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Anonymous User
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When will you be transmitting in HD?

Hi guys

 

Was wondering when you will start transmitting in HD?  Did ask a few years ago was hoping that by now shows would be available in HD...

 

Thanks in advance

 

Kriss 🙂

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION
Andy
Legend 5
Legend 5

@Anonymous User

 

Welcome to the forum. Great to see another sci-fi fan around! NOW TV stream in 720p HD on most devices now,  but there's no news on if or when this will be upped to 1080p HD. However streaming on my devices on the big screen, the quality is pretty good.

 

More details here

https://help.nowtv.com/article/what-is-highest-streaming-quality-for-my-device

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Anonymous User
Not applicable

@ukbobboy wrote:

@Anonymous User @Anonymous User

Hi Guys

If there is a surcharge for extra facilities, such as 1080p, 5.1/7.1 surround sound, etc., then I am all for it, so long as those who want these extras pay for them.

Personally, I would not want these extra charges forced onto the general Now TV user base who probably don't want or can't use these "bells and whistles".

 

UK Bob


As I read it @ukbobboy (I honestly can't for the life of me remember where I read it) the 'packages'/'passes' that we currently can buy will still be the 'base' pack so to speak. The customer would then have the option of adding hd/1080p for a small extra charge. The article I read said it would be one added monthly charge for HD which would cover all the passes currently on your account. 

The HD surcharge would be an optional extra, such as it currently is on 'big Sky'.

I am another who has no problem with paying a little extra if it means even better stream quality (not that I've much to complain about with the quality as is now). 

The one thing I'd hope for would be for all streams to be output at 50fps instead of the current 25fps, especially for the huge improvement it would bring to fast moving sports such as football etc. 720p/50fps would be better than 1080p/25fps. Of course 1080p/50fps would be the dream scenario, and for that I'd pay a little extra.

ukbobboy
Legend

@Anonymous User

Hi Robert

To a certain extent, I agree that maybe Now TV can or should upgrade it's output stream to 720p/50fps but, and I have to asked this, will it mean that those of us using smaller modem routers will have to upgrade them?

You know, from a personal point of view, I don't like upgrading my IT kit for upgrade sake and I positively hate having to upgrade stuff if a company tells me that I have to just to continue to use their product.

So I guess what I am saying is if Now TV goes through a round of upgrades that necessitates the need to upgrade fundamental parts of my kit then "I can't go for that, no can do" As sung by Daryl Hall & John Oates.

 

UK Bob

 

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@Anonymous User wrote:


As I read it @ukbobboy (I honestly can't for the life of me remember where I read it) the 'packages'/'passes' that we currently can buy will still be the 'base' pack so to speak. The customer would then have the option of adding hd/1080p for a small extra charge. The article I read said it would be one added monthly charge for HD which would cover all the passes currently on your account. 

The HD surcharge would be an optional extra, such as it currently is on 'big Sky'.

I am another who has no problem with paying a little extra if it means even better stream quality (not that I've much to complain about with the quality as is now). 

The one thing I'd hope for would be for all streams to be output at 50fps instead of the current 25fps, especially for the huge improvement it would bring to fast moving sports such as football etc. 720p/50fps would be better than 1080p/25fps. Of course 1080p/50fps would be the dream scenario, and for that I'd pay a little extra.


@Anonymous User

Very interesting to read your post from above (wherever you may have read it??)........ and must say I'm of a very similar mind, I do like my full hd and if when the changes happen there is a small monthly surcharge for that then I wouldn't mind that too much.  I too am quite happy with the current quality when watching my Entertainment stuff, so it will be really interesting to see what does happen going forward.

I would also be hoping (like yourself) that the upcoming improvements do also include frame rate, as I would love to give Now TV more of my money on Sports Passes...... the iffy picture quality just puts me right off.  I used to ocassionally buy day Sports Passes, but I very quickly stopped bothering and just waited for those odd footy games to appear on Sky One!!!!  

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@ukbobboy

I wouldn't imagine there would need to be a change of modem router for 50fps. If it was a jump to UHD output that would possibly necessitate change, but as that's not the case I wouldn't be concerned about any need to upgrade.

Unlike you, and much to my family's consternation, I dabble quite a bit in new technologies etc. 

 

@Anonymous User

The old grey matter isn't what it used to be but it is possible I read the stuff on a surcharge somewhere within the DigitalSpy forum pages, I just can't be certain.

I went ahead with the Sports Season Pass offer as I was subbing to sports last season anyway. I've played around with the controls on my telly to get the best I can out of the 25fps coverage. I love my football and would hope that one of Sky/NowTVs priorities for the platform would be 50fps for sports.

