Latest news with #SkyGroup
The Sun
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Blow to Sky viewers as beloved TV feature vanishes – as devastated telly fans brand change ‘hostile'
SKY customers were left astonished after a beloved TV feature vanished in a huge blow to the viewer's experience. The company's decision to remove the feature will impact the user experience going forward. 4 The beauty of a TV guide is soon to be a thing of the past for Sky viewers, after the section on the website has been removed. Change to the Sky user experience Viewers started noticing a change to the website on June 18, when the usually obvious and simple to use TV guide, no longer appeared on the website. What's more, others realised that after using their pre-saved link to the page, automatically redirected to a different landing page. As a result, viewers are no longer able to see what is upcoming in Sky's programming schedule. For many, the website TV Guide or EPG (Electronic Programme Guide) was a useful feature for viewers wanting to plan what they watched without impacting their TV-watching experience or needlessly turning their tele on. Days of frustration ensued, with countless messages in community chats, the viewers questioning went unanswered. Finally, on June 20, a Sky community manager explained to the disgruntled viewers the reason behind the decision. 4 He said: "We want to confirm that the TV guide feature has been discontinued. "We understand this may be an inconvenience, you can find alternative ways to browse and discover content via your Sky Box, Sky Stream, Sky Glass, Sky Go and other parts of the website." Viewers deem it a hostile change But at what first felt like a user error or a website issue, Sky viewers are now left befuddled by the decision to remove the feature. Members of the Sky Community were quick to share their thoughts, with one user writing: "Who's stupid idea was it to get rid of the TV guide? WE WANT IT BACK!" Another said: "Was the online EPG hurting anyone or getting in the way? No, it wasn't. 4 "Was it a useful tool used by many on a daily basis? Yes, it was. Quite literally one of the stupidest decisions made by Sky in recent years." A third shared their frustration: "Not a great move, especially when it feels super hostile to those who still watch linear TV." It is a sentiment shared by long-standing Sky viewers, who had become accustomed to using the feature to enhance their watching experience. Big change at Sky The removal of the website EPG is just one in a long line of changes that viewers have had to deal with in a massive TV guide shake-up. Sky recently decided to permanently close down two beloved TV channels, with viewers only given until July 1 to come to terms with the change. 4 It follows the addition of eight new live channels to Sky's service, as well as a series of name changes to major channels and the move of 31 channels in April. The removal of the website EPG, therefore, only adds to the confusion felt by viewers who can no longer use the feature to discover the new programming released by the provider.
The Sun
10-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Sky's little-known Ring doorbell rival receives a big upgrade to help catch intruders
SKY'S Ring doorbell rival has just received a bunch of upgrades in a bid to win over more households. Few realise that the broadcasting giant has its very on smart security devices. 2 2 Sky Protect launched in May 2023 as an alternative to Ring, Nest and other big brands. The products available not only include a video doorbell, but also indoor cameras, motion sensors and leak detectors. However, you can't simply buy the gadgets outright like any other item. Sky Protect bundles the devices to a home insurance service. The devices are worth £250 and are included at no extra cost, to offer extra peace of mind alongside the insurance policy. But in an update, Sky has revealed a number of improvements. "We've made it even easier to spot night-time visitors by improving the Night Vision feature on our Video Doorbell," the firm said. "We have made two updates which give you higher quality and more reliable image from your Video Doorbell." Night Vision mode now captures even clearer images, by reducing any bright white glare that could wash out your image, for a sharper and clearer view. It's also more reliable now too, preventing any problems that could previously cause a pink screen. Elsewhere, the update prevents any missed doorbell presses. And the ding dong happens twice as fast. There are new controls for clip recordings as well, which will help the battery. So, from now on you'll be able to adjust the maximum recording length of time your Video Doorbell records for when it detects motion. This ranges from 15 seconds, 30 seconds and 60 seconds. You can do this in the Sky Protect app by doing the following:
The Sun
03-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Amazon warns illegal streamers of hidden danger on ‘dodgy' Fire Sticks used to watch Premier League games on the cheap
AMAZON has warned Fire Stick users of the hidden dangers when using dodgy apps to illegally stream Premier League games and more on the cheap. A new report has pointed the finger at tech giants like Amazon for being "both friend and foe" in solving rampant piracy that's costing TV firms billions. 2 2 More than 50 per cent of Brits watching illegal streams on a physical device were found to be doing so via an Amazon product, according to research by Enders Analysis. Big broadcasters like Sky say Amazon isn't doing enough to address the issue. Nick Herm, Sky Group's chief operating officer said the report "highlights the significant scale and impact of piracy, particularly on premium live sport". "It's a serious issue for anyone who invests in creating and delivering world-class content," he explained to the BBC. "We'd like to see faster, more joined-up action from major tech platforms and government to address the problem and help protect the UK creative industries." Amazon told The Sun it has made changes to its Fire TV devices to make it more difficult to stream pirated content. And it has on-device warnings to alert customers of the risks associated with sideloaded apps which are downloaded from outside the approved Amazon Appstore. Those risks are largely concerned with fraud. There have been numerous cases of people looking to illegal streaming as a way to slash their TV bills, only to be left severely out of pocket. One victim recently revealed to The Sun how thousands was accessed from his bank account after signing up to one. Major Illegal Streaming Network Shut Down Across Europe Fortunately, his bank flagged it as fraud and stopped the payment, but not everyone has been so lucky. 