Sky Movies adds Restart function
August 20, 2015
Responding to recent functionality enhancements to Netflix’s UI, Sky has unveiled updates to Sky+HD boxes introducing what it describes as some clever new features which make Sky Movies even better. This, the third software update so far this year, forms part of Sky’s continued commitment to innovating the UK’s biggest connected TV platform, Sky+.
With updates rolling out every few months, putting TV content both live and on demand at the heart of the Sky+ experience, Sky says its customers will find it even easier than ever to find something great to watch. Each update makes navigation quicker and simpler, and provides a more personalised experienced for viewers – including recommendations based on a user’s TV recordings, or creating watchlists of movies you might want to enjoy at a later date.
Brand new features being introduced from today for Sky Movies customers include:
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Find other great movies with More Like This – a movies recommendation service, with one click of the yellow button you’ll be served up suggestions based on a single title a user selects. For example, fans of The Lego Movie might be offered similar family titles such as The Box Trolls and Maleficent.
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Create a personalised movies library with Watchlist. Rather than looking for a new movie each time a user settles down on the sofa, Sky Movies customers will now be able to compile their own ongoing wish list of films to watch.
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Never miss the beginning of the latest blockbuster with Watch from Start – a tool that’s already proven popular with Sky customers in Italy, that makes missing the start of a movie is a thing of the past. This clever new update means that a single click of the green button will download the film so you can watch from the beginning.
From later this year Sky will introduce Rotten Tomatoes Audience Scores as star ratings.
Luke Bradley-Jones, Director of TV Products said: “This is just the latest in a series of enhancements we’re rolling out every few months to make sure Sky+ continues to make TV watching a brilliant experience in homes up and down the country. The pace at which we’re developing for Sky+ has never been quicker – so customers can look forward to more updates later this year and into 2016.”
Ian Lewis, Director of Sky Movies said: “If there’s one place the family can count on for the latest Hollywood blockbusters or classic films, either live or on demand, it’s Sky Movies. And we’re now introducing some clever new features that will make it even easier to find and enjoy a fantastic movie when you settle down on the sofa – including brand new ‘Watch from Start’ which makes missing the start of a film a thing of the past.”
Last year there were over 2.4 billion on demand views across services including Sky+ and Sky Go, and these updates will continue to drive this trend. On demand views are up 42 per cent year on year for Sky Movies customers. The new features are rolling out amidst a great line-up of award-winning movies this Summer including Interstellar, Gone Girl and The Maze Runner, with Horrible Bosses 2, Pride, The Theory of Everything and Into The Woods coming in early Autumn.
Other recent updates to Sky+ include the introduction of a new Kids tile to provide one-click access from the Homepage to a newly expanded on demand library of over 4,000 episodes of kids shows, and a refresh of the Sky+ Planner.
Accessibility also continues to be a priority with a recent commitment that by Summer 2016, customers will be able to benefit from subtitles when watching the most popular and best Sky content on demand.