There have been several technologies that you could argue were ahead of their time. Google Glass, for example, which came years ahead of Apple’s mixed-reality headset. Video-calling on smartphones in the days before FaceTime. And Microsoft’s Kinect, the motion controller for the Xbox One.
The last of these came to mind when I opened the Sky Live camera. It looks a bit like the Kinect, and it has similar functions, giving you interactive games and fitness programmes, and access to Zoom calls in your livingroom.
And that was how I ended up flinging myself around the livingroom, controlling claymation creation Morph as he dodged blocks and other obstacles, collecting gold buttons and battling my eight-year-old for the top slot on the leader board.
So who exactly is Sky Live aimed at? Well, to state the obvious, Sky customers, but specifically Sky Glass, the provider’s own-brand TV sets that eliminate the need for a set-top box. It will only work with Sky Glass, and most of the services require an active Sky Glass subscription.
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The camera itself sits on top of the TV, held in place by magnets, and plugs in to the USB-C slot and a HDMI connection at the rear of the TV. Quality wise, it’s a 4K, 12-megapixel camera with a wide-angle lens that takes in a good portion of your room.
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The box includes an adjuster to angle the camera downwards – perfect if you have the TV wall mounted, for example – but like Kinect, you’ll need a lot of space for the more active pursuits. That means about 1.5m between you and the TV, plus some room for flailing around. Good light helps, too, but the camera will prompt you to turn some on if it is struggling to track your movement.
You’ll also need a decent internet connection, too, to make sure that you don’t get stutters and buffering while you are playing games or making calls.
The games are an obvious draw for younger users, and could help assuage the guilt over TV time versus active time – combine the two and you have a solution that solves at least some of the summer’s problems.
The fitness programmes are done through a partnership with fitness service Mvmnt, and cover strength, cardio, core work and stretching. The camera picks up your body, maps it and then follows your movements to give you feedback on your form as you work out.
The real question is: do we really need Zoom on our TV screens? Maybe three years ago, when Covid was still rampant and lockdowns were being ordered
Let me say one thing: I do not like to see myself working out. That goes for mirrors in gyms, large picture windows that might reflect my image and the Sky Live camera. I know why it is necessary here, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. But it does make the overall experience good. Trying to follow all the on-screen pointers made the workout more difficult, and I was more confident that I was getting things right. After each workout you get feedback with tips on what to improve for next time, plus some suggested practice sessions if the software feels you need it.
The video booth lets you practice your best poses and add some augmented-reality filters and extras for laughs, allowing you to capture it in both video and still images. Nothing is saved to the video booth, however; you’ll need a smartphone handy to follow a QR code to download your footage, and the links expire within 15 minutes.
And of course there are Zoom calls. You can log into your account and call friends, family, work contacts – whoever you want. The real question is: do we really need Zoom on our TV screens? Maybe three years ago, when Covid was still rampant and lockdowns were being ordered. And yes, we are more open to video calls than previously, but this is one feature that would be very underused in my house.
Good
The camera is high quality – questionable whether this is good or bad when you are sweating during a workout – and picks up movement accurately most of the time. The mix of games for kids (big or small) and workouts gives this wide-ranging appeal, even if all you want to do is a bit of meditation sitting on your sofa.
Including the angle adjuster in the box is a good move, as wall-mounted TVs would struggle to capture whole bodies otherwise.
Bad
The novelty of this could wear off very quickly, making it an expensive experiment. And if you decide that you no longer want to pay for a Sky Glass subscription, many of its functions will no longer work.
Everything else
If you don’t want the camera active all the time, you can push a button to mute it and switch off the camera. It will stay that way until you reactivate it. Alternatively, you can pull the plug.
Verdict
A nice add-on, but make sure you have the space to use it properly.
