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Anonymous User
Not applicable

Terrible Device Limit

I've complained about this device limit before when I bought an AppleTV, only to find out I couldnt use NOWTV on it because of this device limit, last week my girlfriend accidently removed our Apple TV from the device list to watch the F1 on her laptop and now I'm in the same situation.  That was our main device so now we can't watch NOWTV in the living room.

This device limit is absolutely rediculous, we are just a family of two but in our home we have 2 TVs, a PC, 2 tablets, 2 phones, a laptop, Apple TV, PS4 and I also would like to use NOWTV at work occasionally on one of 2 computers, having to manage these devices is pain enough but making the time frame a month is just appauling, Netflix doesn't have this, the 2 stream limit seems like it would do more than enough to limit excessive use of the service.  Why punish normal users for fear that some rogues will abuse the service?

Streaming services are supposed to be about convenience, at this rate it would be more convenient for me to just wait a bit and buy the shows I want on iTunes. 

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION
Anonymous User
Not applicable

Hi @Anonymous User

 

I have allowed you an extra change this month as an exception to our device policy to get you back up and running.

 

Thanks

Andy

View solution in original post

79 REPLIES 79
4268
Legend 5
Legend 5

@Anonymous User you might benefit from separating out passes to different accounts. Though make sure you have a payment pin on each.
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Anonymous User
Not applicable

I've just run into this stupid device limit myself.

Family of four here and have just got sky cinema at the moment and was considering the entertainment pass too, but not with this idiotic device limit.

We have a lounge Tv, kids playroom Tv, two kids bedroom tv's, master bedroom tv and cinema room.

Having a two stream limit is annoying but workable. The kids can watch a film each and after they have gone to bed we can watch something, but having to rule out two of the six tv's is just useless.

We don't have this problem with Netflix, Amazon, iPlayer etc.

It seems sky are just hell bent on doing everything they can to lose customers. No 4k on now Tv and a ridiculous 4 device limit in a world where families have multiple tv's and tablets to stream media to.

Unless this is changed I can't see me continuing past the trial/discounted period.
4268
Legend 5
Legend 5

@Anonymous User are those smart TVs or are you using a Now box? If you are using a Now box just get a couple of extra hdmi leads and move the boxes. You can of course have different accounts for different passes so that you then have 4 devices per pass.
Please take a moment to click thanks or marked as solution if this answered your question. I am a community contributor and pop on when I can.
Anonymous User
Not applicable

@4268

 

The kids TV's are Roku boxes, but installed in media cabinets or on the back of the sets, moving them would be a pain in the backside.  Not to belitlle the situation but until anyone has tried explaining to a 3 year old why she cant watch BFG on one TV but she can on another, they have no idea how utterly stupid this device limit is for a family.

 

Being able to watch entertainment on one tv but not on another, then have that situation reversed with the movie pass is just overly complicated and even more useless for a family home.

 

The exhaustive list of devices we can watch on far exceeds just the TV's in the house too.  I can think of 7 immediatley we regularly watch on, and an eigth will be in place soon. Thats before counting any tablets or smartphones (but we hardly ever watch on those anyway).

 

With Netflix, Amazon, iPlayer etc we just turn on a device and watch it. Wherever we are.    No messing around with daft device limits, we can watch up to 4 streams at once which allows for each memebr of the family to watch something different if they choose.  Though I cant think of a time when we have exceeded 3.

 

This device limit simply doesnt work for our family home, and when the offer I have on Sky cinema runs out, I wont be renewing.  We got on for years with just Netflix and Amazon available to all devices, and we only signed up to NowTV over Christmas for films.  Its the same reason we havent bothered with Sky, not only is the family package stupidly expensive because they have to subsidise the daft money they paid for football rights (we arent a sports subscriber), but there is no way of streaming it to all the devices we would like.

 

If Sky/NowTV are serious about competing against the likes of Netflix and Amazon, they need to seriously think about how they are going to deliver the service to households with growing numbers of devices.  As I can see this device limit has been in place for years with no sign of any change, I doubt my war and peace above will make any difference but Im shocked that the powers that be at NowTV still think this device limit is a good idea.

starman73
Elite

@4268 wrote:
@Anonymous User you are using a Now box just get a couple of extra hdmi leads and move the boxes. You can of course have different accounts for different passes so that you then have 4 devices per pass.

So true. I move Roku and Now TV sticks around and have 3 different accounts. Cheaper than the extra £7.50/month (plus £50 upfront fee)  I would pay virgin for the additional set top box.  

And also worth mentioning if you contact Chat they will reset all your devices if you have used all your swaps. Handy for occasional sports users like me who find all their devices used up from months ago.

There is a limit. And it is annoying. But it is pretty notional for me. 

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Hi,

I just need to say that the device limitations with NowTV are ridiculous. As others have mentioned, the 2 concurrent streams is perfectly adequate at preventing service abuse. I believe problem is Sky BB do not want “light” users giving their account details to friends and/or family members who are also “light” users and sharing a subscription to save a bit of money. I think they believe that every individual should have their own subscription and pay their monthly fees and this is well within Sky BB’s rights. However I believe this business model actually hurts the company more than it benefits them. Sure, if there is a service, there are people who will attempt to abuse or cheat it in one way or another, that is how it is and it will never change. However, the methods used to combat this only really serve to alienate - ‘what should be’ - their target market; Modern families/individuals and tech enthusiasts. So while Sky BB is putting measures in place to prevent Joe Bloggs from sharing his NowTV subscription with his 80 year old Granny, they are leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of the people who are driving this industry forward. Netflix have the right idea and they seem to be doing “pretty well”, I wouldn’t say having no restrictions on devices has destroyed their business. But hey, Sky may get Granny to fork out £7 a month on her own subscription… unlikely, she will stick to the “newfangled” freeview.