'Pirated content violates our policies regarding intellectual property rights, and compromises the security and privacy of our customers," a spokesperson said. "We work with industry partners and relevant authorities to combat piracy and protect customers from the risks associated with pirated content. "Our Appstore prohibits apps that infringe upon the rights of third parties and we warn customers of the risks associated with installing or using apps from unknown sources.' Elsewhere in the report, Facebook -owner Meta was accused of being a source of adverts for illegal streaming devices. People streaming content illegally are at risk of fraud and other dangers when using dodgy TV devices. But that's not the only possible consequence. They can slow down your broadband connection and affect other gadgets around your home too. "Illegal streaming isn't just unsafe, it's actively harmful," said Liz Bales, CEO of the British Association for Screen Entertainment (BASE), and The Industry Trust for IP. "Devices used for piracy are often infected with hidden malware, leading to crashing apps, severely disrupted performance, and compromised home networks. "This puts personal data and entire households at risk." Image credit: Getty
Forbes
03-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Sky Glass Air Makes TV Streaming Cheap
The new Sky Glass Air TV, which comes in 3 sizes. Earlier this year, British satellite broadcasting specialist Sky took the covers off of the 2nd-gen Glass TV, and teased that a cheaper 'Air' version would be following soon. That soon is now, as Sky Glass Air is now official, and undercuts the cost of its pricier brethren by around 50% across the board. Those savings obviously mean some compromises compared to the higher-end Glass 2, and it's on the physical attributes where that's most notable. Like Glass 2, Glass Air features 4K Quantum Dot HDR screens, but doesn't have local dimming; instead the TVs in the range offer a global dimming system, but there is still support for HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision HDR formats. On the audio front, they don't have the built-in 3.1.2-channel built-in Dolby Atmos speaker system, instead it's a more standard Dolby Audio system; so you will probably want to invest in a soundbar to go with the Air. That does mean though that Air (the clue is in the name) is a lot more svelte than Glass 2. I had a chance to get eyes-on with the new models at a recent briefing and they are, in my opinion at least, a lot better looking. Coming in Sea Green, Carbon Grey, and Cotton White, the new TVs are super stylish, with the remotes color-matched to the TV, as well. Sky Glass Air, like the original Glass and Glass 2, is a TV and set-top box all in one, that not only gives you access to Sky's channels, catch-up and live programming, but also an array of the most popular streaming apps, including the likes of Apple TV, Netflix, iPlayer, Prime and Discovery+. The new Sky Glass Air TV homescreen Running on the newly renamed Sky OS, with an improved interface that provides 30 more genre rails on the homepage, personalised on watch history, the idea is basically a huge aggregation of all the native and third-party content on offer, much like you'd find on a Fire TV, but without the need for extra set-top boxes or dongles. Like Sky Glass Gen 2, Glass Air comes in three size options of 43-inch, 55-inch and 65-inch. Whatever size you choose, you'll get a trio of HDMI ports on the back (one of which is eARC) and a 60Hz refresh rate panel. Sky Glass Air works in sync with any existing Glass TVs (or indeed Stream pucks) in a household, so you can carry on watching something in one room that you started in another, and all of your playlists will work across multiple devices. You can choose to pay for Glass Air up-front: £309 for the 43-inch model, £509 for the 55-inch, or £649 for the 65-inch. Or you can pay in interest-free monthly instalments, with both 24 and 48 month contracts on offer. That means, with a £20 up-front fee, you could get a Sky Glass Air TV for as little as £6 per month. You will, of course, need a Sky TV package to go with it, with plans starting from £15. Sky Glass Air will officially be available to order next week, starting June 10th.
Daily Mirror
30-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Major warning issued to people using kit like Amazon Fire Sticks illegally
There are an estimated 17 million people in Europe using pirated TV services. Estimates of the cost vary between £900million and £21billion a year. A single pirate stream of a high-profile football match could have tens of thousands of viewers Illegal streams of live sport via kit like Amazon's £25 Fire Stick are used by criminals to steal credit card details and infect users' devices with malware. A new report by Enders Analysis says pirated video was an 'enticing store front' used by crooks and accused big tech of not doing enough to tackle 'industrial scale theft'. It found that illegal streams are now used by one in eight people aged 16 to 24 and called combating it a 'formidable challenge'. It accused big tech firms of 'a combination of ambivalence and inertia' by failing to shore up security while 'simultaneously steering consumers to illegal services'. The report described three things that allow piracy to flourish. The first is 'opportunistic' restreaming of live events via social media, while the second uses streaming services to implant malware to the viewer's device. The report said: 'Pirated services are part of sustained efforts, mostly by organised crime, to gain access to consumer data and online identity, infect devices with malware and enrich their criminal enterprises.' The third is paid-for pirate TV via devices like the Fire Stick, which 'masquerade as legitimate operators' There are an estimated 17 million people in Europe using pirated TV services. Estimates of the cost vary between £900million and £21billion a year. A single pirate stream of a high-profile football match could have tens of thousands of viewers. Amazon's Fire TV Stick is branded a 'piracy enabler' in the report. The device, which plugs into a TV and allows access to thousands of legitimate services, is also being used to illegally stream big events. Enders found that viewers do not need to 'search the darkest corners of the web' as services are 'openly marketed and promoted'. Amazon said it had made changes to Fire TV to make it harder to stream pirated content and warns customers against 'sideloaded apps '. A spokesman said: 'We remain vigilant in our efforts to combat piracy and protect customers from the risks associated with pirated content, which includes prohibiting apps that infringe upon the rights of third parties in our Appstore, and warning customers of the risks associated with installing or using apps from unknown sources.' Nick Herm, Sky Group COO, said: 'It's a serious issue for anyone who invests in creating and delivering world-class content. We'd like to see faster, more joined-up action from major tech platforms and government.'
