Hey everyone 👏,
It's John here, I'm one of the senior managers who worked closely with our Sky Glass product teams to bring you our new and exciting feature: Playlist. Over the next few days I'll be here to provide you with some more information and answer any questions so please let us know in the comments below 👍.
For those of you unfamiliar with Playlist.
Playlist is your personalised list of everything you want to watch, created by you.
It’s a simple way to add what you want to watch, so you never have to miss a thing. With Playlist you can add all of your favourites from live TV, on demand, Amazon Prime or Disney+, with more apps coming over time.
Just select the show or movie you want, hit the new plus button on the remote and it’ll appear in your Playlist, ready to stream any time you want - all in one place.
Even better, you won’t just see the next episode of your favourite show in Playlist, when you add something you’ll get every single series and episode available, all in one place.
Why have you changed it from how it works on Sky Q and why have you not shared the details of how Playlist is working?
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Why have you changed it from Sky Q Recordings?
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We have reinvented recordings with our new Playlist feature, which brings together in one place all the programmes you have added from the TV guide, on demand and apps. The benefit is that you don’t have to jump from an app to a channel or search through our on demand catalogue to find what to watch next. Plus, all of the big shows are primarily delivered in their best format (e.g. UHD) via on demand and apps, so Playlist gets you what you want to watch quicker, and in the best quality.
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If it’s just bookmarks why is it so good? It doesn’t seem very progressive and I can get this elsewhere.
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- Playlist allows you to create an endless collection of all your favourites across different apps, channels and on demand
- When you find something to add to your Playlist, just hit the plus button on your remote. You can add content from the TV Guide, Mini Guide and when browsing the menus
- Adding a series and Playlist pulls every available episode past, present and future into one place
- Everything in your Playlist is streamed, so there’s no need to worry about clashes, running out of storage or having to delete anything you’ve watched Playlist is sorted into categories so you can find what you want quickly and easily - TV shows, Movies, Kids and Sport, as well as your favourite channels
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Why didn’t you put a hard drive in it?
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With Playlist everything is stored in the cloud and streamed to you, so there is no need for a hard drive.
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Why isn’t it consistent? And why is that ok?
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We know that our customers use a range of streaming platforms today & are familiar with how they work. Wherever possible we have worked, and will continue to work, to bring consistency across the Sky Glass experience.
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What content can be added to Playlist?
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What content can I add?
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You can add programmes from TV guide, during playback and when browsing the menus. This includes programmes from all major apps including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub and All4; so you can access all your favourite shows together in one place
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Can I add content I can’t play back, and if so why?
(e.g. Frasier on Channel 4)
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Everything you add is available to play back, but in a very small number of cases, it’s only possible to play while it’s airing. On the occasions this does happen, it’s when Sky or one of our channel partners do not have the rights to record the programme and it’s not available on demand or in an app after broadcast.
However, if your programme becomes available again in the future, as on demand or from an app, it will still be in your Playlist and can be played back. It will also appear at the beginning of Play now to let you know it’s available.
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BT Sport
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You can add programmes from BT Sport to your Playlist however live sports on this channel cannot be played back after the broadcast has finished. You will be able to restart them or watch live while they’re broadcasting.
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Music Channels
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You can add programmes from music channels to your Playlist however you can only restart them, or watch live during broadcast. Sky Glass has an extensive on demand music video offering from the likes of Vevo, YouTube and XITE, and there is also a new Audio & Music section that you can find on the homepage.
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News Programmes
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All news programmes can be added to your playlist. Sky News, Sky Sports News and CNBC News can all be recorded.
The key terrestrial news programmes are made available for up to 24 hours after the broadcast.
To help you catch up on all the latest news we now also have a dedicated News category which pulls this all together for you.
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Adding YouTube VODs to the playlist, are they in their own section?
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YouTube is not supported within Playlist.
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Can you give more details of the Sky Sports functionality in Playlist?
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All programmes on Sky Sports can be saved to your Playlist and watched back after the broadcast has finished.
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Netflix and Playlist
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Just days after launch we added a new feature to Sky Glass to make the customer experience even better. The Sky Ultimate TV package comes with Netflix included and Sky Glass brings everything together in one place. We're happy to share that you can now search for shows and movies from Netflix - including using "Hello Sky" voice search. You can also now add all your favourites from Netflix and anything else you're interested in watching to your Playlist, alongside shows from Sky, Disney+, Amazon Prime, BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4 and many more. So, you don’t have to search in on demand and apps separately to find something to watch. Playlist brings all your favourites together for you in one place.
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Items added to Playlist do not work and disappear from the playlist.
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Programmes that are added to Playlist should always appear within a category in the Playlist section (e.g. TV Shows, Movies, Kids). They only appear within ‘Play now’ rail when there are episodes available that you haven’t fully watched yet. Completed programmes are removed from the Play now rail but will remain within their dedicated Playlist category (e.g. TV Shows, Movies, Kids), so they’re easy for you to find.
