i-Player etc on Sky

teddysmum

Perhaps someone could satisfy my curiosity, please ?

Does i-Player, used via Sky, come from the internet or is accessed from the dish and so available to customers who don't have an internet service ? If the latter, is it better (ie no/less buffering) than via a computer ?

WTFH

iPlayer comes over the internet, not via the dish.
http://www.sky.com/products/ways-to-watch/on-demand/
(click around on that page and eventually you'll find this)
"Catch up on your TV and enjoy great quality every time - as standard and at no extra cost to your Sky TV. Simply connect a compatible Sky+HD box to your broadband router."

Note: it is no extra cost to your Sky TV, but it will be costing you on your broadband, particularly if you go over your download limits!

[Deleted User]

teddysmum wrote: »

Does i-Player, used via Sky, come from the internet or is accessed from the dish and so available to customers who don't have an internet service ? If the latter, is it better (ie no/less buffering) than via a computer ?

It comes via the internet and, like all On Demand services from Sky, you need to have your Sky Box connected.
Buffering (or lack of same) depends on the speed of your connection.

[Deleted User]

WTFH wrote: »

it is no extra cost to your Sky TV, but it will be costing you on your broadband, particularly if you go over your download limits!

How will it cost any extra for the broadband? Even exceeding download limits only results in slow down rather than extra cost.

victor2

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

How will it cost any extra for the broadband? Even exceeding download limits only results in slow down rather than extra cost.

Depends on your broadband contract. Many happily let you go over the monthly limit without slowing you down, but charge you for it on the next bill.

teddysmum

Thank you for the replies. I did think it would be internet only, but wondered if Sky had a special means of offering the service.

My present broadband and future (going to Sky) are 'unlimited', so no problem for me.

penrhyn

There are fewer buffering problems with the Sky on-demand service, as programmes are downloaded to the harddrive and are only available to play after a few % of the programme has been downloaded.

Scrounger

It's a pity that Sky don't offer a high speed internet package where the downlink is delivered by satellite with the uplink by normal adsl.

This would really benefit rural areas where there is no other fast internet option (ie fibre).

Scrounger

WTFH

Sky don't offer it, but satellite broadband is available. It requires a new dish and can be quite expensive. (I know cause I priced it up when the fastest broadband in our village was 0.5Mb, and we were 4.5km from the exchange)

Prices have come down, though.
You can now get 10GB data allowance for £25 a month (on a 2 year contract).

Then come the extras... £100 activation, £50 account setup, £125 installation, £60 router...