Update Now TV app for apple TV

[Anonymous User]

Will the Now TV app for Apple TV ever get an update?

The current version is complete rubbish and makes me regret ever getting a Now TV pass.

Unless there is an update my Now TV experience will be very short indeed.

[gavs82008]

@nickmorc 

Good spot, BBC website confirms the date.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-51189379

The new streaming service Disney+ is to launch on 24 March in the UK, a week earlier than originally planned.

Pricing has also been revealed - it will cost £5.99 per month or £59.99 a year, making it more expensive than the earlier DisneyLife platform.

Disney has confirmed that the new service will replace DisneyLife in the UK and Ireland.

[Anonymous User]

And Nowtv essentially want £11.99 for 1080p and 5.1 sound
(for Entertainment pass) whilst Disney and ATV+ charge half.
Sky/Nowtv would make me laugh if it wasn't so bad. Do Nowtv
like losing customers every month.

[MrZippy]

What’s funny is I only dip into NowTV occasionally because of their abysmal Apple TV app. So in my case they are loosing money as I can’t bare to use the buggy and poor interface of the existing app for long periods. 

What’s stupid is the biggest issue is the lack of recently watched, which I’m sure could probably be added without even updating the app.  I have now had to create a note on my phone to update with what I am watching and which episode is next, seriously that is a joke!

On a positive the picture quality seems noticeably better than my HD Netflix which is supposed to be 1080p, vice 720p on NowTV. Seems to be a better bitrate on NowTV. 

Please update that app and take my money!

[Anonymous User]

I'd be happy to stay for significantly longer periods of time with NOW TV
if they just made the Apple TV app like the one on the Roku box. Instead
they choose to lose customers like me who want to use the best box
available.

The only reason I'm with them for the next three months is because they
offered me the entertainment package for £1.60 a month which is basically
peanuts. Still no subtitles on quite a few shows though which I think is
quite disgusting.

[Anonymous User]

It’s cost cutting that’s why they won’t do it as you know I have a nowtv black box and a 4k Apple box. I have to use the nowtv box because of the better picture with the boost and seeing that it’s not avaliable for Apple. So I’m in the situation where a great device like an Apple 4k box is not updated yet an old black nowtv is. You tell me how they can justify that. To the person asking where the January update was mentioned it was in a post on avforums where a colleague who worked in nowtv R & D mentioned the 26th, as I said at the time how reliable that information was is another thing. Just a complete joke that nowtv continue not to updTe the app, whilst Apple Ireland app was updated over a month ago. Work that one out. 

[Anonymous User]

I've kept NowTV Entertainment for the family as I'm getting a good offer on it, but have upgraded to full fat Sky Q as it was on offer over Christmas. There's a Roku Stick+ in our bedroom, and one in our daughter's room. It's cheaper to sub to NowTV Entertainment for the 'extra' room access than to pay for Q Experience (ie Multiroom) with Sky (as long as the offers keep rolling in).

[Anonymous User]

It is strategy.

it is not ATV market in uk is irrelevant. The opposite.

they don’t want (legitimately but unfortunately) “dilute” the average revenue per user.

that’s why they push Sky Q as aggregator

once they stabilize the present Sky user base they will move to set top box in order to increase the customer base

otherwise you can not explain why there is an Irish app that will be the same in uk...

[nst]

I recently ditched sky q.... reason being it was £55 per month for entertainment and movies... and then on Black Friday NowTV had a £99 for 1 years entertainment and movies pass.  Im sure you'll agree £8.25 per month is a bit better than £55!

I was going to pass on that as NowTV was lower quality but then found out about the boost function.  This was enough for me to consider the switch, and eventually I did it.

I am losing nothing by not being able to record things... but I do need a reliable "your next episode of xxxx is ready to watch" seeing as I no longer have an automatic record queue.  The newest version of the NowTV app works OK for this (not as good, but when its working its acceptable bearing in mind the monthly savings to ditching SkyQ).

When I cancelled Sky, they asked why and I told them that I was going to use NowTV so they weren't losing me as such... but they said that NowTV was nothing to do with Sky... and they simply leased their content to them.

That said, @Anonymous User cannot be quite right.

Whatever the reason for the continuing delay remains a mystery.  I cant add anything else that we haven't said here before.  its baffling.  And if an app is available for AppleTV then why not release it in the UK too.  It will certainly help me out a great deal - ASSUMING that boost will be supported when it updates (can you imagine it not?!?!).

Im happy to be a nowTV customer, and my very cheap NowTV box is still working well and providing me with the boost function, however I watch all my other content through my AppleTV - the TV app is wonderful as a replacement to the SkyQ recording queue as it will present new shows that appeared on BBC, ITV, C4, C5, and Amazon Prime.  I also watch my Netflix shows via AppleTV of course.  Its a pain to have to switch over to another box, another remote control just for Sky content - so the new AppleTV app cant come soon enough.

But its February and we still wait!

[Anonymous User]

I emailed the trials team a few backs asking for an update and they replied spaying they have no idea when it’s going to be updated and the y are just as frustrated as we are, apparently there concentrating on there Roku box other other things rather than the Apple TV app, very disappointing even if they just released the Irish app here surely that would be so much better. I to ditched sky q for Nowtv as the Apple box is so much better, shame they can’t just update it line the year so the iPhone app etc

[nst]

I think, as customers, its not much to ask for NowTV to have functional parity across all its advertised devices.

At the moment, they proudly say it can be watched on x,y,and z platforms.

What they dont make too clear is that some platforms can do more things than others... and also that only a few platforms are compatible with the Boost function.

Surely, its better for NowTV to admit that they do not have the development capacity to support multiple different platforms and just concentrate on a few.

