Advanced Television

Sky Soundbox the “Ultra HD of home audio”

July 27, 2017

As well as revealing its Full Year numbers, Sky has announced that it has joined forces with Devialet, an innovator in audio technologies, to create Sky Soundbox, a new all-in-one sound system designed to take the TV viewing experience to the next level. From one single compact speaker unit, Sky says its Soundbox will “deliver powerful and immersive sound that puts the viewer at the heart of the action, with audio quality that surpasses many of the best home cinema systems available today.”

This is the first time Devialet has partnered with another brand, making its unique sound available to millions of Sky customers across the UK and Ireland at great value.

Combining six woofers and three full-range speakers into a single compact device, Sky Soundbox uses the walls in the home to reflect ambient sound around the room. Devialet’s engineering also enables Sky Soundbox to deliver power and bass depth. The result is spatial surround sound, offering the immersive, 360 degrees experience normally expected from a full home cinema system, without the need for a subwoofer or extra speakers.

“Sound is a vital part of visual storytelling – whether you’re watching the season finale of your favourite drama, or an epic Premier League clash,” noted Stephen van Rooyen, Chief Executive Officer, Sky UK and Ireland. “That’s why we’ve partnered with audio industry leader Devialet to launch Sky Soundbox and take the TV experience to the next level for our customers. Great TV deserves great audio – we believe Sky Soundbox is the Ultra HD of home audio.”

“Sound is the future of television,” declared Quentin Sannié, Chief Executive, Devialet. “We are very proud to be partnering with Sky, to help them to unleash the full emotional impact of their content, through powerful, immersive, fully integrated sound. This first partnership illustrates our ability to pursue Devialet’s vision to enable revolutionary experiences through audio, and bring them to the widest number of people through partnerships with like-minded companies who are looking to challenge the status quo.”

Sky Soundbox is compatible with Sky Q, Sky+ and standalone TVs. When paired with Sky Q, customers can enjoy Sky Q Sound – exclusive sound modes designed by Devialet, to refine the audio automatically for a range of Sky’s entertainment and sports. Each mode adjusts and tailors Sky Soundbox’s audio settings so entertainment can be enjoyed at its best.

In addition, Sky Soundbox offers dynamic volume management, analysing incoming audio in real time, and adjusting volume levels to ensure clarity – from quiet dialogue to explosive action. Sky Soundbox users will also be able to select a number of manual modes that best suit their needs, including:

  • Dialogue Enhance mode: ensuring speech is clear and defined
  • Late Night mode: decreasing bass and further enhancing quiet whispers
  • Kids mode: giving parents control over the maximum volume levels to protect vulnerable ears.

Sky Soundbox will go on sale autumn 2017 priced at £799 (€894). Current and new Sky customers will enjoy great value at £299, with new and existing Sky Q Multiscreen customers priced at £249. Customers can pre-register for the latest updates about the new product at Sky.com/SkySoundbox.

As part of Sky’s commitment to customers the best quality home entertainment experience, Sky has also confirmed that those customers who have already invested in a home cinema or AV system compatible with Dolby Atmos will soon able to enjoy the full capabilities of their speakers with Sky Q.

Dolby Atmos enhances the live sport experience with breath-taking, moving audio that flows all around the viewer, even overhead, immersing them in the action and creating cinema-quality sound at home. Following a free software update rolling out later this summer, Sky Q customers will be able to enjoy 124 live Premier League games with Dolby Atmos sound and UHD visuals.

 

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