Prime and Disney+

[Anonymous User]

I can see this has been asked in the past, but things may have changed. Can you get amazon prime video and Disney+ on a NOWTV box? Both available on SkyQ.

My box is a 4500SK. 

Thanks. 

[Anonymous User]

@ukbobboy 

  Hi UKBob,

  I much prefer a tower pc and loved XP and 98SE.  The machine I've just overhauled I originally built for win7 about 10 yeas ago, but it was always a bit funny which I now believe was down to a dodgy ram stick, ultimately some t*%at hacked me, brushed aside a paid up AVG Pro install and destroyed the HD boot sector, the machine never run again, though I was able to drop the HD into an external cradle, I run various scans on it to eradicate any malicious software left behind, and to this day can access the drive via the cradle but it will not boot.  So I ended up buying a small ssd to use as a boot drive and a larger HD for storage and eventually as win7 support was ending finally got around to getting it going again with a plan to install win10.  I had loads if trouble getting win10 on it, eventually it worked briefly and after repeated memory issues and violations, I elected to buy some new internals, got some bits of a company selling on ebay, board, chip, ram and cooler all new, pre assembled and tested by them with a 3 year warranty at a pretty good price, I added a new graphics card too as the tech has moved on quite a bit.   Bar having to get the win10 key re-activated its been running fine now since power up, fingers crossed..

  Funnily at work (industrial manufacturing) we are having to keep a couple of win7 machines going as there is a piece of software we use to create files for a laser cutter, that will not run on win10.  Ultimately we need to buy the latest software but with two dongles its several grand... 

  You can get a mini external cd/dvd drive for laptops, I have a Samsung one that I use with an old acer netbook (another reason for getting a proper pc running again, netbook is sooo slooow) but this Samsung drive uses 2 usb ports, one for power, one for data.  Could you plug something similar into your system somewhere?   I'm really out of touch with modern Hi-Fi kit, mine is all quite old now (full size separates)  I'd have thought a modern cd/dvd might have usb or even wifi built in?  Most of the high street Hi-Fi type shops have long since disappeared in my area.  Vinyl seems to be making a return, perhaps A/V outlets will too..  

Regards...

[ukbobboy]

@Anonymous User 

Hi RW

You know, after reading your post it is surprising how similar our stories are, for example, a good few years back I got hit by a fly-by virus that I just could not get rid of. It had disguised itself as a windows program, would not allow access to any anti-virus web-site and could not be detected by any anti-virus I managed to install on my PC. In the end I had to get rid of that HD, I just could not salvage it without doing a full US DoD type format.

As for my clunker of a PC, it is a full black tower system with 2 x 640GB HD and fitted with a host of other facilities most people would not think of, e.g a Fax/Modem, Iomega Zip Drive, Scanner, etc.

As for Hi-Fi, I would not call mine Hi-Fi, I prefer music system because it makes a clear detailed and smooth sound that I like, and that satisfies me (but it took a bit of time to get there).

My music system starts with my NAS, where my digital albums are stored, then fed by wi-fi to my Roku 3 then through my TV to my music system (a collection of amps, speakers, a DAC and more connected cables than I can count - but it works).

In fact, my philosophy on Hi-Fi is simple, if you really enjoy the musical sounds your system makes then that should be enough.  But some people get the Hi-Fi bug and start spending thousands of pounds on a systems they're always dissatisfied with. In other words, they listen to the system, which they get no pleasure from, and not to the music.

As for that CD/DVD I'm after, it's got to be able to cast and that is my primary goal to obtain, and that's the facility I can't find.

In fact, now that I think about it, my philosophy on computers is also the same as it is about Hi-Fi, KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid).

In other words, the less complications you keep out of your Hi-Fi and IT kits, the easier they are to manage and easier to enjoy, and that's what it's all about.

UK (Rambling) Bob 

PS. I love to return to vinyl but I just don't have the dedication to go through the rituals needed to care for, or assemble the necessary hardware, vinyl demands.

[Anonymous User]

@ukbobboy 

Hi UK Bob,

   After reading your message my curiosity was piqued, thought I'd have a nosy on amazon, usually done on my phone, not possible with netbook, but whilst I'm burning in this revamped pc, an ideal opportunity.

  I was curious to see what hi fi brands are still being offered, not a lot as it happens, Yamaha, Sony and Panasonic mainly, Dennon too.  Traditional kit on the decline to some extent, streaming boxes that match hifi there.  Amps look very plain and minimalist now.  My gear I started buying in the early 80's, originally all Technics, then later switching to Yamaha Amps later on, everything adorned with coloured led's and dancing fluorescent displays. 

