OPINION: So, my thoughts on the Sky Glass Gen 2 are here, and if you wanted the tl;dr version, it’s an improvement on the original TV.
Which is not to say that was a high benchmark to leap over for Glass 2. When the original Sky Glass launched, it was solid enough for its time, but unlike other TV brands that tend to update most of their line-up every year, Sky waited four years before bringing a new model to the market.
That meant that compared to newer models, Sky Glass Gen 1 (as it’s now called) was showing its age and needed to be updated.
Launching in 2021 meant that the technology inside the TV was from even earlier, and despite all the updates that Sky brought to the TV over the years, there’s a limit to how much better you can make the hardware.
So while Sky Glass 2 is brighter, offers a more colourful picture performance, and the design is, well, lighter, there’s always room for improvement.
The four stars that Sky Glass Gen 2 earned mean it gets a recommendation from me, especially if you’re the target audience (families, essentially) – but there are still elements where Sky Glass 2 remains stubborn in its approach in some areas.
Here’s how Sky could make this or the next Glass TV better.
Make it more accessible for gaming
Sure, Sky Glass 2 – like the original – is a TV made for families, and as far as gaming is concerned, it’s all about interactive games. But in order to take full advantage of the interactive games that Sky Glass 2 offers, you need the Sky Live camera, which is an additional cost on top of an already very expensive TV.
The problem I, and I imagine others will have, is Sky’s reluctance to embrace console or PC gaming. The original TV didn’t even support ALLM technology that automatically puts the TV into its lowest input state when it detects a gaming signal, until it was added as an update.
Sky remedied that by adding ALLM straight from the off with Glass 2 – except the game mode is still not a selectable mode.
If you’re a gamer and there’s a Sky Glass TV in your home, I wouldn’t recommend it as a TV for gaming. It’s not that I’m expecting advanced features such as 4K/120Hz or Dolby Vision Gaming, both of which are pretty niche features anyway, but it’s as if Sky doesn’t want you to use the TV for gaming. It’s more about watching films and TV series.
I can’t tell you what the real input lag is for this TV (in other picture modes it’s 65.3ms, which is pretty terrible). Apart from ALLM, there are no other features that enhance gaming in any way. Imagine if Sky embraced the gaming community, especially with its 43-inch model that’s a perfect size for bedroom gaming.
Sky seems to indicate that the Glass is a mainstream TV, but gaming is now a part of the mainstream, and it’s not just about fun games with kids. There’s a whole market that Sky seems to be ignoring.
Bring some anti-glare tech to the TV
This is a bug bear of mine. Reflection and glare annoy me, and only the best TV options seem equipped to deal with them. The problem is, not everyone can afford an expensive TV.
Sky Glass 2 doesn’t have any specific anti-glare technology, and though I felt that it handled reflections and glare slightly better than the older screen, there are times when I’m watching dark HDR content where I can see the sofa I’m sitting on. It becomes distracting after a while.
There’s also the design to factor in. Sky Glass 2 sits on a plinth, but not one that you can swivel the TV on. Unless you’ve got the TV positioned away from light sources, you’re likely to have to deal with sunlight and reflections that will affect the image. Sit at a wider angle to try and avoid the glare and colours begin to fade.
A USB-C powered remote
I’ll make this one short and sweet.
Given Sky’s commitment to sustainability, it doesn’t make much sense that the remote still uses batteries.
Get rid of them, switch to USB-C charging and we’ve all saved ourselves a trip to the supermarket to recycle old batteries.
It could be better at upscaling
The 65-inch model is the biggest size that Sky offers, and the screen that I reviewed. 65-inch screens offer scale, but they’re not always the sharpest and most detailed size. In my opinion, a 55-inch screen is the perfect size for sharpness, clarity and detail.
But, I find that even with 4K content, Sky Glass 2 isn’t the sharpest or most detailed image you’ll see; and when it’s upscaling less than 4K content up to 4K, it can come across as a bit iffy in places.
A stream of Brooklyn Nine-Nine on Netflix wasn’t the clearest or most detailed – at times it looked a bit blurry even – but what was most distracting was the red/green striping that appeared with HD and SD content.
I can see it in people’s clothing, in skintones, and also when the TV was dealing with white tones – there was a bit of green/red colours everywhere, colours that I wasn’t seeing with other TVs I was testing at the time.
Given that the UHD/Atmos pack is add-on and not included as standard, you’re paying for a 4K capable TV and then paying more to watch 4K content on your 4K TV.
I’ve written about this before, but it bugs me that we’re paying more for 4K content when it should be the standard. It doesn’t help that almost all TV channels still broadcast in SD and HD.
And if you decide not to pay that 4K surcharge, you’re watching HD and SD content most of the time, and you’re not getting the best picture. There are less expensive TVs than Sky Glass 2 that offer better upscaling. It’s an area where Sky Glass Gen 2 should be better.
Here’s looking to the future
Sky Glass Gen 2 will probably sell by the bucketloads, and while it is better, I reckon there will still be some that feel disappointed by some of its limitations.
It’ll only change if Sky changes. There are plenty of TV brands that focus on families, and everyone else with their TVs. Sky’s approach feels like it wants to be family-friendly, but there’s also a risk that it ends up a bit vanilla.
Then again, vanilla is my favourite ice cream flavour.
