For the first time in its 31 year history, Sky TV now actually has a television set of its own. Sky Glass is the satellite broadcaster’s first foray into display hardware, bringing the best of its Sky Q set-top box platform to an all-in-one TV set.
Sky Glass comes in 43, 55 and 65-inch sizes, and makes use of QLED panel technology. Sky Glass pulls together local content, streaming services and Sky's own TV over Wi-Fi, which means you no longer have to have a satellite dish installed.
Sky Glass TVs also feature 4K Quantum Dot technology, 10-bit Dolby Vision HDR and even a Dolby Atmos soundbar built in. Even better, Sky's engineers will set the TV up for you upon delivery, making this a complete cinema in a box. With just one wire, it promises to be one of the easiest TVs to set up, squeezing the soundbar and Sky Q box inside the TV itself.
Mounting it should be pretty easy thanks to its flat back, while the anodised aluminium casing can be bought in five different colours, with a selection of custom facias to magnetically clip to the front. A backlit remote with matching colour schemes is also available.
As you’d imagine, the television’s interface is based on Sky’s own premium Sky Q set top box. That means you get editorialised TV and film recommendations, as well as Sky’s intelligent algorithmic recommendations based on what you’ve previously watched at specific times of day. Sky has a huge range of boxsets, rentals and purchasable film and television content alongside its broadcast channels, and a gigantic library of on-demand TV and film, lots of which also supports HDR and Dolby Atmos sound.
Voice search, via a microphone in the remote, is also included, and is smart enough to understand the context behind queries relating to specific shows, broader genres, film and TV quotes and individual actors.
Smart features include the ability to simply walk past the TV to switch it on, with the option to have dynamic information displayed on the screen when it would otherwise be sleeping. HDMI ports are treated intelligently too – you'll be able to say "Sky, turn to Xbox" and the TV will jump to the correct port that your console is plugged into.
In addition, the Sky interface also integrates content from numerous third party TV apps and subscriptions services, from BBC iPlayer through to Netflix, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video.
As ever with Sky’s home products, you can also record live TV and boxset programming directly to Sky Glass’s built-in recordings hard drive. You also have the ability to stream recordings from Sky Glass to mobile devices around your home through Sky’s accompanying mobile apps, letting you carry on watching whether you're on the toilet or in bed.
Sky Glass price: what does it cost?
Unlike most televisions, Sky Glass will be sold via a subscription with the company’s services in tow, giving you access to its Sky Cinema, Entertainment and / or Sports packages (as well as third-part paid-for add-on channels).
While the sets can be bought separately (43-inches will cost £649, 55-inch will be £849, and the 65-inch at £1049), mobile-like subsidised options will be available.
A press release tells us that "Sky Glass is made to be affordable. Choose to buy your TV like you buy your mobile phone by paying in one go or spread the cost with interest-free monthly payments."
Coming to the UK from the 18th of October – and other regions in the coming months, we're told – it'll also sold on subscription, with prices starting at £13 a month for the 43-inch version, £17 for the 55-inch, and £21 for the 65-inch. Add-ons and different channel packages can be stacked on these pricing tiers however.
And, as the TV technology changes over time, you'll be able to trade the TV in back to Sky for newer models as they become available – much like trading up a mobile phone will on a contract. All TVs come with a two-year warranty.
A separate package, "Whole Home Sky" will come with an additional puck, which will let you carry the Sky Glass interface over onto a second TV that you may have in your home.
Sky is opening a Sky Glass showroom in the UK at London's Westfield shopping centre for those looking to see the screen in person.
Sky Glass release date
The Sky Glass TV is releasing in the UK on October 18. However, Sky teases that other markets will be set to get the screen, and we know the company is partnering with Australian television company Foxtel, so you can be sure the Sky Glass will arrive there in due time – and who knows where else.
Is a Sky Glass TV worth it?
For years we’ve sung the praises of the Sky Q set top box. It’s a premium interface, making intelligent suggestions based on your viewing habits, and access to the most comprehensive library of TV and film out there.
But Sky Q’s 4K and HDR features, the best parts of the package, are very much dependent on your home cinema set up, and the same goes for its ability to deliver Dolby Atmos audio. Making sure you’ve got everything set up and calibrated easily isn’t the simplest of tasks. But with a TV tuned out of the box to take full advantage of these features, and graded to suit the content Sky provides, you could have all you need for that full cinematic experience straight out of the box.
What will likely be the real dealbreaker though will be ongoing subscription costs. While it’s not unusual to pay for a paid-TV subscription service alongside your TV purchase, it’s rare that a TVs USP is the very subscription that sets it apart. If you’re not already tempted by a Sky package, or already have a Sky Q box hooked up to a fancy TV, there may be little here for you. But with the cost of the TV subsidised over time by an ongoing subscription, it could prove an enticing long-term investment. And it's hard to argue with the specs on offer here – this is a serious TV to challenge the major players in the industry.
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