Sky Player Launches on FetchTV’s Freeview+ Box

Sky Player Launches on FetchTV’s Freeview+ Box: "

FetchTV’s Freeview+ box in the UK gets the Sky Player.

So what is the FetchTV box then?

The FetchTV SmartBox is one of a kind. It allows you to receive and record all free-to-air digital terrestrial channels, provides access to thousands of hours of Movies and TV on demand, as well as access to Catch Up TV services like BBC iPlayer directly on your TV.

There’s no contract, no subscription, no fuss.

• Download hundreds of movies and TV shows on demand


• Watch a range of web video services including BBC iPlayer


• Enjoy up to 50* channels of free-to-air digital terrestrial channels


• Pause, rewind and record live television


• Record two channels simultaneously


• Share photos, music and video from your PC to your TV


• On board WiFi connection

Obviously this is a UK specific device, and it retails at around £180. You can learn more by clicking here: http://www.fetchtv.co.uk/shop.html

Here is the full press release:

Sky’s online pay television content is today, for the first time, available to homes in the UK via a Freeview+ set-top box. Sky Player, Sky’s online TV service, can now be watched on household TVs connected to IP Vision’s FetchTV Freeview+ box. The box can be connected to any broadband service to allow specific web content to be watched on the TV.

Sky Player currently allows viewers to watch a number of live channels, as well as access to a comprehensive range of on-demand shows spanning movies, arts, sports, documentaries and entertainment, via their computer or XBox 360.

From today, Sky Player will also be accessible to FetchTV’s registered users through the FetchTV SmartBox, offering programmes from over 20 leading channels including Sky Sports, Sky1, Sky Arts, G.O.L.D., History, National Geographic, MTV and Disney. Live and on-demand content from Sky Movies will be added to the service shortly, offering access to up to 500 titles at any one time.

As with access to Sky Player via PC, Mac and Xbox, existing Sky TV customers will be able to access a range of content for no extra cost, depending on their core Sky subscriptions, whilst non-Sky customers will be able to sign up to a choice of TV packages via a monthly subscription.

All of this content is accessed via a broadband connection, giving current Sky customers more choice over how they access their content, whilst for prospective customers, particularly those who cannot receive Sky via satellite, or who may prefer not to, it’s a new access point to Sky content.

Eddie Abrams CEO of FetchTV said:

“This deal is a landmark in the pay TV world. Freeview customers who have one of our FetchTV SmartBoxes can now access and watch Sky’s pay TV content on their TV over the open internet. This launch gives consumers a real choice of how they can access fantastic sports, movies and entertainment content on their TV screen.”

Griff Parry, Sky’s Director of On-Demand, said:

“We’re delighted to have launched Sky Player on FetchTV. In giving our customers as much choice as possible on how they access the content they love, Sky continues to build on its commitment to embrace a wide variety of new platforms and devices.”

The FetchTV SmartBox is Freeview+ accredited and is an ‘over-the-counter’ plug and play solution with no need for an engineer installation visit. The FetchTV VOD services, that also include access to BBC iPlayer, work with any broadband supplier – unlike other VOD-enabled TV services available in the UK. Customers who don’t have broadband can shop around for the best broadband deal to suit them.

The box is equipped with a 160Gb hard drive allowing the user to record, pause and rewind live digital terrestrial TV. The box also acts as a media centre allowing users to stream content like digital pictures and movies stored on other devices in the house such as PC’s external hard drives on to the TV screen.

FetchTV’s Smart Box has two USB ports that allow any programmes recorded from Freeview channels to be exported on to a USB stick or drive, meaning the box’s hard drive need never get full.

FetchTV boxes are currently available at John Lewis, Carphone Warehouse and Currys online. RRP is £219.

Sky Player will be made available to current FetchTV box owners today via a firmware update.