Sky, a company providing entertainment content to its subscribers, has announced that it is going to expand the array of high definition (HD) content available to the UK television viewers.

 

In October, the company will add seven new HD channels upon the Sky+ HD platform, out of which six will be genre-themed Sky Movies channels in HD apart from a new HD version of Sky Real Lives.

 

Sky introduced Sky+ HD in 2006, and soon it became the fastest ever growing additional TV product offered by the company. Sky+HD offers more than 10,000 hours worth of HD programs every month to more than 498,000 homes in the UK, while the five main terrestrial channels of the nation, beaming standard definition output together, provide less than half this number of HD content hours.

 

When Sky+HD was launched, it offered only nine HD channels, and after the addition of new channels in October, the total number of HD channels on the platform will become 26.

 

The users equipped with HD ready TV and Sky+ HD box can enjoy BBC HD, Channel 4 HD and Luxe HD without any subscriptions, while the subscriptions for Sky TV and Sky HD mix start from £17 and £10 a month respectively.

 

With more and more people getting aware of HD resulting in rising sales of "HD ready" TV sets, Sky is hoping it will add some more HD channels to its bouquet by the year end.

 

Hilary Perchard, head of advanced TV products for Sky, said that with equipment prices falling and the choice of content increasing, this is shaping up to be a big year for HD.

 

Perchard noted that almost half a million homes are already enjoying Sky+ HD, and Sky is excited to be offering even more HD content to its customers, as with Sky's commitment to offering the best in movies, documentaries, sport, entertainment and the arts in HD, there has never been a better time to join the high-definition age.

 

Ian Lewis, director of Sky Movies and Sky Box Office, said there's no better way to watch a movie at home than in HD, as whatever genre of movie the viewers are watching, HD doesn't just make pictures clearer, it makes the whole experience more intense.

 

Lewis noted that he keeps reading that in the future, HD will be the standard way to watch movies at home, hence on Sky Movies, the future is here today.

 

The new HD channels to be added at Sky+HD platform include Sky Movies Action/Thriller HD, Sky Movies Sci-Fi/Horror HD, Sky Movies Drama HD, Sky Movies Modern Greats HD, Sky Movies Family HD, Sky Movies Comedy HD, and Sky Real Lives HD.