Sky to rebrand Sky Movies

[Media Boy UK]

Sky's movie service is to be repackaged into a number of genre-based channels in an effort to differentiate between the kinds of movie on offer.

From April 4, Sky movie channels will relate to the specific film genres: comedy, family, classic, action and thriller, sci-fi and horror, drama, indie, modern greats and premieres.

Sky claimed the new genres will offer greater flexibility in accessing content from Sky Movies, which has output deals with every major US studio.

However, the move can be seen as the latest battle in the BSkyB's war with Virgin Media. In its high-profile launch last week, the company's film channel Virgin Central, which offers 500 movies on-demand, claimed it would beat Sky's offering.

Sophie Turner Laing, deputy MD at Sky Networks, said the evolution of the film channels was driven by customer demand. "Sky Movies offers the best film experience available in the home and with the changes announced today, viewers can enjoy even greater control over the films they want to watch," she said.

Sky says that following the rebranding, Sky's portfolio of movie channels will remain located on their current EPG positions on the Sky platform, renamed and repackaged in order to reflect their new genre focus

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[lauzjp]

not fair! that would be ace - but I can't get sky cos I don't have a bt line... ? (or does this not matter anymore?)

[ShadowTD]

Hmm. This makes sense. Since before Christmas, Sky were running the '...Sky Movies Rules' adverts, organised by Genre. It's an interesting idea but it's only a rebranding. Before what we have now, we had Premier and Moviemax. And before that it was 'Screen 1' etc.

Makes no odds to me since I ditched movies when I came over to VM!

[quadplay]

I don't really see how this is upping the ante - all the channels will still be available via Virgin Media, as Sky Sports and Movies are on the rate card and must be provided at the advertised rate.

[IWKYzerocool]

So does that mean Cable customers are going to lose them, as I currently have all the Sky Movies.

[Stephen]

No Virgin media customers will not loose the channels.

I don't know why TV Boy has made this thread sound like it is Sky having another pop at us.

All that is happening is that the channels are being rebranded. They have done this a few times before.

Maybe a mod could change the title?

[Media Boy UK]

So does that mean Cable customers are going to lose them, as I currently have all the Sky Movies.
No.

BSkyB can only drop Sky One, Sky Sports News and so on. They Can't drop Sky Movies or Sky Sports.

[Mick]

So on that principle TV Boy - the thread title needs to be changed... Do we have a consensus ?

Now changed.

[pedg]

But how would this work though? Would 'Sky Horror' only be on air from 9pm? Would it mean instead an increase in the number of channels that are pin locked?

Would we get several 'Sky made for tv family film pap' channels as that's what most of their daytime output appears to be?

[grabbi]

sky horror could carry a pin protection.

[bluecandylover]

What would be good would be if you could subsrive to INDIVUDLE channels like you could JUST subscribe to SKY MOVIES COMEDY or the likes of that.

As I only like Comedy films amd feel its a waste of money paying for other genres that I font watch hence why I dont subsrive on Virgin Media, HOWEVER the Sky boxes have Sky Movies.

[Gareth]

not fair! that would be ace - but I can't get sky cos I don't have a bt line... ? (or does this not matter anymore?)Just a landline... doesn't have to be BT. Otherwise you can pay to get it installed and not need any phone line at all, iirc.

[Pia]

not fair! that would be ace - but I can't get sky cos I don't have a bt line... ? (or does this not matter anymore?)
I never knew you had to, ever! I've always had sky telly with ntl phone.

[lauzjp]

:shocked: blimey. sorry ntl. I may have finally seen the light... :hyper: Anton's going to go mad, heehee. I'll think about it. As I said to Iain who kindly pm'd me - we're not 'allowed' to have dishes on the low-rise flats in Luton, but there are already loads and loads of them - I'm bound to be the first to actually get in trouble for it - our area manager hates me! I'll definately think about it though. :tu:

[etccarmageddon]

Just a landline... doesn't have to be BT. Otherwise you can pay to get it installed and not need any phone line at all, iirc.but remember... it has to be a BT line if you want the 'free'ish broadband SKY offer.

[MadGamer]

:shocked: blimey. sorry ntl. I may have finally seen the light... :hyper: Anton's going to go mad, heehee. I'll think about it. As I said to Iain who kindly pm'd me - we're not 'allowed' to have dishes on the low-rise flats in Luton, but there are already loads and loads of them - I'm bound to be the first to actually get in trouble for it - our area manager hates me! I'll definately think about it though. :tu:

This link may be of interest to you: http://www.sky.com/portal/site/skycom/products/about/article?contentid=10504703

[lauzjp]

but remember... it has to be a BT line if you want the 'free'ish broadband SKY offer.

that's ok - I can get the ntl I mean virginmedia 2 for £20 thing, then get whatever channels I want from sky? :D

This link may be of interest to you: http://www.sky.com/portal/site/skycom/products/about/article?contentid=10504703

I wish! there are only 6 properties in this block, and we're the only ones that pay rent! 2 people even still have the analogue boxes, only cos the council pays for it... :rolleyes:

[walfordking]

Well I've seen on sky one an ad that sky one is no more on cable.

[RealDiamond]

YEP there are adds running about PIN protection on movies that have nothing to do with sky movies 9 & 10. its about if the movies are rated 12 & 15 being shown after 11am but before 5pm.

[Media Boy UK]

Here is the new-look channel lineup for Sky Digital viewers:

301 Sky Movies Premiere 16.00 to 02.00 (10 hours)
302 Sky Movies Premiere+1 17.00 to 03.00 (10 hours)
303 Sky Movies Comedy (24 hours)
304 Sky Movies Action/Thriller (24 hours)
305 Sky Movies Family (24 hours)
306 Sky Movies Drama (24 hours)
307 Sky Movies Sci-Fi/Horror â 16.00 to 04.00 (12 hours)
308 Sky Movies Classics (24 hours)
309 Sky Movies Modern Greats (24 hours)
310 Sky Movies Indie 16.00 to 04.00 (12 hours)
311 Sky Movies HD1 11.00 to 03.00 (16 hours)
312 Sky Movies HD2 11.00 to 03.00 (16 hours)

Every night will be a premiere night with the new-look Sky Movies Premiere (Sky Movies Premiere +1) services which will operate a weekly model - five new titles will premiere every Saturday and will play every night, at the same times for one week.

After that, they'll enter a month-long dark period before migrating to up to three genre channels. Films available in HD will have a simulcast premiere on HD1 or HD2. HD films are exempt from the dark period.

Virgin Media viewers will be told about their Sky Movies channels lineup in April.