Windows Media Centre comes with Sky Player built-in.
Sky Player is the satellite television provider’s online service – through it, subscribers can view live content from Sky channels as well as catch up on content that they’ve missed. The service is free to use for Sky subscribers, while non-Sky customers can also access the content if they’re willing to pay a fee. The good news for Windows 7 users is that the version of Windows Media Centre bundled with the operating system includes built-in provision for Sky Player.
To use the facility, load up Media Centre and browse to the TV menu where you’ll find a Sky Player entry. Once this has been launched, you can enter your Sky ID and password, or set one up from scratch. With your credentials confirmed, you can begin watching content – note that premium channels (including Sky 1 and the movie channels) can only be watched on one PC. The Sky Player software enables you to watch other channels on up to 3 other computers using the same login details. For full instructions, see the Sky website.
If you need help deciding what to watch, fire up the TV Guide that’s included as part of the Sky Player software. All of the content is streamed through the Media Centre interface, so you can operate the application through a remote control, keep the window on top of other applications, and so on.
(For a full guide to Windows 7, order the Essential Windows 7 Handbook 2nd Edition, on sale now from newsagents and online.)
