It’s fair to say that in 2023 we want more from our TVs. Gone are the days when we were happy to point our remotes at an uninspiring box in the corner and flick mindlessly until we found something everyone could settle on (the one where you watch the same episode of Friends for the 387th time). We’re now living in, dare I say it, a golden age, where TV shows are packed with more A-listers than you can shake an Oscar at, and are as great as, if not greater than, many films.
Luckily, we have the tech to back it up – say hello (literally) to Sky Glass, the smarter TV that feels as if it’s from the future.
When it launched in 2021, the integrated TV-and-entertainment-service caused shock waves across the tech world as, for the first time, no dish or box was needed for Sky services – everything was built-in to the TV. And with so much aligned in a high-end television set – TV, films, sports, and games, apps and video calling with Sky Live – Sky Glass was, as T3 magazine put it, “the iPhone moment for TV … and that’s incredibly exciting”.
Now, two years into the technology, and having undergone several updates, Sky Glass is even more exciting.
Teamed with countless lifestyle-enhancing and fun apps, services and features, Sky Glass has evolved into a fully immersive experience for everyone switching on; from viewers who want all their favourite shows in one place without flicking between apps, to working-from-home professionals who want to port all their devices and flick between work and leisure with voice-activated commands.
So, how does it all actually work? Let’s take a look …
The set
There’s absolutely no messing about here: this TV is a total powerhouse. There are three sizes of the anodised aluminium device to choose from: 43in, 55in and 65in, and the screen (without its stand) looks sleek, ergonomic and stylish enough for even the most minimalist of households.
Interior design fans will be happy to find that the five choices of chassis colourways (ocean blue, ceramic white, racing green, dusky pink or anthracite black; with matching coloured remotes and customisable speaker fascias) work well with whatever is being championed as the Farrow & Ball shade of the month.
Spinning around to the back of the set – which runs on broadband – it can be used to integrate other systems, such as laptops or games consoles, through its three HDMI 2.1 ports, ensuring connectivity at all times, in one place.
The visuals
Of all the best smart TV features, perhaps the most impressive is the display. A UHD Quantum Dot screen, this Dolby Vision-enabled product is 4K Ultra HD, which means it has a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160, and it boasts vivid viewing containing more than 1bn colours.
What does that translate to? I streamed Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, and after seeing the many copycats of the style on TikTok over the summer; was blown away by the rich depths and range of the pastel colour palette that the director has become synonymous with. The experience rivalled that of a cinema viewing.
The auto-enhance feature ensures that the picture is always optimised in one of three modes depending on what you’re watching: sports, music or movies, giving that front-row feel from the front-room sofa.
The sound
The sound quality is another aspect that makes Sky Glass a must-buy; and this comes down to its 360-degree Dolby Atmos sound system. With six speakers, this luxe and now Hollywood standard format presents a virtual surround sound from the three forward-facing and two upwards-firing speakers, plus a subwoofer, all without the need for a separate soundbar.
This gives booms and lower-register bass more heft – handy not just for the myriad explosions in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, but for making the layered sounds and often mumbled chat in The Bear much clearer. Streaming BBC 6 Music on the BBC Sounds app, I was pleasantly surprised by the wide soundstage and sharp precision to the top end, especially in combination with the rich lows.
The services
First up, there’s the EntertainmentOS (operating system), the software that provides frequent updates to keep Sky Glass at the forefront of tech innovation. There’s content depending on which plan you’re on, whether Sky Entertainment, Sky Cinema, Sky Sports or Sky Kids; but there are more than 100 channels in the basic package, which includes a Netflix subscription. On top of this, other popular streamers such as Disney+ and Apple TV+ can be easily added on, and all in the same place, with a simple scroll-through function. Just say “Hello Sky” and you can search by genre, actor or movie quote to find whatever you fancy, no matter where it is. There’s also no need to delete, as it’s all stored in the cloud, rather than on a hard drive.
New features and apps are automatically added and updated every month, so it’s ever-evolving, and aligning itself to your specific likes and needs. Sky Glass is the smarter than smart TV that truly sees into the future.
Up to 1,000 hours of programming can be added to the Playlist, which stores your choice of must-see movies, series and shows in one easily accessible place.
The addition of Sky Live – the new camera exclusive to Sky Glass – takes this TV into whole other realms. Got a Zoom meeting right before a cliffhanger of an episode in The Last of Us? Do it all in the one place, with no need to log in and out of separate computers or screens. The same goes for other video phone calls, or the Watch Together function, which allows your friends and family to appear on your TV screen alongside your favourite content. In this way, you can debate about which of the Roy kids in Succession should really inherit the Waystar Royco empire, and celebrate (or commiserate) together as one team takes the Premier League title.
Meanwhile, the built-in games and exercise range from the fun to the pro. Check out the new Karaoke game, recently launched for adults. Paw Patrol Pawsome fitness was a big hit with the kids as was Fruit Ninja, where using your body as the controller is as silly as it sounds. For grownups, the motion tracking used in the Mvmnt exercise app to correct body positioning makes it seem as if there’s an actual personal trainer in the room helping you nail that work out.
If you’re in the market for a new smarter than smart TV, check out Sky Glass here
