Sky Glass TV review: Polished but not perfect

Price under consideration

Not available in the US

Sky Glass is a whole new way to watch Sky TV. No dish required, everything is delivered over your broadband connection. Sky Glass is both a service and a TV itself – in particular, a 4K QLED model with Dolby Vision HDR and a stunning six-speaker sound system.

The user interface is superficially similar to the Sky Q, but it is fundamentally different from use, not least due to the lack of local storage. You don’t “record” shows to watch later, you just stream them from your cloud DVR or catch-up service as needed.

Obviously, there is something to think about, so let’s figure it out.

Note: This review has been updated with prices for 2023.

Design and build

The Sky has supplanted the boat when it comes to design. Sky Glass is slightly thicker than the average flat screen, Sky Glass is refreshingly chic and available in five color options: Ocean Blue, Ceramic White, Racing Green, Dusky Pink and Anthracite Black.

It is also well built. The frame is made of aluminum, the front speaker array is hidden behind a customizable front panel. You can upgrade the bezel to better match your interior or create a designer contrast.

At the top, a mesh grille on the roof protects the tall speakers. Sky has made it a rule not to brand the kit – there is no logo on the frame. The firm also claims it is the first TV in the world to receive CarbonNeutral certification.

The set has three HDMI inputs, one with eARC. It’s version 2.1 but no 4K/120fps high frame rate video playback or VRR or ALLM support as the screen is limited to 60Hz. The set doesn’t even list the low input game mode among its presets.

Console owners are clearly not a key demographic for Sky Glass. I measured input lag at 115.4ms (1080/60), which is hardly suitable for esports. However, for Animal Crossing and casual games, this is quite enough.

There’s an Ethernet port if you’d rather stream over Wi-Fi. Sky Glass is Wi-Fi 6 compatible, which is good news if you have a compatible router. The system is quite demanding on bandwidth, especially if you choose UHD and multi-room.

Sky Glass works with any ISP (Internet Service Provider). The minimum requirements are 10 Mbps for SD and 25 Mbps for UHD, so you can test your connection speed before ordering Glass.

There is a Freeview terrestrial antenna input, but this is only for backup should your broadband go down.

Oddly enough, there is no headphone jack and the ability to connect wireless cans via Bluetooth. The stylish remote control is painted in the color of the TV, has a backlight and a special microphone. The set itself also has a far-field microphone for voice commands.

Characteristics and features

For Sky Glass to work, the interface must be reliable, and for the most part it is, although work on it inevitably continues. It’s not just, as you might think, the same as Sky Q.

Without the local recording feature, you add “+” content to a playlist to watch when time permits. This adds the show to the playlist; they are played either from a cloud-based Sky DVR or from a mainstream player such as the BBC iPlayer or the ITV Hub.

This playlist system is extremely smart, but sometimes frustrating to use – at least until you get used to it.

There is no limit to the number of shows you can add, and there are no channel conflicts. The Cloud DVR plays your Sky channel episodes and movies instantly.

It’s smart too. If you add a show to a playlist but it expires and it moves from a broadcast channel to a streaming service, the playlist will theoretically track it from one to the next.

But if you’re a PVR user who’s been storing shows on his hard drive for years (raise your hands), you’ll have to pull your finger out.

Playlist shows can quickly disappear. The halloween movie marathon that I had been upvoting on the horror channel disappeared after just a week before I could watch them.

There are also channels that haven’t signed any cloud DVR rights agreement yet, most notably BT Sport, so you can’t stream any of its content after broadcast.

App support is good, with Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+, AppleTV+, BBC iPlayer, ITVhub, YouTube, discovery+ and STV player taking the lead. There are also sports and music apps, as well as casual games.

Sky Glass responds well to voice control. You can wake up the device with “Hello Sky” and use the same wake word to select channels or search for content.

Performance

In terms of image quality, I rate the Sky Glass panel as a mid-range 4K QLED offering with “smart zone” local dimming. It presents crisp, color-rich images when left to its own devices.

While there are various picture presets (Cinema, Entertainment, Sports, etc.), it is clear that the set is intended to be used in Auto mode.

When it encounters Dolby Vision content, it goes into bright or dark mode (set in the menu). Bright is best when not viewed in a completely dark room. There is also support for HDR10 and HLG.

Sky Glass has auto backlight control that controls settings based on the ambient light in the room, but for the most efficient HDR experience, I would suggest disabling this feature.

Average picture levels are good, although the set isn’t the brightest HDR performer. I measured a peak HDR brightness of just over 425 nits with a 10 percent measurement window and automatic backlight control disabled.

However, that doesn’t tell the whole story. During testing, Sky released an update that specifically improves the set’s performance with HLG to slightly improve Sky Sports coverage.

The sound is the best in the class. The six-speaker 3.1.2 Dolby Atmos array is a huge wall of sound. While most comparable flat screens feel frustratingly thin, this system has a huge impact. The total power output is rated at 215W, and you can do without a dedicated soundbar here.

Price

Sky Glass comes in three screen sizes: 43, 55 and 65 inches (small, medium and large) and you can buy Sky Glass right away like you would any other TV. At the start of 2023 Sky raised prices by £50 to £150 so they used to start at £649 but are now £699, £949, £1199 for three sizes.

As with mobile, the price you pay depends on the TV you choose, the viewing package and the length of the contract, with prices ranging from £14, £19 and £24 per month for three different screen sizes if you take the contract. There is also a £10 down payment.

With a 24-month contract, this increases to £28, £38 and £48 per month with a £20 down payment. This is twice as much, so that the total cost over the life of the contract remains the same, except for the initial costs.

You’ll then need to add on the cost of the subscription package (Sky Ultimate TV with Netflix costs £24 per month), with additional premiums for Ultra HDR and Dolby Atmos audio and multi-room – the latter provided via the prepaid Sky Stream package. £50 per item. Unlike the Sky Mini boxes that partner with Sky Q, this works standalone.

You can only buy Sky Glass from Sky directly. The Sky installation team will deliver and assemble the kit, and if you wish, they will throw away all the packaging.

Learn more about how to purchase Sky Glass as Diamond and Platinum customers who have been with Sky for more than eight years receive priority.

Check out more TV options on our Top TV and Top Budget TV Charts. You can also read about Virgin TV 360’s competing entertainment package.

Verdict

Sky Glass is unique, so it’s not easy to judge it. Many viewers will love it: sophisticated premium TV streaming platform, original design, rich color 4K images and contract payment plan.

The QLED screen performs just like I would expect from a mid-range LED, but the sound system is an order of magnitude better than anything else in this range. However, the lack of proper gaming support, let alone an AWOL headphone jack, can be a handicap for some.

The streaming environment takes some getting used to, but it’s actually pretty cool. Many of its current inconsistencies come down to licensing (cloud streaming rights, view-to-start rights, whatever) that will no doubt be ironed out over time.

Our verdict? Sky Glass is worth a look.