As expected, Sky has announced its first-ever branded TV, called Sky Glass, enabling its services to be streamed over the internet for the first time.
The company said Sky Glass is an alternative way to access Sky TV without the need to install a set-top box or satellite dish, fulfilling its long-held promise to move away from satellite to broadband.
The Sky Glass TV is available in a choice of 43-inch, 55-inch and 65-inch sizes, and there are five colours to choose from - blue, green, pink, white and black.
It should be made clear that the actual Sky Glass TV is a pretty conventional LCD model, with a 4K FALD LED backlight and quantum dots, but it does at least support Dolby Vision and HDR10, meaning users can enjoy the growing library of premium content available through Sky. The sound system packs a fair punch too, with six built-in speakers including a subwoofer on the sides, bottom and top, delivering a total output of 215 watts.
The TV comes with a microphone-enabled remote control for hands-free viewing via voice commands to Sky’s assistant, and there are three HDMI slots with eARC and CEC supported.
Sky said customers can pay for the Sky Glass TV upfront or alternatively pay in installments of £13, £17 or £21 per month fo the 43-inch, 55-inch and 65-inch models, respectively. Of course, you’ll need to tack on a subscription to Sky too, with the Sky Ultimate TV Package that includes Sky Entertainment and Netflix but no Sky Sports or Cinema starting at £26 per month. So, the total cost, assuming you choose the smallest of the sets, would be £39 a month.
Users can pay an extra £10 per month for a “Puck” that will bring the Sky Glass interface to any other TVs they have in the home, as part of the Sky Whole Home package.
Adding to the attraction, Sky is promising to regularly update the TV hardware every two years, so customers will be able to swap it for a newer model with, presumably, better specs and features. It’s not clear how much that will cost, though, but we doubt it will be entirely free. Sky also said it will update the software with new features each year, similar to how Apple and Google push out new versions of tvOS and Android TV annually.
As a further benefit, Sky says delivery is free and that it will even unbox the TV and set it up in your living room so it’s ready to go almost as soon as it arrives. The company said the packaging is fully recyclable and that it will also take care of that. Even more positive is that Sky Glass is certified as carbon neutral thanks to its integration and lack of extra cables and hardware. It’s also claimed that the TV is 50% more energy efficient than a typical TV and soundbar setup.
Sky said Sky Glass will be available from October 18, though it is taking pre-orders now. The company also says more features and accessories are on the way next year, including the promise of a 4K smart camera that it says will unlock more services.
