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Sky's Branding

(October 2009)

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VM
VMPhil
Jonny posted:

Another name change in store for Living then, is it in some sort of contest with UK Gold Classics/UK Gold 2/UKG2/UKTVG2/Dave?

Hardly, it's only had 2 names.... 3 if you count 'Living TV' and tt's always had the word Living in it. There are channels that have been renamed lot more than that


The amount of times it has changed is what I think he is counting.

UK Living
Living
*Living
*LivingTV
LIVINGtv
LIVING
Sky Living


ya but the name has not change no one ever called it living with a little star by it eg living*


Actually, they did. I remember people posting it as "*LivingTV".
Last edited by VMPhil on 25 October 2010 5:29pm - 2 times in total
IS
Inspector Sands

ya but the name has not change no one ever called it living with a little star by it eg living*


Actually, they did. I remember people posting it as "LivingTV*".

That doesn't mean it was a name change though. the little star was just part of their logo.

One common word, one prefix (UK) and one suffix (TV) in 17 years makes it one of the most stable channel names (of course I don't count Sky Living yet)
VM
VMPhil

ya but the name has not change no one ever called it living with a little star by it eg living*


Actually, they did. I remember people posting it as "LivingTV*".

That doesn't mean it was a name change though. the little star was just part of their logo.


Strange, because on the EPG and in TV listings, and online and in other print like on magazines and leaflets, it was always written *LivingTV.
ST
Stuart
It's odd that Sky have shown the revised EPG numbering using an example where the mini-TV screen is turned off.

The vast majority keep this on, because the programme description appears in the upper left space, without the need to press the 'i' button:

http://img.hexus.net/v2/lifestyle/news/sky/sky-hd-epg.jpg

...so the end result is that Sky Living will simply move from the bottom of page 2 to the top.

Whilst Living has had many minor name changes, it's always retained the most important part of the name, so I'm sure most people will just see it as the same channel.
DV
dvboy
Lee M posted:
Jake posted:
Looks like a Living rebrand is on the cards, as well as some renumbering.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2010/oct/25/eddie-izzard-sky-treasure-island

Quote:
In a bid to highlight its entertainment credentials, the broadcasterIt is moving Sky1, Sky Living and Sky Atlantic to the top of the Sky Digital electronic programme guide. Sky Atlantic, due to launch early next year, will feature US drama including Mad Men and HBO content such as Martin Scorsese's eagerly-awaited Boardwalk Empire.

Turner Laing said Sky1, Sky Living and Sky Atlantic will have slots 106, 107 and 108 – right after the five main terrestrial channels - so Sky can "highlight for our customers the best of entertainment pay at the top of the EPG".


EDIT: Press release
*


Thought they might move one of Sky2 or Sky3 on the EPG to make room for Sky Atlantic.

What wonders me about the Sky EPG is why on Sky+ HD the numbers for HD channels are not in the "main" slots I.e. Sky1 HD on EPG 106 rather than 170. You would think for marketing simplicity having the "right" version of Sky1 depending on what Sky platform you are on would be common sense, and surely Sky have the ability to have different EPG configurations depending on whether you have an HD box or not. It wouldn't affect people who have an SD television plugged into a HD box either, as unless I am mistaken, the Sky+ HD box downconverts the picture if the TV is connected via SCART or other non-HD connection.


The HD box is the standard box now, whether you take the HD package or not. Sky would need to configure the EPG based on package, not box. That's probably harder.

If Sky really wanted to push HD then they'd put the HD channels higher on the EPG like you suggest, but perhaps there are too many non-HD customers still to do this without warranting enough complaints.

What would be good is a reminder to switch the to HD equivalent, built into the EPG when tuning to a programme on an SD channel that's being simulcast in HD. I can never remember the HD channel numbers because they're all over the place.
JA
jay Founding member
dvboy posted:
Lee M posted:
Jake posted:
Looks like a Living rebrand is on the cards, as well as some renumbering.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2010/oct/25/eddie-izzard-sky-treasure-island

Quote:
In a bid to highlight its entertainment credentials, the broadcasterIt is moving Sky1, Sky Living and Sky Atlantic to the top of the Sky Digital electronic programme guide. Sky Atlantic, due to launch early next year, will feature US drama including Mad Men and HBO content such as Martin Scorsese's eagerly-awaited Boardwalk Empire.

Turner Laing said Sky1, Sky Living and Sky Atlantic will have slots 106, 107 and 108 – right after the five main terrestrial channels - so Sky can "highlight for our customers the best of entertainment pay at the top of the EPG".


EDIT: Press release
*


Thought they might move one of Sky2 or Sky3 on the EPG to make room for Sky Atlantic.

