Sky Glass Gen 2 vs Sky Glass Air: which TV should you buy?
Screen sizes 43, 55 (size checked) and 65 inches
Kind of Quantum Dot LCD
Backlight Direct LED (104 dimming positions on the 55-inch model)
The solution 4K
HDR formats HLG, HDR10, Dolby Vision
Operating system Sky OS
HDMI input x 3
Game features ALLM
ARC/eARC eARC
Optical output? No
Dimensions (hwd, without stand) 78 x 123 x 4.8cm (55 inch model)
With full surround dimming that delivers powerful contrast and a built-in Dolby Atmos sound system that produces a huge, immersive soundstage, Sky Glass Gen 2 is the best TV out there. It’s more expensive than Air, but if you want the cinematic picture and sound performance from Sky, it’s the better choice.
Benefits
- It’s very bright and punchy
- The auto view mode works amazingly well
- Good sound for a TV at this level
Evil
- The speakers are not like a cheap sound bar
- It does not provide true black
- The problem of integration with external sources
Screen size 43, 55 and 65 (size checked) inches
Kind of Quantum Dot LCD
Backlight Direct LED (no local dimming)
The solution 4K
HDR formats HLG, HDR10, Dolby Vision
Operating system Sky OS
HDMI input x 3
Game features ALLM
ARC/eARC eARC
Optical output? Yes
Dimensions (hwd, without stand) 72 x 123 x 6.9cm (55 inch model)
Sky Glass Air is a cheap route to Sky’s integrated TV platform, offering the same Sky OS experience and surprisingly solid picture and sound for the price. It can’t match Gen 2 contrast or Atmos-enabled sound, but if affordability is a priority, it’s a surprisingly capable alternative.
Benefits
- Amazing balance and natural picture quality
- Ridiculously good value
- Full Sky OS
Evil
- Black levels are only average
- Unhelpful picture setting system
- Limited gameplay features
The concept of Sky’s Glass remains refreshingly simple – a TV with full Sky streaming experience built-in, no satellite dish required, and no need for a separate sound bar.
If that sounds good to you, you have two options to consider.
Sky Glass Gen 2 remains as an additional premium option, complete with full surround dimming and an integrated Dolby Atmos sound system.
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In the opposite corner, we have the new Sky Glass Air, which scales back the hardware to pursue the lowest price, while keeping the same Sky OS platform.
Both received a respectable rating of four stars in their respective reviews. But which one should you buy? We break down everything you need to know below.
Oh, and before we jump into the details, some context – our Sky Glass Gen 2 review sample was the 55-inch model, while the Sky Glass Air we tested was the 65-inch version. Although our sample sizes were different, elements such as sound, performance, image quality, and features can still be compared between the two.
Sky Glass Gen 2 vs Sky Glass Air: price
The Sky Glass Gen 2 starts at £699 for the 43-inch version, £949 for the 55-inch model we reviewed, and £1199 for the 65-inch option. As with all Sky Glass sets, you can spread the cost of the hardware over 24 or 48 months, with a £20 upfront payment on monthly plans.
That includes the TV itself, mind. You’ll also need a Sky TV subscription, which starts at £15 a month, while 4K and Dolby Atmos cost a further £6 a month. Add sports, movies, or something extra, and the monthly price can quickly add up.
As for the Sky Glass Air, it significantly undercuts its Gen 2 sibling. At the time of writing, the 65-inch model we reviewed costs £481 upfront or £9.50 per month over 48 months, and with £20 upfront. Small sizes go down even further.
Like the Gen 2, those prices require a Sky subscription, so real-world monthly spending depends on your pocket. Still, from a hardware perspective, the Air is much cheaper.
If your priority is the lowest-cost entry into the Sky-toting TV ecosystem, the Air’s pricing is certainly the more influential of the two.
** Winner: Sky Glass Air **
Sky Glass Gen 2 vs Sky Glass Air: design
Sky Glass Gen 2 retains the sleek, monolithic aesthetic of the original model, but upgrades it with a more functional stand that snaps into the chassis.
The bottom part has an integrated Dolby Atmos soundbar, with drivers firing symmetrically from the end, a central speaker, an improved subwoofer, and two high-firing drivers mounted inside the top edge.
It’s chunky, but on purpose – this is an All-in-one system designed to eliminate the need for extra boxes.
Sky Glass Air takes a clean, traditional approach. It’s thinner at the edges but thicker towards the bottom, where its stereo speakers sit. It doesn’t have the sculpted presence of the Gen 2 soundbar, but it still looks a lot smarter than most budget sets.
