01-08-2016 7:04
Hi,
I thought I would re review this product after a couple of weeks of using it to see if my original review had been harsh on this product please see link below:
http://community.nowtv.com/t5/NOW-TV-Smart-Box/The-product-needs-work/m-p/387324#U387324
My expectation for this product was an integrated freeview and nowtv eco system so I could flick between the 2 quickly and easily. Here are my comments in no particular order:
1) I would echo other peoples comments about the remote control not been suitable for flicking through TV channels and the tv guide, you need a numeric pad so you can type a channel number in.
2) TV only does now and next, I think this is a major flaw, remember my expectation is that it would replace my samsumg TV eco system, it needs to be a 7 day guide, and when you select a nowtv channel it takes you to another nowtv guide instead of the channel you selected.
3) Editing of channels both for Freeview and NowTV is must, how many times have I found myself scrolling through list of channels just to fine the channel I wanted to watch.
4) Picture quailty is strange seems to have a yellow hue about compared to the same channel on the native samsung system.
5) Flipping between Freeview channels is and it feels like a beta product.
6) Integration is poor, for exmaple yesterday I saw it high light the F1, I had been watching it eariler, so I selected the option and it look me to the now tv guide not the F1 channel, had to scroll down a list of sky channels to eventually find it at the bottom of the list, why didnt it take me straight there?
I am stuggling now to find any benefit of this product compared to the smaller black box I had before, further I can't see how it can be improved by product updates as it is limited by the remote control.
In summary I do not recommend this product as it fails to meet my expectations.
01-08-2016 7:27
01-08-2016 13:22
@Anonymous User
With regards to the Yellow Hue, check the picture settings in your Samsung TV are set to the same has your smart box, including the "Colour Temperature" setting where you are usually given an option of Warm, Normal or Cold.
TV calibrators mainly chose the Warm colour temperature setting with most TV sets which is closer to the D65 standard in most cases (however some people find the whites to have a slight warm yellow hue and prefer a different setting on their TV set).
When comparing both boxes i find that the smart box has the slight picture edge in terms of PQ, however i appreciate everybody will have a different opinion or preference to any type of product that they compare.
03-08-2016 13:24
I would agree with all of the OP - except for the yellow hue.
I would also add that the box gets quite noisy when watching freeview and pausing for a while.
04-08-2016 8:19 - edited 04-08-2016 8:20
@Anonymous User
Using the ffw/rew buttons zip you through the channels quickly
Hardly any Freeview boxes that I've come across from 'legitimate' manufacturers allow the movement of channels - it possibly might be a requirement of the use of the Freeview service that you can't allow this - however a favourites should and needs to be added.
I agree with the poor implementation of the guide simply opening the app and not actually selecting what you clicked on is ridiculous and needs to be fixed asap
Agree with the Now and next - there should at least be a separate full guide available or even better sky should adopt the FreePlay service from Freeview for the Smart Box.
Whilst yes it does feel like currently it is half baked I fail to see how you cannot recommend one, show me another streaming box that matches it's spec for the same amount of money.
04-08-2016 10:09
@Anonymous User wrote:
Hardly any Freeview boxes that I've come across from 'legitimate' manufacturers allow the movement of channels - it possibly might be a requirement of the use of the Freeview service that you can't allow this - however a favourites should and needs to be added.
Not sure about Freeview boxes, but every Freeview TV in my house allows editing of the channel list so unwanted channels can be deleted or skipped over when flipping channels. Most of them allow the order of channels to be changed, with my Samsung TV allowing me to choose my own channel numbers.
I don't expect that level of functionality from the Now TV Smart Box, but some sort of editing or favourites list is a must for me. Finding the channels I want at the moment is awkward even with the FF function in the channel list - because if I don't remember where in the list a channel is, I can often skip past it.
If this has solved your issue please mark this as an accepted solution.
Those little green stars by my name mean that I'm a Community Contributor - not Now TV staff. I just try to help out if I can.