Now TV app - no sound through Bluetooth speaker

[Anonymous User]

OK, so I downloaded the new Now TV player app last week after being prompted about the withdrawal of Silverlight support, and once I got past the issue of having to register my Mac as a new device, I got the player working. However, the app won't consistently route the sound to other speakers. I've got a Mac Mini 2014 hooked up to an AOC monitor, and when I want to watch something on a streaming service, I normally turn on my Bose Sounlink Mini II Bluetooth speaker to get better sound. 

However, when I switch on the speaker while the Now TV Player app is running, it does not reroute the sound through the Bluetooth speaker and carries on playing through the internal speaker. If I start the app while the speaker is on, it does play through the speaker but only for a while, and then reverts back to output through the internal speaker. It doesn't matter what system setting I use, it won't consistently use any speaker other than the internal one. It won't even route the sound through the HDMI cable to the monitor's speakers, despite everything else in the system behaving in the manner I chose. 

Is this a known bug? What kind of API calls is the software making that are routing around the built-in audio system, and why? This isn't really acceptable behaviour, and I can't go back to Silverlight because, apart from it being deprecated, I'd lose out on the number of switches I'd get.

As an aside, I'm also annoyed that the app installs into the user applications folder and not the system one. My 10-year-old son also uses the computer but on his own account so that he doens't mess up my personal space, but the DRM scheme won't recognize it as the same system or even the same app. And I can't set my Mac up as two of my devices as I've already got three others named. 

I'm not impressed.

[Anonymous User]

Tried possible solutions. Cancelling my account because of this and the crazy high, fan-whirring CPU usage of the app.

[Anonymous User]

same issue for me. any update?

[Anonymous User]

Hi All, managed to find a work around last night that worked for me. I started stream audio via itunes to my bose soundlink II mini. I then started to watch a film via now tv and they both started to play audio via the bose. I then went in to itunes and turned the volume to zero but left the audio playing. Not ideal but meant I could listen to the entire film on the my bose instead of the Mac speakers.

[Anonymous User]

Finally. Can't beleive this can't be fixed properly! Now, to that survey they have asked me to fill out ... hahaha

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@Anonymous User wrote:

Hi All, managed to find a work around last night that worked for me. I started stream audio via itunes to my bose soundlink II mini. I then started to watch a film via now tv and they both started to play audio via the bose. I then went in to itunes and turned the volume to zero but left the audio playing. Not ideal but meant I could listen to the entire film on the my bose instead of the Mac speakers.

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[Anonymous User]

Spoiler

thank you so much, this finally made it work for me! I was beginning to get really irritated.

[Anonymous User]

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@Anonymous User wrote:

Hi all,

I believe I've solved this issue - it's a bodge, but it works fine and doesn't require downloading any new software. Essentially, you go through the steps outlined in this tutorial (https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/48534/is-it-possible-to-play-sound-through-both-the-headphone-jack-and-my-internal-spe?utm_medium=organic&utm_source=google_rich_qa&utm_campaign=google_rich_qa), but instead of selecting both the 'built in audio' option and the external speakers option in Audio Midi Setup, only select the external speakers option. So in the example used in that link, you'd only select the box next to 'Microsoft LifeChat LX-3000'.

Then continue on with the instructions, going through System Preferences/Sound and so on.

And once you've done that, you should be able to open Now TV player and have the audio play through those external speakers. I have found that I need to open the Now TV player *after* I've set up that whole audio bodge, otherwise it doesn't take.

Hope this helps.

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This worked for me! Thanks

[Anonymous User]

I've had the same problem on my Macbook Pro, late 2013 running OS Mojave.

Here's my fix:

Go to Apple menu, system preferences, sound. Click on the input tab and select " internal microphone". Then click on the output tab and  select your external bluetooth device. 

This workaround fixed the problem for me. Good luck.

[Anonymous User]

The problem appears to be that the NowTV app can't follow the system preferences, as many people have suggested.  I was able to trigger that change by starting another application (iTunes/Spotify/etc) and switch to the TV as the sound output in the sound  preferences.  Once you get that other sound source through the TV, you can play your film on the NowTV app and you should get the sound routed through the TV.   This worked on Catalina (15.5.5) on a 2015 model MacbookPro.

I am convinced this is an error in the NowTV app - and Sky really should fix this (again, echoing what others have said here).

[Anonymous User]

2020 still here, same problem. 3 years and sky didn't fix a preference issue. Not good

[Anonymous User]

same problem here, everything works with my bluetooth speaker on my Mac except NowTV player. For this not small at all monthly price couldn't they afford a better app development?