NOW TV Player audio quality is rubbish

[Anonymous User]

Why? It's by far the cheapest resource when it comes to streaming yet it sounds like i'm listening on OG iphone earphones, except quieter and tinnier. I've seen posts back to 2017 complaining about the quality yet you haven't fixed it?

Are now tv staff incompetent or malicious? 

What resonable excuse can any support team member produce? 

How is this a paid service? 

[RoyB]

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@Anonymous User wrote:

Why? It's by far the cheapest resource when it comes to streaming yet it sounds like i'm listening on OG iphone earphones, except quieter and tinnier. I've seen posts back to 2017 complaining about the quality yet you haven't fixed it?

Are now tv staff incompetent or malicious? 

What resonable excuse can any support team member produce? 

How is this a paid service? 

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What are you listening on? 

I have had my reservations about Westworld, where the sound was mysteriously distorted such that speech was incomprehensible, but ‘tinny’?

[Anonymous User]

I was having this exact conversation with my work colleagues and was also confused why nothing had been done.

The audio is terrible for me when watching through the browser or mobile devices.

It's the main reason why I unsubscribed from sky now. Audio quality is too important to me.

[RoyB]

@Anonymous User 

I think they have improved things since Westworld - certainly Succession comes thundering out of the Orbit soundbar under the Samsung TV with a NowTV Stick we are watching it on.

Thiugh we still have the subtitles on as the dialogue is so quickfire....

[Anonymous User]

The audio through our television is intermittently - although more often than not - dreadful. Especially when music is brought up on the soundtrack - dialogue becomes unintelligible. I’ve tried numerous fixes, Googled the issue multiple times, but haven’t managed to solve the problem, which leads me to believe that it can’t be fixed by anyone other than  Now TV. The only reason I still subscribe is because I can still watch shows on my iPad without distortion.

Absolutely disgusted by Now TV’s disregard for their customers. I would encourage people who are having similar experiences to post here so the problem is surfaced in the Google rankings. Perhaps that way Now TV will be inspired to pull their fingers out.

[RoyB]

@Anonymous User 

How do other streaming services listened to through your TV, or even broadcast TV, compare?

It may be worth investigating what you can do on your TV, such as selecting Night Mode, for instance, which compresses the dynamic range, or Clear Voice, or one of the other audio tweaks.

This will be just a workaround, of course, but may improve things until NowTV address the points you make.

Though we find they all do it; mumblecore dialogue you can barely hear, and great crashing, deafening, intrusive, ‘background’ music.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks for taking the time to offer some pointers, Roy. I’ve had a look at my sound settings before but I’ll go back to them in case there’s something I’ve missed. Unlikely but possible.

As you say, though, this is a Now TV problem. Netflix, Amazon, iPlayer, All4 and YouTube all work fine on our television and through our Xbox. Yes, there’s the odd show or film that’s poorly mixed for TV but that’s a totally different issue. What infuriates me is that Now TV are selling a substandard product that they seem to have no intention of improving.

[Anonymous User]

Btw, it's ironic that my avatar hereabouts is referred to as an "advocate".

Lol. I am very much not an advocate

[RoyB]

@Anonymous User 

We used to have quite a hierarchy, and Advocate was 19 rungs up the 53 rung ladder. It took me a few months of intensive posting to get there.

Then the hierarchy was collapsed, and I see you have reached this once-exalted rank with just three posts. I shouldn’t complain, as this shot me to the top of the ladder, but I am a little conflicted about  it.

The rules by which you climb the ladder are secret, though it is to do with number of posts made, answers accepted, kudos given, and so on.

I suspect that the names, and quite possibly the rules, will need a further reworking to become appropriate again 😛

[Anonymous User]

So a year later, watching Westworld I can confirm sound is still crackly and frankly sub standard. Yes, I use Amazon prime and Netflix without issue through same equipment so no it's not me it's you. Highly doubtful I'll be renewing this subscription. Jesus, how hard can it be!