Sky has launched a smart camera for its streaming television to allow customers to watch live and on-demand TV remotely with friends, place video calls via Zoom, track workouts and play motion-controlled games.
The Sky Live camera is an add-on service for the firm’s broadband-powered TV set and forms part of its attempt to cement the traditional television as the centre of all home entertainment in the face of competing technologies and streaming services.
Sky, which was acquired by the US media company Comcast since 2018, is vying for viewers with services such as Netflix and Disney+.
Sky Live costs from £6 a month on a 48-month interest-free term similar to its Glass TVs, on which it is dependent, or £290 outright. Introductory offers will bring down the cost to £3 a month if bundled with a TV.
The device has a four-mic array and 12-megapixel wide-angle camera with automatic framing designed to work well in often small and dark British living rooms. A light indicates when the camera is on, and a button on the top can mute the mics and disconnect the camera for privacy.
The Watch Together feature allows up to 12 households with Glass TVs and cameras to watch content from Sky’s platform, including live sport, in sync alongside a small video call window. The broadcaster will hope to outmuscle rivals, such as Apple’s SharePlay, by offering its range of live TV channels.
Video-call capabilities provided by Zoom will allow users to connect on a variety of devices using their own pre-existing accounts.
The automatic framing, content sharing from other devices and other features will offer a consumer-friendly version of the conference calling equipment commonly used in offices.
The Live camera can also track body movement using machine learning. This allows motion-controlled games and entertainment experiences – including a version of the popular Fruit Ninja and a rhythm game called Starri that resembles Meta’s Beat Saber – without needing a VR headset.
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Some of the other 27 apps include an upcoming Peppa Pig experience, where children can engage directly with the story; a connected Monopoly game; and an augmented-reality video booth that puts filters on your face.
The motion-tracking also enables guided workouts that put a personal trainer on the TV. Developed in partnership with fitness firm WithU, the Mvmnt app offers more than 130 interactive workouts using the camera to count reps and analyse your form, providing real-time guidance on how to correctly perform each exercise.
