Have NowTV reduced the Frame Rate for Sports with a Boost Pass on other Devices ?

[schnapps]

Just switched on and tested both my NowTV 4K box and Roku Stick Plus and whilst watching Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football and from my eyes the frame rate looks like 25fps and not 50fps with my Boost Pass (might be my eyes playing tricks on me) but the two streams look poor in comparison from yesterday.

i wonder if NowTV have throttled back the frame rate on our devices (like the Youview boxes) since all the complainants during the England League of Nations match the other night ?

I have checked my Cinema and Entertainment pass and it still looks fine at 1080p to me so i doubt it's an issue with my Boost Pass on my account.

[Anonymous User]

Pass this on... If it helps..

I posted this on another post so have passed it to yourself.

I am guessing, you leave the power on the PS4... 

I have had this issue before with other Apps, on my and another peoples TV's.

I have this issue with the NOWTV App, on my BT Youview Box and LG TV.

I proved it was happing on both, then fixed it on my TV, then proved it was still happening on the BT Box, then fixed that also.

In short, it seems to be some apps get upset and don't work correctly until you do a full power down of the device.

1/ Turn your device off and disconnect it from the mains power (unplug the power from the mains).

2/ Wait at least 2 minutes.

3/ Plug the device back into the mains and power on the device.

4/ Go into you App and run as normal. You may get a buffer at the start of what you are watching, then should go OK from that point.

This has work for me all the time I have seen App issues in the past.

Most Apps hold data, updates, configs in Cache and can't load or run correctly until the have a full reset, a full power down.

As this is affecting all users, my guess is, this points at the NowTV server, with the App not being able to deal with what has been sent down from the server.

Mine is still working, but will be switching on early before the game tonight..

The biggest culprit was the All4 App, with NowTV now coming a good second.

Good Luck, hope all works for you...

[Simon-J]

@Anonymous User @getbetternowtv @schnapps @PrimeTime67 @martin27 

Hi all.

While we've not been notified of any frame rate reduction on devices other than the freeview boxes we did see some issues at the weekend so this could perhaps be related, or has this been present from before this weekend for yourselves?

Thanks

Simon

[getbetternowtv]

part of the 'evidence' is that when you stream on ps4 you get a 'live' bitrate in the top-right of the screen. when full HD is operational this is <8000. when it is not, it is <5000. I noticed last night and this morning (despite reinstalls and removing/re-adding device etc) that apart from the above-mentioned very clear indicator of stream qualiity, the frame rate is clearly to the naked eye not 50FPS. The fact that no info has been provided by nowtv and when you contact the chat they're absolutely hopeless (no understanding, goodwill...just nothing and going round in circles lol... "let me check") 

obviously the debacle with paying viewers not being able to watch the eng vs belgium game last week has played a role...

[Anonymous User]

I too can confirm I saw this 'misbehaviour' on the 'pink' box last night, after following the discussion here. 

I do hope the technical people are onto resolving this pdq. Alternatively roll everything back to where it was a week ago and restart any modifications in the chain again. 

Zeroing Boost pass charges for a month would be a useful gesture. 

[schnapps]

Hi @Simon-J 

Just fired up my NowTV 4K box and had a quick look at the Celtic v Rangers match on Sky Sports Football and it still looks like 25fps playback to me 😠.

[Anonymous User]

I have had issues with NowTV App on my BT Box and LC-TV.

This ranged from Buffering (mainly this weekend), App would not load and fuzzy picture (but just watchable).

As for the first two, I powered down and restarted, this seamed to clear the issue.

I at some  point blamed my TV, but then decided to use my BT Box to login as the TV Apps were getting annoying.

But the done a complete power down, and all came back ok.

Before I go to the complaining stage I now power down and see if it work, up to now it has..   

[schnapps]

Hi @Simon-J 

Haven't had chance yet to check my devices today on Sky Sports Main Event or Sky Sports Football with Boost.

I noticed the definite frame rate loss last night whilst watching the Rugby League on Sky Main Event and the Germany v Switzerland game on Sky Sports Football when i turned on my devices around about 6 to 7pm.

I am more prone myself to seeing a drop to 25fps than a reduction from 1080p to 720p on my 50 inch television (i can't tolerate 25fps for mast moving sports).

Over the weekend the Boost streams was looking fine especially the New Zealand v Australia Rugby match at 3am on Saturday morning on Sky Sports Main Event in glorious 1080p with full 50fps playback.

When i got time later this afternoon when i will check out both Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football again to see if there is any improvement.

