Free-to-air Sky Arts

[Dave2002]

The Simon Rattle concert seemed good, though I had to go out and missed the end of the RoS. Definitely worth seeing.

The Cosi today is not one I've seen before - this is I think 2017, not 2018. I've not fully got into this - some of it is quite odd - but that's not unusual with this work.

The picture quality on a 4k TV isn't always as good as I'd like, but perhaps it depends how far back one tries to watch. For most purposes it's good enough.

What's the sound quality like - can it be improved with an optical link or another digital link to a hi-fi system?

Now I'm wondering if it's going to nudge me towards NowTV for a binge viewing month. Alternatively, if we switched to Sky for broadband would that help in any way? Over the last few years I decided to stick with BT for various reasons, and whenever I tried to do a like for like comparison I kept coming back to the conclusion that it was better to stick. Sure - the adverts for other services are always cheaper, but trying to get a like for like comparison is amazingly hard - deliberately so, I feel. I've long felt that Sky itself is something we don't really want/need, though my sports loving friends are addicted and seem to throw £000s at it each year.

The bundles on Sky have been "cleverly" (!!!) put together so that there's usually not one which covers everything that a person or family members actually want to watch.

Oh - there's opera house architecture on later today - at 4pm - not sure if that's in the list. It isn't I think.

Look for it at 4pm.

I was amused by this quote which I found when trying to find the schedule today

the only broadcast channel in the UK dedicated to arts and culture – free for everyone to watch.

What do you expect from https://www.express.co.uk/life-style...watch-freeview

Depends what you mean by arts and culture I suppose, but the programming is certainly not what I'd expect.

https://www.ontvtonight.com/uk/guide/listings/channel/69035314/sky-arts-1.html

BBC4 might be described in a similar way, or might have been some while back, while BBC2 could have been in the 1980s!

[Dave2002]

I forgot to mention the adverts! At least they were only at the half way point.

Also, the programme site is pretty poor, so I don't actually know who the singers were - they weren't ones I recognised. At the end of the production Sky Arts managed to suppress the first part of the credits listings - which would have included the major singers and performers.

Now I'm into adverts for funerals! Yuk. What fun on Sundays.

If I buy into NowTV can I avoid the adverts?

[cloughie]

Saturday 26/09 to Friday 02/10
26/09 1100-1315: Simon Rattle conducts Stravinsky ballets
27/09 1100-1410: Royal Opera Cosi Fan Tutte
29/09 0000-0150: ENO 'drive-in' La Boheme
29/09 0600-0655: Opera North Trouble In Tahiti
29/09 0655-0905: Rattle/Stravinsky repeat
01/10 0600-0715: Anoushka Shankar In Concert
02/10 0600-0905: Cosi Fan Tutte repeat

You’ve got the job as the What’s Onner for Freeview 11!

[alywin]

Hmm, shortage of ballet and dance already, I see, compared with opera! Plenty of other stuff, though.

[Braunschlag]

If I buy into NowTV can I avoid the adverts?[/QUOTE]

Yes, apart from the occasional trailer beforehand which are short. I ended up with a NOW (actually a ROKU) stick. I have it on a flexible basis and suspend the sub when there’s nothing new. I only do the Entertainment pass primarily as I wanted to watch Babylon Berlin. Lots of dross and floss on Sky Arts but there are some good programmes. For brass band fans there is a super 3 parter following top section bands which is well worth it.
The stick also works better for Youtube on the TV (the BT Youview box is sluggish).
You can also share the NOW sub if you’ve anyone who might want access - I do it on quid pro quo with my daughter who gives me Netflix in return which is a good deal!

[LHC]

Hmm, shortage of ballet and dance already, I see, compared with opera! Plenty of other stuff, though.

There will be some ballets coming up in the next few weeks. The next one to be shown will be Anastasia from the Royal Ballet. For those who don't know it, the Ballet started as a one act ballet about Ana Anderson, who claimed to be the Duchess Anastasia, and shows her in a mental institution in Berlin trying to recover her memories. The music used is Martinu's 6th symphony along with electronic music by Fritz Winckel and Rüdiger Rüfer . MacMillan later extended it to three acts, with the first two acts showing the life of the Russian Royal Family in pre-revolution Russia. For these acts, he used Tchaikovsky's first two symphonies. The Royal Ballet performance is of the three act ballet.

