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

[Anonymous User]

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.

[nst]

Its great too see and very welcome indeed.

It's funny how it completely shifts things from being a ropey app that was a pain in the backside using - to one that seems to fully comply with the AppleTV interface and is therefore a joy to use..... 

I am very intrigued though.....

This is the app they should have launched 2.5 years ago.... why's it taken so long?

Version 7 to version 25 in one jump?  How come?  This is such a big change from what we had.

What finally made them relent and do this?  I was convinced that they would never support the AppleTV in this way and stubbornly kept the app with the look and feel of all the others ignoring the fact AppleTV doesnt have traditional FF and RW buttons on the remote.

Anyway, very happy to see this at long last.  I might even be tempted to re-purchase a boost pass if it wasnt so outrageously expensive.

[gavs82008]

@nst 

Got the update to version 25.0.1 this morning. Have to say it’s even slicker and faster than the native app on my Sony Bravia!

At least the full app with all bells and whistle’s has finally arrived. Certainly better late than never though. It does make you wonder why they gave the half updated app not long ago. Could have said we will be releasing a brand new refreshed app at some point in the future. 

It’s not just boost that’s ridiculously expensive with NOW. Although thanks to discounts I’m still somehow paying £2 a month for it, along with £5 each for cinema and entertainment memberships.

Still need to remember that boost removes those pesky third party adverts from on demand content 😜

[nst]

Frustratingly my offers seem to have long since dried up.

I certainly dont get anything like the decent ones others get.

Having been away from the Movies pass for a few months, I now have the option of 3 months at £4.99.  Boost remains offer less at £6 but as I say thats too much for what it is.  

I use my appleTV up next to add movies from NOW that I would watch, then when I have enough queued up Ill pay for 1 months cinema and watch them.

Having cancelled boost out of principle a while back, I must admit I dont miss it at all.  Perhaps my TV does a good job at upscaling because I have zero complaints at on demand content as even with boost I dont notice a difference in picture quality,  

Weirdly, "live" NOW chanels are appalling - watch anything with dark scenes live and the black areas look like a pixelated mess.  5.1 you dont really miss and its only relevant on movies mostly.  The ads are annoying but at least theres only a couple of them at the beginning of a TV show and not peppered throughout. 

I do fancy trying out 5.1 on the new app so might get one months boost but thats all.

[carlos321]

My speculation on the big jump from version 7 to 25 is that they have redone the backend infrastructure to use the Sky Glass streams rather than have different encoding done in the datacenters depending on the end target. Sky have been softening their hard stance towards Apple TV over the last year with Sky Go added last year. The Sky News app has the apple tv interface for the live video since end of last year. 

Watching the formula 1 at the weekend the picture (with boost) did seem to be better but maybe that is just wishful thinking.