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Anonymous User
Not applicable

Netflix on the NOW TV Stick?

Can anyone tell me if its possible to add Netflix to the NOW TV box as its not avaliable to download in the APP Store. Many thanks,

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION
Karl-F
Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi @Anonymous User, 

Just an update to let you know that Netflix is now available for you to download through a select number of NOW TV devices. 

For more info check out our post about Netflix here.

Thanks,

Karl

View solution in original post

120 REPLIES 120
BicBasher
Elite

@4268 wrote:
@BicBasher is the code only available for this month? Personally I have Netflix thanks to the Vodafone deal that was about earlier in the year.

@4268The code is valid until December 31st.

 

You could still use the code which will credit your account with £7.49 if your deal with Vodafone ends.

 

 

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

Hi, 

 

I understand that competing video services are not currently available on the Now TV Smart Box. Now I can understand the reasoning here in that they are competitors in the market place and prior to the Now TV Smart Box, a Roku would be a fine replacement for the Now TV boxes. However, now there is no other box that can bring all my live TV services (Freeview + Now TV) into one guide.  As the box is capable, one annoyance of mine (among others that I have outlined in other threads), is that I cannot play all my content, live and on demand (I currently subscribe to Now TV, Netflix and Amazon Prime) in one place, rather than switching to the quickly dating apps built into my smart TV. 

 

Now, I was thinking of a solution and saw earlier that the Sky Sports News HQ app can only be accessed with a valid pass. Couldn't the same also be applied to the Netflix and Amazon Video apps? This would mean that the services are only available if you continue to subscribe to Now TV and then this would reduce some of the 'competition factors', although I appreciate they will now be competing for screen time. I could also understand if Amazon Video was not included since it contains both Prime and Purchased TV and Movies, the latter of which could compete with the Sky Store. Of course, this may not be possible due to any licensing or other restrictions from Roku / Netflix (etc) or there could be other reasons that the services are not included.

 

This box is so close to being the only device that I need to connect to my TV as it is really great, but a few missing features like this are stopping that. I know that there is a low chance of this getting seen by the correct people but I have seen some suggestions on this site be implemented in the past and so I am posting in hope. Thank you for reading!

ukbobboy
Legend

@Anonymous User @Andy

 

Hi DS

 

You know, there are a lot of people who buy the Now TV black box thinking they are buying a cheap Roku 2/3 but they are not.  As @Andy mentioned, the range of facilities and apps available for the Now TV box are vastly diminished compared to what's on offer for the Roku. And, although Roku does make the Now TV box, there is no way they are going to commercially cut their own throats buy offering the same facilities they sell for £80 to another company to sell for £15 - £20.

 

That said, there is a way to extend the facilities of the black ( and white) box by side loading the Plex app/channel (a multi-media serving software) on your box.

 

Here's the best and easiest way to do this:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHCafwpQmdE

 

 

But please note, you will also need a computer or NAS set up with Plex Media Software to send your media, i.e. videos, music, photos, etc., to your black box to display and play on your TV.

 

I use Plex myself, and the greatest pleasure I get is when I'm listening to music I used to play before I retired.  You see, I don't have to worry about finding any physical media (albums or CDs) all my music is stored digitally on my NAS, so after a few presses of my Now TV remote I'm playing beautiful music via my NAS, Now TV box and TV sound system.

 

I also play the odd ripped DVD as well but I mainly use my Now TV box for music, TV catch up and, of course, Now TV itself.

 

Hope I've shown you how you can expand the use of your Now TV box, i.e. just because it's limited in facilities doesn't mean it's limited in scope.

 

 

UK Bob

 

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Ukbobboy,

 

WOW !!

 

thanks for your info, I will have a go at it.

 

cheers

Anonymous User
Not applicable

I like the idea you have put forward and completey understand the frustration however i doubt that it will ever happen. Amazon and Netflix are bound to have a complaint about their services not being accessable unless you have paid for a NowTV pass. It works with the sports app as it's Skys own.

 

I would imagine if nowtv could get away with this then they would have already prevented the ability to use third party apps already included such as BBC, whihc again if they did that i think the BBC would complain.

 

Silly really as i think more people would buy the NowTV boxes if they could access more from it and having the box always gives an incentive to purchase a pass if its sat in fornt of you. But i suspect there will be licenecing issues as usual too. (Reminds me of Google complaining and taking Microsoft to court becuase windows had Internet Explorer built in lol).