[getbetternowtv]

Update:

after the usual lengthy and frustrating ritual dance on chat i got the current month of boost refunded and have just added it again. now it's getting up to <8000 on the premier league channel but main event seems capped at <5000

[Chas89]

I've just put the England game on Main Event on my Now TV Stick and it's definitely 25 fps rather than 50.

[Andyydna]

I’m getting exactly the same it’s 25fps on all channels via now tv despite having now tv boost. Not what I paid for in the slightest. Has anyone contacted now tv about this? 

[Anonymous User]

Hi all, glad you have the same issues. This is starting to do my head in, we had the weird shaded box in the left hand corner during the premier league on the 28th Sep and now the fps has blatantly disappeared. I appreciate there is a longstanding youview issue but I'm just on the normal NowTV stick. I know it's only £3 for the boost but it does feel like they are taking the mick a little bit here out of their customers.

Is there any route to get refunds other than the chat?

[Anonymous User]

At this moment

main event - poor quality

Premier league - what i expect to pay for

Football - poor quality 

Cricket - what i expect to pay for

And so on

Couldn't watch the Belgium game because of all the rigmarole on Sunday.

What a farce

[martin27]

Might as well watch it on a dodgy stream,,waste of money this

[PrimeTime67]

The current picture quality on Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event is defnitely a 25fps stream even with a boost pass.

The Scotland game on Sky Sports Premier League is a good quality 1080p 50fps stream on Roku Streaming Stick+

The England game on Sky Sports Main Event is a poor quality jerky 25fps stream.

The Wales game on Sky Sports Football is a poor quality jerky 25fps stream.

NowTV really need go get their act together.  It is unacceptable to charge extra for the Boost pass and not deliver the 50fps stream that this is supposed to deliver.

What is the official word from NowTV regarding these issues.  Customers should be receiving compensation for the failure to deliver the service that Boost customers have paid for.

[Anonymous User]

Have noticed this too, a pain.

Watching the England game now on my now TV smart box (4k) and it's really low quality and frames, the sound keeps going in and out too? Not sure if anybody else is having sound issues 

[SouthCoastAsh]

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@Anonymous User wrote:

Have noticed this too, a pain.

Watching the England game now on my now TV smart box (4k) and it's really low quality and frames, the sound keeps going in and out too? Not sure if anybody else is having sound issues 

---

Audio stream stopped briefly.

its PCM Stereo rather than Dolby.

[Anonymous User]

Same here. Few weeks ago I bought a now tv stick, as they don't provide 50fps on youview anymore (who knows for how long). After the weekend, when nowtv wasn't working at all and couldn't watch any game, today I see the frame rate is 25fps on my nowtv stick as well. Pathetic. 

[Saint1976]

All

This isn't just a NowTV issue, this is a sky wide issue as it's also bring discussed on the sky community.

 

[Anonymous User]

Watching sports now on a Sammy smart tv and the Stream is showing as 4830 but on movies and other channels its showing as 7831 and i have a HD boost pass.

Bet they do not refund for HD boost passes.

[PrimeTime67]

I contacted the helpdesk about this and was told that I should buy a new monitor as there was nothing wrong at there side with the streams which is clearly incorrect given all these multiple reports from people with different devices.

Sky Sports Premier League which showed the Scotland v Czech Republic match last night was a good quality 1080p 50fps stream on my Roku Streaming Stick+ and NowTV Smart Stick whereas over on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football the England v Denmark was clearly an extremely low quality 25fps stream.

I was advised that 'there is no contractual agreement of a promise of fps as this is hugely based on your devices and not on our services, our services do not effect fps.'

The Boost Pass clearly states: 6 Sky Sports channels – Main Event, Premier League, F1, Football, Cricket and Golf – are available at 50 frames per second (except on Xbox One and LG TV). 

NowTV have basically failed to deliver as Main Event and Football are not offering the 50 frames per second stream and they are taking no ownership of this issue at all which is affecting much more than YouView boxes and Xbox One and LG TV owners.

It's an absolute cheek to charge customers for a service which they are not providing.

[Anonymous User]

I too made a complaint regarding Main Event and SS Football being reduced to 720p 25fps as in my opinion football is unwatchable like that. Explained I had no previous issues prior to last weekend and other channels such as Cricket and premier league remain at 1080p 50fps. 

I received a response this morning stating there are fluctuations in my internet and I need to check my speeds. (I have virgin fibre averaging 220mbs with one other person in the household)

Unbelievable they refuse to acknowledge the issue or take ownership, suggesting to me they have no immediate plans to fix it.

If I wanted Sky Sports at 25fps I would use an IPTV service at a fraction of the cost!