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Anonymous User
Not applicable

Now TV Smart Box, not impressed!

Picked up my Smart box today.

 

my first impressions are very negative,

 

The free to air channels section  is pathetic, I was not impressed with freeview on my Samsung TV but compared to the now TV box it's so much better, ok the channel logos are on the smart box but are we to spend all day navigating up and down to find the channel we want.

 

you are only able to see the current and next programme to be viewed, I thought that it would be similiar to the channel guides on Freeview,where you could see what programmes were on later in the day.

 

Pause Live TV? nothing in the guide explains how this works.

 

as others have said in another thread I get flickering on the HD channels at the bottom of the screen which may not be due to the box, something else to investigate I guess.

 

I suppose for the price I should not complain, I just thought I could have one box with all my TV viewing needs,wrong! so it's back to my freeview TV for me.

 

for me it will just become a Now TV box!

 

6 REPLIES 6
Anonymous User
Not applicable

Hi @Anonymous User and welcome to the board. Smiley Happy

 

Ohdear!  Your review of the smart box is really useful for me as I have a Humax PVR and a NowTV Black Box and have toyed with the idea of upgrading to a Smart Box for some time.  The reason that I never have is that I love my Humax, I get all the HD channels, can edit the programme list to only show the channels I want, can pause for up to 2 hours and the EPG is great with a 7 day list and a simple way of recording.  The Black NowTV box lets me watch channels that I cannot watch on the Humax and I love that as well.

 

I have often wondered though, if I could use the Smart Box as an "All in one" solution but have always backed off as my system works for me.  From your experience, it seems like I've made the right choice, so thank you for your post.

 

It would be interesting to hear the views of @ukbobboy ,who has just got a Smart Box ( after a complete nightmare with delivery) but after what you have said, I'm happy to stick as I am.

 

Thanks again for your post.

 

All the best! Smiley Happy

ukbobboy
Legend

@Anonymous User @Anonymous User

 

Hi Abe

 

You've written an interesting post in your reply to Fireguy, but I must say my motivation for buying a smart box was somewhat different, like my passes I don't plan to use my smart box for at least six months and when I do it's likely to be as an upgrade from my current black box, not as a replacement to selecting freeview channels. 

 

I was also buying the box because of it's £25.00 price tag, a similar package from Amazon cost £60.00.

 

In fact, you can see that out motivations, both you and I, are surprisingly similar and just like you I believe "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".

 

 

UK Bob

 

Geluk
Expert 2

What I also love on the HUMAX is the ability to search for a programme using the comprehensive EPG list, by using FIND feature.

BicBasher
Elite

I agree the Freeview features aren't as good as a tv set, but as a streaming box, it's the best I've used for NOW TV.  

 

However, I also own an Amazon Fire TV which gets a lot more use out of it.

 

 

Networking Spec - ISP: TalkTalk VDSL2 @ 76mbps | Amazon Fire TV Cube 2nd Gen, Chromecast 3rd Gen WiFi, Motorola Moto G9 (Android 11), Dell PC with Windows 10 Home Edition using Now TV Player.
Anonymous User
Not applicable

Nice one @Geluk and I totally agree.

 

I noticed a few weeks ago that 5USA was showing a season of "Jesse Stone" and I put "Jesse" into "Keyword" in "Find"  on my Humax, as i hadn't seen the latest  "Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise" (Made in 2015) and a weekly check found it.  OK, that's not exactly cutting edge tech but it worked!  I don't care if I have to use "Old School" ideas as long as they work....and work consistently...Which is what I get from the "Hummy".

 

Humax let themselves...shall we say..."Evolve".  Not too many updates and a solid, safe and secure product.  I was told a while ago that NowTV wanted to be more like "Netflix" and I have to ask...WHY?

 

 Now TV should be market leaders and go their own way....."Continue Watching", doesn't work (Watch History did!)....."Watch Now/Maybe later", doesn't work (For Many with a Virgin Hub, like @Lindzi )....."Watchlist" is a nonsense as it's just a list of programmes that I now keep on a bit of paper and now that "Catch Up" is a holding advert for programmes that NowTV want us to watch...even though they have a "Featured section"..that doesn't work either. Smiley Sad

 

From a viewers point of view 2016 was a bad year for updates from NowTV.....Guess what?...Humax didn't update once and it works a treat.....I think the terms "Rant Over" and "I rest my case" spring to mind. Smiley Wink

 

In saying all that.....Do you know what?....I still love my NowTV Box! Smiley Happy

 

All the best for 2017 @Geluk and I just bet that, God Willing, we're still here, and still with Now TV in 2018! Smiley Happy

ukbobboy
Legend

@Anonymous User

 

You know Abe

 

There's nothing wrong in liking the "Old School" because stuff works, unlike a lot of new stuff that's released onto the market before it's ready, then they spend the next few years curing the faults that should not exist with updates.

 

Sometimes I think this constant churning propagated by the IT industry is not only deliberate but also somewhat fraudulent.

 

Here endeth my rant.

 

 

UK Bob