Your iPad is about to become the most expensive remote control you've ever owned. The Sky+ app for iPad has now been updated so you can use your iPad as a remote control for your Sky package.
Sky reckons a third of us have more than six remote controls in the house, and we spend four days a year choosing what to watch. The updated iPad app lets you change channels as well as pause, play and rewind TV with a haughty swipe or nonchalant tap of your fingers.
You can manage your planner through the app, recording new episodes or deleting stuff you've watched -- all without interrupting viewing on the TV screen.
The app includes a redesigned TV guide, with new genre tabs to help you home in the shows you want to watch.
Future enhancements to the Sky+ app due include the integration of second screen gubbins, allowing you to discuss the show you're watching with other viewers, thanks to Zeebox. Bonus second-screen experiences created specifically around Sky programmes will also be added, if the show on the telly just can't hold your attention. That little lot's expected later this year.
To turn your iPad into a remote, you need to have the new-look Sky Guide on your Sky+HD box and the free app on your tablet, which must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the set-top box.
In other Sky news, Sky 3D has an extra few days at no cost to you. Sky originally knocked the entry fee off the 3D channel to allow those with 3D televisions to enjoy the Olympics in three dimensions, and has extended the free period for an extra week.
During that time you can relive the spectacular opening ceremony and winning performances from Jessica Ennis, Michael Phelps, Mo Farah and Usain Bolt, as well as musical highlights from Kylie and Steps, and David Attenborough's Kingdom of Plants, Flying Monsters and The Bachelor King. In the meantime, you don't need a 3DTV to enjoy our interview with Sir David.
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anonymous 16 August, 2012 12:29
it's great that sky keeps updating their service with these enhancements but there are other tablets out there too that would also benefit . They could look at Blackberry for example. They are a major sponser of Sky Atlantic, has sky web pages dedicated to them, yet has no Sky apps available for either their handsets or their tablet. I know the Ipad has a larger slice of the market but some sky customers are being left behind because they might have a RIM or Android product
anonymous 17 August, 2012 07:47
It is true that other manufacturers don't have support for the Sky+ product but the iPad + iPhone currently run the same OS, 'ios5' ,so it is just easier to roll out an APP for those products than the multitude of differing OS on other devices