Sky recently unveiled its Glass Gen 2 TV, it’s second attempt at an all-in-one TV that takes care of picture, sound and content. Here’s how Sky Glass Gen 2 compares to the original Sky Glass.
The original Sky Glass first launched in 2021, offering a combination of display and audio hardware and Sky’s 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 new member of the Sky family with the Sky Glass Gen 2. Read on to discover the five biggest differences between the two generations of Sky Glass TV.
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 started 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 for HDR content with improved levels of contrast.
With these improvements, Sky Glass 2 will be better at displaying detail in the darkest and brightest parts of the image. However, this is something we’ll want to look over in our full review of Gen 2.
Our biggest issue with the original Sky Glass 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 introduced a Vivid mode that increased 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 added more colour and saturation and gave black levels more depth. It also resulted in less noticeable blooming.
Sky Glass Gen 2 features refreshed picture modes
Speaking of picture modes, these have been updated for the Sky Glass Gen 2. The full list is Entertainment, Movies, Music, Auto, Vivid, Extra Vivid and Sport; with Extra Vivid being the latest addition.
The original Sky Glass didn’t have the new Extra Vivid, and Sky has confirmed that it’ll only be available on the Gen 2 model. The original Glass TV won’t be updated to get the Extra Vivid mode.
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 alongside the inconsistent black levels and lack of brightness.
Thankfully, viewing angles is another Sky says it has addressed with the new TV. When we saw the TV at its launch event, we felt the viewing angles were better though we’d need to take a closer look before giving our final verdict.
Sky Glass Gen 2 produces a richer sound
A benefit of Sky Glass is that it has a built-in sound system, which might reduce the need to pick up a soundbar.
The original Sky Glass had a six-speaker system with a subwoofer and Dolby Atmos support. We still felt an Atmos soundbar would be a better solution to the sound system, but it put in a better effort than most TVs at its price.
This time around, Sky has equipped the Sky Glass Gen 2 with an “enhanced” Dolby Atmos sound system that features seven speakers with a dual subwoofer. It’s designed to offer improved bass, better vocal clarity and a richer 360-degree sound. You’ll have to wait for our full review to see if a soundbar might still be a better solution.
Sky Glass Gen 2 comes in three updated colours
Both the Sky Glass and the Sky Glass Gen 2 come in three sizes – 43-, 55- and 65-inch – the second-gen model also comes in three updated colours. These include Volcanic Grey, Arctic Silver and Atlantic Blue and each finish comes 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 yet whether the green, pink and white versions might come to Sky Glass 2 later.
Early verdict
Aside from the updated colourways, the Sky Glass Gen 2 very much looks like the original Sky Glass. However, we’re hoping that updates to the display and audio 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.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
