Sadly, this doesn’t mean that a bunch of Sky channels will actually be coming to Freeview (the Sky “Picnic” proposal), Sky content will be delivered to Freeview HD set-top boxes made by Humax in the form of Sky’s online service, Sky Player.
The Sky Player service is already available on the PC and Mac, and Sky’s keen to expand this service to games consoles and Internet-enabled TV hardware. Deals are already in place with Fetch TV and the 3View box, but the new deal between Sky and the leading Freeview HD box manufacturer Humax is a great step forward for getting Sky’s premium channels out there. It’s likely that the Humax Fox T2 Freeview HD box (pictured) will be getting a software update in the next couple of months to enable it to access Sky Player
Griff Parry from Sky says: “In providing both new and existing customers with more choice and control over how they access Sky content, we continue to harness secure and high-quality distribution platforms like Humax. We know that many Sky homes also have Freeview in other rooms, and this provides a great way for them to enjoy Sky away from their Sky box. And for new customers, particularly those in Freeview homes, it provides an innovative new access point to Sky’s high-quality pay TV content.”
Sky Player content is delivered via Broadband, and you’ll need to connect your Humax Freeview HD box to your Broadband router to get Sky’s content on your telly.
The service is set to become available “within months”, according to Sky.
