Sky has launched new Sky+HD and Sky+ 2TB set-top boxes with built in Wi-Fi for the first time, the company said today.
The new boxes connect wirelessly to a home Wi-Fi network and the Sky+ 2TB box has up to four times the amount of storage on competing set-top boxes.
The new hardware comes hot on the heels of rival UPC’s Horizon set-top box, which also has Wi-Fi built in and comes with 500GB of storage.
The Sky+ 2TB box will be able to store up to 350 hours of high-definition (HD) content.
The new 2TB box provides 1.5TB of personal storage and 0.5TB of storage for On Demand showcase content.
On Demand viewing reaches record levels
According to Sky, its On Demand service is being used in 2.1m homes in Ireland and the UK, registering an average of 6.2m downloads a week, up fivefold since June 2012.
This autumn, Sky will also continue to expand the number of TV box sets available. From September, this will include Hannibal (Series 1, Sky Living), Friday Night Lights (Series 1 and 2, Sky Atlantic), Falling Skies (Series 1 and 2, Fox) and Rescue Me (Series 1-2, Sky Atlantic).
“Record levels of On Demand viewing show that Sky customers love the flexibility the service offers,” explained Mark Anderson, director of Sky Ireland’s sales and marketing group.
“When people connect their Sky+HD box to broadband they get instant access to an extensive On Demand library of TV box sets and exclusive movies – and we’re seeing a growing demand.
“We want even more people in Ireland to enjoy these benefits, so we’re making it easier to get connected by launching our best ever Sky+HD box with built-in Wi-Fi and offering existing customers a free On Demand connector,” Anderson said.
