Sky is always upgrading the functionality of Sky TV and the companion Sky Go app, and from today it is rolling out two more major updates.
Here's the new functionality going live today on Sky Q:
1. You can now switch between apps and back on Sky using voice control through the Sky Q remote. This means you can move from watching Disney+ to doing a workout on Fiit or Peloton, before then opening Spotify to listen to music, all by using voice commands. You can use the voice commands in-app, too, meaning that if you say "Netflix" while in the BBC iPlayer app, it will just launch immediately, instead of first going back to the Sky Q home screen.
2. You can also now simply just say "Home" in any app or Sky menu to be taken back to the Sky Q home page, while Sky has also unlocked voice control in terms of requesting specific channel numbers. So, for example, you can now just say "Watch 101" to have BBC One start playing.
3. Sky has also now introduced voice control for recording functionality. To record a show or movie simply say "record" or "record this" into the Sky Q remote while watching it and it will be recorded. This means you don't have to drop out of full-screen viewing mode to trigger the recording to start.
And here's all the new functionality going live today on the Sky Go iOS app:
1. Sky Sports Recap is now available on the Sky Go iOS app. This means that users can easily catch up on any highlights from sporting events such as Premier League football if they have started watching it part-way through. To access this function, simply press "Recap" in the iOS app. To go back to watching the event live, simply press "watch live". Sky has confirmed Sky Sports Recap is also coming to the Android version of the Sky Go app shortly.
2. And, in what will be music to the ears of regular Sky Go users, Sky has now introduced an ad skipping feature in the iOS version of the app. This means that you can jump straight to the content you are trying to watch if so desired. Sky has confirmed, though, that not all content is ad skippable.
3. Every Sky Q customer can now download TV through the Sky Go app, meaning that they can then watch it even if they don't have an internet connection. This functionality was previously only available to Sky Go Extra and Sky Q Multiscreen subscribers, but it is now available to everyone.
4. Finally, Sky has also increased the number of devices on which Sky Go can stream content on at any one time. Now every Sky customer can stream content on Sky Go, at the same time, on two devices rather than just one.
Speaking on the new functionality going live, Sky UK's Group Chief Product Officer, Fraser Stirling, said that:
“The latest improvements to Sky Q’s voice control makes it easier to quickly switch between your favourite apps and channels, plus with Sky Sports Recap on Sky Go, sports fans, like me, will never have to worry about missing out on any of the action again. We’re continuing to make it even easier to enjoy the entertainment that matters to you.”
Here at T3 we see this update as yet another quality upgrade for the Sky TV platform, which as we note in our Sky Q review, "delivers a supreme viewing experience". These updates make using Sky Q and Sky Go even easier, and add quality to both while furthering Sky's lead over its rivals in terms of performance and features.
These updates will automatically go live on each customer's Sky TV set-top box when rolled out, while iOS users will need to download the latest version of the Sky Go app to bag the new Sky Sports Recap and ad-skipping functionality.
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