Sky has announced a long overdue successor to the Sky Glass TV, which marked its debut in the video streaming world when it was launched back in 2021. The updated version is the Sky Glass Gen 2 TV, and it’s said to deliver an “even brighter picture” and “bolder sound”, among other improvements.
The new TV means that the company is persisting with its novel formula of packaging a 4K HDR TV with an integrated soundbar and Sky TV streaming subscription in one, and it is going to cost the same as the existing Sky Glass TV. Customers will be able to choose from a 24-month or 48-month subscription, and they’ll again have a choice of 43-inch, 55-inch and 65-inch models to consider.
The different options will allow the company to cater to different people's budgets. According to Sky, the 65-inch model will cost £24 per month on a 48-month contract, for example.
The Sky Glass Gen 2 TV brings multiple updates over the original Sky Glass TV, though the company has somewhat disappointingly decided to persist with its 4K Quantum Dot panel instead of upgrading to a Mini-LED display. As such, the picture enhancements are likely to be subtle, and therefore unlikely to appeal to someone who has their sights set on a higher-end OLED or Mini-LED television.
Nonetheless, Sky insists that the second-generation Glass has a much brighter display with a greater number of local dimming zones, backed by more advanced algorithms to boost the overall picture quality. It also supports wider viewing angles, Sky says, and there are new auto-picture modes support so Sky TV content can be seen as the creators intended.
In terms of sound, Sky says the built-in Dolby Atmos speaker system has been boosted with new upward-firing tweeters and a subwoofer, resulting in a seven-speaker, 3.1.2-channel setup. It should be pretty beefy, and it’s an impressive upgrade for what is otherwise a mid-range TV. It’ll result in what is promised to be “richer, 360-degree cinematic sound” and because of this, there’s absolutely “no need to buy a separate soundbar”, the company assured.
By not spending extra cash on a soundbar, Sky says customers can save at least 30% on what they would otherwise spend on a comparable UHD TV and soundbar combo. That said, many might want to ignore the company’s advice anyway, as it’s hard to beat a separate sound system when it comes to creating an immersive, surround sound experience.
The Sky Glass Gen 2 also sports a slightly more refined aesthetic design, with a more streamline stand that’s easier to assemble. It now features two prongs that just slide into the base of the TV, so there’s no need to mess about with a screwdriver and screws. There’s also a new wall mount that can swivel and tilt, or sit flush against the wall. Finally, Sky said the TV comes in three different colours, with Arctic Silver, Volcanic Grey and Atlantic Blue options available. The remote control and soundbar will match the customer’s chosen colour, too. These colours were chosen to “compliment modern interiors”, the company stressed, although we’re not quite sure why it wanted to emphasise that particular detail.
As for the operating system, the Sky Glass Gen 2 runs Sky OS, which is a revamped version of the older Sky Entertainment OS that came with the original Sky Glass TV. According to the company, the new software has more than “500 new features”, which is certainly more than most were aware of, though most do not seem to be particularly Earth-shattering. One of the biggest new features is the introduction of “Hello Sky” voice controls that make use of an integrated far-field microphone on the TV. Notably, the software provides access to various streaming apps, like Netflix, as well as the full Sky TV experience.
Sky said the new Sky Glass can be purchased via its website or at Currys online store from today, and physical models will appear in the latter’s high street stores soon.
With regard to prices, Sky said the 43-inch Sky Glass Gen 2 can be purchased for £699, with the 55-inch model costing £949 and the 65-incher going for £1,199. For those who don’t want to put down all of that cash upfront, there are subscription options available, with prices starting at £14 per month for the 43-inch TV on a 48-month contract, rising to £19 per month for the 55-inch TV and £24 per month for the larger model. Those prices almost double for those who’d rather sign a shorter, 24-month contract.
Don’t forget that besides paying for the TV, you’ll also need to subscribe to Sky’s content separately to enjoy the full benefits of having a Sky Glass TV. Sky isn’t exactly cheap, with the basic Sky Essentials package that includes Netflix with ads and Discovery+ costing a £15 a month, so do keep that in mind.
If the combined costs all sound too much, you might want to wait for the company to launch the upcoming Sky Glass Air TV, which is a second new model that’s set to be more affordable. Once again it will come in 43-inch, 55-inch and 65-inch sizes, and it will have the same 4K Quantum Dot HDR display, though we don’t know how many dimming zones it will have. It will also come with a less beefy 2.0-channel stereo speaker system. Clearly, it’s a cheap and cheerful version of the Sky Glass Gen 2.
We don’t know the exact costs of the Sky Glass Air TV yet, nor do we know the launch date, but we do know what colours we’ll be able to choose from – Carbon Grey, Cotton White, and Sea Green.
Don't forget that as an alternative to buying a Sky Glass TV, you can instead purchase the puck-like Sky Stream device that plugs into the back of any existing TV with a HDMI port, bringing access to all of the same content.
