BSkyB to launch new set-top box to meet Apple threat: report

PanARMENIAN.Net - BSkyB is reportedly planning to launch a brand new set-top box in up to two years' time to compete with the likes of Apple and Amazon.

The overhauled box will allegedly feature Ultra HD support and provide customers with cloud storage, Digital Spy reported.

The entirely new system - dubbed 'Project Ethan' - is being developed to make access to recorded and on-demand programmes easier across multiple platforms.

Moving recordings away from the hard drive on board the Sky+ HD set-top box to an external cloud data centre will enable customers to pause a show on one device, then resume from where they left off on another.

Meanwhile, the company is also said to be preparing itself for Ultra HD, as the number of 4K-capable televisions continue to grow and gradually fall in price.

BSkyB has already run 4K broadcasting trials via satellite.

Sky recently joined forces with TalkTalk to lay down their own fibre optic cabling, which could be a crucial part of its plan given the extra demand cloud storage would incur.

The move comes as Sky introduces several new features to its current set-top box, including a 'Buy & Keep' on-demand purchase service, and begins rolling out a new-look Sky+ homepage with refreshed EPG.