App for Nvidia Shield TV

[Anonymous User]

The Nvidia Shield TV has apps available from every mainstream streaming service out there except for Now TV. Are there any plans for this to be available? A lot of people want this.

[nst]

Careful what you wish for.

NowTV are certainly not in the same league as Netflix, who dont seem to have much difficulty supplying apps for the majority of Set-Top-boxes, consoles, and TV OSs... but crucially also keeping them on a functional par and up to date.

Unfortunately NowTV's track record on this has been pretty poor - (cough AppleTV cough).

Ive said in the past that it feels like NowTV have way overstretched themselves and tried to provide their app on as many platforms as possible - the net result being the customer experience for quality and functionality varies depending on the platform you have chosen to use, although still paying the same as everyone else.

The reason I say this is there are a few platforms where the NowTV experience is falling behind others as the apps are not updated regularly - and in some cases just stop working altogether.  In the case of the Boost functionality this is very poorly implemented across the supported platforms and if 1080p and Dolby 5.1 is important to you then you have a quite narrow choice of devices.

It would seem that the 'best bet' right now for a NowTV service is to shell out for the NowTV stick at £25 - at least you can be sure you are getting the most current functionality and in the future it would be.

I totally understand you wanting it to be on the Nvidia device... Maybe message NowTV and ask them (they tend to respond on Twitter until they get bored of the same question).  You say 'a lot of people want this' so if those people let NowTV know then maybe they will develop one.

But as I say, they seem to struggle supporting what they have at the moment and keeping them all up to date and working correctly.. let alone adding another platform to the list.

[Anonymous User]

I'll second this, it's inordinately frustrating. I own a Shield and it's one of the best streaming devices out there and yet no support? A company backed by Sky's large coffers.

[Anonymous User]

I'm so glad I read this, 

I signed up to NowTV this week. Due to a lack of spare USB ports on both my TVs, I was hoping to get the Nvidia Shield to replace my Fire TV Stick, and allow me to add both FireTV App, and the NowTV App.

I can't get NowTV to work on the Fire Stick, no matter whose guide I follow.

I tried the App on Apple TV, but its very quiet, I've tried streaming with my PC, also very quiet.

Looks like I will have to find something else to solve it.

[Enapace]

@Anonymous User 

i wouldn’t rule out Apple TV there is a completely new app in the works won’t be to much longer till it is a solid platform for NowTV

[nst]

Ive no idea what you mean about it being too quiet..? (turn up the volume).

But as @Enapace  has mentioned, there is an updated app on its way for AppleTV which we hope will finally put the AppleTV on a par with other platforms (assuming it supports Boost).  Once that is done, the current gen AppleTV is in my opinion the best platform out there given the huge bonus of the apple TV app.

[RoyB]

@Anonymous User 

Get a Roku Stick. It has both NowTV AND Amazon Prime Video on it, so it meets your ‘one USB port’ criterion. And it has loads of other apps besides. And you are in good hands, as the NowTV Stick is made for NowTV by Roku, and is in fact a restricted Roku stick (no rivals to NowTV, LIKE Amazon, allowed!) where Roku’s own version isn’t restricted in that way.

And more importantly, you can get one right now; people are pushing AppleTV at you, but just ask them how long the NowTV app has been in beta on it. And why.....

If NowTV for AppleTV is just around the corner, it must be a bloody long corner....

Roku

[ukbobboy]

@RoyB  @Anonymous User 

Gwyn

First, I'd like to reinforce Roy's recommendation to get a Roku Stick, I have a Roku streaming device and I can get both Now TV and Amazon Prime, no problem, and a whole host of other TV channel/Apps.

Second, whoever told you that Now TV could run on the Amazon Fire Stick was either severely mistaken or lying because at no time did Amazon or Now TV claim to support each others products.

Finally, when you mentioned "USB" port, you really meant HDMI.

UK Bob

[RoyB]

@ukbobboy 

You said: Finally, when you mentioned "USB" port, you really meant HDMI.

Oh yes, of course. Caught me out also 🤭

My NowTV stick takes up a USB port, but thinking about it, that’s just for the power lead. Not much video or audio without the stick itself being in its HDMI port. 😛

And the stick that takes up the USB port next to it, which does play video and audio, is a USB stick I play .mkvs off.

Confusing, isn’t it?

Good thing it’s all so simple, really.....😎

[Anonymous User]

@ukbobboy @RoyB 
Oops, yes I meant HDMI - silly of me, I should know better, to the best of my memory, neither of my TVs have USB ports - I have lots of other ports, HDMI, Ethernet, Audio, even SD Card, but no USB.

Thank you both for the advice.

