A troublesome glitch with Sky Glass and Sky Stream devices has left viewers nationwide unable to watch any television.
The technical glitch — which does not impact set-top boxes that rely on satellite dishes, like Sky Q, which is slowly being phased-out by the British broadcaster — was first reported late on Thursday, but has continued into Friday September 20.
I’m assuming @skytv have rolled out a broken update to Sky Glass, which essentially bricks your TV.
To fix, unplug your TV from the wall, hold the power button on the side of the TV, plug back in while still holding, keep holding until the red light flashes on the front, let go. pic.twitter.com/xBKNGalpXF
— Dan Porter (@danporter) September 20, 2024
My Sky Glass has now been off for the best part of 11 hours. Are you able to provide an update on the fix? We pay a lot of money each month for the use of your services and understand at times faults happen, but 11 hours so far with no end in sight, it’s not good.
— Matthew Hudson (@MattHudson81) September 20, 2024
Sky glass is the most useless piece of shit I’ve ever known to exist. If your wifi goes down, the sky glass goes down so no streaming service at all. Now they’re fucking up with a botched update that won’t turn the fucker on.. 🤣🤣 lob that piece of shit. #SkyGlass
— Mark (@MarkST1785) September 20, 2024
Can someone from @skytv @SkyHelpTeam confirm what the nationwide issue is with Sky Glass and what’s being done to resolve it? Twitter suggests a 45+ minute wait time to speak to someone on the phone. Not sure I have it in me to listen to 45+ minutes of fuzzy *on hold* music… 🥴
— Lauren Evans (@LaurenEvansss) September 19, 2024
The blackout impacts both of the dish-less devices available from Sky, including its all-in-one Sky Glass TV that bundles the ability to stream live telly over Wi-Fi with a Dolby Atmos soundbar, hands-free voice controls, and a QLED 4K screen. The other box — dubbed Sky Stream — runs the same operating system, but plugs into any existing flatscreen television.
It’s still unclear what has caused the Sky Glass and Sky Stream error, although a botched software update appears to be the most likely explanation. The error has left viewers unable to stream live television, access on-demand content from Playlist, or watch content from built-in apps like Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video. In some instances, Sky TV customers cannot switch-on their devices — leaving them staring at a blank screen.
Outside of the Sky Stream and Sky Glass deals, subscriptions to these boxes start from £28 per month for the entry-level Sky Entertainment bundle with 100+ channels in HD and an ad-supported Netflix account. Sky Cinema, Sky Kids, and Sky Sports bundles cost extra, as does features like the ability to skip adverts in on-demand content, Dolby Atmos, and 4K Ultra HD picture quality.
If you’re suffering with the Sky Glass and Sky Stream glitch — there is a fix that should resurrect your broken TV. A spokesperson for the broadcaster has also reminded customers experiencing this error that it’s possible to watch live television, or pick-up where you left-off with on-demand boxsets and films via Sky Go. Apps for this service are available on iPhone, iPad, Android phone and tablets, PlayStation, and Apple TV.
Earlier this morning, Sky TV addressed the ongoing blackout.
It said: “Some Sky Glass and Sky Stream customers are currently experiencing technical issues when trying to switch on their devices. Our engineers are working hard to fix this. We are sorry for any inconvenience caused and remember you can watch on Sky Go right now.”
A spokesperson for the company said that a manual restart of Sky Glass TVs or Sky Stream set-top boxes should fix the error. To do this, you’ll need to hold down the power button for several seconds to initiate a reset have been suggested. A complete reboot of the EntertainmentOS system that powers Sky Glass and Sky Stream can take up to 15-minutes, the broadcaster warns.
ℹ Sky Glass/Sky Stream
Some Sky Glass/Stream customers are currently experiencing technical issues when trying to switch on their devices. Our technical teams are working hard to fix this. We’re sorry for any inconvenience caused.
— Sky Help Team (@SkyHelpTeam) September 19, 2024
You can find the official guide from Sky TV on its website.
Some Sky Glass owners have suggested that unplugging the device for 10-minutes will also solve the bug and get the 4K television working again, but this isn’t recommended by Sky TV in its official advice. A software update that resolves the problem without a reset is on the way.
Sky TV viewers have taken to social media to complain.
“We pay a lot of money each month for the use of your services and understand at times faults happen, but 11 hours so far with no end in sight, it’s not good,” posted one furious customer on X, formerly known as Twitter. Another added they were already “regretting buying” a Sky Glass television after missing the first half of a Champion’s League football match due to a technical issue.
The power button is located on the side of the Sky Glass TV
SKY PRESS OFFICE
How to fix error when Sky Glass won’t turn on
Resetting a Sky Glass TV can be a useful troubleshooting step when experiencing technical issues or performance problems, like the botched software issue that’s preventing Glass TV owners from being able to turn on the television.
This process, known as a recovery, can help resolve various glitches and restore your television to its optimal functioning state.
Whilst it may seem daunting, the reset procedure is straightforward and can be completed in just a few minutes. This guide will walk you through the step-by-step process of resetting your Sky Glass TV, ensuring you can quickly get back to enjoying your favourite programmes.
To reset your Sky Glass TV, follow these steps:
- Turn off your TV at the mains, but don’t unplug it.
- Locate the Standby button on the right side of the TV.
- Press and hold the Standby button while switching the power back on at the mains.
- Keep holding until the LED lights flash, which may take up to 20 seconds.
- Release the button and allow the recovery process to complete. This can take up to 15 minutes, depending on your broadband speed.
- Once finished, switch the TV back on.
These steps will initiate the recovery process, helping to resolve any issues you may be experiencing with your Sky Glass TV. After completing the reset process, you’ll need to set up your Sky Glass TV again. Follow the on-screen instructions to configure your device.