 

I'm with you though, i mean to add to your suggestions i'd love to see the USB app and Plex availble so me dont have to side load it and manually update them.

 

The other option is to buy the Roku box whihc costs more but isnt restircted by NowTV.

commanda6
Legend 5
Legend 5

In order for other streaming services to be on now TV boxes. NowTV would have to get legal agreements with the services in question.  The chances of that happening are virtually zero, particularly with regard to Amazon because Amazon likes to push its own hardware. But it's also very unlikely in the case of Netflix as well, but at least Netflix aren't interested in pushing their own hardware. So it is perhaps a tiny bit more likely that Netflix might appear eventually, but I wouldn't bet on it

 

 


I do not work for Now . I am simply a Now customer trying to help I am a Community Contributor This means that I know a lot about the service. But just like you I am still a customer. This means I cannot help you with issues that would involve looking into your account directly. A member of the now TV forum team or live chat will need to assist you with these issues.
ukbobboy
Legend

@Anonymous User @Anonymous User @commanda6

 

Hi Brad

 

I like your thinking but you have a few things that would make a union between NowTV, Amazon and Netflix an impossibility.

 

OK, You said, "Now, I was thinking of a solution and saw earlier that the Sky Sports News HQ app can only be accessed with a valid pass. Couldn't the same also be applied to the Netflix and Amazon Video apps? This would mean that the services are only available if you continue to subscribe to Now TV and then this would reduce some of the 'competition factors".

 

Not being able to buy Netflix or Amazon without buying NowTV would breach all sorts of anti-competitive law, and I also believe Amazon and Netflix would never (ever) agree to such an arrangement. 

 

As for Amazon, I agree with @commanda6 that it is very unlikely that Amazon and NowTV will ever come to any sort of agreement because, looking in from the outside, they have more in competition than they have in common.

 

I, like everybody else, would like to see Netflix as an app on NowTV boxes but, because they are in direct competition with each other, this too is unlikely to ever happen.

 

My simple solution, which is a compromise work around, is to put Netflix on chromecast, both NowTV box and the chromecast device can quite happily co-exist on the same TV and the inconvenience to the user is minimal.

 

 

UK Bob

 

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@ukbobboy @commanda6 @Anonymous User

 

Thanks for your comments. I understand it would not be as simple as enabling the app and there would have to be negotiations with the other apps / Roku in the first instance. I also feel that if the boxes had other apps on they would possibly sell more and gives an incentive for more people to purchase a pass. I personally did not purchase Sky Cinema until I purchased the Smart Box and saw the adverts for all the films everywhere. However, thats quite a separate discussion. 

 

In regards to competition laws, yeah that is something I did not consider. I was thinking along the lines of where an Xbox Live Gold subscription used to be required to use Sky Go Extra (and possibly Netflix? I wasn't an Xbox user back in them days), however these services, of course, were not in competition with each other. This pretty much brings that line of thinking to an end. 

 

 

Thanks for the suggestion regarding a Chromecast, I do have one in my bedroom and that is how I watch Now TV in there as I do not have freeview in there. However, my TV does have smart apps and I have an Xbox One plugged in. However, the smart apps are being neglected as I have a 2014 model Samsung TV and some apps being withdrawn (although the Netflix app is still very up-to-date and maintained). The Xbox however is pretty good for apps and that tends to be my go-to, although it can be pretty slow to get into an app to watch TV.

 

I guess I just wanted to add my voice to the others who have said that they would like these apps on the box while offering a potential solution. The box does a LOT very well, but nothing excellently, app selection being one of them. 

Anonymous User
Not applicable

The question about netflixon the NOWTV box does not appear to have been solved. Instead somebody has posted that you can get Netflix with a different box. Or if I've misunderstod, could anybody explain? I'm brand new to NOW TV and have just set up my box and account tonight. Alongside all the other stuff on offer, I had hoped to access my Netflix account via the box to stream films on the TV.

 

schnapps
Legend 5
Legend 5

@Anonymous User

 

I am guessing the forum member who mentioned Netflix on another type of streaming box could be thinking of the Roku players.

 

More information here about Roku products and Apps available on their devices.

 

https://www.roku.com/en-gb/whats-on