Sky Glass and Stream get low latency upgrades in time for the World Cup – Real Time option will help you avoid spoilers
Sky's new Real Time feature offers live sports with lower latency on streaming devices
Quick Summary
All Sky Glass and Sky Stream users will be able to watch World Cup matches and future live sports with lower latency between the action on the field and the pictures on your screen.
That means you'll have a better chance to avoid spoilers if your team scores.
Sky is no stranger to live football coverage, having broadcast Premier League and many other matches since the early 1990s. However, it's never had the rights to the FIFA World Cup, with the UK's free-to-air broadcasters, the BBC and ITV, sharing them for as long as anyone remembers.
But that's not to say it's not getting in on the action this time around. While both the Beeb and ITV will show all the World Cup games live in the UK, Sky has announced a new feature update for its Sky Glass TVs and Sky Stream puck that could make your viewing even better.
A new Real Time option will be available across select live sports coverage, including the World Cup on the BBC and ITV. It gives you streams of the matches with lower latency than usual, meaning you'll be able to watch them live without worrying that a neighbour might see a goal go in before you.
While live TV streaming has many benefits, it has always suffered from more lag than traditional over-the-air TV broadcasts. That means it takes longer to show on your TV than others.
Sky has previously reduced the latency on Sky Glass when watching its Sky Sports Main Event channel – cutting the lag by up to 20 seconds. But now the new Real Time feature works for other broadcasts.
When watching a match, you just need to select the Real Time option on the screen. This will take you to a dedicated channel with lower latency. Alternatively, you can switch to the channel yourself.
- BBC One HD RT - EPG number 926-944 (depending on region)
- ITV1 HD RT - EPG channel 945
- ITV4 HD RT - EPG channel 946
There is one catch though – you will need to have at least 40 Mbps broadband for the Real Time feature to work.
This is higher even that 4K UHD viewing requirements (at 30 Mbps) so do ensure your home broadband connection is capable enough.
The new feature works across Sky Glass and Sky Stream devices.
