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. 

[Mattio]

Thanks @gavs82008 

It’s actually a problem on loads of channels. Just shows up on sports the most as there is such a load of big solid colour (green). 

I’m sure it’s to do with the fact the tv’s are 4K but the fact NOW’s stream is crap shouldn’t be the TV’s problem. 

BT sport is only HD but their stream is fine!

[McClane]

Glad I'm not the only one still experiencing this. This is my third year of signing up to the 10/12-month season pass and it has been a off and on issue.

I find the greater the popularity of the event (i.e. United/Liverpool match etc), the more likely there is for a dropout in stream quality. I've  just watched the first half of Southampton vs United and the dropouts were becoming worse as the match went on. I'm watching on the NOWTV app built-in to my Samsung 4K TV. I've come out of the stream and returned to the TV guide several times to refresh.

I'm not the most knowledgeable when it comes to streaming, but do we think this is NOWTV/Sky beng cheap and not boosting their streaming capabilities etc like bandwith? It would suggest why matches of more interest suffer.

[Mattio]

@McClane it seems to be worse in some views that others too. 
like in the football the wide shots where your looking at the game from the gantry the picture is awful. Where the tighter shots on a specific player seem better. 

not sure if that is just a perspective thing and bps much green is on the screen at the time. 

I have the same setup as you. Samsung 4K with the in built app. 

twice on live chat they’ve said ‘is it a Samsung tv?’  But they won’t elaborate on why they ask that. Next thing it’s ‘logout of the app, restart the tv, unplug all the cables’. Load of nonsense. Like speaking to 1st line IT support at work 😂 

it 100% is their stream. Trying to blame everyone and anything else but it’s them. All the other streams from other providers are perfect. 

[C3RBERUS]

Issue happens with multiple devices, now tv sticks, fire tv sticks, roku sticks and boxes, apple tv and apple tv 4k. Boost has zero impact problem is now tv and there streaming capabilities. They blame everyone else internet providers, users equipment, wires, the area you live and dont take responsibility for their own shoddy service what they need to do is offer HD as standard and boost for 4k and fix the quality its been 12 months now with this issue and they have the technical skills of a goldfish. They closed my case without resolving it and when i spoke to them they said it was escalated and finally resolved and i was like no it wasnt so took it to trading standards they are now under investigation with them and should get a response within next 28 days hopefully they can help sort this!

[Mattio]

Same with me @C3RBERUS 

they closed my case last week and I made the reopen it. All I keep hearing is ‘I assure you it will be fixed soon’. I pinged out to them that I’d seen people such as yourself saying it’s been a problem for a year. They just want to close chats off ASAP. So annoying. 

[Anonymous User]

I’ve seen the same problem. Have fiddled with various settings and I’ve altered the Settings in Apple TV 4K. Settings/ Audio-Video/ 4K SDR (from 4K HDR).  

That seems to have removed the blockyness. 
Not ideal, as you may have to revert back to 4K HDR for other providers, but it does seem to be a fix until Now transmit in HDR. 
Hope this helps. 
G.

[Anonymous User]

That sorted it for me; thanks very much!
Hopefully now will sort that bug at some point. 

[C3RBERUS]

This isnt really a solution is it, if now tv see this they wont fix it theyll just tell you/us to do the same. Don’t understand what their issue is and why its taken so long to get the problem rectified since they are the only service who dont offer 4k hdr streaming even though they increased their costs. Quality is beyond rubbish. Why should anyone choose to change settings for one provider over multiple? Come one NOW fix you services!

[Mattio]

Anyone else think Now have applied some fix their end?

I’ve been watching all morning and not seen any of the camouflage effect. 

I’ve not changed anything and tv hasn’t done any updates since august. 

[C3RBERUS]

May have done, ive noticed a slighty better quality with boost over the past 3 days especially with movies. Some older shows like simpsons and friends and more cartoony shows its still noticeable but this could be down to age of show?

[Mattio]

I’ve actually sacked off my movie subs as I wasn’t using it but I’ve been watching Soccer AM and now Soccer Saturday as that is where I usually notice it the most yet it definitely seems better. 
Still only a crap HD stream, but it doesn’t look like I’m watching it through a fishing net at the minute!

[Mattio]

Age of the programme could defInitely come into play too yeh 

[Bambam]

Now TV need to sort this ASAP!

the volume of people having the same issue is overwhelming.

it’s not an issue with the TV - all other services work fine

it’s not an internet issue - all other services work fine like Netflix 

it’s not an issue with my fire stick - all other services like prime and Netflix work fine

as with the other members here my NON 4K fire stick did not highlight this crap camp effect. My new 4K fire stick does.

now TV are the only people pumping out crap resolution and devices that are used to play NTV have moved on…now tv has been left in the dark! Simple as that

[Mattio]

So after this being fixed for months, today the crap picture is back! Wtf have they done now?!

[gavs82008]

@Mattio 

It’s possible an update is required to the app. Report the fault with sending pictures to support by an email to customer support, use the picture below for the email address.

[CamoNet]

Just subscribed today and landed here via Google as was researching fixes to what looks like a camouflage net over the picture, which is especially obvious on darker scenes.

I'm running ATV (4k gen 2) in Dolby Vision 4k 50hz mode on a LG C9. I have no issues with any other apps or streams.

I suspected it was something to do with HDR mode, so knocked it into SDR mode and the camo net effect disappeared. Put it into HDR mode and no camo net, and then back to Dolby Vision 4k again and also no camo net. So I'm now thinking it's some kind of stream flag that's not being read properly until the modes have been changed.

Obviously a Now TV issue as no issues elsewhere. Disappointing to see this issue dating back a number of years though, and the quality of support is abysmal.

[Mattio]

I was on support chat yesterday (again) about this. 
For the first time I actually managed to speak to a person who realised it’s an issue their end. Nothing has changed obviously but it was nice once to not have my setup blamed. 

I use the Samsung native app and there isn’t a way to downgrade the resolution. I do have a 4K Apple box though on another tv (which is only 1080) so I will connect that up to the 4K tv and downgrade the stream. I’m sure that’ll work. 

what I don’t get is the fact it ‘fixed’ itself for 6 months by magic. Now it’s ###### again. 

[Mattio]

Thanks for the advice though. I’ll be doing this tonight 😀👍🏻

[CamoNet]

To be honest. I don't think it's properly sorted, as when the adverts came back on, it was visibly there. The most noticeable areas are the letter boxed areas.

Only way I can get it to consistently not have the camo net is by changing the settings to SDR on the ATV. Even with Match Content enabled it's still a mess. It's watchable for football as it's hard to see. If I was using this for Cinema or Entertainment though I'd be really disappointed.

[Mattio]

it’s a total joke that this is happening (again)

I wouldn’t mind if it was happening across providers, but everyone else is fine. 

the fact I pay more for ‘HD’ with these clowns makes it even worse. 

[dmartins13]

I have the same exact issue via amazon fire cube but its fine using the smart channels on the LG tv