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Anonymous User
Not applicable

NO 5.1 Audio with 'new' but crippled NowTV app on AppleTV 4K

I recently dumped the increasingly expensive SkyQ in favour of NowTV, since we mostly watch Sky Altantic or Sky Cinema anyway and for that the monthly Sky fees really didn't stack up.

 

Having checked it was supported, I also bought 2 AppleTV 4K boxes. Of course, folks here on this forum know the issue ( Update NowTV app for AppleTV thread ), but it is very easy to miss this bit of information when you are doing pre-purchase research. And who on earth would even imagine they would release a new app for this hi spec box without supporting multichannel audio? 

 

I thought it worth posting a new thread here in the hope I might help someone else make the mistake.

 

I have had an extremely frustrating and utterly useless exchange with NowTV support on the issue. No information on whether an update to enable 5.1 is likely any time soon. The only offer is 1 month off ether Entertainment or Cinema. If I want decent audio with NowTV, I will have to buy a NowTV stick or FireTV stick etc. on which it is supported. Another purchase, another interface, another remote.👎

 

No wonder so many people are tech-phobic. Maybe one day 'stuff' will just work... but for now it seems 'Plug and Play' is still a long way away.

 

 

53 REPLIES 53
Anonymous User
Not applicable

Is it safe to assume they still haven't enabled 5.1 audio for ATV users yet? If so, what a joke. 

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Yes, AFAIK.

I think it must now be safe to assume that they have no intention of fixing it. I don't think they are even investigating it. I assume for some commercial reason that I cannot fathom they just don't want AppleTV users to benefit from 5.1 audio (let alone Atmos, QHD etc etc.) on their platform. I have completely given up on it ever happening.

nst
Elite

exactly.

And yet they seem content to carry on charging AppleTV users the full whack for the boost pass despite not providing full functionality for the add-on.

Weve covered this over and over - and yet nothing happens.

We were promised when the 'new' app launched TWO YEARS ago - yes it's been 2 years now... that 5.1 was going to be fixed - and here we are.....

Unfathomable.  Inexcusable.  Laughable.  Embarrassing.

carlos321
Mentor

Heads up, I’m in Ireland and the NOWTV app here (which was always a slightly modified version of the UK app to allow for bt sport) has had a major refresh which from my first looking has the following benefits:

- Dolby 5.1 added finally on Entertainment and Movies on demand, however while Sky never claimed to support Dolby 5.1 on live content (even though it did) it no longer appears to work in this new version unless I’m mistaken.

- The video player moved over to the apple format for menus etc 

- It appears to be based off the other iOS apps as the version number is already 25.0.1

I assume the UK app will get this refresh in the coming days, note you can’t use a UK login on the Irish app version so don’t waste your time trying.

gavs82008
Legend 5
Legend 5

@nst 

FYI from @carlos321 

Also I got myself an Apple TV 4K mainly for the smart bulbs I recently bought. Although I am in awe on how slick and fast the device is!

Definitely glad I bought it and used some of the streaming apps on it which were great compared to my Sony TV. If the app is updated in the ROI to what is mentioned from @carlos321 then hopefully us UK folk aren’t too far behind!

FYI that I do not work for NOW, just a NOW customer trying to help
nst
Elite

That’s really interesting. 
There’s always been disparity between countries versions of the app. I remember when we were waiting for the new Apple TV version others got it well in advance of uk. 
that said this is huge news if they have made such a big change as you described. 
according to the boost page today they still explicitly say that the Apple TV doesn’t support 5.1. 

Is it possible to post some screenshots of the new interface?

nst
Elite

@carlos321 can you confirm the new version number on TVOS now?

Im sure that we will have very different ones anyway but your post has given me hope that NOW will finally make the app decent in the UK.

The biggest issues were with boost support and the playback interface... but if you are saying they fixed these then theres hope.

Im very surprised to see them support the AppleTV player - but thats significant.

I eagerly await if we get the newer version in the UK.

carlos321
Mentor

The new ROI version on TVOS is 25.0.1.

I thought that the 5.1 wasn’t working on live tv but a few mins into the Liverpool game it kicked in so maybe some fine tuning going on.

 

 

t_weezer
Mentor

Hi @carlos321 ,

Is your watchlist missing from the updated app? I can't find it anywhere in the new application, it's not even way down on the main page like it was recently.

carlos321
Mentor

The watchlist was missing when I first logged in to the new ROI app but the day after it appeared, maybe try restarting the app or the Apple TV