Blotchy / Blocky Picture On Sports Channels

[Anonymous User]

When watching the sports channels with boost activated the picture has a blotchy / blocky effect. The stream is certainly 1080p and 50fps watching through my now tv stick. The same issue isn't present watching BT Sport through youview or other channels. Its very noticeable on green grass when the camera is panning around and even more so on darker backgrounds. This isn't something I've noticed on the Sky Cinema channels.

Anyone have an idea on the cause or a possible cure? I have a picture of the problem but can't see how to upload it. 

[Anonymous User]

I haven't heard anything back from support for weeks now after my complaint was escalated to the higher technical team yet again. Like branflakes i have given up...for now at least.

The other night i turned sports on and the picture looked perfect, i hit the pause and the camo had gone! I thought they had fixed it. Cut to next scene and the camo is still there. Strangely the camo seems to have disappeared from the pause banner.

[branflakes]

I'm just wondering if anyone has the issue when using NowTV via an app on their smart TV? 

Seems like everyone so far is using a device or stick of some kind, rather than using an app downloaded onto a smart TV. Only reason I'm stuck with the NowTV Stick is that my tv is non-smart. 

Anyone have a smart TV they can use to check? 

[C3RBERUS]

App on iphone and ipad works fine, i thought it was just with live feed but had the issue with a show from the library / on demand. People have been saying that the issue could be with 4k tvs? Basically tvs that have a higher picture quality and screen size are more noticeable i asked a family member to test our now tv stick on their oled lg and geeze its much worse. So it could be nows streaming capabilities are for 480 or with boost to 1080 that actually doesnt work. Tested the same stick on a 32inch samsung tv thats 12 years old and can barely notice it. 

[branflakes]

I have a similar tv to the one you mentioned, a 10yr+ old Samsung 40" (1080p only). The issue is much less severe than the screenshot you posted of Mission Impossible 2, but it's still enough that the contrast with perfect-BT-Sport riles me up. 

@Anonymous User i can confirm that the camo no longer appears on the pause screen for me too. There must have been an update. Still there during playback though.

My best guess at this point is that the camo was a deliberate design choice for the pause screen, but that there's a stray line of code or something that has survived the update and is still keeping the pattern overlayed during playback.

[Anonymous User]

Had a reply from the ‘technical team’ today. Frustratingly it was the same old response , check my Apple TV settings , check my Wi-Fi etc .I sent my video of the problem again. It did have a few more questions which were irrelevant like serial numbers on my device !  I wasn’t as polite in my response this time and asked them not to respond in the same way again. Last chance for a sensible response.

[Anonymous User]

I have the same problem. Using 2 apple4k boxes to 2 Sony 4k hdr tv’s. . 

I have contacted nowtv and will see what they say. 

[C3RBERUS]

Im still waiting on a response from them 2 months later and 22 emails. I spoke to them last week and they still cant figure this out? I said what ever changed from august last year is the fault. As was working fine prior to then. Ive told them they have 30 days from then to solve the issue otherwise ill cancel the subscription and wont be renewing and see if i claim funds back via small claims court as the offering a service which is not adequate

[branflakes]

@Anonymous User, 'good luck', haha. 

after my latest round of extensive time & effort (dozens of emails, sending over evidence, referring NowTV to this thread), i received the following message:

that was the response to my question of: If it was an issue with my NowTV stick, why is the issue also happening on Apple TV, Roku Stick and Amazon Fire TV stick?

at this point i just gave up, i mean i don't even understand what that response is trying to say.

[C3RBERUS]

Isnt that the truth they are as much use as a chocolate teapot. 

Like many people ive given up using now tv , sky are rubbish when my deal ends next month I wont renew unless they can fix the issue. and ill just continue with netflix, disney, amazon prime and apple tv. At least they offer 4k quality and a better experience than this service. And lets be fair the films they are releasing are not great or re-releasing shows which ive already seen or own on dvd which have better picture quality 🤣

[ukbobboy]

@branflakes  @C3RBERUS  @Anonymous User 

You know guys,

Branflakes note from NOW amazes me that there are people in the world that can write so many words, sentences and paragraphs and yet say absolutely nothing. It takes skill and practice, honed over years, to achieve such levels of nothingness.

So guys, you are on a fruitless journey of "kicking that can forever down a never ending road".

UK Bob

[Anonymous User]

All ,

ive still been emailing them every few weeks and complaining that it’s not fair to pay for a product that that can’t deliver properly. I received the following the other day :

‘Thanks for getting back to us.

We apologise for the delay in resolution. We had escalated this case to our Technical Experts and Team of developers who are constantly working on to fix this issue at the earliest. 

We’d also like to give you a month’s worth of NOW credit to compensate you for the inconvenience, worth £20’

I know £20 doesn’t go far but I will keep sending the same complaint  email every  couple of weeks . 

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone had a fix for this? I’m getting this on my Apple TV 4K. It only happens on the NowTV app and it’s like a camo watermark that is terribly noticeable in n dark images. Haven’t had any help from the Now support. This seems to be an issue with their newer app. I was using the old app till end of March this year and it was fine. As soon as I started using the new app I had this issue. Terrible service from them that they haven’t responded or fixed this

[C3RBERUS]

No fix, still no response from NOW almost 12 months in august With no fix. Its aweful they closed my case, i asked for it to be opened back up and they said its been resolved, trying to push it under the rug, ive emailed ofcom to see what they say as paying for a service thats not watchable and seems like they have know interest in fixing and not just an isolated issue but is happening to many users using different devices. Well see what they say and hoping they will force them to fix their in adequate service!

[ScrumpyDaniel]

I honestly thought it was something wrong with my TV. I’ve been seeing this issue the past few months on my Apple TV 4K (both 2017 and 2021 models) and internal LG app. But seeing this has put my mind at rest!

I hope Now can sort this out eventually. Hopefully when the 50fps sport streams come in July. 

[Anonymous User]

Same for me, especially on the Golf Channel but too be honest any black looks like camouflage! Happens to me on Apple TV (latest version) with a 4K tv. I had assumed it was due to NowTV not broadcasting in high enough definition... but seems a bit rubbish when I pay for boost too!

[Mattio]

I’ve just sent a complaint email too. 

been speaking to live chat last weekend and this. Getting nowhere. 

disconnect cables. Reset router, sign out/sign in. All the usual stuff. None of that is going to make a blind bit of difference. 

latest was that my internet connection is too slow. It isn’t. I can steam all other apps in 4K. Just another get out from them. 

really driving me crazy. 

[gavs82008]

@Mattio 

The main question is what device do you have using to watch NOW with? 

Do you have Boost? 
However if it’s an LG TV you’ll only get 25fps which doesn’t work well with sports. 

[Mattio]

@gavs82008 hi

i have a QLED Samsung using the built in NOW app and I have Boost. 

stream info certainly suggests HD 

[gavs82008]

@Mattio 

Very odd! 
Did you say you unplugged your TV for a “reset” so to speak?

You could try your phone data briefly to test it out. 

Worst case scenario to set your TV back to factory settings. This happened a few times with my old LG TV with on demand content, then got fixed with a factory reset.

[Mattio]

@gavs82008 over time everything has been reset. I know it won’t work but I do it to stop them asking me to do it when I chat to them!

100% not the internet. As you can see from this thread there are loads of people with the same issue

[gavs82008]

@Mattio 

Agreed man, have no doubt in my mind it’s an issue with the stream from NOW. 
Not having a sports membership I can’t be much more help I’m afraid. Although I know there is many issues with Samsung TVs for the sports stream, don’t know why considering it supports boost!