BSkyB plans cloud-focused set-top box revamp

BSkyB is reportedly planning a “major overhaul” of its Sky set-top box that will make it easier for customers to access content from the cloud, on any device.

According to a Sunday Telegraph report, Sky has set up an internal unit to work on the initiative, dubbed ‘Project Ethan’, which includes plans to move recorded programmes from customers’ DVR hard-drives to ‘the cloud’, or a central data centre.

The new-look service will allow viewers to pause their main TV and then pick up where they left off on another device, such as a tablet or smartphone, said the report.

The Telegraph added that the project is being led by BSkyB’s director of product development, Andrew Olson, who joined from Comcast in 2012, and the service slated to roll out by as early as 2016.

Sky is also said to be working on Ultra-HD, 4K-compatible, software and hardware.

Sky has not officially announced its plans, though is understood to be looking at future developments for its TV service.

A spokesperson for the firm told DTVE: “Innovation is at the heart of our business. We are always looking at ways to enhance our service to customers, as with the launch of our new EPG home page this month.”

Sky, which already offers web-connected set-top boxes to customers, recently launched new features including a Sky Store ‘Buy & Keep’ service, allowing users to buy digital copies of HD movies, with the original DVD also sent to them by post.

In March it also started rolling out a new look homepage for its Sky+HD boxes. With this move, Sky said that for the first time, On Demand and Catch Up TV, the Sky Store and the Sky+ planner will all sit alongside the regular channel listings “as equal options” on the homepage.