I am not one to sit each day to watch an episode of a recent favorite series on television. Well, on the one hand, fixed broadcasts program and fickle personal schedules are not a good match. On the other, thanks to the Internet, streaming or downloading a season or two to watch it in one day on PC or laptop or other mobile devices anytime and anywhere is now possible, not to mention more convenient.
This is today’s usual scenario. When everything is fast-paced and there are several options for multitasking, the value of vegging out in front of the TV becomes a luxury, thus often set aside. In fact, when online streaming and downloading became popular, we were told to finally “cut the cord” to save on costs.
But cable companies are not backing down yet. They argue that no mobile device can replace the experience of watching shows on TV’s bigger screen. However, it takes more than that to glue people in front of their telly again.
So after listening to what consumers want, Sky Cable rolls out its newest service that “combines the convenience of catching up on your current favorite shows at your own time with the comfort and visual impact of watching them on your big TV set.”
Called Sky On-Demand, this service runs on the most advanced digibox to date that harnesses SkyCable and SkyBroadband subscriptions to utilize the video streaming site iWanTV.
“Our customers are becoming busy but they still want to watch the content when they want it so we came up with Sky On-Demand,” says Sky Cable Corporation chief operating officer Rodrigo Montinola.
Through the iWanTV portal, subscribers are afforded local and foreign on-demand programs from channels RTL-CBS, History, Asian Food Channel, Food Network Asia, E!, Lifetime, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, ANC, and ABS-CBN. The initial list is expected to expand as AXN, Disney, Disney Jr., and Sony TV are to be added soon to the Sky On-Demand library.
The channel lineup may be a bit limited at the moment, but Sky Corp. officials are quite proud of the variety of shows available.
“We have a very good mix of programs catering to kids, to moms, to dads, and to teenagers, and we’re continuing to populate the content on Sky On-Demand,” notes Sky programming head James Dumlao.
On top of TV shows, the video-on-demand service library also comes with movie titles from Paramount Pictures, NBC Universal, Star Cinema, Regal Films, and Viva Films studios, provided that the customer is subscribed to SkyBroadband.
It means one need not have both SkyCable and SkyBroadband subscriptions to enjoy the VOD service. The customer only needs a SkyCable subscription and Internet connection from any provider to catch up on TV shows.
However, “it’s only with SkyBroadband that you can enjoy the movies on-demand. It’s a premium access only available if you’re a SkyBroadband subscriber,” clarifies Regaspi.
The new digibox, similar to existing digiboxes, plays cable SD and HD channels but only once it’s connected to the Internet can subscribers then access the VOD service that comes with video playback and personal playlist creation functions.
On Sky On-Demand, viewers can play, pause, stop, and resume whatever show they’re watching. Each member of the household can also have their own profile protected by a PIN, which also allows parents to control the content kids watch.
At least 3Mbps is recommended to enjoy optimal viewing using the On-Demand digibox.
Existing subscribers can upgrade their current SD or HD digibox for a one-time fee of P499, while new SkyCable customers can avail of the service for as low as P2,199 installation fee.
For inquiries and additional information, visit mysky.com.ph
