cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Anonymous User
Not applicable

Chromecast as a device - you must be joking me!

Just bought a chromecast and I think you know what is coming up... Unbelievably, Sky Now regard the chromecast as one of my devices. What the hell is that about? Sorry Now, but that is crazy. I've just had to go through some stupid device reset on the live chat, and now have one fewer device. I was thinking of buying Chromecasts for all my televisions. If i do buy another single Chromecast, it's goodbye Now TV. I know I can use any device with NowTV app installed as a casting remote, but that is not the point at all as I regularly watch it away from home on my mobile device. Maybe if you offered a more reasonable number of devices on the system it would be barely acceptable, just like netflix does, but to have it as one of your four devices is insane. This is not what the cc was designed for. I can't watch content on the cc, I can't find the screen! I think this policy really needs a very urgent rethink. I also sub to netflix, and there is none of this four device restriction BS. Maybe they are more deserving of my money solely.
1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION
Andy
Legend 5
Legend 5

@Anonymous User

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

If you use the iPad to watch NOW TV on as well as casting to your Chromecast then both will be added as devices.

 

If you only want to use the iPad to cast then it won't be added as a device. The trick is to make sure you press the cast button before choosing what content you want to send, that way the iPad doesn't get added as a device. If you start playing the content first before pressing the cast button your iPad will be counted as a device.

 

If you didn't mean to do this you can go to your My Account > Manage devices page and delete the iPad from your list

 

http://account.nowtv.com/device-management

 

If you've already used up your change for the month you'll need to wait until next month, or you could have a word with Live Chat, explain what's happened and see if they can sort something out for you as a courtesy.

To reach live chat go to the following help page
http://help.nowtv.com/contact-us/Managing-Devices
and click the Start Live Chat button.

View solution in original post

37 REPLIES 37
Anonymous User
Not applicable

Hi @Anonymous User

 

Thanks for your post.

 

The four device limit is in place due to our agreements with movie and TV studios. If we didn't have it, we might not have all of the great content that we do.

 

Although you control your Chromecast via your phone, it connects directly to NOW TV and streams independently of your phone once you start watching. For this reason, it has to be identified as a device, as otherwise there'd be no way of us limiting the number of streams somebody has, which again is down to licensing.

 

Birgit

NOW TV Team

 

 

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Thanks for your reply Birgit. I know that Now TV does have its reasons for choosing to use the chromecast as a device, but you have to see it from the customer's perspective also. Just to say I have brought four customers to now TV from my family and friends who all have seen my set up. We love Now TV.

 

- We in my family, like to have now tv on our mobiles as we all travel independently with unlimited data and like to watch NowTV on the move. This is essential. Three devices slots gone. We did have the living room tv with a roku now box (fourth device), but wanted them on tvs in other rooms - my daughters bedroom for example.

 

- In my house, I have three large televisions in various locations, all with chromecast 2 (or will shorlty as I'm so impressed with them) plugged into them. When I bought the Chromecast, I (stupidly) assumed that they would simply cast, in the same way that our netflix / iplayer casts perfectly.

 

- Netflix doesn't seem to have such restrictive device limits, and they are Now tvs most direct competitor. All our devices stream Netflix perfectly to our three chromecasts.

 

- Fundamentally, I argue that the CC is just a 'bridge' from phone to tv, it is NOT a device in its own right. You can't use or operate the CC without a registered phone device casting to it, so I never for one second thought that a CC would be regarded as a device. Stupid me.

 

- Surely to goodness technology bods at Sky can limit the number of streams (which I understand, though netflix is far less restrictive) to CC devices by insisting that a CC is only being cast to via a locked and registered device which is on, and stays on, the SAME wi-fi network. I'm not going around to my neighbour's house with my phone and casting them a free Now TV film to their Chromecasts - that propestrous.

 

- It just appears to me that Now TV is not keeping up with my technological changes and my mobile viewing habits. I don't really mind the four device limit, but each device should be authorised to cast to a CC enabled tv.

 

- I know you allow to install the Now app and use it to cast only, but that's ass backwards. My mobile is the centre of my digital universe, not my televisions. I don't want to 'chuck' away device slots to something that is permanently stuck to the back of my big televisions in the house!

 

- Now demands I sit still on ONE sofa if I want to watch on a screen larger than 5". Netflix et al allows me freedom and mobility to go where the hell I like.  To me, Now TV simply doesn't permit my multi screen, mobile lifestyle. Netflix and other Now TV competitors do. It's as simple as that.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@Anonymous User if we accept that NOW TV are restricted to 4 devices, then how would me having 4 Chromecast plugged in to 4 different TVs be any different to me having 4 NOW TV/Roku boxes plugged in instead?

 

 

 

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Because a roku box is an independent device capable of playing content directly.

The chromecast isn't and relies absolutely on another device that is capable of playing content.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@Anonymous User but you've already accepted that the casting device doesn't have to be one of your four, which makes the Chromecast the player. How about if I had 10 Chromecasts, should they really count nothing towards my device limit, compared to the house with a TV with a NOW TV box, an LG TV, one with the PS4 and a mobile?

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Then change it such that the casting device has to be one of my four. And is locked while playing. And is locked to the same ip address as the chromecast. Seems obvious to me.

No, it shouldn't count whatsoever. As long as I'm only using a registered local device to cast to it, then I couldn't give a stuff how many I or anybody else has. The number of devices remains at four with two allowed streams even if I had fifty chromecasts. How can I abuse the service if that's the case?

Anonymous User
Not applicable

I'm in the same boat. I have 3 chromecasts and a miracast system

1 for full HD projector

1 bedroom

1 living room

And

1 smart tv in kitchen via miracast. 

 

The players are

Note 3 phone.

S2

Note 10.1 tablet

Ps3

2 pcs and 2 laptops.

 

 

If I use my note 3 mobile phone to access now tv movies. I can't use now tv in my house let alone use any of the other transmitters.

Surely each screen with a chromecast is the receiver and the mobile phone is the transmitter.

If have a 2 month free now tv pass which is useless. 

I won't be paying for nowtv in january  which I want to subscribe to, as i will have to use netflix instead.

I can't even miracast from the phones screen to the chromecast because nowtv has that option disabled as well.

All I want to do is watch one stream at a time but on any device I choose.

Can you develop another package option for chromecast users?

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@Anonymous User of course you can use your Chromecast, however just like any other household with 4+ devices you need to pick which four you want to use. If that's a mobile, a playstation and two chromecasts you can do that, or if you want just the pc and three chromecasts you have do that instead.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

With Netflix I can cast to any device I want. Why can we not do that with nowtv? I know your hands are tied with contracts but using 2 devices slots to play one movie is down right silly.

 

at least I should be able to have 4 playing devices and then even if I had 10 chromecasts it should not matter.

 

Do you understand. My point now?