[Bryn]

There will be some ballets coming up in the next few weeks. The next one to be shown will be Anastasia from the Royal Ballet. For those who don't know it, the Ballet started as a one act ballet about Ana Anderson, who claimed to be the Duchess Anastasia, and shows her in a mental institution in Berlin trying to recover her memories. The music used is Martinu's 6th symphony along with electronic music by Fritz Winckel and Rüdiger Rüfer . MacMillan later extended it to three acts, with the first two acts showing the life of the Russian Royal Family in pre-revolution Russia. For these acts, he used Tchaikovsky's first two symphonies. The Royal Ballet performance is of the three act ballet.

Definitely one to look out for. By the way, on the subject of ads, during the Rattle documentary, there were no less than 5 advertisement breaks!

[Dave2002]

You can also share the NOW sub if you’ve anyone who might want access - I do it on quid pro quo with my daughter who gives me Netflix in return which is a good deal!

I didn't know about sharing with other people. Can it be with anyone, or do they have to share an address or email? If anyone, there is presumably a limit on how many people. Of course there might be unofficial ways of sharing

[Braunschlag]

I didn't know about sharing with other people. Can it be with anyone, or do they have to share an address or email? If anyone, there is presumably a limit on how many people. Of course there might be unofficial ways of sharing

Both NOW and Netflix are not dependent on addresses - I think they work across ‘devices’ regardless of location. You’d need email and passwords to share. I think Amazon is limited to a household in one place (Covid compliant

[gurnemanz]

I didn't know about sharing with other people. Can it be with anyone, or do they have to share an address or email? If anyone, there is presumably a limit on how many people. Of course there might be unofficial ways of sharing

When I retired and was suddenly free all day, I got Sky Sport via satellite and Sky Arts came in the package. I have haggled a lower rate but still pay quite a lot. However, it does become better value given that my two children, neither of whom use terrestrial TV in their homes, can simply use my login to watch via the Sky Go app. In return my daughter has "lent" me her Netfllix and Amazon video details for my TV.

[LMcD]

There will be some ballets coming up in the next few weeks. The next one to be shown will be Anastasia from the Royal Ballet. For those who don't know it, the Ballet started as a one act ballet about Ana Anderson, who claimed to be the Duchess Anastasia, and shows her in a mental institution in Berlin trying to recover her memories. The music used is Martinu's 6th symphony along with electronic music by Fritz Winckel and Rüdiger Rüfer . MacMillan later extended it to three acts, with the first two acts showing the life of the Russian Royal Family in pre-revolution Russia. For these acts, he used Tchaikovsky's first two symphonies. The Royal Ballet performance is of the three act ballet.

Will these be shown on Freeview or Freesat, i.e. are they free-to-air or available only to Sky subscribers? (Cf. #21)

[LHC]

Will these be shown on Freeview or Freesat, i.e. are they free-to-air or available only to Sky subscribers? (Cf. #21)

Anastasia will be on the Freeview and Freesat service: 7.00 am on 9 October. I suspect that other Royal Ballet and Ballet Australia performances that have been shown in recent months will also be repeated in the coming weeks/months.

[muzzer]

I thought the Arts Late round table was dire. Lots of swearing and no insight. As is the way these days.

[LezLee]

Sky Arts listings are in the Guardian as are other Freeview channels. I presume they're also in other papers.

[LMcD]

Sunday 4th October 1100-1330: David Bosch's Il Trovatore
Tuesday 6th October 0655-0900: Simon Rattle conducts Wagner and Haydn in 'An Imaginary Orchestral Journey'
Friday 9th October 0600-0700: Hindustani Ragas from the 2017 Darbar Festival in London
Friday 9th October 0700-0900: Kenneth MacMillan's 'Anastasia'
Friday 9th October 1500-1530: 1998 South Bank Show on the Afro-Cuban All-Stars (repeated 0530-0600 on 10th October)
Saturday October 10th 1100-1250: Michael Tllson Thomas conducts the LSO in works by Matthews, Gershwin and Shostakovitch

Re. #44: The Times lists Sky Arts programmes for peak hours only. Most of the programmes which I list are broadcast off-peak.