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Anonymous User
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Now TV app - no sound through Bluetooth speaker

OK, so I downloaded the new Now TV player app last week after being prompted about the withdrawal of Silverlight support, and once I got past the issue of having to register my Mac as a new device, I got the player working. However, the app won't consistently route the sound to other speakers. I've got a Mac Mini 2014 hooked up to an AOC monitor, and when I want to watch something on a streaming service, I normally turn on my Bose Sounlink Mini II Bluetooth speaker to get better sound. 

 

However, when I switch on the speaker while the Now TV Player app is running, it does not reroute the sound through the Bluetooth speaker and carries on playing through the internal speaker. If I start the app while the speaker is on, it does play through the speaker but only for a while, and then reverts back to output through the internal speaker. It doesn't matter what system setting I use, it won't consistently use any speaker other than the internal one. It won't even route the sound through the HDMI cable to the monitor's speakers, despite everything else in the system behaving in the manner I chose. 

 

Is this a known bug? What kind of API calls is the software making that are routing around the built-in audio system, and why? This isn't really acceptable behaviour, and I can't go back to Silverlight because, apart from it being deprecated, I'd lose out on the number of switches I'd get.

 

As an aside, I'm also annoyed that the app installs into the user applications folder and not the system one. My 10-year-old son also uses the computer but on his own account so that he doens't mess up my personal space, but the DRM scheme won't recognize it as the same system or even the same app. And I can't set my Mac up as two of my devices as I've already got three others named. 

 

I'm not impressed.

63 REPLIES 63
Anonymous User
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FYI....

 

 

I have a 2018 MacBook Pro and a set of  SONY WL-C300 bluetooth headphones and sound off the GoT new episode is being played by the internal Mac speakers only, even when connected to the headphones via BT....

 

I am running MacOS 10.14.3 and NowTV app 6.7.0.

 

The Now TV App was playing the sound via the internal MacBook speakers. No audio from the connected Bluetooth Headset.

 

I swithcged and played a Greys Anatomy episode and it worked via BT.... went back to GoT and everything was fine!

Anonymous User
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You just have to plug the HDMI to TV or Bluetooth device into the Mac and make sure the device is selected as output BEFORE you open the NowTV app or load it from web site. 

The most frustrating thing is it took five pages of this thread before anyone at NowTV realised that this was the case! 

Anonymous User
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Hey @Anonymous User. Are you able to do me a quick favour? Curious to know if the audio switches when you switch between different content.

For example, play one thing using internal and then switch to Bluetooth, then try to play something else. Does it switch?

If you can give that a go for me, I'll drop you a private message.
Anonymous User
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Nicholas

 

Like I said before, all the other programs on my mac respect the audio settings. I'm running macOS Sierra, and the volume widget in the menu bar now lets you quickly switch between audio outputs. When using a browser, iTunes, or Spotify, the audio always goes through the output I select. Moreover, if I plug in a set of headphones, the audio automatically switches to the headphones, and switches back again when I pull them out. 

 

Not the Now TV app, though. That just carries on playing through whatever output it selected first and never redirects. The only time the audio output changes is when I power the Bluetooth speaker down. Then the Now TV app reverts to the internal speaker, but it doesn't switch back when I turn it back on, which is what everthing else does. 

Anonymous User
Not applicable

I have the same problem - this thread has been going for almost a year and there is still no solution??  It seems pretty straightforward - why has this not been addressed yet?  It's not like Apple is a small fish...

I cannot play sound through my Panasonic TV using the Now App on my Mac.  I dont have this problem with any other app or online service...

Anonymous User
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we had the same issue but stopping playback, getting the Bluetooth speaker connected then resuming playback seems to have fixed ...
Anonymous User
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I'm having the same issue. Just to answer the above query, changing content from the web browser without closing the app does respect the system sound output settings. For example, I have it set to internal speakers, start playing some content, sound comes out the internal speakers. I change the settings to play to my airpods. The rest of the system (for example the Spotify app) starts playing on the airpods. But not the now TV app. That still plays on the internal speaker. If I click on a different channel/programme/movie, the now TV app starts playing from the airpods. Note, this also happens in reverse. If I start on airpods and change to internal speakers, now TV stays on airpods
Anonymous User
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Im having the exact same problem - using the same model mac. Audio from will only play from the laptop speaker and not my bluetooth speaker neither will audio play when connecting via HDMI. All other media players and web based streamers work through either connection. This is very frustrating as I've spent money on a busted service. Can someone please give an answer rather than another tech question as it won't help, I just want to watch twin peaks on my day off. 

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Same problems here. NOWTV player will not play sound either though HDMI cable or Bluetooth speaker on MacOS.  Tried on different laptops, different browsers etc. etc. Sound only comes out through internal speakers. 

Anonymous User
Not applicable

+1 on this issue, despite selecting the external TV in the Sound settings in system preferences, audio still remains coming out the internal speakers (wtih volume disabled, as it does when using external speakers)

 

Switch to itunes and play a video, audio perfectly comes out the external TV.

 

Please fix