Yes, restricting users to 4 devices will bring in some subscribers, but at what cost? People I know do not like NowTV - why? It is simply too much of a hassle compared to other streaming services and most of what they use it for they can get with their Sky/Virgin subscription and/or freeview/freesat service and/or other streaming services. Another subscription is just a waste of money. To be fair most of our friends, like us, are tech enthusiasts who own many devices, but restricting the way we are allowed to use the service in this manner just pushes us away from NowTV and into the arms of other, better, options.

Our “frequently used” devices for streaming:
Smart TV in Living Room = 1 Device
Roku in Snug = 1 Device
Roku in Kitchen = 1 Device
Smart TV in Master bedroom = 1 Device
Roku in Child 1’s bedroom = 1 Device
Roku in Child 2’s bedroom = 1 Device
Husband’s Tablet = 1 Device
Wife’s Tablet = 1 Device
Child 1’s Tablet = 1 Device
Child 2’s Tablet = 1 Device
Husband’s Phone = 1 Device
Wife’s Phone = 1 Device
Child 1’s Phone = 1 Device
Husband’s Computer = 1 Device
Wife’s Computer = 1 Device
Family Computer = 1 Device

That is 16 devices that are used regularly. That may sound a lot, but it is quite common in this day and age and more people are getting more devices at an increased rate. I have not even mentioned all the devices that are not often used for this purpose, such as games consoles and other less used TV’s, but they are all signed into the streaming services so they can go at a moments notice if needs be.

We have subscriptions to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Google Play Music, TV Player and NowTV streaming services and the kids watch a lot of YouTube, which is free. There are also other free streaming services we use that offer some good content such as BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, All 4, Demand 5, Freeview Explore, etc. and there are other premium (subscription) streaming services and pay to view (pay as you go) streaming services out there too, most without silly restrictions.

With all the mentioned services that we use, barring NowTV, the experience is top notch. We can turn on a TV or media device anywhere and watch what we want, without any obstacles or restrictions, it truly is a great experience, it is the future, it is what streaming should be. Then there is NowTV, the awkward one, the bottom of the pile - too much of a hassle - can only watch here and there, bitter taste, off-putting. It is a shame because NowTV does have some good content, but when something we want to watch is on NowTV it is usually met with a big ‘sigh’. The likes of Netflix and Amazon seem to understand this while Sky BB seems to hold things up and tries pull back to the way things used to be (still are I suppose) when Sky and Virgin had (have) the monopoly. It makes sense I suppose, but I wonder if they fight it too much, will it end up being their downfall and would it not be better for them to fully embrace this new era early and stay ahead of the curve? To be fair Sky have done a better job than Virgin in that respect (with NowTV) but the restrictions set out by Sky are only going to restrict Sky in the long run. Would it not be better to enforce sensible restrictions now and negate the risk of a tarnished “awkward” brand in the future?

This whole “manage your devices” thing is ridiculous and not a solution, it is just a band aid. What’s makes things worse is the NowTV website. We are unable to manage any devices on the website nor access a lot of account information, as the website is broken. Going to the “Manage Devices” page presents us with nothing more than a blank white screen - before anyone jumps on this, we have tried with multiple devices using Edge, Chrome, Opera, Firefox, Safari and even IE. The only way we can manage devices is on the android app... which is not an authorised device by the way! (so we can’t watch anything on that device) It is impossible for us to access the live chat system, no matter what route we take and I have no desire to spend hours on a phone with a foreign advisor who asks me to reset all my devices. The whole thing is a joke, nothing but a frustrating hassle. At least this forum works and I can spray you all with my frustrated ranting.

Back to the point, the 2 concurrent streams is fair, it is enough of a restriction to protect the business. The device limit is counterproductive and will work against Sky BB.

Can’t you guys just do it right, like your competitors do?

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@Anonymous User wrote:

 

Our “frequently used” devices for streaming:
Smart TV in Living Room = 1 Device
Roku in Snug = 1 Device
Roku in Kitchen = 1 Device
Smart TV in Master bedroom = 1 Device
Roku in Child 1’s bedroom = 1 Device
Roku in Child 2’s bedroom = 1 Device
Husband’s Tablet = 1 Device
Wife’s Tablet = 1 Device
Child 1’s Tablet = 1 Device
Child 2’s Tablet = 1 Device
Husband’s Phone = 1 Device
Wife’s Phone = 1 Device
Child 1’s Phone = 1 Device
Husband’s Computer = 1 Device
Wife’s Computer = 1 Device
Family Computer = 1 Device

 


Chromecast = 2 devices

Dare I say it, but why not have up to five accounts?  One for movies, one for entertainment , one for kids, one for hayu and  one for sports.  That would give you up to 20 devices.  More importantly it would allow up to 10 concurrent streams.

I found that having sports on the same account as movies & entertainment was impractical, so I got a separate account so I (and my dad) can watch sports whilst rest of family still can have two streams.  Haven't split movies and entertainment yet, but may do now my son is off to university.

4268
Legend 5
Legend 5

@Anonymous User I was simply trying to reach a solution given the parameters. I have Netflix and Amazon myself. I would say one major difference is the live content on Now. If you compare Now with Virgin or Sky you have to pay extra for the ability to watch on additional TVs.
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Anonymous User
Not applicable

Stupid device limit so annoying im going back to netflix
Matthew1234567
Scholar 3

Probably seems like an obvious question that already been answered, but what's the point of Now TV having a device limit?  Just seems an inconvenience to me