Sky Glass Gen 2 is impressive, but I've made an OLED TV / Dolby Atmos setup that's better and costs the same

I have just published my Sky Glass Gen 2 review, and overall I'm really impressed by how good it is.

The picture, in particular, is very good, with lots of brightness and vibrancy, but still with a natural balance overall.

It works really well out of the box, too, so you can get a nice, authentic picture without having to dig into the settings.

Honestly, it's so much better than I was expecting, and if all-in-one neatness and simplicity matter to you, I highly recommend it. In fact, I have already recommended Sky Glass Gen 2 to several friends and family members.

However, if you're prepared to sacrifice a little bit of convenience and put up with a couple more boxes and HDMI cables, you can get a much better performance for the same money.

Before I get to my alternative system, though, a quick reminder that the 55-inch Sky Glass Gen 2 will set you back £949 (without the Sky subscription) if you pay for it upfront, so that's the budget I'm working with.

And if you want to pay monthly for Sky Glass, here are the latest deals:

Consider a system based around Sky Stream instead

I'm going to work on the assumption that you do actually want Sky in some capacity. Why would you even be looking at the Sky Glass otherwise?

In that case, Sky Stream is the way to go. It provides exactly the same over-the-internet Sky service that you get with Sky Glass, with the same subscription costs, but in the form of a puck rather than a TV.

You only pay for the subscription, too – there's nothing to pay upfront.

Next, I suggest buying an LG B4 OLED TV while you still can

While the Sky Glass Gen 2 performs really well in most regards, it's not up there with an OLED TV when it comes to picture quality.

In fairness, Sky knows that, and the Gen 2 doesn't really have to match an OLED TV, because OLED TVs are usually way more expensive.

Right now, though, you can pick up the 55-inch LG B4 for just £579 from John Lewis.

That's a TV that launched last year at £1700. It's available for so little now because retailers are shifting the last of the stock to make room for the new model.

Now, we haven't reviewed the B4, but I did review the preceding B3 (that's it in the photo above), which was superb for the money; and the B4 looked even better when I saw it at a launch event.

So, while I can't be 100 per cent sure, I am confident it will be a big upgrade on the Sky Glass Gen 2.

LG B4 55-inch OLED TV £1700 £579 at John Lewis (save £1121)
While the B4 won't go as bright as the Sky Glass Gen 2, it offers better blacks and pixel-by-pixel contrast control, which makes for awesome contrast. The built-in webOS smart platform is great, too, and it's a much better TV for gamers, thanks to four HDMI 2.1 sockets and support for 4K/120Hz and VRR.

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The finishing touch: a Dolby Atmos soundbar

Having spent £579 on our TV, we now have £370 left to spend on audio in order to match the £949 price of the Sky Glass Gen 2.

Actually, though, we're going to stretch the budget just a little bit and buy the Sony HT-S2000, which is currently available for £399, also from John Lewis.

(As a happy coincidence, buying both items from John Lewis removes the delivery charge you would have to pay if buying the TV alone.)

Now, I would have preferred to put the Sonos Beam Gen 2 here, and it's usually available for £399 or less, but right now I can't find it for less than £449.

The Sony HT-S2000 is a great alternative, though, and a five-star Dolby Atmos soundbar in its own right.

And while the Sky Glass Gen 2 has a built-in Dolby Atmos sound system of its own, and sounds good for a TV, it's no match for even the £120 Sony HT-SF150 soundbar I compared it to during testing, particularly in terms of bass weight, detail and spaciousness.

The Sony HT-S2000 will, therefore, be a huge step up.

Sony HT-S2000 Dolby Atmos soundbar £399 at John Lewis
The five-star Sony HT-S2000 may be Sony's 'budget' offering in its soundbar line-up, but there's certainly nothing budget about its performance. Simple plug-and-play functionality, clear and crisp dialogue, and solid dynamics makes for an excellent Dolby Atmos soundbar with an unbelievable price tag.

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Conclusion

I don't want any of this to seem like a slight against Sky Glass Gen 2. As mentioned right at the start, I think it's a really good solution that will absolutely thrill the people at whom it's aimed.

But a little more effort will get you a markedly better performance: perfect OLED blacks and pixel-level contrast control, vastly better sound and all the gaming features you could need, all while getting the same Sky experience via Sky Stream.