First installation three weeks away

Sky's high-definition television service has signed up more than 40,000 users across the UK and Ireland and will begin its first installations on 22 May.

"There has been encouraging customer demand with over 40,000 advance sales, which is more than the total number of Sky+ sales in its entire first year," said a BSkyB statement.

Bookings for the HD service were first opened to the general public on 13 April and Sky confirmed the 22 May launch date in its financial results statement today.

According to market research firm GFK, 2006 sales forecasts for HD-ready television sets have increased from 1.4 million to two million, with the cumulative total expected to be 2.7 million at the end of 2006.

GFK found that 46 per cent of all TV sales in February with screens larger than 26in were HD-ready.

Sky's list of HD programming highlights for the week commencing 22 May includes Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith on Sky Box Office HD; National Trust: National Treasures on Artsworld HD; 24 on Sky One HD; and Test Cricket on Sky Sports HD.