Sky Digital TV was launched on October 1, 1998 by BSkyB and is now the leading digital TV service in the UK with around 8 million subscribers. It’s a satellite service so a dish is needed on the outside of your property – an important consideration if you live in rented or listed buildings – and a Sky box on the inside. The Sky digibox was the first set top box but more recently the Sky + and Sky + HD boxes have also been launched – see here for details of Sky Box variations.
The key benefits of the new Sky Digital TV service compared to Sky Analogue (which ceased broadcasting in 2001) were
The flagship channel Sky One (although now also available through other providers like Virgin TV) is also very popular, having had The Simpsons as a staple show for many years and a good range of UK exclusive premieres including The X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Family Guy.
