Sky Active
Sky Active is one of Sky’s interactive services and has undergone a number of changes since launching in 1999. In its current form, it allows Sky TV customers to self-serve using the interactive platform which they can access through their Sky box. Using Sky Active, customers can upgrade their Sky package, manage their account, find help and support on all Sky services and discover new TV content. Sky Active also supports other areas of Sky as and when required for example: introduce a friend and seasonal campaigns.
The Sky Active platform is available to all Sky TV customers, no matter which set top box they own. It can also be accessed by customers who have cancelled their Sky TV subscription but still use their Sky box as a receiver. For some of Sky Active’s services, an operating telephone line connection is required so that a customer’s account details can be retrieved from Sky’s systems. All services under Sky Active are free to UK households.
Customer Upgrades
The Sky Active Shop provides customers with all the information they need about upgrading their Sky package, whether it’s adding more channels to their subscription, set top box upgrades or adding an extra box for another room. There is also information about Sky Broadband and Talk packages.
Customer upgrade allows customers to: - Upgrade viewing packs – Movies, Sports, Entertainment Extra, HD and standalone channels. - Replace current Sky box or get Multiroom. - Activate Sky Anytime+ or 3D.
The Sky Active shop provides prices, current offers and product specifications, as well as video highlights of content from each channel pack.
Once a decision has been made, Sky Customers can then press the blue button on the Sky remote control and begin the order process for the chosen viewing pack, Sky Kit or service. The Sky box will connect online, this is a free phone call, and will allow the correct price to be displayed and add the item to the customer’s account.
If a viewing pack is being added, the channels will be available to view immediately once the customer has entered their Sky PIN and completed the sale.
Interactive Account Management
This service was launched in 2006 and re-launched in September 2010, allowing customers to: - View their bill - Make a payment - Change payment details - Change payment due-date - Change PIN, email address, activate Talk spends alert, order a paper bill. - Track an order or reschedule an Engineer visit
Accessing interactive Account Management will take customers to a dedicated Sky account management area, where they can view current, past and future bills, track recent orders or change an engineer appointment. Customers also have the flexibility to change their payment due date and/or payment method as well as make an immediate one-off payment. It’s a fast, direct and secure way for customers to keep on top of their Sky account, as well as allowing them to change their Sky viewing PIN, check itemised phone bills, or any Sky Box Office orders. It’s a great way to keep up to date with what’s new and changing on Sky; any updates to customer’s accounts, including prices and products, will be displayed within the Account Management service. In order to use these services the Sky set top box must be connected to the telephone line.
Help & Support
This service was launched in 2010 and re-launched in May 2012 and is available to all Sky box household.
Help and Support provides information on: - Help and Support - How to set up a Sky remote, - Change a Sky PIN - Engineer Survey Activation of Sky TV self set-up. If customers have any problems with their Sky service, they can get immediate help through their TV by accessing interactive Help & Support. It may be a simple query: like how to change a Sky PIN, Program a Sky remote or activate self set-up or a problem where more in-depth assistance is needed, such as setting up Sky Anytime+ or optimising a Sky broadband connection. Certain sections in the Help Centre may contain colour button links to other interactive services. Press the corresponding button on the Sky remote control to go to the relevant service. There is no charge for connecting to these services.
TV Picks and Search
Application launched in 2007. TV Picks and TV Search can both be accessed by pressing the interactive button on the Sky remote control and selecting Sky Active, followed by Find & Watch TV. TV Picks is also accessible from pressing the red button on a Sky Entertainment channel and is updated daily to showcase the top five TV recommendations across the week. There are also video highlights of up and coming programming from Sky Movies, Sky Sports and Entertainment Extra. TV Search is an easy to use search service that provides the programme information customers want but sometimes can’t find on TV. Customers simply need to enter the programme title (or keyword if unsure what it’s called) to find out when their favourite TV programme is next showing.
The service replaces Open.... which helped launch Sky Digital's interactive content, and launched many other features that viewers see today such as games, emailing and shopping via their TV.
It can be accessed by pressing the red button on a Sky Digital remote, while watching any Sky Digital Channel. Alternatively, there is an entry in the "Interactive" area of the EPG.
Differences from Open....
Since Sky Active launched on October 1, 2001, many changes have been made:
- Viewers now have the ability to reach all Sky Active services by pressing the red button on any Sky channel - this now leads to a menu screen with the TV programme still available in 1/4 screen mode. (Previously viewers had to leave the programme they were watching to use Open...'s services.)
- In the Sky Active main menu the video loop changes as you go through each of the options allowing customised advertising to be displayed.
- The new interface is much cleaner and easy to navigate.
- The style and look of the banner advertising is richer, more rounded and more "TV friendly".
- There is now a less regimented use of colour keys, allowing all 4 keys to be used for navigation purposes in the right-hand portion of the screen.
- Major retailers such as W H Smith and Dixons appear to have less prominence in the service than previously.
- Options can now be selected using the remote control's colour keys rather than the numerical keys.
- Sky Gamestar (now Sky Games) was launched on October 1, 2001. Classic games Tetris, Pipemania, Beehive Bedlam and more games were available on sky games House of Cards, Classics, Prize Quizzes and Mindbenders.
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