Now app no longer working on Roku. No video

[Anonymous User]

I have had and been using a Roku stick for several years, and have had a nowtv device in another room. We updated the nowtv device from the white box, and have no issues with the new interface (well, no technical issues. It is now impossible to find our programs in any reasonable timeframe, but that's a separate issue).

However, the app updated a few weeks ago on the Roku device, and since then we have been unable to watch anything on nowtv on it. Every other app still works as before, but when selecting any program in the new nowtv interface, we get sound, but just a black screen.

When we press the home button, we sometimes get a flash of a single frame of the video before we get to the Roku home screen.

I have tried forcing an update to the device, powering it off for a while and restarting, but still no luck. I have just reinstalled the app, but will have to wait for my partner to get home to sign in and test it.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

I don't really want to buy a new device, especially as I can't be confident that it will even work.

[gavs82008]

@Anonymous User 

Just out of curiosity, what make and model

is your Roku stick?

As I understand that NOW are forcing an update to older models which is where the main issue persists.

[Anonymous User]

It is actually one of the American models (I did not know that when I bought it). The Black 3600R (2016 Model).

Does that mean that I can only expect nowtv to support devices for 4-5 years? If that is the case I think I will keep my current device (which there is nothing wrong with, and I have received no indication from sky that it is no longer supported), and just stick to watching sky content in the other room.

[gavs82008 · Accepted solution]

@Anonymous User 

My understanding is that if you keep checking for updates the app will be “rolled” back to the previous version where it worked. 

As for the Roku stick itself, last year NOW had discontinued the white box. So I would suspect it could be a matter of time that older devices might not be supported.

When NOW launched on Amazon devices it was not added to Amazon Fire TV (box version).

[Anonymous User]

This is okay for the Roku stick but how do you check for updates with a NOW TV adapter. I have a model 4201 that will not sign in to NOW TV but will go to the SKY Store. I have a ROKU stick and I have tried to update and reload the NOW TV app but I always get the same message "SORRY, NOW TV is currently unavailable  Please try again later." I have been in touch with Sales and they have handed the problem over to the Technical Department but so far they cannot come up with an answer. I can watch all my other streaming apps on my Roku Stick so I know that is fine and I can also watch NOW TV on my iPhone, 22 inch LD TV and also on my computer. So what have NOW done to disable their app on their adapter and the Roku Stick? They both worked fine until the latest update. I can also get to the Sky Store on my adapter so it works to some extent. I am really very cross that I am paid up and have to watch NOW TV on small screens.

[Anonymous User]

I have the same issue. I have a branded roku (4230), when I access Now TV I get the swirly progress icon for a bit, and then I get the message " "SORRY, NOW TV is currently unavailable Please try again later." along with a retry button.

[schnapps]

Hi @Anonymous User 

Are you using any sort of adblocking software on your Router for example Pi-Hole ?

Or you are  you using a BT Hub Router, where you need to go into it's Parental file sharing settings to make some changes.

These two above items seem to cause this recent error message.

Type "Sorry NOWTV not unavailable" in the Community search box for various methods how to get rid of this error message .

[Anonymous User]

Hi -

Yeah, I'm using adblock (either via my router or nextdns), I'll take a look and see if there's a way of unblocking (though so far what I can see it as blocking doesn't correspond to other people reporting having to unblock a doubleclick hostname).

[Anonymous User]

Managed to get basic functionality working by unblocking dpm.demdex.net

[Anonymous User]

Great tip - using Pihole and as mentioned elsewhere I fixed it by whitelisting "dpm.demdex.net"

[Anonymous User]

I've got now working on the black bok Roku but since the update there are other bugs showing. When you get to the end of an episode you press ok to play the next episode and as it starts to play a "next episode" appears. If you click ok it will skip the one just started, if you click 'not now' it will not give you the option at the end of the current episode to play the next.

[Anonymous User]

You've got to feel sorry for users in long term contracts.  At least I can quit and see if they sort it out in a few months.  

I think they must of added a way to track how many users are using your pass. 

Otherwise I can't see why they would not allow a rollback.

[gavs82008]

@Anonymous User 

Not sure where your getting the idea of “long term” contracts.

With NOW if you take TV memberships from them directly there is no such thing as a contract. Only with BT are you tied into contracts for NOW.

If you take a TV membership with NOW at most you can do bulk purchase, but in no way is it a contract.