You may have missed the 500 updates that Sky has rolled out to its Entertainment operating system (OS) over the past three years, but several changes are rolling out today, and a ton more to follow that you won't want to miss knowing about.
Starting today (April 17), Sky TV customers, such as those that use Sky Stream or Sky Glass, are getting five new features as part of the latest version (1.2) of its Entertainment OS that will also be available to any other streaming device or TV that uses it, including Xumo in the US and the recently launched Hubbl service in Australia.
The first of these updates focuses on making personalized movie recommendations more targeted by showing movies you might like grouped by genre. This is based on your watch history across Sky apps and is something that you might have already noticed on the likes of Netflix or Prime Video.
Sticking with making the Sky viewing experience even more personal, you'll also be able to choose from a range of popular children's TV characters for your playlist's avatar (see the image above).
Sky Glass and Sky Stream will also get Sky Q's ability to fast forward and rewind a show with voice commands. Additional voice commands that work across different apps, specifically Amazon Music and Roxi, have also been added. The last update you'll find today is that the TV shows now also have cast and crew pages to show the actors in the series you're watching.
Five more great free updates coming in May
While some of the updates being rolled out today might not be the most attention-grabbing, a great new feature is coming with Entertainment OS 1.3. This one is specifically for Sky Glass owners who like to play video games. From May, you'll finally get one of the best gaming TV's best features: Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM).
The feature is part of a new software stack that uses HDMI tech to work and will be accessible via a new Auto Game Mode, which will automatically be turned on when a gaming console is connected. Sky claims it will reduce latency by a massive 70%.
Sky has also made some improvements to reduce latency across its UHD and HD sports broadcasts by a whole 22 seconds, which I got to see at Sky's Innovation Centre in the UK. You'll be able to see for yourself when watching Sky Sports Main Events from May. Low latency will then be made available to other Sky Sports channels later this year.
Another few updates to look forward to: you'll soon be able to use voice commands to add movies and shows to your playlist, turn on subtitles for any Ultra HD on demand content, have audio descriptions accessible across all on demand content, add your favorite actors to your playlist and see a movie's Rotten Tomatoes score.
Sky has certainly been busy. Its subscription model might not be to everyone's liking but it continues to prove that it's dedicated to making its service worth paying for.
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