Android users rejoice – Sky Go has arrived!

chris

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slide.jpg Well the title is a little misleading – it should say a small percentage of Android users rejoice as this isn’t rolling out to everyone. Yet.

Sky have now launched their Sky Go application as an Android version. Previously only available on iOS devices, Sky have now developed the app to be capable of running devices other than Apple’s iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.

For those of you who have not experienced Sky Go yet, the app allows you to watch live TV as it is streamed and get video on demand. Users are currently able to watch up to 22 channels which is determined by your subscription with Sky. Those channels include 4 Sky Sports Channels, Sky News, Sky Atlantic, 11 Sky Movie channels and the new additions of Sky 1, Sky Living and Sky Arts 1 which are now available on the iOS version too. Sky F1 is being added in March this year.

So how does it work?
Well, if you are an existing Sky customer, you simply download the app, enter your log in information and register 2 devices. You can then watch programmes within the scope of your Sky package on both devices which can work at the same time as each other. If you are not a customer of Sky, you can download the app for free from theAndroid Market and then get a log in. You can then purchase the level of channels that you need. Costs vary between £15 – £40 per month.

What devices does Sky Go support?
Well this is an issue for many at the moment. A lot of websites are saying Samsung and HTC are supported for this app but unfortunately as many are finding out, it is not all Samsung and HTC models. A list of the 7 or so models can be found at the Android Market or on Sky’s website. It does need Android version 2.2 or 2.3 to run so make sure you check this before downloading your app.

Is it worth getting?
The original app was voted the winner of the Stuff Gadget Awards App of the Year 2011 according to the Android Market. Currently, their users have rated this app 3 stars out of 5. If you are an existing Sky customer, it makes sense to install Sky Go for free. If you are not a Sky customer, you need to work out how much usage you will get for the monthly cost. There are a lot of channels to choose from and the Sports channels alone will make Sky Go worthwhile for a lot of users.

What is wrong with it?
General feedback so far is that it needs to be accessible for more Android devices. People are finding it frustrating that not all makes and models are supported and even the ones that are seem to be having problems. Common complaints are that not all channels or films are displaying properly and an error message seems to be a frequent sight. The quality is not as good as it could be and this leaves users disappointed. Also, many users would like to use Sky Go on more than 2 devices. If your partner, child and you have a phone each, possibly an Xbox and a couple of laptops or desktops, then the 2 device rule is incredibly restrictive.

 

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I have been using Skygo for many months on my HTC Sensation Z10E and it is quite good when within good WIFI range, as I only have a 500mb per month data allowance I would not consider using over 3G. Very useful if SWMBO is watching downstairs and I want to watch a different channel somewhere else in the house. The channels line-up on offer through the package does not include any +1 channels which is a big downside and there seems little resemblance to the range of channels received on the skybox through my subscription and also the general freeview channels are not available on Skygo which is even more bizarre
 

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I have been using the app on my android Sony Xperia T for months now, it was one reason I bought this phone.
 

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