29-01-2016 8:52
NOW TV to launch most advanced box yet
"Online TV streaming service, NOW TV, is to launch its most advanced TV box later this year. The brand new NOW TV Smart Box will bring together NOW TV’s wide range of pay TV content and over 60 live free-to-air channels.
Additionally customers with a NOW TV Box will see new a brand new interface (UI) roll out to their TVs from February. The new-look UI will include a number of great new features including a content-rich homepage offering editorial recommendations of what to watch across catch up TV apps and pay TV content from NOW TV. A new ‘Best of Catch Up’ section, curated by content partners, will also arrive showcasing all the best shows our customers may have missed in one place.
Gidon Katz, Director of NOW TV said: “The launch of our new homepage on the NOW TV Box will make it easier than ever for our customers to quickly find and watch their favourite shows. And when the new NOW TV Smart Box arrives later this year, it will be the perfect one-stop box to get a contract-free, flexible way of watching the best of pay TV and free-to-air content all in one place.”
NOW TV worked with Silicon Valley based Roku Inc. to develop the new NOW TV Smart Box which will sit alongside the existing NOW TV Box, with pricing details and further information to be made available later in the year."
03-02-2016 21:01
While I use the dejudder option on my tv when watching through a NOW TV Box, the picture is still nowhere as good as using a device using a 50Hz source, such as a Chromecast or the LG TV app.
If this new premium Now TV Box has 50Hz, it'll ensure that it'll be the best on the market for PQ as well as the variety of apps.
03-02-2016 22:30
the strange thing is that I have an HTPC connected through HDMI to a plasma and when i watch now tv in internet explorer, at 50 Hz, i experience worse judder than at 60 Hz, which does not make sense, since the content is 25fps (i would imagine).
but the same goes for all the uk tv channels online (bbc, itv, etc...) - worse judder at 50 Hz than at 60 Hz.
at least this is my experience on my setup.
04-02-2016 13:45
You know SMD, Way back when DVDs were the only flexible video source available I deliberately bought a multi-regional DVD player so that I was not limited to UK manufactured DVDs only. So I was able to play any regions DVD (in practice region 1 - 4) and with any TV's picture system, which is either PAL or NTSC (never got hold of a SECAM DVD).
Now, in practice when playing most UK region 2 DVDs they would play at 50Hz, PAL and US region 1 DVDs played at 60Hz, NTSC and ran fractions of seconds faster than their region 2 equivalent. However, when watching DVDs, whether 50 or 60Hz, PAL or NTSC and the slight time variations in film lengths, I could never (ever) tell the difference in picture or sound quality, simply because something that is manufactured to an approved standard will produce quality output.
Now that we have more video sources than ever before, and providing the hardware, software and firmware are working in harmony, I still cannot see or hear the difference in quality you say exist. Again, something made to an approved standard or made within certain tolerances will produce quality output.
I think my point is that our domestic audio video equipment is becoming more flexible, can tolerate information from various sources and has a wide range of connectivity options. And as such, 50Hz, 60Hz, FPS, 720 or 1080p or any other minuscule technical bump in the road to perfect audio visual display is just that, i.e. a minuscule technical bump.
OK, that said and to end on a practical note, when buying equipment that's going to be connect to each other make sure "due diligent" research is performed before purchase.
UK Bob
PS. That my soapbox rant over for the day
05-02-2016 16:36
29-01-2016 12:42
Just curious if this new box will a fully streaming box or will it also need a aerial for the live stuff?, i'm assuming the former as live Sky channels currently stream. Be interesting to see more specs and price point.
Mark.
29-01-2016 15:42
Given that Sky (and 21st century Fox) have invested several million dollars into Roku, I would think it's highly likely that the new box will be based on the Roku 4 (given the similarity seen in the pics released so far). But I would also expect the NOW TV version of it to be heavily restricted/locked down in terms of functionality, compared to the standard consumer version.
29-01-2016 16:52
30-01-2016 8:37
@Anonymous User wrote:Roku Advances OTT Offerings for Operators; Announces Development of Hybrid Set-‐Top Box and Enhanced Home Screen for Roku Powered Partners
Saratoga, CA -‐ Jan. 29, 2016 – Roku Inc. today announced that it is developing a hybrid set-‐top box that will be available for production by Roku Powered partners later this year. The new Roku Powered hybrid set-‐top box will enable operators to offer linear and streaming services through a single device to consumers. Sky will be the first Roku Powered operator to deploy the new hybrid set-‐top box later this year as part of its popular NOW TV service in the UK.
Additionally Roku introduced new customization features, giving Roku Powered partners the ability to have more control over the home screen experience, enabling them to surface content directly on the home screen or give recommendations to their customers.
“With the new Roku Powered hybrid set top box we are enabling operators to bridge the gap between linear broadcast and streaming TV services,” said Andrew Ferrone, vice president pay TV at Roku. “Many consumers have a hybrid viewing pattern and leverage both traditional broadcast and on demand or catch-‐up services.”
The Roku Powered licensing program is an end-to-end solution designed to help operators grow their addressable market and reduce customer churn. The program was introduced in 2014 after Roku successfully pioneered the approach with Sky in the UK to deploy the NOW TV box. Today, the Roku Powered program enables operators OTT offerings in the UK, Germany, Austria, Italy and Australia.
Under the Roku Powered program, operators around the globe can leverage the Roku streaming platform including Roku’s low-‐cost streaming players to deliver live TV and on demand services to their customers. In partnership with Roku, operators develop and customize the offering for their audiences. Roku provides the ongoing software updates, platform maintenance, and application development support and certification services.
Operators can learn more about the Roku Powered licensing program by visiting: https://www.roku.com/roku-‐powered
30-01-2016 10:47
@Anonymous User
I managed to decipher two things from that "Roku/Advertisers Speak" type blurb.
1) “With the new Roku Powered hybrid set top box we are enabling operators to bridge the gap between linear broadcast and streaming TV services”.
I think this means that the new box, not sure if it's the one coming out in February, will offer live TV broadcasting as well as Internet streaming.
2) "Additionally Roku introduced new customization features, giving Roku Powered partners the ability to have more control over the home screen experience, enabling them to surface content directly on the home screen or give recommendations to their customers".
This is just a long winded way of saying Sky will be able to interrupt your viewing, whenever they want, with adverts.
The rest of the blurb, as far as I am concerned, is just noise.
May be someone else can get more from it.
UK Bob
30-01-2016 11:12
@ukbobboy wrote:
I think this means that the new box, not sure if it's the one coming out in February, will offer live TV broadcasting as well as Internet streaming.
@ukbobboy there is no new box in February. Some of the press have read new interface on current boxes to be launched next month and attached that to new box to launch later this year.