I can live in hope I guess Smiley LOL

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@Anonymous User

That season pass for sports would really interest me too, but that picture quality issue put me off...... hopefully if quality does improve I'll get the season pass next August (and next August might also be when Utd finally buy a new centre half???).

I actually have Now TV in my living room through a Panasonic TV and in a bedroom through a Samsung and the picture quality for sports seems better on the Samsung, but I would usually be wanting to watch sport downstairs in the main room and the quality is just poor even when you tweak the settings (it's on the same sort of picture quality level as the EFL highlights looked on Quest...... don't know if you watched that or read about it, but it looked shocking???????).

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@Anonymous User wrote:

@Anonymous User

That season pass for sports would really interest me too, but that picture quality issue put me off...... hopefully if quality does improve I'll get the season pass next August (and next August might also be when Utd finally buy a new centre half???).

I actually have Now TV in my living room through a Panasonic TV and in a bedroom through a Samsung and the picture quality for sports seems better on the Samsung, but I would usually be wanting to watch sport downstairs in the main room and the quality is just poor even when you tweak the settings (it's on the same sort of picture quality level as the EFL highlights looked on Quest...... don't know if you watched that or read about it, but it looked shocking???????).


Maybe we'll have a new centre half come January. I think the Sour One will be gone by Christmas. I wasn't convinced by Mourinho when he took over and I'm even less so now. I think the Board are holding onto the cash to allow a new manager to bring in his choice of players in the new Year.

 

I watch NowTV content primarily using a Roku Streaming Stick+ connected to a 2016 Panasonic tv. The Roku seems more stable with sport than the NowTV Smart box.

I read all about the opening 'EFL on Quest' programme. Luckily I have Freesat HD at home so was able to watch the highlights on Quest HD rather than Standard Def.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@Anonymous User

A manager who could smile once and a while would be nice and who felt priveliged to have the job he has (£300M plus on transfers just isn't enough!!!!!)...... and yes, I never really thought he was the 'one' when he joined and it would be no surprise if he didn't last the season, or half season.

The last time I watched sport was on the two Now TV black boxes I had..... although I now have the Now TV stick with the Samsung TV, so it will be interesting how that goes tonight with Utd v Leicester..... although I'm guessing that will look better on Sky One than it might on a sports channel?????  I do also have a free sports day pass that I need to use and I'm saving until the Celtic v Rangers game on 2nd September.....but if that proves to be disappointing quality wise then all future sport interest will go on the back burner until things improve (although I will keep an eye out for all those Sky One showings).

I don't really have a huge interest in the EFL and only came across that Quest programme last weekend by accident, but I actually thought my TV must have been broken, the SD quality was shocking and it was the following day when I read online articles about all the complaints (so it wasn't just me).  The following article on a516digital.com gives a good round-up of the issues:

https://www.a516digital.com/2018/08/fans-unimpressed-by-retro-efl.html

4:3 picture format and 544x576 picture resolution, you can't beat 21st Century technology!!!!!!  

 

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@Anonymous User

"We are top of the league....." Only 37 more games to endure Smiley LOL

So what's the verdict on the Stick after tonights game?

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@Anonymous User

Yes, title here we come..... City who??  Although we do make it difficult for ourselves...... and I'm sure in both the last two seasons we have started really well and then faltered just as quickly, so lets take it one game at a time!!!!!!

The picture quality last night was not too bad (even when the ball was moving!!), could probably still be a bit better, but on the whole not too bad.  However, could that be because it was effectively an Entertainment channel??  Would be interesting to see what it was like on the actual Sports channel, as I'm guessing it's the actual Sports channels that are giving folk the duff picture issues???? (my next Utd game will probably be on BT Sports HD, so back to really good picture and Utd playing poorly!!!)

Pitcture not too bad, the one thing I didn't quite expect was the rather poor sound, again probably not terrible, just not quite right....... I'm no real expert on this, so hard to explain properly, just felt a bit 'tinny'????

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@Anonymous User

I watched it on the Premier League channel. I watched the 1st half on the Roku Stick+ and I would definitely say movement was much 'smoother' overall. The 2nd half I switched to the Smart Box where the motion issues were a little more obvious. From that I'd tentatively conclude that the issues could in some small way be down to individual devices?!?

You make a very good point re watching the game, and difference in quality, watching it on Sky One as opposed to the actual sports channels. I'd forgotten it was also on One or I'd have tested that out too, maybe next time Smiley Happy

BT Sports next, as you say, which sadly shows the difference in overall output quality between the two platforms. Might watch their evening game later.

The sound was terrible, especially early on, so much so at one point I backed out of the stream and rebooted my soundbar thinking it was a problem with my setup. It was like they were playing in a tin can Smiley LOL albeit a rather large tin can to get all those people squeezed in Smiley LOL