  Anyway, if you have a look on amazon, a couple of bits of kit sprung out, Yamaha do a family of stuff called "Music Cast" which includes a CD/Receiver that looks to be able to broadcast to other kit.  Also LG do a smart BluRay player part of a "Multi Room" family of kit, again as well as being a smart BD player is says it can play your music into other rooms via your system...  Might be worth a look.

  Speaking to my manager earlier as he did his weekly phone around, checking on us all while in isolation, we were taking about HiFI and I commented how people seem to settle now for a streamed sound coming through a mono bluetooth speaker, he has a couple of Alexa's, one in his lounge, one in his kitchen (allows them to spy in him better) often he or his wife will play streamed music (via Prime) and have both alexa's playing the same music, so he gets it in a kind of stereo only when he's between rooms.  

  I'm a bit weird with music, I'll listen to the radio or music in the car and at work, even if I'm in the garage tinkering, in the house I'll hardly ever play music, as in CD/Radio/cassette or vinyl.  But I'll often switch to YouTube if bored and I've started listening to some artists I'd never heard of before, and genres I'd not normally listen too. 

Regards...  

[ukbobboy]

@Anonymous User 

Morning RW

Thanks for the info, I think I'll look into Yamaha's music cast coz' that looks like the thing I'd be interested.

You know, reading through your post made me realise something about myself, and that I'm quite selfish when it comes to listening to music, i.e. I don't share and so multi-room listening just wouldn't work for me.  I don't even like listening that much to Internet radio stations that generally play music I like. Thinking about a bit more, I guess that I immensely like to play what I want when I want, and there's no substitution for that.

I mean, right now I'm playing an old (very old) Four Tops (mainly mono) album and it is extremely enjoyable, I doubt if anyone else would find it so or even play it but I'm still bopping. 

Talking about weird, I don't like machines (no, I hate machines) that talk, there's no logic to it, I know they're useful and, day by day, becoming more popular but I'd rather press a series of buttons than talk to a machine, i.e. I won't talk to Google, Alexa or any other talking abomination.

No rhyme or reason for hating talking machines, I just do.

Catch you later.

UK Bob

[Anonymous User]

@ukbobboy 

  Afternoon UK Bob,

   I'm not sure if by multi room they mean plays in every room at once, I assumed if you have your 'system' with switchable speakers, and speakers installed in multiple rooms, then you can divert the source to any room? 

   I'm with you on the talking machines, I deselected the Cortana option when installing Win10 on this pc and I'll never buy an Alexa.  When I type in a YouTube search on the NowTV box I get a message asking me to try a voice search through my mobile. 

  That said the Roku streaming stick I've ordered has voice search I think via the remote, so might try that.  Talking of which, its 6 days since I ordered it and nothing yet, was supposed to be 1-3 days delivery, so I logged into my BT account earlier, the order has not even been processed yet, and delivery is 1-3 days post processing, non of which was mentioned at the point of sale, it turns out they are shipped direct from the supplier and the supplier is out of stock, so I've cancelled it.  Luckily Amazon now have them at £49, so I ordered Prime (via free trial) and then ordered the stick, it arrives tomorrow!   I've watched the first episode of Picard on the PC monitor (relieved that my powered speakers still work after 10 years of not being used, often electrolytic capacitors dry up)  I've flagged a few things on Prime, Hunters, Carnival Row etc that I'll likely watch too.   

  Not looked at the Prime music yet, but as it doesn't look like I'll be called back to work anytime soon, I'll have a nosy whilst I'm off.  

  Regards.. 

[ukbobboy]

@Anonymous User 

Hi RW

Reading through your latest post shows that we have more in common than differences but as for speakers in every room, no way, no how. 

Believe it or not, I ordered another device for my music system on 20th January, which I had given up on as "lost". However, this morning I got an email saying that my device ("my" is used very loosely) has cleared customs and now in a processing office somewhere in London.  Still, I have no idea when this device will arrive, if at all, so I'll believe it when I see it (and wipe it down with disinfectant when it arrives coz' it's coming all the way from China).

As for Prime, I've got it and already watched Star Trek: Picard, seen Carnival Row and thoroughly enjoyed it, started watching Hunters but can't get interested in it, being constantly badgered to get into Prime Music but not interested, badgered to get into taking books (absolutely no way), but the show I'm most interested in is The Boys. which I've all but finished and looking forward to season 2.

Finally, no work for me coz' I'm retired and have been since 2011, still bummed out by Corona though, I can't get my favourite spicy foods.

UK Bob