Your Sky TV devices have just received a major boost with 7 new things to try for free.
There’s good news if you’ve just taken delivery of a new Sky device this Christmas or are a long-term subscriber. The satellite TV firm has just announced the release of a huge free upgrade, which is being pushed out to UK homes right now. There’s a total of seven changes in the latest Entertainment OS release including the introduction of Apple AirPlay, improved advert skipping and faster ways to find and launch favourite channels.
It’s a big upgrade but not everyone will get the pleasure of seeing it. Sky says the changes are only coming to homes with its Sky Glass televisions and Sky Stream boxes installed. For those not aware, both of these gadgets use the web to beam shows, movies and sports to the big screen rather than a traditional over-the-air signal. Along with easier DIY installation, another benefit of these internet-connected devices is it’s easier for Sky to release upgrades and that’s exactly what has happened this week.
If you have Sky Glass or Sky Stream should find the upgrade appears automatically so there’s no need to download or install anything – you shouldn’t;t need to restart or reboot the devices either.
If you have one of these gadgets from Sky in your home here’s everything that’s new.
Improved advert skipping
Advert skipping on Sky Glass and Stream isn’t new. It’s been around for a while – as long as you pay the £5 fee that is. What’s happened in this update is the addition of a new ‘skip ads’ button that pops up when a break is about to take place. One press and you won’t have to watch a single sponsored message.
Apple AirPlay compatibility
It’s been a long time coming but you can finally stream content from your Mac, iPhone or iPad to your Sky Glass telly thanks to Apple AirPlay support. That means if you are watching a YouTube video or want to show the family your latest photos you can cast everything with just one tap on the AirPlay icon/
Seamless binge watching.
One feature that many Sky users have been asking for is the option to get straight to the next episode of a show when the credits start roll. Now, after a very long wait, that feature is finally here via a new ‘next episode’ button. This should pop up at the end of an episode you are watching. The you simply tap the ‘next episode’ option to instantlykeep watching without flicking through endless menus.
New actor search.
Love Tom Cruise or are addicted to movies starring Scarlett Johansson. Thanks to Sky’s new update, you can now add your favourite actors to your playlist to easily find movies and TV shows they’ve been, ready to watch whenever you want.
To to this, simply press the + button on the remote whilst browsing in the UI. When an actor has been added, you’ll see them within the ‘People’ rail in your playlist, for instant access to their biggest hits
Personalise your playlist with character avatars
When you set up your own playlists of things to watch, Sky now lets you personalise. Thanks to the this new update you can no add a range of characters and TV stars to your profile including Jamie Redknapp from A League of Their Own and Nicolas Galitzine from Mary & George. These new avatars join a line up including kids favourites such as Paw Patrol and Peppa Pig.
Amazon Music gets an HD upgrade
You can now stream High Definition Audio through Amazon Music on Sky Glass and Sky Stream. Amazon Music offers HD Audio in double the quality of standard definition streaming services, letting you listen to music the way the artist intended. Sky Glass has six powerful, integrated speakers that are designed to optimise your entertainment.
Access HD Audio seamlessly through the Amazon Music app on Sky Glass and Sky Stream devices. Available to Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers only.
Find your top channels faster
Making it even easier to find what you want to watch, you can now add your favourite channels to your home screen on Sky Glass and Sky Stream, and give each its own number on your remote. Alternatively, just tap refresh and your favourites will update with what you’ve been watching the most. So, if you’re going through a comedy phase, or you’ve just discovered a passion for true crime, it’ll bring you more of what you love.
