Sky "something magical" event: How to watch it and what to expect

Sky will host a launch event on Thursday 7 October where it plans to unveil something "magical".

Pocket-lint will be there, but it will also be streamed online so you can watch the launch event itself.

Here are all the details and what we think might launch.

When is the Sky "something magical" event?

The Sky press conference has been confirmed as Thursday 7 October 2021. The the presentation itself will start at 9:30. 

It is expected to last for about 45 minutes.

How to watch it live

It looks like Sky will be hosting its own stream here: http://www.sky.com/glass. That was the URL briefly shared by Sky - could the new product be called Glass? - but there's also a countdown timer on https://www.sky.com/ to the event at 9:30am.

Those details came from a Tweet that was briefly live, but has since been pulled by Sky - we will update when we have absolute confirmation. If we can embed the stream here for you to watch then we will.

You can check out a teaser for the event below.

What to expect

Our guess? We think it'll be for the long-awaited, much-discussed Sky Q IP service in the UK.

Already available in Germany and a couple of other Sky territories (under different names), Sky Q IP will enable all customers to get the Sky Q box experience even without a satellite dish.

It will deliver content entirely via an internet connection, but could still allow for Sky Q box functionality, such as recording shows - they'll just be stored in the cloud rather the box itself.

One of our sources also previously told us that the service could fall under a single monthly subscription fee, but extras could be bolted on - such as UHD streams where possible, and Sky Sports. We were informed that non-Sky apps will also be available through the Sky Q IP box too, with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ being obvious candidates.

It's a full Sky Q experience, basically.

Things certainly seem to have progressed since we talked to the company's group chief product officer, Fraser Stirling, in July 2020. Then, he hinted that plans for an internet-streamed version of Sky Q was low down on the prioritory list: "We have been working on it, [but] I'll be 100 per cent honest, it's a very powerful thing to have a hybrid platform like we do," he said, referring to the conventional Sky Q box's satellite and data delivery system.

Looks like plans have been accelerated again.

Another device that could also launch is a Sky-branded smart TV - likely with Sky Q IP built-in. The Financial Times claims to have spoken to people familiar with the plans and this new Sky television has been associated with the name Sky Glass previously.

We shall see very soon.

from Pocket-lint https://ift.tt/3hzlHFK
via IFTTT