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Anonymous User
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5.1 Audio output ??

Hi there ....

Having had a lengthy 'web chat' with one of The NOW help persons, they assured me that the Black Now box should output a 5.1 Dolby signal .... Which I was failing to get, so .... After several hours of fiddling with settings on both my AV amp & resetting the Now box a couple of times, I'm still not convinced a 5.1 output is happening.

Within the settings/audio menu I've tried both the 'auto detect' ..... Which did as it said & recognised the HDMI could carry DD and DTS .... And also manually set the audio at DD (along with all the other settings) but alas all that is being fed from the Now box appears to be stereo.

 

Has anyone out there managed to configure a 5.1 output & inform if I'm missing something really simple & stupid !

Thanks in advance for any info

Cheers

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION
Anonymous User
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@Anonymous User

 

NOW TV only supply stereo audio.  Hopefully 5.1 is something on their list for the future, especially moviesSmiley Happy

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173 REPLIES 173
Anonymous User
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@Anonymous User the SD card slot on Roku boxes is only used for application storage. The USB stick can be used, although there are no apps on the box to read the content. It's possible to sideload the developer example usbplayer from http://sdkdocs.roku.com/display/sdkdoc/The+Roku+Channel+Developer+Program although if you already have Plex sideloaded it's one or the other as there is only one dev slot to test with.

SeeMoreDigital
Legend 5
Legend 5

@Anonymous User wrote:

What I meant was that the Sky content is good value but quality is questionable; I was reffering not only to the sound quality but also to the picture quality of which I am not impressed (compared to a TalkTalk Youview box broadband stream). Back to back viewings of the same programme show much better definition with TT box using BBC iPlayer. 


The Now TV Box is primarily a device for streaming/viewing Now TV content, which in my opinion, it's very good at.

 

Although it's handy to have the four UK TV streaming services on the Now TV Box, it's not what the box was designed for - Which has already been discussed in a different topic!

 

 

Cheers

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@SeeMoreDigital wrote:

@Anonymous User wrote:

What I meant was that the Sky content is good value but quality is questionable; I was reffering not only to the sound quality but also to the picture quality of which I am not impressed (compared to a TalkTalk Youview box broadband stream). Back to back viewings of the same programme show much better definition with TT box using BBC iPlayer. 


The Now TV Box is primarily a device for streaming/viewing Now TV content, which in my opinion, it's very good at.

 

Although it's handy to have the four UK TV streaming services on the Now TV Box, it's not what the box was designed for - Which has already been discussed in a different topic!

 

 

Cheers



That's fair enough and a useful response, thanks! For £9.99 all in including 3-months Entertainment it was worth a punt. Horses for courses and I have no reason to doubt the box's abilities with Now TV content.

 

Cheers

Anonymous User
Not applicable

it is very disaapointing, in fact, it is so important I am sorry I do not tink I shall continue to use NowTV when pass has expired...I apologise for butting in on someone elses thread..but I wonder if there is another type of box I can get that I can subscribe to sky cinema and get the proper sound? You see  I do not pay a TV license as I am essentially only interested in films..so I am not prepared to sign up to a sky service...as well as the fact my house has been freshly decorated and I am not wanting men in to mess arounf and instal a sky system...as well as the sky box is rather bulky...so is there anything else I can use to get sky cinema and ge the 5.1 audio? Thanks

Anonymous User
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When are we going to see Now TV start streaming movies in 1080p and 5.1 surround sound? Miles behind the competition...
commanda6
Legend 5
Legend 5

By behind the competition you mean behind the giant American-based services. The only services which currently confirmed as providing 1080p and 5.1 audio are as follows

 

  • Amazon
  • Netflix
  • Google (Google play and YouTube)

all the rest video/audio quality wise provide pretty much what nowTV currently provides

 

Remember now TV mainly provides you with what is currently on the linear TV channels as linear TV channels do not as of yet broadcast in 1080p nowTV does not provide 1080p. Other streaming services show you what has already been released on home video or programs that they have produced themselves, which means for content that they have produced themselves they have access to the high quality master formats.


