NOW TV to launch most advanced box yet

[dr_necessitor]

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."

[dr_necessitor]

---

@ukbobboy wrote:

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.

---

I have interpreted 2) as being an ability to customise the content shown on the home screen (perhaps personalised to the individual based on their viewing history) rather than referring to the insertion of adverts and promos into the actual content whilst itis being viewed (I wouldn't be surprised to learn that they can already do this!)

But, of course, that's just my reading of it - I may well be totally wrong.

[ukbobboy]

@dr_necessitor

I think the main points of this "Roku Speak" that grabbed me was:-

"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"

Breaking it down even further, "Roku  Powered  partners" = Sky, and "enabling  them  to  surface content  directly  on  the  home  screen" = Displaying adverts at will.

You know, I don't see how you can interpret it any other way.

Remember, this is a money making venture and leveraging this facility means more revenue for Sky.

Get back to me if you believe I've got it wrong, after all we are here to learn from each others experiences.

UK Bob

[dr_necessitor]

---

@ukbobboy wrote:

"enabling  them  to  surface content  directly  on  the  home  screen" = Displaying adverts at will.

---

Sorry, didn't at all mean to suggest you are wrong. Was just pointing out that my own interpretation of that statement is different to yours. The key word that led to my speculated (but different to your) interpretation was "home screen". We'll find out eventually, but it's always good fun to speculate about what might be!

In the same way as the Sky+HD EPG has introduced a form of recommendations (based on previous viewing habits), I've no doubt that they will want to do the same thing on NOW TV, and in my opinion that's what is being referred to here. A sort of loose harmonisation of features across all platforms. Like they have done with the "watch next episode" feature? That's also available on the Sky+HD EPG (if not already, it will be soon).

[ukbobboy]

@dr_necessitor

No, we are not arguing or flaming each other.  We are just discussing our different interpretations of  "Roku/advertisement" speak, which is deliberately designed to obscure and confuse.

I guess in the long term, it does make sense for Sky to harmonise all their cross platform facilities, which from a technical and support point of view would make things a lot easier.

UK Bob

[dr_necessitor]

Yep, agreed @ukbobboy

[mark_suff]

The box coming in Feb is the Sky Q box the new Now TV box is later in the year though they haven't said when, they also announced new UI being rolled out in Feb for current Now boxes.

Mark. 

[dr_necessitor]

I think I saw August mentioned somewhere for the new NOW TV box launch?

[Anonymous User]

@dr_necessitor any dates you've seen are guesses. Sky are sticking with their line "later this year".

[mark_suff]

Quick question, I'm guessing they have beta testers for the new boxes, do they usually announce that here? 

[Anonymous User]

@mark_suff most of the recent trial have been via these forums so it's worth keeping an eye out.