The dish is dead: Sky Glass is a 4K TV with Sky Q incorporated

The dish is dead: Sky Glass is a 4K TV with Sky Q incorporated

Sky is one of the largest broadcasters, but outside of Sky boxes and branded routers, it has never really dabbled in television hardware manufacturing.

Sky Glass is a new TV that basically combines everything Sky does in one package and does not require a satellite dish; available in 43", 55", and 64" sizes, Sky Glass is a fairly well-equipped system, not a rehashed cheap TV.

It features a 4K Quantum Dot display, which is the type of panel found on Samsung's top-of-the-line TVs and supports 10-bit Dolby Vision. It also has a built-in Dolby Atmos soundbar, so there is no shortage of sound.

This alone is enough to get the job done, but the great thing here is that everything you need to get Sky service is already built into Sky Glass. As mentioned, there is no need to install a Sky antenna outside the house, but there is also no need for an external Sky Q box. In fact, the TV provides all of its functions via a single wire, via a Wi-Fi connection.

In short, Sky Glass seems to be an ideal device for those who want to get started with Sky without hassle; streaming 4K video, as seen in the UK and other countries, can be tough with slow connections, so to get the most out of this TV, a fairly robust Internet connection would be required.

The interface is very Sky-centric, but the best streaming services like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Disney Plus will also be supported. It also offers smart features like voice control.

As for aesthetics, despite packing so much TV technology, Skyglass is a fairly clean set, with a flat back for wall mounting. At the bottom, where the soundbar is located, there are color variations: ocean blue, ceramic white, racing green, dusky pink, and anthracite black. The combination of metal and glass will have to be seen in person, but from the images so far, the Skyglass appears to be quite neat.

Additionally, it will be available soon, with a UK launch set for October 18. Sky Glass by itself can be purchased starting at £649. However, the selling point of Sky Glass is that, just like a smartphone, you can subscribe to Sky with your TV for a monthly fee. And over time, as new Sky Glass models become available, there will be an option to upgrade.

It is unclear whether Sky Glass will land in the U.S. in some sort of package from Comcast, which has a large stake in Sky. However, the entire Sky Glass concept is one that U.S. broadcasters might be interested in and try to follow.

And as part of the larger picture, what is most intriguing here is that Sky itself has created a TV that could, in theory, virtually obliterate the need for a satellite dish. The need to fix an external disc and run cables through or along a wall is a hassle for some and a reason not to install Sky.

Does this mean the death of the antenna? Possibly. With the existence of many Internet-based streaming services and major broadcasters putting more content and programming into their online services, the era of cord-cutting appears to have arrived.

For those who have not yet dipped their toes into the Sky TV world and are perhaps looking to upgrade their TV setup, Sky Glass will be very attractive as a simple way to get a lot of home cinema technology on one piece of hardware.

We'll be taking a closer look at Sky Glass, so check out Tom's Guide for more detailed impressions.

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