Sky Glass uses less energy than a separate television, Sky Q box and soundbar
Sky has taken the wraps off an all-new QLED TV during a glitzy keynote presentation in London today. This marked the first major hardware announcement from the satellite broadcaster since it unveiled Sky Q back in 2015, which replaced Sky+HD in its line-up the following year.
Dubbed Sky Glass, the flatscreen 4K HDR TV includes all of the circuitry needed to stream the complete Sky Q experience over Wi-Fi. Yes, for the first time, Sky will not require a satellite dish on the outside of our home to watch channels, pause and rewind live television, and catch-up with on-demand boxsets.
If that sounds familiar, it's likely because Sky has talked openly about its ambition to untether its paid-for television from the satellite dish. The first time Sky publicly revealed its plans was back in 2017, when then-CEO Jeremy Darroch stated that ditching the dish would open up Sky Q to more than six million new customers across Europe, including two million in the UK alone. With the arrival of Sky Glass this month, Sky has finally made good on that four-year-old pledge.
Just like Sky Q, the 4K TV includes some of most popular streaming apps like Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+. Shows and movies from these streaming services will be recommended alongside live television and on-demand boxsets from Sky on the homepage. You'll be able to search across all of these services too, so you won't need to worry about accidentally paying to rent a film that's included in your Disney+ subscription, for example.
Sky Glass, which the company says is a television that "only Sky could make", arrives in a choice of five different colours. A detachable front panel can also be swapped for those who want to customise the appearance of the TV to better suit the room around it. The television has been certified "carbon neutral". Sky says that because everything is built into the television, it will use less energy than a standalone Sky Q set-top box and soundbar connected via HDMI to your telly – with up to 50 percent less power consumed than the traditional set-top.
For those worried that an Ultra HD television with Sky Q built-in could cost a small fortune, Sky CEO Dana Strong was quick to allay those fears during the keynote. The UK broadcaster has confirmed that prices will start from £13 a month. For that, subscribers will get a Sky Glass television and a bundle of channels. Just like with existing Sky subscriptions, Sky Cinema, Sky Sports, and bundles with Netflix and Disney+ can all be added at an extra cost.
Sky Glass will begin to ship to UK customers from October 18, 2021 in the UK, with more countries to be added in 2022, Sky has confirmed.
The QLED panel includes a Dolby Atmos-certified soundbar. Sky Glass only requires a single power cable – so you'll be able to stream the latest blockbusters from Sky Cinema, exclusive boxsets from Amazon Prime and Disney+ and sport fixtures on Sky Sports all with Dolby Atmos sound without a spaghetti-like bundle of cables hanging behind your TV unit. That said, Sky Glass does include an array of HDMI ports to allow you to connect other devices, including games consoles.
Since you'll be managing your HDMI connections via Sky for the first time (rather than hunting around HDMI inputs to find your Sky box), the company has added a bucket load of new voice controls. Sky Glass will be able to recognise what gadgets are connected via HDMI, so you'll be able to say "Xbox" or "PlayStation" to switch to that device. You won't need to know what's connected to HDMI port 1, 2 or 3... the telly will handle all of that for you.
A new voice command – "Hello Sky" – will turn on the television.
Sky Glass supports HDR and 4K Ultra HD picture quality. Sky Q has long supported both of these formats, however, Sky Glass will automatically tune the visuals on-screen based on what you're watching. That's something you won't get from a standalone Sky Q set-top box and your existing television – no matter how good it is
Six speakers and a dedicated subwoofer are fitted into the chin at the bottom of Sky Glass to ensure high-quality sound, Sky says. The broadcaster worked with the engineers at Dolby to ensure that it supported industry-standard Dolby Atmos. Sky spent time specifically tuning for some of its most popular content, including live football.
If you want to buy Sky Glass without a subscription, you'll be able to buy a 43-inch panel for £649, the 55-inch will cost you £849, while the biggest Sky Glass panel available – 65-inches – will set you back £1,049. As mentioned above, Sky subscribers will be able to buy Sky Glass as part of a rolling monthly subscription. The television comes with all of the television channels included with the Sky Entertainment bundle, starting from £13 a month for the 43-inch model.
Those who want the 55-inch model on subscription will need to pay £17 a month, and £21 a month for the 65-inch panel.
If you're worried about signing up for a Sky Glass subscription today ...and missing out a better television announced by Sky in the future, don't worry. Sky is aware that some people will always want the latest-and-greatest technology. As such, subscribers will be able to upgrade to the next-generation Sky Glass television when it's announced. The upgrade will work exactly like Sky Mobile's pay monthly smartphone contracts, which lets customers swap to the latest iPhone each year.
