CHRISTMAS Day fights for the remote are a thing of the past as parents have another secret controller in their pocket.
Little do many households realise there’s a second remote control available that doesn’t need to be ordered from Sky nor does it cost anything.
The broadcasting giant has a virtual remote that now works on all Sky TV products.
Until very recently, it was only an option for those with a Sky Q box.
But in November, Sky launched a remote app for those with Sky Glass and Sky Stream too.
Accessing it is quite different depending on the Sky TV product you have.
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For Sky Q, the virtual remote is accessible within the Sky Go app.
Households watching with Sky Glass and Sky Stream have to download a separate app entirely, called Sky Remote.
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You can find it on iPhone or Android.
Be sure to check the app maker says “Sky UK Limited” as there are a lot of unofficial ones about.
You’ll need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network for the app to work, you can’t use it when you’re away from the house.
So, what perks do you get with the virtual remote?
You can navigate around the Sky platform as you would with an ordinary remote, using the up, down, left and right buttons, as well as the main OK button to select anything.
There’s a pause and play button to stop live TV, as well as control any on-demand content.
And you can tap the button with the red, yellow, green and blue dots on it for extra options as well.
IS SKY GLASS GEN 2 WORTH IT?
By Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun
Sky Glass Gen 2 successfully improves from the previous model in three key areas: visuals, audio and set-up (I can’t tell you enough how much easier it is to assemble that stand plate).
The same wonderfully easy user interface continues to get better and better – not to mention Sky’s unmatched content.
But it’s really not necessary or enough for users of the first Sky Glass to upgrade to this new model.
Instead, this is very much aimed at those new to Sky Glass.
I can’t see many Sky Q subscribers being swayed due to the recording storage differences, among other things.
Make no mistake – while Sky has assured that it is still committed to Sky Q, streaming is very much the future and will get the lion’s share of new features in the years to come.
Read the full review here
