Customer complaints are pouring in as hundreds of Sky Glass television owners and users of the Sky streaming service report severe issues with their devices. On Thursday evening, notifications regarding malfunctioning Sky Glass TVs surged, with users struggling to get their devices to power on. The complaints spread like wildfire on social media, leading to a spike in reports to platform outage tracker Downdetector.

As of Friday morning, many users were still facing persistent issues, indicating the problem was not a fleeting glitch. A spokesperson from Sky acknowledged the situation, apologizing for the inconvenience and advising affected customers to attempt a manual reset of their TVs, as outlined in a troubleshooting guide on their website.

One frustrated user took to X (formerly Twitter), revealing that their Sky Glass TV had been non-operational for nearly 11 hours. “We pay a significant monthly fee for your services. While I understand that technical faults are sometimes unavoidable, this prolonged downtime is unacceptable,” they vented.

Sky Glass, designed to operate over broadband, eliminates the need for traditional aerial or satellite connections, allowing users to stream content directly. This innovative approach is what makes the current outages particularly vexing for customers who relied on the technology for their viewing needs.

Speculation abounds regarding the root cause of the disruptive outages, with many suggesting that a faulty software update from Sky may have led to some TVs becoming "bricked" — a term used when devices become unusable. Videos uploaded by users display their devices stuck in standby mode, with the red light flashing ominously.

In a bid to seek solutions, customers have flooded Sky’s community forums, lamenting the frustration of missing prime viewing opportunities, including the first half of a crucial Champions League match. "I'm really regretting my decision to buy Sky Glass," remarked one user, echoing sentiments felt by many who have been negatively impacted.

Moreover, the issues extend beyond TVs — similar problems have been reported with the Sky Stream streaming puck, which allows access to popular apps like Netflix and Disney+. The double-whammy has left many customers wondering about the reliability of the Sky platform.

As of now, Sky has not provided clarity regarding the cause of these overwhelming outages or a timeline for resolution. Customers remain on edge, hopeful for swift action and restoration to their beloved entertainment services. Will this significant failure tarnish Sky’s reputation in the streaming arena? Only time will tell.