It’s available in Carbon Grey, Cotton White, and Sea Green, and the attractive finish does a good job of disguising its low price. The caveat, however, is that the screen sits low on its wide base, which may complicate soundbar placement depending on your setup.
In the end, the look depends on your taste. The Gen 2 feels more purpose-built as a self-contained entertainment center, but the Air isn’t flashy in any way, and it’s arguably more intelligent.
** Winner: Draw **
Sky Glass Gen 2 vs Sky Glass Air: features
Both TVs run Sky OS, which means you get the same deeply integrated content experience, robust content discovery, voice control, and app support. Everything streams via Wi-Fi, and there is no traditional hard drive recording – the content is based on the cloud.
Under the hood, however, there are notable differences.
The Sky Glass Gen 2 uses a Quantum Dot LCD panel with a full zone dimming system, and our 55-inch sample featured 104 dimming zones. It supports HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos audio.
The Sky Glass Air also uses a Quantum Dot LCD panel, but its direct LED lighting does not have independent dimming zones. It supports HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision, but not Dolby Atmos, and its audio system is a 2.0 stereo setup with 15W per channel.
Both sets have three HDMI ports and support ALLM, but they don’t offer 4K/120Hz or VRR, which gamers will definitely want to consider.
It also doesn’t allow manual selection of a low-latency gaming mode, which may frustrate gamers using devices other than ALLM.
Overall, Gen 2’s additional hardware, spatial dimming, and Atmos support give it an edge, but both deliver the same core Sky experience and share the same gaming limitations.
** Winner: Sky Glass Gen 2 **
Sky Glass Gen 2 vs Sky Glass Air: image quality
Sky Glass Gen 2 delivers a bright, dynamic, and engaging picture for an all-in-one TV. Watching Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One in Dolby Vision, it pops convincingly, colors look natural and warm, and there’s a strong sense of depth.
With Civil War on 4K Blu-ray, the image remains stunning and vibrant, although a slight tendency to exaggerate red becomes more apparent.
In Blade Runner 2049the set shows impressive shadow detail and powerful contrast, but it also reveals its most noticeable limitation – when scenes go dark, the screen turns dark gray rather than true black.
Despite that raised black floor, the contrast in mixed light scenes is still impressive, and the overall presentation is still cinematic and immersive.
As should be expected, given the lack of spatial dimming, the Sky Glass Air can’t match the contrast power of the Gen 2. Dark scenes look gray, and corner blur can be seen from time to time. Viewing angles are also very limited.
However, its performance is significantly stronger for the price. In Vivid mode, HDR images are bright and colorful, with sharp details and decent shadow retention.
Dolby Vision content in particular strikes a pleasing balance of brightness and color out of the box. With dark objects, leaving some light in the room helps to compensate for limited dark depth.
The Gen 2 offers sharper contrast and a more cinematic feel overall, but the Spirit is still very watchable and surprisingly good value for money.
** Winner: Sky Glass Gen 2 **
Sky Glass Gen 2 vs Sky Glass Air: sound quality
The Sky Glass Gen 2 includes what Sky describes as a Dolby Atmos soundbar, with drivers that fire horizontally from the end and two units that fire at the top.
In Blade Runner 2049the results move convincingly on the sound stage, and there is good projection in the room.
Bass depth is lighter than you’d expect, given the dual presence of the subwoofer, and enabling the Bass Boost setting is great for adding weight to vocals and low frequencies.
It can’t compete with the best soundbars, but in an integrated system, it’s spacious, detailed, and immersive.
The Sky Glass Air stereo system is simple yet incredibly capable.
In Itthe opening piano extends beyond the visual boundaries of the TV, and the dialogue remains firmly anchored to the screen. It can sound amazing without distortion, and the bass has decent impact for an affordable set, although sibilance sometimes creeps into the conversation.
Overall, the Gen 2 delivers more scale and length, but the Air’s audio performance also exceeds expectations for the money.
** Winner: Sky Glass Gen 2 **
Sky Glass Gen 2 vs Sky Glass Air: the verdict
Both Sky Glass Gen 2 and Sky Glass Air are four-star performers, and both succeed in delivering Sky’s integrated TV vision.
Glass Air is affordable, yet produces a balanced, bright picture and sound, close to the full Sky OS experience. If budget is your biggest concern, it’s a very compelling option.
Glass Gen 2, however, justifies its higher price with a stronger contrast, a more bright and cinematic overall presentation, and a more powerful Atmos sound system. Its black raised floor and small negatives prevent it from being perfect, but it remains a complete package.
If you can stretch to it, the Gen 2 is a much better TV overall. If you can’t, Air is far from compromising.
** Overall Winner: Sky Glass Gen 2 **
