Sky has taken the bold step of opening out its movie rental service to non-subscribers, making it available to a host of free to view rivals.
Besides being able to access the Sky Store through a web browser, you can now access Sky’s enviable catalogue of 1,200 premium (and not-so-premium) movies if you own a YouView, Now TV or Roku box.
Film rental prices range from 99p to £3.49, and you have 30 days to get it watched. Once you’ve started watching, you have 48 hours to complete the film. All pretty standard stuff, then.
For YouView, Now TV and Roku owners there’s a Sky Store app available, through which you’ll be able to rent movies once you’ve signed up for a Sky account through the Sky Store website.
The associated press release claims that viewers will receive a "high-quality streaming experience," but we’ll have to investigate further to establish whether this means HD content.
Sky claims that "this is all part of a wider drive by Sky to broaden distribution of its content and give people new ways to access its unrivalled choice of programming."
By expanding access to its Sky Store, the company is evidently taking on pay to view rivals such as Blinkbox, iTunes, and Sony and Microsoft’s console services. Subscription services like Netflix and LoveFilm have also been challenging Sky’s premium movie service in recent years.
Next, read our pick of the best TVs of 2013.
