Sky recently unveiled Sky Glass Gen 2, the second generation of the all-in-one TV designed to take care of picture, sound and content. Here’s how Sky Glass Gen 2 compares to the original Sky Glass.
Sky Glass was originally launched back in 2021, offering a unique combination of display and audio hardware and streaming software. The idea was to simplify the TV-buying experience by eliminating the need to pick up a TV, soundbar and streaming stick or set-top box separately.
Now, Sky has introduced a major update to the Sky Glass family with the Sky Glass Gen 2. Keep reading to discover the five biggest differences between these two generations of Sky Glass.
Price
Sky Glass Gen 2 was announced on February 11, with the TV available from February 12. Prices start at £14 a month for the 43-inch model, £19 a month for the 55-inch one or £24 a month for the 65-inch TV.
The Sky Essential TV pack includes more than 100 channels, including Sky Atlantic, Netflix and Discovery+ and costs £15 a month. Sky Ultimate TV includes all of the above and more (including Sky Max, Sky Comedy, Sky Documentaries, Sky Crime, Sky History and Sky Showcase) for £22 a month.
Sky Glass first launched in October 2021, meaning it has been available for more than three years now. Prices start at £12 a month (and £20 upfront) for the 43-inch TV, £24 a month (and £20 upfront) for the 55-inch model or £599 all paid upfront for the 65-inch model.
When it comes to content, Sky Essential TV is priced at £15 a month, while Sky Ultimate TV comes in at £22 a month.
Sky Glass Gen 2 boasts a brighter display
The first upgrade Sky has highlighted between the first generation Sky Glass and the Sky Glass Gen 2 is that the newer model has a brighter 4K Quantum Dot display and improved contrast.
More specifically, the new advanced HDR and precession contrast enhancement mean you can expect to see darker shadows and brighter whites on the new display. However, this is something we’ll want to inspect ourselves in our full review of Gen 2.
Our biggest issue with the original Sky Glass at launch was its HDR performance. “There are times when HDR content looks like it isn’t in HDR with Glass. The picture lacks punch, saturation, and contrast”, wrote Kob Monney in his review of the TV.
Thankfully, Sky has since introduced a Vivid mode that increases the HDR brightness from 430 nits on a 5% HDR window to 566 nits on a 5% window or 670 nits on a 10% window. While still not on par with more recent QLED and Mini LED TVs, the Vivid mode adds more colour and saturation to images and gives black levels more depth. It also results in less noticeable blooming.
Sky Glass Gen 2 features refreshed picture modes
Speaking of picture modes, these have been refreshed on the Sky Glass Gen 2. Sky claims the updated modes will be better at bringing out the best of every moment, with the full list including Entertainment, Movies, Music, Auto, Vivid, Extra Vivid and Sport.
The first generation Sky Glass includes Entertainment, Movies, Music, Auto, Vivid, Extra Vivid and Sport picture modes, though it isn’t clear whether Sky will be rolling out an update to refresh them on the older hardware.
We found Vivid to be the most entertaining picture mode on the original Sky Glass, with Movie being the most colour-accurate. We actually found the colours produced via the Movie and Entertainment modes to be rather dull, so hopefully this is something Sky has improved on the newer model.
Sky Glass Gen 2 has a wider viewing angle
Another aspect of the first Sky Glass that we found disappointing was the TV’s weak viewing angles. This was the biggest reason we advised not to buy the TV at the bottom of our review, alongside the inconsistent black levels and lacking brightness.
Thankfully, viewing angles are something else Sky has addressed with this update. According to the company, the Sky Glass Gen 2 has a wider viewing angle, though again this is something we’ll have to test ourselves before offering up our final verdict.
Sky Glass Gen 2 produces a richer sound
One major benefit to picking up a Sky Glass display is that these TVs offer a built-in sound system, reducing the need to pick up a soundbar.
The original Sky Glass TV included a six-speaker system with a subwoofer and Dolby Atmos support for 360-degree surround sound. We still thought that an Atmos soundbar would be a better solution to the sound system in the original Sky Glass, but the sound system put in a better effort than most TVs of its price.
This time, Sky has equipped the Sky Glass Gen 2 with an enhanced Dolby Atmos sound system consisting of seven speakers with a soundbar and dual subwoofer built-in. This system is designed to offer improved bass, better vocal clarity and an overall richer 360-degree cinematic sound. However, you’ll have to wait for our full review to hear whether we still think a soundbar would improve the listening experience.
Sky Glass Gen 2 comes in three new colours
While both the Sky Glass and the Sky Glass Gen 2 come in three sizes – 43-, 55- and 65-inch – the second-generation TV also comes in three updated colours. These include Volcanic Grey, Arctic Silver and Atlantic Blue and come with matching speaker fronts and remotes.
The original Sky Glass came in Anthracite Black, Ocean Blue, Racing Green, Dusky Pink and Ceramic White and you could choose the speaker colour separately. It isn’t clear whether these colours will also remain available or if Sky is narrowing down its colour options.
Early verdict
Aside from the new colourways, the Sky Glass Gen 2 looks a lot like the original Sky Glass. However, there are several updates to the display and audio which we hope will address issues we had with the original Sky Glass and make it a better TV overall.
You’ll have to wait for our full review to hear our final verdict on the Sky Glass Gen 2.