I do not work for Now . I am simply a Now customer trying to help I am a Community Contributor This means that I know a lot about the service. But just like you I am still a customer. This means I cannot help you with issues that would involve looking into your account directly. A member of the now TV forum team or live chat will need to assist you with these issues.
Anonymous User
Not applicable
No I do mean the competition...
I'm currently picking between whether I choose Now TV, Amazon or Netflix for movies (like a lot of people), and at the minute, Now TV is let down by lack of 5.1 and 1080p.
Why can't Now TV introduce at a minimum 5.1 for movies that are on demand?
commanda6
Legend 5
Legend 5

@Anonymous User wrote:
No I do mean the competition...
I'm currently picking between whether I choose Now TV, Amazon or Netflix for movies (like a lot of people), and at the minute, Now TV is let down by lack of 5.1 and 1080p.
Why can't Now TV introduce at a minimum 5.1 for movies that are on demand?

I'm afraid I don't have the required knowledge to answer that one. But it's worth noting that a lot of TV content isn't actually broadcast with 5.1 audio. DVB-T2 , and DVB-S2 (HD channels) broadcasts can support 5.1 audio but half the time 5.1 audio is not broadcast. Although I grant you movies are broadcast in 5.1. More often than TV programmes are.  ITV, for example don't broadcast anything in 5.1 audio. 5.1 audio will sometimes be saved for the disc home video releases.


I do not work for Now . I am simply a Now customer trying to help I am a Community Contributor This means that I know a lot about the service. But just like you I am still a customer. This means I cannot help you with issues that would involve looking into your account directly. A member of the now TV forum team or live chat will need to assist you with these issues.
Anonymous User
Not applicable
I'll be honest... I've never noticed any TV channels broadcast in 5.1 so that's new to me.
My question is more directed towards the on demand content though?
Anonymous User
Not applicable

Amazon content is NOT all 5.1 Nore is Netflix... They have SOME content in 5.1 but theres NEVER a 100% chance that every thing you want to watch will be 5.1 unless you only watch Netflix produced content...

The Movie studios do not care about IPTV subscriber that much...

 

Even on Amazons own hardware, 5.1 is not there for all content even films from 2015...

This is the same for 1080p again, So films may not be 1080p some are still 576p or 720p releases...

 

Amazon Instant video is not Amazon prime video... different argeements are in place for PAY to own from the instant video service.

Pay to own services is were they offer 5.1 and 1080p if they can... not IPTV subscriber watch once user... 

 

The Timed TV exclusive Amazon content when first uploaded is NOT 1080p on Amazon prime, you can have to wait to access 1080p upscaled content the next day...(1080p upscale is applied their end to increase quality of upsale. not reliant on the user to upscale.) 

This is even more true of the "next day after US" uploads of Amazon Timed exclusive Tv shows...  but thats an Amazon prime issue they have so much that goes PPV that 1080p encodes won't enable on prime till a later day, if its a single episode per week the delay is normaly less than 3 days...

 

There are still limitations on what content is 5.1 and 1080p on the 2 other services...

 

If you go with just Netflix remember that their boss has very publicly stated multi times their done with bidding wars for Movie deals...

They are spending the extra money on First run TV contracts and regional content expansions over the planet...

This has resulted in Amazon getting more Exclusives under the Prime video contracts now that Netflix quit the bidding wars...

 

Amazon prime continue to expand beyond Movies and TV like google the services now include a lot more... fot in some cases only £6 a year extra if you stay a hole year...  If you don't stay a hole year you can't get the extras...

 

Hitting and running is what NowTV service is for... Prime video want you there for a hole year but they still have to deal with ex love film users that want to hit and run... so have per month just for video but thats not realy what they want you to do.

They want a year comitment and then give you the full service...

 

The choice is yours

but 5.1 and 1080p services are the exception not the norm via IPTV...

BBC is public subscriber TV yet the IPTV is only 720p... not 1080p...