Sky now has the rights to show all six Star Wars movies in high definition. The company already held rights for the first three of the series - which are being shown in its current Star Wars' season - and has now signed a deal with LucasFilm for the remaining trio.
As yet, Sky's not saying when episodes IV-VI will be shown but the Christmas period, in our view, seems the most likely time.
Sky happily points out that the deal means that it will be the only UK broadcaster to show the entire saga in "glorious HD". So, bad luck NTL Telewest.
Commenting on the deal, Sophie Turner Laing, deputy MD, Sky Channels and Services said,
The ultimate movie saga
will be shown in full via the ultimate television experience, now that
LucasFilm has granted us access to all six Star Wars films in HD. The
deal is a significant addition to our HD offering and underlines our
commitment to delivering the best possible viewing experience for our
movie subscribers.
Episode III - Revenge of the Sith - gets its UK TV premiere tomorrow (Friday, September 8) in standard definition at 8pm on Sky Movies 1.
Episodes I-III will be shown in high-def on Sky Movies 9 HD at weekly intervals, starting the Saturday after next (September 16) at 9pm. So the initial HD line-up is:
* Episode I - The Phantom Menace - 16 September, 9pm
* Episode II - Attack of the Clones - 23 September, 9pm
* Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (UK premiere) - 30 September, 9pm
To watch Sky HD movies, you'll need an HD-compatible TV set, a Sky Movies subscription and a Sky HD box. The box costs £299 (plus installation) and you then have to pay a further £10 per month on top. That tenner, though, gets you access to all of Sky's non-premium HD channels and, if, say, you already subscribe to Sky Sports, then to Sky Sports HD as well.
So, does the thought of watching all six Star Wars movies in high def make you want to sign up to Sky HD? Let us know in this thread in the HEXUS.lifestyle.news forum.
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