Entertainment pass: 'Next Episode' feature not working properly on Ruko streaming stick ONLY

[Anonymous User]

Hi there,

Has anyone experienced issues with the Next Episode feature when using NowTV? 

My issues are limited to the Roku stick; when I'm watching on IE there are no problem or (previously other browsers.

When I press OK on Watch Now, a variety of things can happen:

- Pinwheel followed by black screen

- Pinwheel of death

- Ruko goes back to home screen (??)

1 out of 10 times maybe the next episode actually plays.

I've obviously tried pressing the back button. Here, a variety of things may also occur:

- Nothing (I end up pressing the home button)

- It goes back to list of episodes  and from here I can just press OK as it lands on the episode I was attempting to play

- It goes back to the list of episodes but when I click OK nothing happens

- It goes back to the list of episodes but the screen is frozen

- Any combination of the above

It's ONLY NowTV on the Ruko stick that has any kind of problems outside of the occasional slow loading etc. And it's only NowTV on the Ruko stick, not anywhere else.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Laura

[Andy]

@Anonymous User

I don't have those issues with a Roku 3. There were a few issues with Continue Watching on NOW TV Boxes (basically a Roku) a while back including not being able to exit out of an ep correctly, but definitely not to the extent that you describe and I don't remember reading anybody else with those issues in the Roku area lately so it's not normal.

Guessing you've tried removing and adding the app again? The pinwheel issues are often to do with buffering and/or poor wifi reception but you say you don't have issues with other apps on the stick? However just a thought do you use the a HDMI extended with the stick to help it get a better wifi pickup? I think Roku used to offer them free to affected customers - not sure if they still do but might be worth enquiring and seeing if it makes any difference (can't make it any worse).

Sorry can't be of more help.

[Anonymous User]

@Andy

Thanks a lot for your thoughts and suggestions.

I have indeed tried removing and re-adding the app but I might try again, just for good measure.

And yeah, the thing is that it's only this app, which is what has me puzzled. Netflix? BBC? ITV? All fine, zero issues.

Regarding the extended HDIMI cable, my Roku is just powered by my TV, ie. Roku stick ->micro USB -> TV but having said that, I just digged out the box and I'm going to try the micro USB -> power adapter instead, that might do something? Otherwise I might try and speak to customer service about that extended cable you suggested, thanks a lot for that.

If this was a website, I'd say there was a problem with the code, you know what I mean?

Anyway, thanks again!

[Lindzi]

Hi @Anonymous User

Mine does all of those things too but I have a black NowTV box. Virgin BB with an older Virgin hub - all of my other streaming works perfectly too, such as Netflix and smart TV.  Who is your internet provider?

@Andycouldn't resist getting into the 'next episode' trash talking!

[Anonymous User]

Hi @Lindzi

I'm with Virgin as well, interesting! Could it be something to do with them, then? If you're on the box and I'm on the stick, the only thing left is the Internet provider...

[Andy]

@Lindzi

PS I hope @Anonymous User isnt expecting a solution from us, unfortunately we've been discussing this on and off for ages and neither us nor the NOW TV Team seem to have gotten anywhere ... @Anonymous User has left (hopefully not as a result of us!) @Jason-C has gone to a different department (hopefully not as a result of us!) ... we're running out of people to badger! 😄

[Lindzi]

@Anonymous User  the whole next episode thing drives me nuts! Another forum member upgraded their Virgin hub to the latest one (superhub 3 I think) and their next episode/continue watching sorted itself out. This is why I checked who your BB was with as it appears that most of us with this issue are all with Virgin

@Andy  I like to come on here to have a little chat, so if this ever gets fixed I will always find something else!! It's in my nature

[Anonymous User]

@Andy - it's confined to continuous wathing, ie. trying to play the next episode after the last one has ended whilst the credits are rolling. From the main menu, selection episodes etc? Zero issues. IT IS SO STRANGE.

@Lindzi - I think my hub is about 5 years old now, I wonder if getting a new one would help, it might do.

I'll for sure let you know if powering the stick from the plug instead of just the TV will have any effect, you never know, right?

[Lindzi]

hope that works @Anonymous User  if not hopefully Virgin could send you a new hub without too much resistance

Good luck and let us know if you get it working

[Andy]

@Anonymous User My apologies, I misunderstood and thought you couldn't get the first episode working to start with. If it's problems getting the next episode to work then it's almost certainly the issue @Lindzi is describing, which seems to affect a small number of random users who seem to have Virgin Broadband (but doesn't affect all Virgin customers). 

Don't bother with my suggestions as they are unlikely to help, but I agree it's worth getting onto Virgin and seeing if you can persuade them to send you the newest Hub, you might be able to negotiate an extension of contract at a good discount at the same time. 

Good luck!

PS @Lindzi take it you didn't manage to get a new hub in the end?

[Andy]

@Graham-S or @Anonymous User

Any chance you could pass this thread onto the technical teams to take a look at, similar cases have been passed on before but it still seems to be affecting a small number of random users who all seem to have Virgin broadband, with a possible connection to older versions of the Superhub causing it to happen. Maybe some further investigating they can do, cheers.

[Lindzi]

@Andy  ha ha I knew you were going to ask me.....well I did my research on what new customers are offered with Virgin and got comparables from Sky and then I have just not rang Virgin to haggle

I think retentions only work office hours so struggling to get time out in the day to call, and it's awkward when working full time and not knowing how long will it take on the phone

It is playing on my mind so I just need to call them! I know that I am overpaying by quite a lot!

[Andy]

@Lindzi Grab them on a Saturday, and tell them your mate Jason works at NOW TV and has offered you a good deal on their Combo broadband! 😉

[Lindzi]

@Andy  they are there on a Saturday?! How did I not know this!

Good idea about the NowTV Combo, I will use that for sure! My friend has it and thinks it's good, so you never know I may follow through with the threat if they don't give me what I want

[Andy]

@Lindzi

tbh I don't know if they are there or not on Saturdays, I just imagined they would be (I'm sure Sky have retention S staff every day, but maybe they get more people leaving!!!!!) 

Mind you, at least Continue Watching seems to work with Sky/NOW TV broadband! 😄

[Lindzi]

@Andy

I think that it is more likely that Virgin don't really care if you leave, so make it as inconvenient as possible to get a better deal. I will try a Saturday call though see if they are there!

[Andy]

@Lindzi Good luck, let us know how you get on!!

[Andy]

@Lindzi tbh I keep hoping for another Continue Watching conundrum just so we get the pleasure of your company!

Now you know I always like to call you in as backup, and I know you recognise the symptoms of getting back to the menu after the ep, but I didn't think you had the beach balls of death problem getting an episode started, @Anonymous User only manages to get the ep playing about 10% of the time. What about you?

I was just wondering if maybe the fact it's a Roku streaming stick might contribute to that as its a bit slow and underpowered compared with the Roku boxes and I was wondering if the NOW TV app was started to get a bit too bloated to run smoothly ... wonder if @Anonymous User has issues starting eps from the Watchlist or just from normal browsing of the app as well, or is it just confined to Continue Watching?

@caseyb1993 and @Anonymous User are the only others I know with a streaming stick so I'll tag them for reinforcement see if they've noticed anything