Sky Glass vs Sky Q: Which is best for you?

(Pocket-lint) - For the archetypal clip successful its illlustrious history, Sky volition connection its full, unrestricted TV work to customers without a outer dish.

Sky Glass volition beryllium disposable from 18 October 2021 and is the brand's archetypal astute TV. It provides the full Sky acquisition implicit broadband, portion besides giving users Dolby Atmos dependable and 4K HDR visuals successful 1 elemental and neat package.

But however does that comparison with the existing Sky Q acquisition and is it worthy upgrading to Sky Glass if you are already a Sky Q customer?

Here we comparison the services to assistance you marque that decision.

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Hardware

• Sky Glass: All-in-one 4K HDR TV, Dolby Atmos dependable system, Sky implicit broadband service
• Sky Q: Set-top-box connected to outer dish, provides connected request contented via broadband

Sky Q is an ecosystem that comprises a Sky Q outer container that you plug into your TV and optional Sky Q Mini boxes that tin beryllium utilized astir the location to supply a multi-screen experience. It requires some an net transportation and a outer dish. You get a dependable distant with Sky Q, with dependable commands activated done a fastener press.

Sky Glass is simply a television, with its ain surface and Dolby Atmos dependable system. It requires a transportation to the internet, but is simply a dish-less experience. You besides get a dependable distant with Sky Glass, but the TV has its ain far-field microphones too, truthful you tin usage dependable commands done a aftermath connection arsenic good arsenic a fastener property ("Hello Sky").

Multi-room viewing is disposable with Sky Glass too, done caller devices Sky calls "Stream Pucks".

One other happening to instrumentality enactment of is that, portion some Sky Q and Sky Glass required net connections they enactment successful antithetic ways. Apart from streaming services, connected request contented connected Sky Q is mostly downloaded to your box. You tin ticker it soon aft hitting play, with the remainder downloading arsenic you watch.

Sky Glass, connected the different hand, streams contented immediately. This is particularly important erstwhile it comes to net speeds. You could get distant with slower net speeds for Sky Q, for example, though you volition person to hold longer to presumption your TV amusement oregon film. Sky Glass requires astatine slightest 11Mbps broadband for HD viewing, 30Mbps for 4K HDR with Dolby Atmos.

Picture and sound

• Sky Glass: 4K HDR - HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos sound
• Sky Q: 4K HDR - HLG, Dolby Atmos dependable output

Sky Q is susceptible of outputting astatine up to 4K HDR (through the HLG format) to a compatible TV. You bash request a more caller Sky Q box however, arsenic earlier models were not susceptible of sending HDR signals.

It tin besides output Dolby Atmos audio connected movies and sporting events. You volition request a compatible situation dependable setup oregon soundbar to marque the astir of it though.

Sky Glass is besides 4K HDR capable, but done its ain display. It supports HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision.

Dolby Atmos is besides supported, but Sky Glass has its ain six talker dependable strategy built into the TV. That includes upfiring drivers that adhd other tallness channels for a much immersive experience.

Experience

• Sky Glass: Full Sky acquisition positive apps - Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, etc
• Sky Q: Full Sky acquisition positive apps - Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, etc

While the contented is (obviously) the aforesaid crossed some Sky Q and Sky Glass, the acquisition is simply a small different.

They stock akin plan language, but Sky Glass offers a cleaner idiosyncratic interface that keeps things a small much simple.

Both alteration entree to Sky contented and the full gamut of unrecorded TV channels - they person afloat physics programme guides too. And, each besides includes third-party apps and integration of their ain shows and movies, specified arsenic Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+. However, Sky Glass starts with a homepage wherever your astir caller viewings, favourite channels and adjacent connected devices are beforehand and centre.

You get akin connected Sky Q (without abstracted connected sources), but with a much evident sidebar paper system.

One large differennce betwixt them is the summation of Glance connected Sky Glass. This is similar a screensaver for the TV, which activates erstwhile a question sensor detects you are successful the room. It presently shows adverts for highlights connected Sky and its partner's services, but could see artwork and your ain customized images successful future.

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Recordings

• Sky Glass: No signaling functionality
• Sky Q: 1TB & 2TB HDD options

Another large quality betwixt Sky Q and Sky Glass is determination is nary signaling functionality connected the latter. While it contains a modicum of interior storage, that's for bundle updates alternatively than lawsuit use.

It offers a diagnostic called "Playlists" instead, whereby you tin pat a Playlist fastener connected the distant and store the amusement oregon movie into your Playlist rail. That past volition marque it elemental for you to revisit down the enactment and instantly find the occurrence oregon bid to watercourse connected demand. This tin beryllium from the galore TV channels, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, BBC iPlayer oregon different supported streaming services.

Like Series Link connected Sky Q, it volition besides bring up caller shows if it's an ongoing series, arsenic they are added. Plus, it draws each episodes that are disposable nary substance the source. For example, if you Playlist a amusement whereby immoderate episodes are connected Amazon Prime Video, but aboriginal bid are portion of Sky's ain connected request service, they volition each beryllium listed careless of host.

A modular Sky Q container has a 1TB hard thrust to grounds programming (including the quality to acceptable Series Links). You tin besides get a 2TB mentation connected request, but volition outgo a just spot other arsenic an archetypal outlay - £99 currently.

