(Pocket-lint) – Sky Stream launches in the UK on Tuesday 18 October 2022 and US customers should also keep one eye on the TV over broadband platform – it’s coming to the States in 2023 too.
Sky’s owner Comcast plans to introduce the concept to the United States via the likes of Foxtel, Pocket-lint has been told.
Fraser Stirling, the global chief product officer for Sky and Comcast, explained that the platform behind the new Sky Stream service and Sky Glass – called Entertainment OS – will be used on streaming devices heading over the Atlantic too: “Next year in the States, we’ll see all the great stuff we’re doing here on Sky Glass combined with the amazing platform that we have,” he said.
“We’re using the same technology, whether it’s a set of devices, embedded software, cloud services and an entire UI / UX, that we’ll ship globally. We’ll see that bleed into the US as well.
“It’s something that we can do that others can’t, that we have so much experience in – a way to create an experience that’s at the heart of the home.”
Sky Stream is essentially a Sky Glass TV without the TV. It provides the same user interface, with broadcast TV content streamed entirely over the internet combined with apps and third-party services, all in a small puck-like device.
It is 4K HDR (Dolby Vision) enabled and is able to playback Dolby Atmos audio too.
What makes it especially attractive to consumers is that it’s a way to get a full paid TV experience without installation or fuss. Sky even offers it on a 30-day rolling contract in the UK, although US providers will undoubtedly range similar devices under their own subscription plans.
Writing by Rik Henderson.