MySky HDi set top boxes will cost $599 or can be rented for $15 per month. Photo / Brett Phibbs
MySky HDi set top boxes will cost $599 or can be rented for $15 per month. Photo / Brett Phibbs
KEY POINTS:
Sky TV today unveiled its high-definition service - and its plans to spend $22 million on HD broadcasts over the next two years.
New MySky HDi set boxes, the same as the Foxtel STBs used in Australia, will be available to customers at a one-off cost of$599 or for a monthly rental of $15.
On top of that, customers will pay another $10 for the 1080i-formatted HD service, across Sky Sport 1 and 2, Sky Movies, Sky Movie Greats and TV3. Some programming will carry a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack.
The Sky network, controlled by Rupert Murdoch's New Corp, plans to broadcast over 100 sports events in high-definition this year, including local rugby, NRL, English Premier League soccer and US Open golf.
Sky aims to get 80,000 set top boxes installed - a big improvement on the current 31,000 installed, non-HD MySky boxes.
Sky spokesperson Tony O'Brien told nzherald.co.nz that Sky anticipated enough demand for high-definition content to install the 80,000 units.
He said lack of promotion is the main reason for the relatively low installed subscriber base with the original MySky boxes.
"We didn't really push MySky once we new there was an HDi version on the way," he said.
The new MySky HDi boxes feature three tuners and an Ethernet port in readiness for IPTV services, which are expected in the next year.