What wonders me about the Sky EPG is why on Sky+ HD the numbers for HD channels are not in the "main" slots I.e. Sky1 HD on EPG 106 rather than 170. You would think for marketing simplicity having the "right" version of Sky1 depending on what Sky platform you are on would be common sense, and surely Sky have the ability to have different EPG configurations depending on whether you have an HD box or not. It wouldn't affect people who have an SD television plugged into a HD box either, as unless I am mistaken, the Sky+ HD box downconverts the picture if the TV is connected via SCART or other non-HD connection.


The HD box is the standard box now, whether you take the HD package or not. Sky would need to configure the EPG based on package, not box. That's probably harder.

If Sky really wanted to push HD then they'd put the HD channels higher on the EPG like you suggest, but perhaps there are too many non-HD customers still to do this without warranting enough complaints.

What would be good is a reminder to switch the to HD equivalent, built into the EPG when tuning to a programme on an SD channel that's being simulcast in HD. I can never remember the HD channel numbers because they're all over the place.


Handily, by pressing the right arrow, the EPG shows you nothing but HD channels........
JA
jay Founding member
It's odd that Sky have shown the revised EPG numbering using an example where the mini-TV screen is turned off.

The vast majority keep this on, because the programme description appears in the upper left space, without the need to press the 'i' button:

http://img.hexus.net/v2/lifestyle/news/sky/sky-hd-epg.jpg

...so the end result is that Sky Living will simply move from the bottom of page 2 to the top.

Whilst Living has had many minor name changes, it's always retained the most important part of the name, so I'm sure most people will just see it as the same channel.


Obviously it was shown with the mini-tv off to show the prominence to the Big 6...
ST
Stuart
dvboy posted:
The HD box is the standard box now, whether you take the HD package or not. Sky would need to configure the EPG based on package, not box. That's probably harder.

I understand that Sky has approached broadcasters with a view to creating an EPG channel listing specific to those with the HD Pack, which would swap the HD channels with their SD equivalents.

This would work in a similar way to those with the commercial Sports packages, who get the 'pub version' of SS1-4/SSN in the same EPG locations as domestic customers - although the 'ordinary versions' for them are moved to the 900 range.
DV
dvboy
dvboy posted:
The HD box is the standard box now, whether you take the HD package or not. Sky would need to configure the EPG based on package, not box. That's probably harder.

I understand that Sky has approached broadcasters with a view to creating an EPG channel listing specific to those with the HD Pack, which would swap the HD channels with their SD equivalents.

This would work in a similar way to those with the commercial Sports packages, who get the 'pub version' of SS1-4/SSN in the same EPG locations as domestic customers - although the 'ordinary versions' for them are moved to the 900 range.


I forgot that they can do that, and that there are different EPG lineups based on geographic location.

I assume swapping BBC One, ITV 1, 4 and Channel 5 with their HD equivalents requires some kind of Ofcom approval since their EPG slots are protected?

The BBC probably wouldn't want to do it because BBC One HD isn't going to have regions.
ST
Stuart
dvboy posted:
I forgot that they can do that, and that there are different EPG lineups based on geographic location.

I assume swapping BBC One, ITV 1, 4 and Channel 5 with their HD equivalents requires some kind of Ofcom approval since their EPG slots are protected?

The BBC probably wouldn't want to do it because BBC One HD isn't going to have regions.

I think this is why Sky have approached the broadcasters first. It's only a document for consultation at present, I think it calls for responses by early 2011. I wish I'd kept a copy (or remembered where I'd saved it to). Rolling Eyes

Presumably it's easier to get Ofcom approval if everyone is on side - and there's no reason that they wouldn't be (apart from, as you say, the issue with BBC One regional programmes).
DA
David
dvboy posted:

The HD box is the standard box now, whether you take the HD package or not. Sky would need to configure the EPG based on package, not box. That's probably harder.


and wouldn't please everyone. People with a Sky HD box but just a standard non-HD subscription may prefer ITV1 HD on 103 but probably wouldn't want Sky One HD (which they wouldn't be able to view) on 106.

It should ideally be a menu option on the box itself, maybe a toggle between a HD and SD EPG with the box rebooting and loading the selected EPG. This still wouldn't be ideal for non-HD subscribers or even non-Sky subscribers. Maybe it would be possible to press 'help' and as well as a subtitles and audio description toggle, there would be a HD toggle so that the user could change between SD and HD without going through the menu system with the default being whatever is selected in the menu.
BR
Brekkie
[quote="dvboy" pid="684124"]
dvboy posted:
The HD box is the standard box now, whether you take the HD package or not. Sky would need to configure the EPG based on package, not box. That's probably harder.

I assume swapping BBC One, ITV 1, 4 and Channel 5 with their HD equivalents requires some kind of Ofcom approval since their EPG slots are protected?

The BBC probably wouldn't want to do it because BBC One HD isn't going to have regions.

ITV, C4 and Five have advertising regions to think about too.

Probably need a bit of a clear out and they'd be a bit of overspill, but for entertainment channels at least moving the HD channels to 201+ could work - with at least the main channels 100 up from their SD number.

The movie and sport sections could do with a reshuffle too so they're at least together.

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