ScreenScribe

Sky TV will start installations of its 1TB My Sky+ PVR from July 11. Orders for the uber-box can be taken from July 1. It will cost $20 a month to rent (plus $99 for installation) but will offer four times as much recording storage as the $15-a-month My Sky HDi. Alternatively, subscribers can pay […]

Sky is poised to triple the HD recording storage of its My Sky HDi PVRs. It’s not known when the new 1TB models will be offered to subscribers – or how Sky will roll out the changeover. Will it cost more? Will subscribers be able to transfer recordings? Whatever the logistics, expect Sky to launch […]

On the eve of Sky TV announcing its interim results, NBR reports Freeview hopes to extend its HD service from 75% to 87% of the country in time to broadcast live 48 Rugby World Cup games, including all of the All Blacks’ matches. Freeview general manager Sam Irvine told NBR: “The government and broadcasters are […]

Sony’s HD PVR module for its PlayStation 3, PlayTV, goes on sale today for $200, with some retailers bundling it for free with the $730 320GB console. While it seems to have been hobbled by critical flaws, PlayTV boasts a clean and elegant electronic programming guide and graphical user interface, as seen from these generic […]

Sony at last is coming out to play with its PlayStation 3 PVR in NZ. PlayTV will go on sale here for $200 from November 25 – two years after its launch in Europe and a year after its Australian release. The nondescript HD module connects via USB to the PS3 and has twin digital […]

TiVo users and subscribers to My Sky HDi and TelstraClear’s T-Box all had their normal service interrupted over the weekend. On Hallowe’en eve, My Sky HDi viewers lost coverage of a vital rugby game because of a power outage and TiVo was cursed by a glitch that delayed all recordings by two hours. TiVo fixed […]

Here is TelstraClear’s response to questions I raised about its new PVR/home media device, the T-Box, in today’s review. SS: Why can the EPG only be programmed up to a week ahead (and not two, like TiVo)? TC: This is the extent of information given to us by Sky TV. Due to customer confusion if […]

TelstraClear has started installing its first PVR/home media device in the homes of Wellington, Kapiti and Christchurch customers but is the T-Box ready for primetime? The telco kindly provided me with a unit to appraise during its beta testing phase. While I’ve had it to play with for several weeks, the following should be seen […]

While Sky subscribers continue to fork over $100-plus a month for a handful of HD channels, across the Tasman sister satcaster Foxtel soon will be offering 24 HD channels and a 25th dedicated to 3D. Compare this with Sky’s paltry movie channels (two) and sports channels (two), along with the non-exclusive TVNZ and TV3 HD […]

TelstraClear is adopting Sky’s rental model for its new HD PVR, the T-Box. The home media device is still being tested while the telco sorts out teething issues. But when it is ready for installation, customers can choose between paying a one-off fee of $499 upfront or a monthly rental of $14.95. However, the T-Box […]