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Sky HD review - Getting ready for high-definition TV
With the official launch of its high-definition television service in the UK, BSkyB invited informitv to an exclusive preview at their offices to see the service in action, as William Cooper reports in this extended review.
As with so many new technology launches, the arrival of Sky HD was limited by a shortage of products in the field.
Just days before the launch of their new high-definition television service, Sky realised that they would not have enough receivers for all 40,000 customers that had pre-ordered to get their boxes installed by the start of the World Cup.
Thomson, currently the sole supplier of the high-definition set-top box to Sky, was apparently unable to ramp up production to meet agreed delivery dates. As a result, Sky decided to reschedule installation dates for many customers at short notice.
“We ordered more than enough boxes to meet demand and we’re ready to install them but they’re not arriving from our supplier as fast as we agreed,” Sky told informitv. “We’re very sorry for any disappointment this has caused and we’re working hard to resolve the situation.”
First sight
Sky invited informitv to see the service in their demonstration room at their offices in West London when the service launched. As a result, informitv was able to view high-definition on a suitable screen set-up under optimum conditions.
For anyone that has not seen high-definition television, the difference is dramatic, not least because it is afforded more transmission capacity than standard definition digital signals that are typically over-compressed, resulting in obvious artifacts.
Seen on a large screen, the effect of high-definition television is cinematic and the images seem more real, especially with the benefit of surround sound. The result is a step change in quality.
Sky is not the first European operator to launch high definition, but in the UK market it is certainly the most prominent. Some cable customers have been able to receive limited high-definition programmes and a technical trial is being conducted on terrestrial television in the London area.
Sky has been shooting Premiership football in high-definition for over a year in preparation for the launch. Many other programmes, particularly American imports and international co-productions have been produced for high-definition for some time.
Resolution
Sky high-definition channels are transmitted in the 1080i format, based on interlaced pictures of 1080 lines, as opposed to 576 lines for standard definition television. The 720p progressive format of 720 lines will also be supported.
There are those that would argue that we would be better off with 1080p progressively scanned pictures. This format is still not widely supported by production equipment, let alone consumer displays, but will undoubtedly be the next progression in technology.
HD Ready
Viewers will currently need an ‘HD Ready’ display to see high-definition pictures. Although all HD Ready displays must support both 1080i and 720p input formats, they are only required to provide a native resolution of at least 720 lines.
Many of the cheaper HD Ready displays are not actually capable of showing 1080 lines, so high-definition pictures will be downsampled to fit the display. As a result, many may not experience true high-definition television.
For instance, Sky is actively promoting Sony Bravia S-Series and V-Series LCD sets. These only have a physical display resolution of 1366x768 pixels, so while they will accept a 1080i input, they are unable to display it at full resolution. Consumers will have to pay considerably more for an X-Series Full HD 1080 display with a true 1920x1080 resolution.
The Sky HD set-top box allows the output to be set to either 1080, 720 or 576 lines, enabling all pictures to be scaled within the box. While 1280x720 obviously provides higher resolution than 720x576, the difference is not as great as one might expect. It represents more than twice the spatial resolution, but not the five times increase promised.
While Sky is keen to present a simple consumer message about high-definition, the reality is that it is a more complex proposition than plain old television, and anyone currently in the market for a high-definition display is likely to have high expectations.
Anyone wishing to ensure they have the best possible set-up would be well advised to consult a specialist supplier, rather than a lad that works in their local high street store on Saturdays.
Sky installers are under strict instructions to ensure that consumers have the best possible pictures. The irony is that many will not even realise that they are not really seeing true high-definition television.
Interface
The on-screen user interface is very similar to the normal Sky service. Sky has chosen to keep this consistent, so that users will feel immediately comfortable. There are no doubt other benefits to such consistency in terms of marketing and support.
However, Sky may have missed a trick in not taking advantage of the increased resolution to offer an improved electronic programme guide. The chunky graphics are very evident in contrast to the high-resolution pictures and the primitive design is beginning to show its age in comparison to some of the user interfaces that are being introduced on other platforms. Nevertheless, this could be addressed with a future software update.
Within the channel guide, the red button, usually associated with interactive services, is confusingly used to display a list of high-definition channels, which are currently scattered among the other services.
Channels
At launch, the high-definition channels available include Sky Sports, Sky Movies, Sky One, Arts World, National Geographic and Discovery. The BBC has an HD trial service available without subscription. There are also two Sky Box Office channels for pay-per-view movies, with no price premium for high-definition.
Sport will be a main attraction, with the football World Cup and Wimbledon tennis available from the BBC and Premier League football and test match cricket from Sky.
ITV seems to have scored an own goal by not securing carriage on the platform in time for the World Cup, as a result the matches for which it has rights may not be available in high-definition on satellite, which will prove a surprise and disappointment to many viewers.
Sky is keen to point out that it is not just about premium sports coverage and movies. Documentaries on the National Geographic and Discovery channels gain a new dimension in high-definition, and Arts World will cater for high culture.
Bizarrely, adverts will not initially be seen in high-definition. Sony, with whom Sky has a marketing partnership, is the only advertiser to deliver in high definition at launch, with all other commercials converted up from standard definition.
This will surely change, as advertisers recognise the importance of reaching a more affluent and discerning audience. Whether it will benefit advertisers of debt consolidation and car insurance services is another matter.
There are currently no enhancements to interactive services. These are likely to look increasingly clunky in conjunction with high-definition television. It is not clear how interactive services will be integrated with these high definition services, if at all.
For many viewers the improvements in picture quality are likely to be the main draw, and initially at least, the number of viewers able to see them will be relatively limited.
Market
Early adopters are likely to be dominated by more technically savvy users, or those that simply want the best possible pictures at any price.
However, Sky believes that high-definition is not a niche product but will become a mainstream proposition. If sales of new HD Ready flat displays are anything to go by, there is considerable pent up demand for bigger screens with better pictures.
Hardware
The Sky HD box includes the Sky+ personal video recorder features as standard. It has more storage, to accommodate the high-definition services, and includes a reserved portion that will be used for features such as push video-on-demand, whereby certain programmes will be automatically downloaded to the set-top box.
The box also includes additional connectors reserved for future use. An Ethernet port may enable connection to a broadband network, either for programme delivery or interactive services, or for networking with other devices. Other connectors include USB and SATA ports, for other peripherals or additional external storage.
Conclusions
Sky HD represents a dramatic improvement in the technical quality of television that has been long overdue. Despite having the highest penetration of digital television, now in two out of three households, the UK has been surprisingly slow in moving to high-definition.
BSkyB has again adopted a leadership position, with the traditional broadcasting establishment struggling to keep up. The BBC has a target to move all production to high definition by 2010, which does not seem far off. By then most of the country is likely to have digital television.
High-definition is likely to become the new battleground for differentiating digital services, and BSkyB has once again taken the initiative.
Dr William Cooper is an independent consultant specialising in the strategy and implementation of advanced and interactive media services. He was previously head of interactive at the BBC Broadcast division, now known as Red Bee Media, and former head of new media operations at the BBC.
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