Sky will resurrect the original Microsoft Kinect accessory in its next year's vision. Sky has announced the launch of its Sky Glass TVs today. The company also built a 4K camera with motion controls and gestures support. It can even be used across different games and includes a social TV sharing function that was developed in partnership with Microsoft.
Fraser Stirling, Skys chief products officer, says that we also worked with Microsoft to create a great feature that allows us to watch TV together, even though we live miles apart. You can select content from all the most popular channels, including Premier League matches and movies.
This social TV feature is exactly the same as what Microsoft attempted and failed to achieve with its Kinect accessory. The Xbox One was launched with Kinect and a HDMI-in port for accessing satellite TV providers such as Sky and cable boxes. Microsoft had big plans for Xbox TV and even tried social features that allowed Xbox owners to share their TV. The Kinect bundle failed, and Microsoft canceled all its bold TV plans.
The Skys Watch Together feature, developed in partnership with Microsoft will enable people to instantly see each other's reactions. As you watch together, you can pause, skip and replay. The motion controls and gesture support for gaming are where this camera really shines.
Sky Glass TVs with this camera will allow you to play Paw Patrol-branded games and Fruit Ninja. Multiplayer games will also be possible with the camera. Stirling says you can pick your opponent at home or in another household, and then play through your body movements or gesture control. It's not going to be the same family games again.
Sky has also invested heavily in voice controls for its Sky Glass TVs. Sky activates Sky's voice commands by saying Sky, Xbox. If you already have an Xbox, you can also use it to switch HDMI ports.
It sounds and looks very similar to Kinect. Microsoft had big dreams about taking control of the living room using smart cameras and voice controls. Sky now wants to fulfill that dream.
