liked what they saw, and bought them to form the basis of their own broadband operation in the UK. That too, was highly regarded, with a competent service at a good price (particularly for O2 mobile customers). But the news that O2 are now selling it to Sky is not a surprise, as there have been indications for a number of months. The big giveaway was the fact that O2 did not have a fibre offering. For those who are not aware, the big thing in home internet connectivity is now fibre, which offers far higher speeds than regular broadband over copper telephone wires. Virgin have offered it for several years, albeit only in areas where they provide cable television. A couple of years ago BT launched 'Infinity', with the potential to go nationwide. Other big name suppliers - Sky and TalkTalk - have followed suit (although no matter who you go with you'll still end up with a BT Openreach box in your home). Problem is: for a supplier to offer fibre requires a considerable amount of investment. The challenge for a second tier supplier (in terms of size, not necessarily quality) is whether it is a good use of shareholders money to do so. It is rather suspected in some circles than O2 looked at the numbers, decided there were better things to spend the money on, and decided to sell to Sky. At the moment, fibre is still a premium product. But, prices are falling. For instance, TalkTalk now offers 'medium speed' fibre for just an extra £10 a month. For many people, this will give them a connection in the order of 25-40Mbits/sec, or around 10 times the speed of a standard broadband connection. Realistically, several years down the track fibre will be the norm, most people will get these speeds, and there will be little or no price premium. Meanwhile, next generation fibre speeds will offer speeds of 100-200Mb for those who want and are prepared to pay for more. |
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