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No indication on TV guide what will ‘record’ - I know that when you go to the show that it says series added but that doesn't mean anything. There's no indication it can actually work and you'll have the show ‘recorded’
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When you add something from TV guide, we’ll give you the best way to watch it from Playlist when it’s available – this could be a cloud recording, on demand, a link to an app or to watch live.
If you do want to know if a cloud recording was made, you can go to the Show Centre page as soon as the programme has started airing.
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Playback of content – how does it work?
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Summary of how playback works
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When you watch a show from Playlist it could playback either from a cloud-based recording, a video on demand stream or from within an app. For Sky content, most will playback as a cloud-based recording using some of the 1000 hours cloud-based storage that's available for each Sky Glass household, or from the tens of thousands of hours of on demand content from Sky.
In the case of BBC, ITV (STV if you’re in Scotland) and Channel 4, playback of on demand content will happen in the relevant app, or if it isn’t in there, we will match it to an on demand or cloud recording when we can. The mixture of playout is based on how we deliver the best experience by partner which in some cases is via cloud recordings and in others is on demand or app playout. Whenever we do play back from ITV (STV if you’re in Scotland), C4 or BBC apps, it is in HD as default and in UHD where this is available.”
We will continue to work with our partners to make the overall experience for customers even better.
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What source does Playlist play back from?
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It plays back from wherever the programme is available – it could be live TV, a cloud-based recording, video on demand stream or from within an app.
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Why are you using Apps for playback from the PSB’s? / Why am I forced to watch in an app?
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BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, STV Player and All4 apps are all available on Sky Glass, which means the full app catalogues are available to watch and there is more content available than ever before. All shows from these apps are searchable and can be added to your Playlist.
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I think that watching back in the app is a substandard experience both in quality and experience vs how Recordings used to work.
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Whenever we do play back from ITV, STV C4 or BBC apps, it is in HD as default and in UHD where this is available. Having these apps available means the full app catalogues are accessible to watch and there is more content available than ever before.
Although advertising on All4, ITV Hub & STV Player may be served in SD (1280x720), programming is in HD.
ITV Hub experience outside of programme playback is currently in SD (1280x720)
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What happens if you don't have an ITV or 4 account? Does it force you to create one or will it then cloud record?
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We don’t create cloud recordings for programmes on ITV, STV or Channel 4, so you’ll need to create an account to watch shows from these apps. It’s free to create and all programmes from these apps are searchable and can be added to your Playlist.
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Why can’t everything just be a cloud recording?
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Recordings are available for most of our partner channels but unfortunately, it’s not possible for everything.
BBC, ITV (STV, if you’re in Scotland) and Channel 4 shows are available via their apps, and all of the content is available to search and add to your Playlist. BT Sport and Music channels are the key examples of channels that cannot be recorded. Recordings are available on all other channels, although there may be specific programmes that are not recordable from these channels too.
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What counts toward the 1000 hours cloud recording include?
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Each household has 1000 hours of cloud recording storage. Programmes in your Playlist that are on demand or link through to an app, don’t count towards the 1000-hour limit.
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What is the list of channels that I can’t create a recording on?
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It’s possible to create a recording from all channels except for BBC, ITV (STV, if you’re in Scotland), Channel 4, BT Sport and the Music channels. BBC, ITV, and Channel 4 shows are all available via their apps, and all of the content is available to search and add to your Playlist. BT Sport and Music channels are the key examples of channels that cannot be recorded. Recordings are available on all other channels.
From the channels that are recordable, on occasion certain programmes on them are not. These programmes can still be added to your Playlist – you’ll be able restart or watch them live – and you’ll also be given all other ways to watch them as on demand or app content through the Show Centre page.
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How do I find the episode that has just aired?
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From Play now, if you’re watching a series and you’ve finished an episode, the next one will appear when it’s available. If you add something from TV guide that is airing in the future, it will appear in Play now when it becomes available to play.
If you’re not up to date with the show, you can still get to the latest episode by going into the Playlist section and finding the programme from its category. All available episodes are in the ‘Available now’ section.
We’re constantly looking to improve the way we display programmes for customers, and we are looking closely at the Show Centre page to make it easier to find the latest episode.
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Why are episodes that are available to watch directly in the All 4 app not being displayed in my Playlist?
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We’re currently working hard to ensure programmes available in All 4 are also available immediately from Sky – we’re working with Channel 4 to resolve this as quickly as possible.
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I’ve added something from the TV guide but when I go to my Playlist to play it back it sends me to a different app to watch it that I don’t subscribe to. Why does this happen?
