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nst
Elite

AppleTV and Boost Price increase

Really sorry but I have to come here and vent.

The email has just arrived from NOW saying that boost will be INCREASING to £6 a month.

Oh.  My.  Goodness...... £6.

Boost costs almost as much as a whole Disney+ subscription which includes 4K AND ATMOS content FOR NOTHING.

I was expecting Boost to COME DOWN but no... its going UP and at a time when peoples finances are stretched.

I very much hope that this will be a catalyst for many Boost subscribers to cancel - this is an unjustified rip off especially as it only gives you measly 1080p which most services provide as a matter of course.

AND - on AppleTV where 2 years later they STILL cant be bothered to provide full Boost functionality with a 5.1 soundtrack....

I hope that every AppleTV owner who pays for boost now cancels as £6 a month is just beyond ridiculous.

/rant over.

24 REPLIES 24
redchiz1
Champion 2

I won't argue that Apple TV users proselytise the functionality of the box, but what do you mean by "The picture quality on all the apps is significantly better than the built in apps?"

BillLeigh
Mentor

Apologies, I should have added "than the ones built in to the TV".  Incidentally, that is the first time I've seen the use of proselytise in a comment on an internet forum. 

redchiz1
Champion 2

Rather than being accused of being a fan boy/girl, eh? I love my Apple devices too btw.  🙂

So the Apple box apps give you a better picture on your TV than its native apps? I don't really understand why that might be tbh.

 

BillLeigh
Mentor

Neither do I really, other than the processing power is much better in the Apple TV than the basic one used by the TV. I use a TV tuner combined with an app called channels which gives me freeview, that is about the same as freeview directly on TV. but the streaming apps are definitely better through the apple TV. Going from the slick interface and excellent picture and sound quality of Netflix, Disney+ etc the Now app looks a mess. The fact the apple TV is so obviously capable suggests to me it is a deliberate decision.

nst
Elite

This is a long topic but although im not convinced on AppleTV making a definite PQ improvement...

I AM an apple fanboy and take it as a compliment 🙂

To me, there is no better streaming box out there and its mostly down to the phenomenally useful TV app that aggregates all the various app's content into one up next list (come on Netflix.. please play ball!)  But also the interface is good, fast, uncluttered by ads (until recently demoting the up next but thats another story).

Back to topic... the NOW app on AppleTV is laughable in many ways.  Forget the eye watering prices they now seem to think they deserve... but the whole interface, picture quality (of LIVE streams is a joke - just check out a dark scene and its heavily pixelated), and user experience is way below par.

The fact they think that they command a premium for their service when the app is just rubbish is a joke.  The fact they think that boost is worth £6 per month to get 1080p is also an embarrassment regardless of the platform.

Ive said this before, but if you take entertainment, movies, and boost - it now adds up to £26 per month - perilously close to Sky Stream/glass - and I suppose its done to upsell.  I hope this strategy goes horribly wrong for them.  remember that this is only 1080p, and with an AppleTV still only 2.0 sound.

Now, compare this to Disney+ £7.99 for arguably more content - particularly in the TV shows department, AND its 4K and Dolby ATMOS.  Prime, Netflix, Paramount+ - all provide similar content and quality offerings for significantly less than NOW.

In order for NOW to be competitive, or remain relevant in an increasing crowded streaming market, they simply cannot pull stunts like increasing boost to almost as much as one of the other services in itself.  As much as NOW would never accept this, they need to provide Movies, Entertainment, AND minimum 1080p if not 4K content for a maximum of £10-15 per month.  Any more and we have what we have.. an over priced under performing service which is totally colourblind to the competition.

The issue is that NOW want to upsell to stream, and glass, and Q - they need NOW to be very close to convince you to upgrade into a contract..... instead of pricing it to be competitive they are using it as bait for the more expensive offerings.  This strategy is going to fail - people will simply cancel NOW rather than pay the eye watering price for a terrible service and app.

redchiz1
Champion 2

@nst If I had to pay anywhere near the prices you suggest then I would tend to agree with you. But I certainly wouldn't pay even more to upgrade to Sky. I would simply not bother. As it is, as long as NOW keep offering me satisfactory discounts I am likely to remain a customer. I am currently paying £2.99 a month for Entertainment and a further £2.00 for Boost. I also recently had Cinema at £1 a month until that offer expired. 

nst
Elite

cant disagree with that.

However there is a certain fallacy that these deals just keep on coming and nobody ever pays full price.  They dont forever - at least for me!  There is something to be said for cancelling and getting a deal.

It's always worked for me, until lately - I cancelled Movies with no offer.... left it for 6 moths then got a 3 month deal with ive just finished and again, no new deal just full price.  Entertainment I cancelled with no deal, but a week later they offered a deal.

I dont know the reasons for who gets what but we all get different offers until we dont.

My comments of course were based on full price which I guess not everyone has to pay but some do.

That said, If I was desperate to have 24/7 access to Movies and Entertainment 12 months a year then I would probably just juggle 2 different accounts and let one go dormant for 6 months and return to what presumably would be better deals and flip flop between the two.

commanda6
Legend 5
Legend 5

Remember everyone

in relation to getting offers from Now , you must be billed for Now subscriptions/memberships through now themselves and not 1/3 party. If you are billed through Apple, Amazon or BT then you will rarely if ever be able to get offers.

That's not to say Now doesn't do offers via these third party billing systems because occasionally they do look at some of the office. BT has had recently. For example. But the offers are quite a lot harder to come by than if you were billed through Now themselves

In the case of a BT though being billed by them does have its advantages. If you have a BT badged hard disk recorder and your ISP is BT. If you are billed through BT for Now , then you can record the sky channels from the EPG on your BT box


I do not work for Now . I am simply a Now customer trying to help I am a Community Contributor This means that I know a lot about the service. But just like you I am still a customer. This means I cannot help you with issues that would involve looking into your account directly. A member of the now TV forum team or live chat will need to assist you with these issues.
ssliv
Mentor

Now entertainment is getting worse the only reason I have a pass is for the last of us, all new showtime shows/seasons are going to Paramount+ once HBO launch in the UK Sy will not have much. 

nst
Elite

except Sky "give" paramount+ for "free" if you are a cinema subscriber through Glass/Q

They *dont* give it to NOW cinema pass subscribers which seems a bit off to me.  It like Peacock being included for free on NOW which did happen - yet paramount wont be.

So, as you say, more people will leave NOW's entertainment pass if they have to go to Paramount separately.