NowTV box

[Joanne]

I wasn’t given the option for a NowTV box or stick. I have the app that’s it. How can I get a box?

[schnapps]

Hi @Joanne 

The NOW Stick and NOW Boxes have been discontinued for a year or two.

If you have joined NOW Broadband the only hardware they supply is the Router and you need to provide your own streaming devices from the list below.

https://help.nowtv.com/article/what-devices-can-i-use-to-watch-now 

[Mark_Weinreb]

@Joanne 

The Now branded boxes and sticks haven’t been made for a good few years now. Your choices are, in no particular order, an Amazon Fire Stick, a Roku stick, Google Chromecast with TV or Apple TV.

[Olgun]

we tried the app route on the tv but search does not work. You can open nowtv but any further searchers like now tv sky sports news or now tv sky sports just opens up YouTube sky sports channel!

[gavs82008]

@Olgun 

There is no such thing as YouTube Sky sports channel on NOW. 
What TV do you have that has the NOW app on it?

To look at the sports sections you need to navigate to the top of the homepage until you see the row of “home, entertainment, sports etc”. Go to sports and that’ll take you to both live and on demand content. Where if you know the channel it’s on you can use the channel section to search for at the bottom. 

[Olgun]

@gavs82008  it’s a Sony Bravia tv. It brings up the sky sports channel on you tube. I am finding it difficult to navigate, was hoping speech would work. Are you aware of a way to link the nowtv controller with voice control to the app? 

[gavs82008]

@Olgun 

Unfortunately the voice recognition is only available for the NOW branded devices. It’s not been implemented for other devices as far as I’m aware. 
That would certainly explain why it’s launching YouTube! 

If your having no luck with the stick you could do a factory reset it.
https://help.nowtv.com/article/hard-factory-reset-now-box-stick

If you’re having issues still with the app on your Sony Bravia, you’re in luck as I have one for the living room. So I’ll be able to help you a bit more tomorrow. 
Although I can see where you’re coming from as some of the icons on the app aren’t clear. Or even finding the on demand section for sports isn’t the easiest! 

What you could do is use the app on your mobile phone to search for content, then add that particular content to your watchlist or start playing. Then switch over to the TV.

[schnapps]

Hi @Joanne 

Forgot to mention if you want to watch the NOW streaming TV service you need a suitable TV Membership has well.

More information about NOW in this link article below.

https://help.nowtv.com/article/what-is-now 

[Olgun]

Thanks we have the member ship we need so won’t be this specific issue

[gavs82008]

@Olgun 

Replying to posts won’t tell that user you’re speaking to that you’ve replied to their post. You need to tag them in like I’ve been tagging you in.

[Olgun]

@gavs82008  sorry new to this. Plus sight problems means it more difficult to get this across!

[gavs82008]

@Joanne 

To follow up from the posts by @Mark_Weinreb and @schnapps  The last time NOW “offered” a new device was when the white box got discontinued and they were offering a free Amazon fire stick as a replacement if they were using the box regularly.

[RoyB]

@gavs82008 

Now also offered a Firestick  to users on discontinuing Now on pre-2016 Samsung TVs. I know because I got sent one 😛

But yes, no more Now-branded hardware in the UK, though they were always slightly customised Roku devices anyway.

Mysteriously though, Now Sticks are, or were until recently, still available in Eire; they won’t work in the UK though.

[gavs82008]

@RoyB 

Oh yeah, I knew there was another device more recent than the white box. Now I think of it the white box was being replaced by free NOW sticks hehe. 

As much as I like the Amazon stick the number of adverts and other crap they have on the Home Screen is very off putting. At times I’ve seriously considered splashing out on an Apple TV, but I’m too tight to get one 😂

[schnapps]

Hi @gavs82008 

I think @Joanne has moved from Virgin over to NOW Broadband.

So this might be the reason there is no TV box or Stick included with the NOW Broadband package.

https://community.nowtv.com/t5/Account-and-Billing-Broadband/I-want-to-join-nowtv/m-p/596240#M4341 

[schnapps]

Hi @Joanne 

When you say you have got the App is this on a Smart TV, or some external device hooked up to your television or just the NOW App on a smartphone or tablet ?

Just trying see what you already have from the " what devices can I use to watch NOW " link that I previously posted.

[commanda6]

Hi @gavs82008  @RoyB @Mark_Weinreb @schnapps @Joanne 

when I checked a few days ago, the price of virtually all Amazon streaming hardware had gone up, whereas by comparison, Roku's were on offer. Given their software related shortcomings. I would argue Amazon hardware isn't a very good deal now. Looks like they've got everyone hooked. Now they're trying to jack up prices  

The best replacement now branded hardware is a standard Roku.

• Match, frame rate, function needed for Now service due to UK content being 50 Hz (Roku express 4K and Roku streaming stick 4K) . 
• advanced subtitle functionality (meaning the appearance of subtitles can be changed to suit the users needs. As most Roku apps use the Roku OS level functionality to achieve subtitles as this is the easiest way to implement subtitles on Roku only a few services such as Netflix use their own bespoke subtitle systems where Roku is concerned)

Technically, the streaming stick plus is still available but this tends to be more expensive than the streaming stick 4K and has an older SOC that is significantly slower, so I wouldn't recommend it any more.

[RoyB]

@commanda6 

Wow, Amazon have jacked their Sticks up £10/£20, leaving the field clear for Roku.

We have three TVs with Rokus, and three with Firesticks; which sounds pretty even until you know that our main 3 TVs have the Rokus, and the Firesticks are on the 32” clunkers in the guest bedrooms 😛