Sky Stream is coming: Germany launch and prices set
With the Sky Stream Box, pay-TV provider Sky is competing with popular TV accessories such as the Amazon Fire TV Stick or the Waipu.tv 4K Stick. The new set-top box is intended to combine its own channels, free TV channels and streaming apps on one interface. Sky
HD channels and apps under one roof
After the pay-TV provider had long stuck to classic set-top boxes with hard drive storage with the Sky Q receivers for cable and satellite connections, it is now trying to set the course for television over the Internet with the Sky Stream Box. Previously, the Sky Q IPTV Box was already able to receive free TV channels and pay-TV channels over the Internet, but the new Stream Box is intended to aggregate all TV content on one interface. According to Sky, this means: “Content from Sky, free TV channels in HD, apps and content from streaming services”.
Little is known about the software used and the available apps, apart from the classics such as Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, Apple TV+, RTL+ and Joyn. At least Sky goes into more detail on the technical side: According to the data sheet, Sky Stream has Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1 and an Ethernet port with only 100 Mb/s. The image and sound output is at 3840 x 2160 pixels (4K UHD) and supports HDR 10, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and HLG. A classic remote control with voice control and the new Smart Search” with a search function across all sources (apps, channels and media libraries) are also on board.
Sky Stream will change the entertainment experience for our customers forever – it will be simpler, more intuitive and clearer than ever before. The launch of Sky Stream is both a major milestone for Sky Deutschland and a long-term investment in the German market that will make a decisive contribution to our growth. Barny Mills, CEO of Sky Deutschland
Prices and availability
Sky Stream can initially only be booked for new customers in Germany from July 31st, with the launch in Austria following in 2025. The streaming box including Sky Entertainment with Netflix and free TV channels in HD quality costs at least 15 euros per month. Sky’s premium packages (Bundesliga, Sport, Cinema) can be booked as an option, each of which costs an additional 10 or 15 euros per month. What do you think? Do we really need another streaming box from Sky or would it be better to have decent Sky apps for Fire TV, Google Android TV, Apple TV and the like? Feel free to tell us your opinion in the comments.
