Sky TV gets on top of its digital bugs

Sky Television hopes to have the bugs in its new digital format ironed out within the next few days, ending the teething problems that have had the service's subscribers complaining.

Their problems have included slow channel changing, sudden volume surges and missing programme information.

The problems have been caused by bugs in the new system's electronic programming guide.

Sky spokesman Tony O'Brien said yesterday the company hoped that the problems would be sorted out within the next few days.

"We're not hiding the fact we have had problems with it, but it's nothing like the problems we had when we launched the digital service in 1998."

He said customers were not able to go back to the old system, as it was gradually being phased out.

About 300,000 people subscribe to Sky's digital service and the switch from the company's old service was now "99 per cent complete".

The new digital format includes the addition of video games, TVNZ free-to-air channels, 11 radio channels, and an interactive weather service that includes marine reports and live satellite maps.

Mr O'Brien said the main problem was the slowness of electronic programming guide software.

While the new system would be slower than the previous one, it was hard to say by how much.

"It's like if you have everything open on your computer, it slows things down, but you will have many more features and applications - the old service had only one."

He said said Sky's investment in the new service was considerable but it had budgeted for teething problems.

He said there were always likely to be unexpected problems in setting up any new system.

- NZPA