Sky Cinema facts for kids
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| Programming | |
|---|---|
| Picture format | 2160p UHDTV (downscaled to 1080i and 576i for the HDTV and SDTV feeds, respectively) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Sky Group (Comcast) |
| History | |
| Launched | 5 February 1989 |
| Replaced | The Power Station on the BSB service |
| Former names | Sky Movies (1989–2016) |
| Availability | |
| Cable | |
| Virgin Media (UK) | Channels 401–412 (HD) On Demand |
| Virgin Media (Ireland) | Channels 301–309, 312, 318, 320 Channels 331–342 (HD) |
| Satellite | |
| Sky | Channels 301–312 (SD/HD) Channels 842, 846–851, 898 (SD) On Demand |
| IPTV | |
| TalkTalk TV | Channels 501–511 (SD) On Demand |
| Eir Vision | Channels 301, 303–312 (SD) |
| BT TV (via Now TV) | Channels 500–511 (SD) Channels 514–525 (HD) On Demand |
| Streaming media | |
| Sky Go | Watch live (UK & Ireland only) |
| Now TV | Watch live (UK and Ireland only) |
| Virgin TV Anywhere | Watch live (UK only) |
Sky Cinema, which used to be called Sky Movies, is a group of pay television movie channels. These channels are owned by Sky, which is part of a bigger company called Comcast. You can watch Sky Cinema channels on Sky satellite and Virgin Media cable.
Besides watching them live, you can also watch movies whenever you want using their "on demand" service. This is available on Sky and Virgin Media, as well as on other services like Now TV, BT TV, and TalkTalk TV.
How Sky Cinema Started
The very first Sky Cinema channel, then known as Sky Movies, began on 5 February 1989. It was one of the first four satellite channels launched by Sky. The first movie ever shown on the channel was Dirty Dancing.
Exactly one year later, on 5 February 1990, the channel became a paid service. This meant people had to pay a subscription to watch it. Over time, Sky launched many more channels under the "Sky Movies" name. By 2007, these channels were organized by the type of movie they showed, like "Sky Movies Comedy" for funny films or "Sky Movies Action" for exciting ones. In 2016, Sky Movies changed its name to "Sky Cinema".
What Channels Can You Watch?
Sky Cinema has many different channels that show movies all the time. They are often grouped by the type of movies they show. This makes it easier to find something you like to watch.
Here are some of the main Sky Cinema channels:
- Sky Cinema Premiere: This channel shows brand new movies that have just come out.
- Sky Cinema Select: This channel often features a mix of popular movies.
- Sky Cinema Hits: Here you can find movies that were very popular and successful.
- Sky Cinema Greats: This channel is for classic and highly-rated movies.
- Sky Cinema Animation: Perfect for animated films.
- Sky Cinema Family: Shows movies suitable for the whole family.
- Sky Cinema Disney: Dedicated to movies from Disney and Pixar.
- Sky Cinema Action: For movies full of adventure and excitement.
- Sky Cinema Comedy: Features funny movies that will make you laugh.
- Sky Cinema Thriller: Shows suspenseful and exciting movies.
- Sky Cinema Drama: For movies with serious stories and strong emotions.
- Sky Cinema Sci-Fi & Horror: This channel shows science fiction and scary movies.
Temporary Channel Changes
Sky Cinema often changes the names of some of its channels for a short time. This usually happens to celebrate a special event, a holiday, or to focus on a collection of movies. For example, they might have "Sky Cinema Harry Potter" to show all the Harry Potter films, or "Sky Cinema Christmas" during the holiday season. These temporary channels make it fun to find specific types of movies.
