Sky Go

Pros

• Offers a large number of channels
• Downloads shows for offline viewing
• Allows users to change the download quality of shows to save bandwidth
• Huge on-demand collection

Cons

• Only works in certain regions
• Requires a connection to the outside Sky service

Sky Go is a media streaming app that provides both live and on-demand content from the Sky UK service. With over 200 individual channels, it offers content across a large array of different genres. The app provides nearly any kind of programming offered by a physical Digibox with the added bonus of being able to stream it directly on a Windows device. A majority of content should stream at the same rate as it would on a Digibox, which means there shouldn't be any loss in quality either.

Downloading shows for later viewing is a breeze, since the Sky Go app looks for the nearest data center before it buffers content. While viewers will still need a decent network connection, this usually does provide a much better user experience than a web-based solution would. Due to regional restrictions, those who aren't located near one of these data centers may not be able to access the outside service.

Those who can, however, are in for a plethora of live sports and local news that rival anything that you could find on a real television set. A special channel known as Catch Up TV gives users the freedom to watch shows that they otherwise missed, which ensures that they never fall too far behind with anything that they're following. Sky 1, Sky Living and all of the Sky Partner channels are also included with the app, so you shouldn't ever be at a loss for what to watch next. As soon as the app knows what kind of shows you like it can even start to make suggestions.

If you start watching a show on one device, then you can pick up where you left off as soon as you start the app on your Windows-based PC. All it takes to configure this kind of functionality is a single click if you've already connected Sky Go with your account number and password. Users who don't mind spending some extra time messing around with properties sheets can even set the Sky Go up as a sort of informal DVR system.

Simply tell it to record a program with a few commands. Sky go will make a copy of the show as a file on your PC's file system, which you're free to watch at a later date. Those who are going to be away from their homes for a while might want to leave this system on and blank out their screens so that they'll have plenty of material to watch once they return.

Current Sky service subscribers who want to be able to watch shows on their Windows PCs will certainly appreciate the additional functions that come bundled with this app.

Pros

• Offers a large number of channels
• Downloads shows for offline viewing
• Allows users to change the download quality of shows to save bandwidth
• Huge on-demand collection

Cons

• Only works in certain regions
• Requires a connection to the outside Sky service