Now Tv with BT Youview Recordable Box

[SandySD]

 I pay for Now Tv  in  the BT  package. I receive it through a Youview Box. I also have the app on my Laptop .  I have signed in no problem to watch and I can not get any programme to play . I was hoping to be able to eventually  get in on my laptop then stream it on my Smart Tv as my Smart tv has a better quality picture  using a HDMI Cable .. I know I can go on to Youtube and transfer to my Smart tv screen . Sorry if not explaining right or can I  just sign in to my Now Tv account on my Smart bit on my TV and watch . The BT lady seemed to think I could do this . I am confused . Can anyone explain in a very simple way to help . Thank you.    

[gavs82008]

@SandySD 

If your planing on using the laptop to stream NOW the picture quality will be limited to 720p regardless of you having Boost or what external device you connect it to.

What TV do you have? Is it a TV that’s part of the supported devices from the link below?

https://help.nowtv.com/article/what-devices-can-i-use-to-watch-now

If you just use the YouView box and have boost then you can get 1080p.

Without boost ALL devices are restricted to 720p.

https://help.nowtv.com/article/what-is-now-boost

[SandySD]

 Thank you . We have a Smart Tv with the app already on it  If we signed in to the Now tv bit on out TV would we be able to get it please. Thanks 

[gavs82008 · Accepted solution]

@SandySD 

Yeah as long as it’s the same log in details that BT gave you, any device supported can be used to watch the membership(s) you have.

[RoyB]

@SandySD 

You won’t get a better picture quality than Now on a YouView box played out through an HDMI cable to your smart TV, whether via the BT live Now channels, or the Now app on the YouView box, so I am puzzled why you think it even could be better through your laptop, or why you would be trying this?

i think when you said YouTube, you meant YouView again?

How is your YouView box set up - mains in, aerial in, and Ethernet in, I assume, and HDMI out to the TV? And perhaps also aerial out to the TV as well, or perhaps not.

For the highest picture quality, you need to be subscribed to Now Boost via BT TV as well, so you get Full HD 1080p, not the standard Now HD ready 720p, as @gavs82008 has explained.

As regards other devices, you can get Now on many Smart TVs. If you say what make and model it is, we can tell you if it supports Now - or you can just look in the TV’s App Store, and see if it’s there.

Then you could watch Now directly on the TV, live or On Demand, though you only get the ability to record the live Now channels on the YouView box. But to watch on the TV directly, if you can, you will need to log on to Now on the TV with the same account details that you use for Now on the YouView box.

And likewise with the laptop, if you still wanted to have Now on that, despite the limitations outlined above - you need to log on the the Now app with those same account details.

If you have done this and still can’t get any programme to play, then turn off BitDefender if you have it, or make an exception for Now; don’t use Pihole; turn off any ad blockers, or similar URL blockers, and try again.

Let us know how you get on.

A couple of further points:-

if you don’t have Boost, Now will likely decline to start on the laptop if you are also using it on the YouView box, as you are limited to one stream at a time (there’s a convoluted exception with BT TV on YouView that will give you two streams, but let’s not go there for the moment). With Boost, though, you can have three streams.

The Now app on YouView doesn’t have subtitles, for some inexplicable reason; this matters to me, as I can’t understand dialogue without these, but it may not matter to you. I think the live BT Now channels do have subtitles, but check that.

[SandySD]

 We used to use the subtitles as the programmes we watch are so up and down with volume with the music being really loud then mumbling so back up again . It takes the enjoyment out of the programmes Remote in hand up and down with the volume all the time .We consider our neighbour when watching our tv.  thanks for the info. Thanks for the info about Boost . We no longer receive any emails from BT any more about anything new apart from the monthly bills . I did mean Youtube . When I am on Youtube usually music  videos there  is a button I click on on my laptop and it just transfers to my Smart Tv then I have to come out of the Smart TV to go back to Youview. When we have watched programmes on Freeview we have never had any pixelation like we get on Youview a lot . We are just trying to work out the best way to view programmes picture and sound wise . As to your question on what is where in back of tv etc It is probably easier to take pic till I can ask someone else . I don't know the correct terms for everything . Thank you for your help though . Much appreciated 

[SandySD]

 Thank you so much for your help . It was the subtitles we wanted on the screen and the fast forward  as well and have been told that for whatever reason BT Youview boxes are having problems with certain features on Now TV and ITV Hub for a few months now.  And the reason is being passed from one  place to another and no one fixing so hopefully soon .