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Sky recently changed its TV packages with the introduction of Sky Glass, complimenting its existing Sky Q offering with an all-new system that makes use of your broadband to bring you live and on-demand programming.

Sky Glass was launched in the UK last October, and there isn't a satellite dish in sight. In fact, it's the company's first ever dish-free and box-free package. The TV is available in three screen sizes with UHD and Quantum Dot tech, plus 360° Dolby Atmos sound through an integrated speaker system.

While you can't record TV, you can add content to cloud-based playlists across all your different streaming services – and you can get a multiscreen experience using the Sky Stream Puck hardware and a 'Whole Home' package upgrade.

Meanwhile, the award-winning Sky Q service, which launched in 2016, is still very much available, and the company claims on its setup page that it's made its way into "over 11 million homes".

You can get a multiscreen experience through Sky Q mini boxes – and unlike Sky Glass, you can record and save TV onto the box to watch back at your convenience.

If you're thinking about getting Sky, then here are a few things you might need to know to make your decision, as we compare aspects of the two different packages.

First things first – with Sky Glass, you will be paying for the cost of the television set, as well as the cost of your Sky package.

Pricing starts from £39 per month for the 43" Sky Glass TV on a 48-month interest free loan. (which means any purchase is "subject to status & credit check"), plus Sky TV and Netflix Basic. There's a £10 upfront fee, and your contract for Sky TV runs for a minimum of 31 days.

If you prefer, you can reduce the loan for the TV set to a 24-month period by paying a higher monthly fee of £52 per month. Another option is to buy the TV upfront, with costs starting at £649 for the smallest 43" set.

Your first 12 months of Sky Glass will also include an "Ad Skipping Add On", which usually costs £5 per month, for no extra cost.

Anything outside of the basic package will cost extra as an add-on – whether that's channel packs like Sky Cinema, Sky Sports, BT Sports or the Kids pack, or technical extras like multiscreen (or 'Whole Home', £10/month), and Ultra HDR + Dolby Atmos (£5/month – and bear in mind content will need to be optimised for UHD and Dolby Atmos for you to get the benefit of the hardware, too).

Note that if you already have Sky Q or Sky+ and want to go for Glass instead, you'll need to take up a new subscription, and if you've got Sky Q, you'll need to make sure that you send back your Sky Q boxes within 60 days of receiving your Sky Glass hardware.

Sky Q monthly costs start from £26 per month for the 'Sky TV + Netflix' package, which, as you'd probably imagine, gets you both services (albeit the entry-level Netflix Basic package).

That's for an 18-month minimum term, and you'll need to keep both the Sky Signature and 'Ultimate TV' add-on – the bit that gets you Netflix – to take advantage of that pricing. If that cost holds, it could be an appealing way of bringing both Sky and Netflix together in light of the price rises currently rolling out.

Some other useful things to know – as of May 2022, standard setup fees for this package are stated as £20 "for new and existing Sky Q customers". If you're still on Sky+, the standard setup fee is £49. If your setup is deemed to be "non-standard", then there may be extra fees, and weekend setup or service visits carry an extra £15 charge. Sky also asks that you get "any consents required" – for example your landlord – before ordering.

Note that anything outside of the basic Sky Signature offering will cost extra as an add-on – including, but not limited to, Sky Cinema, Sky Sports, BT Sport, the Kids pack, multiscreen, HD and UHD capabilities.

If you opt for Sky Glass, you can't record to the hardware. However, you can add the things you want to watch to a playlist and create your own library across all streaming services (not just Sky programming), streaming them as and when you wish.

If you see something you want to add to your playlist, select it and then press the plus button on the remote that comes with your Sky Glass telly. You should then get confirmation through a notification at the top of your screen.

If you're moving to Sky Glass from Sky Q or Sky+, it's important to remember that any recordings you have won't transfer. However, you can still access Buy and Keep purchases through the Sky Store app.

Sky Q boxes allow you to schedule recordings up to seven days in advance via the TV guide or through your Sky Go app if you have Multiscreen as part of your package. To find your recordings, press 'Sky' on your Sky Q remote, or press Home, then scroll to the Recordings option.

Some content is also available to download on demand, and there's more information on that here.

To find out what your Sky Q box's recording and multiscreen capabilities are, head here.

You can choose between three different sizes of Sky Glass TV set – 43" 55" and 65". There are five different colour schemes, named Ocean Blue, Ceramic White, Racing Green, Dusky Pink, and Anthracite Black.

Each TV comes with a matching remote that has backlit keys and voice control. They have digital tuners, so if your internet falls over, you can still watch free-to-air channels.

The TVs have Ultra HD and Quantum Dot technology, and its integrated speaker system boasts 360° Dolby Atmos sound. Each set has a two-year warranty.

The recommended minimum broadband speed for Sky Glass is 10Mbps, with 30Mbps suggested if you want top-quality streaming (eg 4K HDR).

Recommended minimum broadband speed 10Mbps, 30Mbps recommended for top-quality streaming (eg 4K HDR). You don't need to use Sky's broadband to use Sky Glass, and you don't need a satellite dish.

Sky Q's boxes and dishes are designed to work with your existing TV set. There are two box storage sizes, 1TB and 2TB, and some boxes of each type are UHD-ready.

The 2TB boxes can store up to 350 hours of HD recordings, and they're set up by default to let you record 5 channels while watching a sixth. You can, if you wish, change the settings to record 6 channels while watching a seventh. The boxes have the "ability to support simultaneous viewing on two devices using the Sky Go app" and "two Sky Q mini boxes", if you're a multiscreen customer.

The 1TB boxes can store up to 150 hours of HD recordings. You can record three channels while watching a fourth, and the box has "ability to support viewing on one device using the Sky Q app" and "on one Sky Q mini box". However, if you have a 1TB UHD box then the recording capabilities are the same as the 2TB boxes.

All boxes are WiFi and Bluetooth enabled and have ethernet ports for cabled internet connections.

Note that per Sky's website: "If you're a Sky Q customer, All Sky Q kit is loaned to you at no cost and must be returned at the end of your relevant subscription. Sky Q 1TB box: 700GB personal storage. Sky Q 2TB box: 1.7TB personal storage. 300GB storage reserved by Sky." However, Sky's terms state that "you own the Sky dish" if you have one.

There are a variety of different Sky Q remotes, some of which have voice control. You can see what they look like on the setup page, which will also walk you through pairing your remote with your box.

Both Sky Glass and Sky Q offer a multiscreen experience – requiring an add-on and some extra hardware in both cases.

For Sky Glass, you'll need to take up the 'Whole Home' add-on, which costs £10 per month on a monthly rolling contract. You'll also need to invest in a Sky Stream Puck, a small box with an HDMI connection which has its own voice remote. These cost £50 each, although as of April 2022, you can get one Stream Puck for free when you take up the Whole Home add on.

You're allowed a maximum of six Stream Pucks (and three Sky Glass TV sets) in any one home. For every Stream Puck, Sky adds a further 5Mbps to the recommended broadband speed, for a smooth streaming experience.

For Sky Q, if you've opted in for a multiscreen package (£15 per month for new customers on an 18-month minimum contract) then you can watch via your main Sky Q box, or a Sky Q mini box, which you can connect to another TV and works wirelessly rather than via direct satellite connection. If you order multiscreen, you'll get a Sky Q mini box included for no extra cost.

The Sky Q mini box is wireless and if you're a Sky broadband customer, it will also boost your signal. You can also pause watching on one TV and resume on another using the box.

The Sky Q multiscreen add-on also includes Sky Go Extra, which allows you to stream or download content on up to 4 further devices.