I know neither NowTV, nor Amazon, claim to support each other's products.

I signed up for NowTV Broadband, and at that time was offered a deal on NowTV, what it did not state was that the deal started immediately, not at the same time as the broadband (20th May).
So, with only a Fire Stick available, lockdown in progress, and no spare HDMI slots, I went online and found a guide which explains how to install NowTV on the Fire Stick.

However, whenever I tried to run NowTV on the Fire Stick, It gave me a message that 'My TV is not compatible.'

So I looked for Android TV Boxes, and the reviews said that the Nvidia Shield was the best one to get, good job I didn't buy one, I've already got 2 Amazon Fire Sticks, the last thing I need is more tech that I can't use.

I'm currently running NowTV through a 'borrowed' Apple TV Box in one room, and the PC App in another, but the PC App is driving me nuts, it fails every time I try to start the next episode of a series via it.

I will have to check with the wife if she wants the voice control features, or whether I can get away with the Premiere.

Thanks again for the advice.

Kindest Regards
Gwyndster

[Anonymous User]

I would potentially buy a Nvidia Shield, if there was support for NOWTV.

I've encountered a few problems over the years, buying NOWTV boxes, then looking at Roku boxes etc.  I often find that they don't cover all of my needs.

At beginning, a NOWTV box didn't have Amazon Prime, then the Amazon Fire box doesn't have NOWTV, then the Roku doesn't have an ethernet port.

Guess what I have used continuously for about four years, that has Amazon Prime, Netflix, NOWTV and an ethernet port. - a PS3.

[nst]

@Anonymous User 

It seems like most boxes out there have compromises.

There are very few that cater well for all the streaming services 'under one roof'.

In my opinion... the AppleTV is the best and only choice to get a "once box to rule them all" solution.

The only caveat to this is that, as of right now, the NowTV app is woefully outdated - BUT there is a new one coming out at some point in the not too distant future.. then the AppleTV will be perfect and all you ever need.

If you consider the main UK services to be NowTV, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple+, Disney+, BBC/ITV/C4/C5 then there are only a couple of boxes out there which cater for them all.  I believe the Roku stick is the other one but the user experience on the AppleTV is far superior in my opinion.

Its a shame about the Fire Stick... that one is almost great and great value for money (if you can ignore the adverts which I dont like) - however the fire stick doesnt have NowTV.  In the same way the NowTV stick is also great value for money but it doesnt have Amazon Prime.

[Anonymous User]

Well,  I just signed up to NowTV ... so I`m immediately cancelling because you can not see Now TV on the restricted list of applications on the Google TV (Nividia Shield).

This has f*** all to do with technology its to do with restrictive practices by the vendors and the fact NowTV do not want to "pay" Google to certify their application on the stable long term supported branch of android that Google TV runs on. Its a older Android version with improved security  to improve end user stability and experience that you would not get with the mobile android versions. 

Google TV *is* android ... the apps will work its just that NowTV do not wantto pay for Googles certification. 

So simply dont buy Now TV ... there are better providers out there. 

[ukbobboy]

@Anonymous User 

Hey Axel

Shouldn't be so angry over tech, it'll eat you up.

UK Bob

[RoyB]

@Anonymous User 

Sure there are - but not of the same thing.

[Anonymous User]

As of today, the NowTV is not available on the Nvidia Shield, however it is now available on the Amazon 4K Fire stick.  It works perfectly and uses the normal remote control.  Picture quality and streaming quality is perfect.  I also understand Now TV will be rolled out to the other Amazon Fire Sticks and Cube in the coming months.

As Sky now offers Prime Video on the SkyQ, I guess Amazon and Sky have an agreement in place. As for the Nvidia Shield it now offers Sky's Discovery+ which is Free if you are subscribed to SkyQ for the 1st 12 months . So frankly I think it is only a matter of time before NowTV it becomes available.

[Anonymous User]

Sony app works no search though https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=https%3A%2F%2Fcutt.ly%2FWjb3LEt&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa2pKSlJKQll0U

[KH]

Works like a charm 👍🏻

[Anonymous User]

I've installed the Sony apk. But once I sign in it doesn't recognize my passes. I checked my account and this apk isn't showing in my device list either. I am in Ireland. Will thisbapk only work with for uk subscriptions?

[Anonymous User]

Agreed, Player on my LG TV is very poor quality. Shield is a proper streaming device and quality with all other streaming services is top notch

[Anonymous User]

As of today there is still no APK for NowTV that works on Nvidia.  However Amazon have added Now TV to their Firestick Lite and the Firestick 4K. Both give great streaming as well as many new added free and legal streaming apps available.