OK... I NO NOT want AppleTV to be ditched... though arguably the current app is just as bad as the platform not being supported at all.  However in my opinion, the app should be made available, in order of importance (user base):

NowTV box/stick (has to be first for obvious reasons)

iOS & Android devices.

Xbox/PS4 (just for the vast potential user base)

AppleTV

Roku (because their device is what the NowTV device is based on - but presumably a much smaller user base)

Note: - I would ditch ALL built-in TV operating system apps. Samsung, LG, etc etc - Might not be a popular idea but there must be so many different dev teams required for this.

[MrZippy]

Issue is don’t they already have an updated app in Ireland and Italy?  So they have the app done already. 

Plus Apple has universal apps, so the iOS and TvOS app should be one and the same. The TV interface can be standard. 

[ukbobboy]

@nst 

Hey NST

I'm a Now TV customer, nothing more, but after reading your post I can see that it really cannot hold up because it only takes a singular point of view.

As Now TV is a business entity it would have a business plan, fairly obvious, a firm understanding of the resources it has, the market sector it's aiming at and, I suspect, the economic viability of that market sector.

So whereas you are looking at how you will benefit from your suggested changes, Now TV has to consider how best to grow it's customer base in order to benefit itself, as a company, and it's employees. Such information, which I would believe it has at it's finger tips, it will put into action when it considers the time is appropriate.

However, if you believe your suggestions have merit then you should re-present them in this forum's forth coming ideas section.

UK Bob

[nst]

well this has to be one of the strangest replies ive ever head on a forum 🙂

[ukbobboy]

@nst 

Well NST

I guess so but I'm not that strange (I think), just having a Smirnoff and cola while listening to some music and seeing where my thoughts/mood takes me. 

Still, if you think I'm wrong then please explain why.

UK Bob

[Anonymous User]

BBC itv all the terrestrial broadcasters have upto date apps on an Apple device be it mobile or box. The fact the nowtv can not apply an update to these remaining devices is nothing a joke. Nothing more nothing less. I’d love someone from nowtv to come on here and explain the thinking behind that or even an update.  As was just said they have an upto date app in the Ireland and italy app. 

[ukbobboy]

@Anonymous User 

Hey TU

Now TV has never explained anything about their updates, for example it would help immensely if they explained the fixes they roll out but that's never happened nor, I guess, it ever will.

As for the Irish and Italian parts of Now TV, I guess they are probably run semi-autonomously and so have a certain amount of operational freedom from HQ.

UK Bob

[nst]

As I said... functional parity across all supported devices. - thats all we are asking / expecting.

The iOS app is clearly given a lot of TLC... but the AppleTV app is TVOS based and exceptionally easy to port (if indeed there is ANY development required to make it work on the TV).

Our expectations here are not unreasonable.

Either that, or officially drop a platform as being supported if there are to be no more updates to it.  The consumers can then make an informed choice as to which streaming services they will support, and on which devices they choose to buy.

To anyone buying an AppleTV now with a specific requirement to watch NowTV on it, they will be totally shocked at the quality of the app they find on the platform.  There is no indication on NowTV's website that the AppleTV is seen by them as the poor relation!

But, communication is key - its a shame that NowTV are not more transparent about what they are doing here.  

One thing for sure is that us AppleTV owners are totally in the dark here.  Its not as if we are using some ropey old hardware (such as an older TV), or a last generation games console... we are using the current AppleTV 4K - not exactly a niche product.

[ukbobboy]

@nst 

You know, NST

I agree with you that Now TV should be more transparent on somethings which it is somewhat "dark" on at the moment. And I also agree that anything that helps the customer/end user to make an informed decision on is definitely a good thing. 

But a couple of things jump out at me (which may or may not be wrong), first, any new developments or improvements that appear on Now TV's boxes or sticks are purely down to Roku's R & D dept. So there will always be Roku imposed constrains and timings.

Second, Apple historically has always been cagey about sharing it's technology, so could this poor quality you write about be because Apple will not share something needed by Roku to solve this particular problem? 

I suggest this because way back in the day when Microsoft was first introducing windows, they deliberately held back some code that would have helped prevent their competitors applications from crashing. The result of that decision caused the rise of windows and it's applications as the premier PC productivity tools while their competitors and all their applications faded into disuse and obscurity.

So I was wondering, could Apple be pulling a similar stunt to push their own Apple streaming devices and other related high-priced products?

Getting a bit drunk so I'm off.

UK Bob

Lighthouse Family Rules.

[nst]

well its a bit of a 180 to try to turn this into an apple bashing thread... I suspect as we are all AppleTV owners lamenting the fact that the AppleTV app is neglected you wont find much agreement on your point there.

However, you do raise other reasonable points.

Clearly, Roku is the centre of NowTV's world, and the Roku stick/ NowTV stick will always come first.  I think we all accept that is the reality.

However, I doubt its a technology thing.  iOS and TVOS share the same core, and apps can be easily ported from iOS, to iPadOS, to TVOS.  Thats the idea of the platform.

So, given that the iOS/iPadOS app is nicely up to date, and also that the TVOS version actually does exist already (ireland)... you can understand our frustration here.

[Anonymous User]

Some good suggestions there I certainly won’t be buying a nowtv stick not when I purchased the 4k Apple box some 18 months ago, if it means me having to watch my football in 720p then so be it. Maybe a community manager here can pass on this thread to the relevant person in charge of nowtv. 

[ukbobboy]

@Anonymous User  @nst 

Hi Guys

Just wanna say, I'm neither anti or pro Apple and since I'm no longer in my alcoholic induced haze (I've had a bit of a sleep) I'm not gonna post any more stuff in this thread.

Until next time.

UK Bob