Sky TV customers, take note: The satellite television provider is teasing “something magical” set to arrive during a big launch event in London on October 7.
The invite gives little away beyond the date and the tagline “something magical is coming… be one of the first to see it” with the Sky logo backed by a glittering wave of color. But historically Sky only rarely does in-person reveals, usually suggesting a big hardware refresh is on the horizon.
With Sky Q now five years old, the subscription TV service, which offers live 4K TV, HDR content, and Dolby Atmos sound support, remains the best option for TV and film lovers across Europe. So what could Sky have up its sleeve?
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Analysis: Internet-powered TV streams and hardware refreshes
There is one thing we’ve known that Sky has been working on for a while, and that’s Sky Q over a broadband connection.
Currently, though the Sky Go app lets users access TV shows and movies for streaming and downloading on connected TV sticks and mobile devices, you’re still required to have a satellite installed to take advantage of the full suite of Sky Q features, including its excellent user interface.
However, Sky Q over an internet connection has been being tested and is slowly rolling out across Europe. Germany was the latest nation to get the service using this method – could the UK be next on the list?
Sky Q over broadband could tap into a huge new market for Sky, reaching those (like renters) who aren’t in a position to commit to having a satellite TV installed on their properties. While a strong and steady internet connection would be required to take advantage of the service, it’d be far more flexible for those that took advantage of it. Also, the internet-powered Sky Q boxes are said to be much smaller than the current ones Sky offers, with an upgrade from the 1080p resolution cap expected to be lifted to 4K in time for any UK launch event.
That’s not to say this could be the only surprise Sky has in store for us. The company has long dabbled in hardware partnerships, previously bringing the likes of the Sky Soundbox to customers with the help of audio experts Devialet. We’d love to see some similarly brand-new hardware launching to lift the veteran TV platform – perhaps some more audio devices, or standalone TV set integrations?
Whatever is revealed, TechRadar is set to be in attendance for the October launch event, so keep an eye out for our coverage.
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