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Anonymous User
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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.

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37 REPLIES 37
Anonymous User
Not applicable

@Anonymous User but it's not two slots if you don't want to watch on your mobile, as long as you cast before playing it won't count.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

I can understand the licensing position for standard Chromecast if the Chromecast is independent of the phone; though it is a pain for users and perhaps Sky should talk to Chromecast about making a continous connection to the phone necessary for the NowTV App/Server?

 

I am not familiar with Miracast but surely if the video is being mirrored to the Chromcast the phone is needed and is the only device that needs to be registered?

 

I came back to my NowTV account after over a year to find that all the slots were used up by my phone and my Chromecasts and it will take 3 months to move them over to devices I want to use. As I never knew that the chromecasts were taking a device slot (did it say with a message as they took a slot; I can't remember if it did?), I did not rename them. I have many chromecasts I might of used a year or more ago I find it more difficult than it could be to know which ones I am deleting, as I have two homes and cannot trry them all out to reset the last use date. Surely it would not have been difficult to dispay the MAC address or Chromcast name in the device list.

 

Does NowTV work on Apple TV? If so does that take a device slot?

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@Anonymous User live chat can sort out your device limit as a one off, but when you look at your devices within My Account it does show the last used date so you should be able to pin point which chromecast is each. You can then either delete it as it's no longer in use or rename it to something more useful.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Hi @Anonymous User

 

Thanks for posting, sorry for any confusion over the device management rules. Can you try and watch on your desired devices now please. f you have issues please let us know.

 

Also the Apple TV would count as a device on your account.

 

Cheers

Ranj

NOW TV Team

Anonymous User
Not applicable

No.

This is still infuriating me after several months.

Now TV can't keep pace with my modern multi-screen mobile lifestyle.

Netflix and all the others can.

Now TV's loss.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Surely Now TV via chromecast is no different to me connecting to the TV via a HDMI cable - without the wires.
I have just authorised my mobile and tried to cast it and hit 2 problems - one I am now at my 4 device limit (ios,android,now tv box,xbox) so don't have space for chromecast and second I can only add 1 device a month - I have to delete one device and then wait a month to add the chromecast. INSANE.

The phone is the registered device not the chromecast - I can't cast unless I am signed in on my phone. It would be better to limit the streams. Welcome to 2016 Sky...
Anonymous User
Not applicable

@Anonymous User wrote:
The phone is the registered device not the chromecast - I can't cast unless I am signed in on my phone.

Whilst you need to be signed in on your phone, it doesn't need to be one of the four, your mobile only counts if you actually watch NOW TV on it. If you hit cast before playing it'll never register and so you could use the rooted phone or one of the rubbish tablets as your controller if you really wanted.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Just found out about this dreaded problem with chromecast and google cast being counted as seperate devices.

 

At least I can use chromecast from the other main online media providers with no issue. 

 

After the free two months movies pass has expired I will look at cancelling Now TV.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

All you Chromecast users are missing the point. The Chromecast (even with Netflix) is a player. Your phone is a remote. It why it need to take a device slot. Cause on all you can only stream 1, 2 or 4 devices at the same time. (Nowtv is 2 Netflix depending on plan sign up). If they didn't log it as a device than you could have say 10 chromecast put it on say sky sports 1 , sky movies premier , sky one and leave it all streaming live. 

 

So they can't have not be registered as a device. The real problem here is the 4 device on account / 1 device change per month. For some and seem op is one it too restrictive.  The answer is a) need account for himself and account for children. Yes cost twice as much but it does increase number of streaming and only way nowtv can keep latest content which prime and Netflix don't have. Or nowtv come out like Netflix done and pay extra £3 say a month and get 8 device slot plus 3/4 live stream at same time. This extra £3 is to cover extra cost to get rights from content providers to do it. (Might be less might be more). But on technical side the way they doing Chromecast is afaird correct. 

Anonymous User
Not applicable

If a phone is remote, where can I download the Now TV Remote app.