Comcast-owned British broadcaster Sky has recently launched a new camera called Sky Live, designed to enhance the social, fitness, and gaming features of its smart TVs. The Sky Live camera attaches magnetically to the top of Sky Glass smart TVs and connects via USB-C and HDMI. This innovative camera allows users to watch TV simultaneously with other households, make video calls over Zoom, track home workouts, and even play Kinect-style motion-controlled games.
The Sky Live camera is available for an upfront cost of £290 (approximately $370). Additionally, customers have the option to purchase the camera for £6 per month on a 48-month contract or £12 per month on a 24-month contract. The Guardian highlights that Sky is offering introductory deals that reduce the camera cost to £3 per month when purchased alongside a TV. It’s important to note that the camera requires a Sky Glass TV to function, with prices starting at £14 per month over a 48-month contract, increasing as additional content is added to the Sky package.
Fraser Stirling, Sky’s global chief product officer, expressed excitement about the new camera, stating, “Sky Live makes your TV much more than just a TV, by introducing new entertainment experiences for the heart of your home. Get active with motion control games, work out with body tracking technology, video call on the big screen, and watch TV with loved ones – even from afar.” He also promised that the Entertainment OS ecosystem would continue to improve with each update.
Featuring a 12-megapixel resolution and a 106-degree field of view, the Sky Live camera includes four built-in microphones. It supports auto-framing during video calls to keep users in the center of the shot and features background noise suppression for clear audio. While there is no physical privacy shutter, users can manually turn off the camera and microphone with a dedicated button.
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Sky’s watch together feature, similar to Apple’s SharePlay, allows users to watch TV remotely with up to 11 other households, positioning friends’ video streams to the right of the main video feed. The feature is compatible with all live channels and Sky’s on-demand content, although it does not support third-party streaming services like BBC’s iPlayer or Netflix. The streams are limited to HD quality rather than 4K. Sky ensures synchronization of playback across all call participants, allowing anyone to pause or rewind the content being watched. The goal is to replicate the experience of watching TV together in the same room.
The fitness and gaming features of the Sky Live camera draw comparisons to the Kinect. The camera includes a built-in Mvmnt fitness app with over 130 interactive workouts, tracking users’ form and reps. Additionally, motion-controlled games such as Fruit Ninja and a version of Monopoly, which can be played online with the TV’s standard remote, are available. However, it’s worth noting that Sky Live is not intended to be a hands-free controller for the TV itself, as users will still utilize a traditional remote to choose content to watch.
In the interest of full disclosure, it is important to acknowledge that Sky’s parent company, Comcast, is an investor in Vox Media, the parent company of The Verge.
