Amstrad has been working with Sky for a while now to deliver Sky+ set top boxes so it comes as little surprise that the two companies are beavering away on an exciting new toy.

Basically the new set top box will eradicate the necessity for multiple boxes for multiple TV’s. The new set top box will be able to connect to at least two TV’s (maybe more) to a single box and will be able to record two different programs on different stations simultaneously.

Sounds like a great idea and certainly cuts down on having various set top boxes scattered about your home. What is a worry is that according to the Telegraph the boxes will be connected via cables which, unless you are extremely patient and are willing to tack them all to the neatly to the walls, are going to be pretty unsightly in themselves.

We are crossing our fingers that some sort of wireless solution will be offered when the box hits retail. The new device will form an integral part of Sky’s plans to deliver television in future.

Brian Sullivan, managing director of Sky’s customer group, said:

“We have gone down this hybrid route where our boxes are taking advantage of three different technologies. The first is satellite, which is capable of delivering large numbers of channels in high definition.

The second element is local storage, which allows the customer to completely control the viewing experience. The third element is going to be broadband connectivity - when we light up the broadband connection we’ll be able to offer content that isn’t being broadcast across our hundreds of channels each week.”

There has been no official word on price as of yet but it is expected that it will be in line with Sky’s current pricing strategy for Sky+ services and hardware.

[Via Net4Now]

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