Multiscreen

• Sky Glass: Multiscreen done Sky Stream Puck - up to 4K HDR
• Sky Q: Multiscreen done Sky Q Mini container - up to 1080p

Sky Glass wins erstwhile it comes to multi-room streaming.

Sky Q Multiscreen is done abstracted boxes, called Sky Q Mini boxes. Each 1 is similar a Sky Q container successful itself, but lone outputs 5.1 audio and 1080p video. There is nary 4K HDR nor Dolby Atmos.

They are large for watching each Sky contented and your recordings successful different rooms successful your home, but cannot presumption Ultra HD shows oregon films. That includes thing recorded from a 4K transmission oregon source. Your 4K recordings simply won't play done a Sky Q Mini box.

Sky Glass' Multiscreen boxes - the Sky Stream Puck - is 4K HDR enabled truthful tin contiguous the nonstop aforesaid contented connected a abstracted surface to the main Sky Glass TV.

One large payment to this is that, if you bash not privation to regenerate your surviving country acquisition with a Sky Glass TV but inactive privation the experience, you tin enactment Sky Glass successful a abstracted country and usage a Sky Stream Puck successful your main viewing area.

Pricing

Pricing for Sky products is comparatively complicated, arsenic it depends connected the transmission packages and whether you request a multi-room solution oregon not.

Sky Glass is disposable connected either a one-off oregon monthly outgo basis, but it's worthy noting that you volition request a Sky Ultimate TV bundle astatine the precise least.

The TV itself comes successful 43-, 55- and 65-inch surface sizes (Small, Medium and Large), costing a £10 escaped upfront, positive £13, £17 and £21 per period respectively payable crossed 48 months. A 24-month enactment is disposable too, astatine £26, £34 and £42 per period respectively, with a £20 upfront fee.

Alternatively, you tin acquisition them outright for £649 (43-inch), £849 (55-inch) oregon £1,049 (65-inch).

You past adhd your TV bundle connected top, which is likewise priced to Sky Q equivalents. For example, Sky Ultimate TV is £26 per period for some Sky Glass and Sky Q.

Multiscreen connected some costs £10 per period extra, but you past person to acquisition the Sky Stream Puck devices for Sky Glass separately (up to six successful total). You get 1 Sky Q Mini container with Sky Q Multiscreen, but besides person to acquisition further ones (up to four).

Additional Sky Q Mini boxes outgo £99 each. A Sky Stream Puck costs £50. They are not interchangeable, nor enactment connected their ain truthful necessitate Sky Q oregon Sky Glass respectively.

Add-ons for Sky Q see Sky Sports, Sky Cinema, Disney+ and Ultra HD. They are priced from £7 per period other (for Ultra HD connected Sky Q) up to £27 per period for each BT Sport channels.

Sky Glass besides has add-ons from £5 per period for Ultra HD HDR and Dolby Atmos, to £25 per period for Sky Sports. BT Sport channels are besides disposable connected Sky Glass, astatine an other £24 per month.

So, if you took the hardware outgo retired of the equation and wanted Sky TV (+ Netflix), positive Sky Sports, Sky Cinema and Ultra HD, it'd outgo you £67 per period for the TV bundle alone. The nonstop aforesaid would outgo you astir the aforesaid - £68 per month.

The champion mode to comparison the wide Sky Glass and Sky Q pricing though, is to look astatine an equivalent TV acceptable and soundbar bundle excessively (as you get each of that wrapped up into Sky Glass).

An LG 43-inch LED TV (43UP8100) volition outgo you astir £450, portion a tenable Dolby Atmos soundbar, specified arsenic the LG SN7CY, volition acceptable you backmost astir £399 - truthful astir £850 together. That's already £200 much than Sky Glass volition outgo for a akin solution.

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You besides person to wage a £20 installation interest to person the Sky Q container acceptable up successful your home. We're not yet definite if that volition beryllium needed for Sky Glass too, arsenic that volition besides beryllium installed by a trained engineer.

Conclusion

While Sky Q and Sky Glass connection entree to the aforesaid unrecorded and connected request content, the second has immoderate evident advantages. You don't request a outer dish, for starters. Although you bash request decent broadband.

Perhaps the biggest vantage is that you get everything successful the aforesaid instrumentality - a TV, Dolby Atmos talker system, and each the contented unrecorded and connected request you could ever anticipation for. Plus, the Multiscreen proposition is better, with Pucks offering a higher solution and HDR.

However, if you already person a decent TV and dependable solution, and don't privation to swap either, Sky Q is your lone existent option. We haven't yet afloat reviewed Sky Glass, but our inital impressions of the representation quality are that it doesn't vie with the higher-end TV technologies, specified arsenic Samsung's QLED oregon OLED from galore manufacturers. Still, it's a precise decent LED acceptable and that six talker Dolby Atmos array mightiness plaything it for you.

If you privation to cognize more, you tin cheque retired our in-depth diagnostic connected Sky Glass here: What is Sky Glass, however overmuch does it outgo and however tin I get it?

Writing by Rik Henderson. Originally published connected 11 October 2021.