Sky TV announce movie download service

Sky TV has announced a new download service that will be charged at $5 per month and offer members unlimited movie and TV programme downloads to their computers.

Starting next month, Sky TV will offer a movie and TV programme download service through its Sky Online website that will allow users unlimited downloads for $5 per month.

Users will need to be current Sky TV subscribers, and for movie downloads you will need to be a Sky Movies subscriber. Sky TV chief executive John Fellet says the available movies will closely mirror the Sky Movies offering. Sky Box Office movies will not be included in the service.

Initially, only movies and programmes that have already screened on Sky will be available for download, but Sky is negotiating with Hollywood studios to secure rights to sell movies online that have not been broadcast on the TV service.

Telstra Clear and Vodafone are underpinning the service and John Fellet says these ISPs are likely to offer special deals that will reduce the broadband data charges users will face.

Vodafone spokesman Paul Brislen was not able to supply details and said that negotiations with Sky were still on-going.

Files will be delivered in the Windows Media format and will come with Microsoft's Advanced DRM 2.9. This means the file will be locked to the machine it is downloaded to and will come with a time-specific licence that may be anything from one week to a month.

Users can watch the movie or programme as many times as they like within the licence period. When the licence has expired, the user can log back in to the service to the renew the licence if it is still available.

Sky TV general manager Sam Morse said licences will remain current in much the same time frame that the same movies are playing on the Sky Movies TV service.