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In some cases, our channel partners only have rights for shows to play out on a channel and only a few episodes (and in some cases no episodes) are available via on demand and the show may not be available for recording. In this scenario, if the show is still being broadcast you can restart it from the beginning. If you add it to your Playlist and then watch it back after the broadcast, you may be provided a link to an app such as Amazon Prime Video or Disney+ to watch the show back instead. An example of this is Travel Man on Channel 4.
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How do the regional catch-up apps work on Sky Glass? For example, STV, UTV, ITV Hub
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For customers living in Scotland, when you Playlist a show from STV it will always playout in the STV Player app. If you Playlist a show from ITV 2, ITV 3, ITV 4, ITVBe or CITV, it will play out from the ITV Hub. For customers in Northern Ireland, when you Playlist a show from UTV, it will playout from the ITV Hub. Customers living outside of Scotland but in the United Kingdom, will have access to bespoke Box Sets via the STV Player app.
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Restarting Content
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Which channels and content have Restart? Do all Sports have Restart? Do terrestrial channels have Restart?
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Most of the programmes you watch live are available to restart! All the terrestrial channels have restart – you will notice the BBC behaves slightly differently; restart takes you into the iPlayer app instead of playing back directly within the Sky Glass UI.
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Advertising in Playlist
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Can I fast forward ads in the apps?
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Yes, you can fast forward ads from within ITV Hub, STV Player and All4
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What will happen after 12 months – will I have to pay for fast forwarding?
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Sky Glass and Sky Ultimate TV comes with the Ad Skipping Add On free for 12 months. This will be charged at £5pm at the end of the offer period.
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Why are there so many ads in the apps and why are they difficult to fast forward?
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Thank you for your feedback. We’re always looking for ways to improve the customer experience and will take this feedback in to account, working with our app partners.
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When is content available to me?
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Will my sports be available as soon as the programme is finished?
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Where a cloud recording is made, your sport programme will be available as soon as the broadcast starts and will then remain available for 12 months. In some cases, it will only be available to restart while it‘s broadcasting or watch live (e.g. BT Sport)
All your favourite sports from Sky Sports will be available as recordings after they’ve been broadcast.
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What about live shows like Strictly Come Dancing?
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Live shows such as Strictly Come Dancing will be available to restart, or watch live from Playlist during the live broadcast. This means you can restart the show right up until the end of the programme. There is a small window between the live broadcast ending and the show becoming available on demand (or in this case, in iPlayer), where they won’t be playable. This is because the live show is being made ready and available as quickly as possible for on demand playback. The show can be accessed via Playlist as soon as it is added to iPlayer / on demand
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How long do I have access to content?
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Does everything I add from the TV Guide have 12 months expiry even if playback comes from an app i.e. iPlayer etc...
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If a cloud recording is made, it will be available to you for 12 months. Content that is available through an app can differ based on the app and content itself. For example, most programmes from BBC iPlayer are available for 12 months, others – such as Match of the day or news – have a much shorter availability window.
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Managing Content in Playlist
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When a series is added can you mark things as watched?
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The Show Centre page shows you your continue watching or next episode at the top of the page, so that you don’t need to manually mark programmes as ‘watched’.
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When a series is added can you remove individual episodes from the playlist?
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As everything in your Playlist is streamed, there is no need to remove individual episodes of a series. You can remove the entire series from your Playlist whenever you’d like, directly from the Show Centre page.
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Still no idea how to delete / remove recordings I no longer need/ or once they have been watched.
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Removing a movie or a show will delete all recordings you have built up - it’s not possible to delete individual episodes of a show.
As we have a 1000-hour limit for recordings, and programmes from BBC, ITV and Channel 4 are not included in that limit, there shouldn’t be a need to delete individual episodes.
We will continue to evolve and improve the Show Centre page making it easier for customers to find the episode they want to watch.
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What is the Play Now Rail?
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What is the Play Now rail?
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The Play Now rail includes your recently added shows and shows that you have started watching.
If you add something from TV guide that is airing in the future, it will appear in Play now when it becomes available to play.
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It seems that the Play Now rail has nothing to do with what is in Playlist? (Play Now seems to be just a list of things you've viewed, and should be titled as such)
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Play now brings together things you have recently added alongside things you've started to watch.
It takes your viewing history into account - so if you have caught up with a show and the next episode becomes available, it will be presented at the beginning of Play now. If you're not up to date, all episodes are available from the Show Centre page accessed from the categories within Playlist.
Some programmes are only available to restart or watch live, and these will only be displayed in Play now while they are broadcasting.
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Why can’t I remove anything from my Play Now rail?
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Play now brings together things you have recently added, alongside things you’ve started to watch – and it will bump your next episode of a show to the beginning when it becomes available to watch.
If you remove something you haven’t started watching, it will disappear from Play now, but it won’t if you’ve already started watching it. In the latter case, if you no longer keep watching that programme it will ‘fall off’ the rail as you add and watch other shows.
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