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Anonymous User
Not applicable

Update Now TV app for apple TV

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.

2,755 REPLIES 2,755
nst
Elite

@Duncaw67 

 

Reading between the lines... and I am totally guessing here.... I think that when they released the first beta, a significant number of testers questioned why it wasn't boost supported.

I get the feeling they genuinely didnt think we would notice or would make an issue of it.  However we did.

Disappointingly beta 2 which was many weeks in the making still doesn't support it - though they do acknowledge that they are aware of our requests to include it - though cannot say when it will be added.

 

As ive said... we are discussing the AppleTV app - specifically on current hardware which has been HD/4K compatible for years - and that app MUST support boost.  Even if you have no intention of wanting it or paying extra for it... it must be there from day 1 as an option on the AppleTV.

 

Personally I cant understand the technical difficulties including a 1080p 5.1 stream to a device that can handle it with one eye closed and on hand tied behind its back!... its not as if NowTV dont have those streams available.

Hooba
Scholar 3

It's unlikely related to technical issues. My best guess is the lack of Boost is because of licensing / contractual issues. 

 

Back in the day, the NowTV app for Smart TVs was only available on LG TVs - and I think LG paid for that exclusivity. As we know, Boost is available on a narrow range of devices. Outside of Now devices, you can access Boost on LG TVs (which is a bit crippled as doesn't support 50 FPS), Samsung TVs, PS4 (which is a bit crippled as PS4 is locked to 60 FPS, making a lot of content unwatchable), and a couple of the Roku devices.

 

My assumption is that all 3rd parties above have paid for that, in return for market advantage.

 

Apple unlikely to be interested in any model that looks like that. And if Now roll over and provide Boost without anything in return from Apple, the 3rd parties that have already paid won't be too impressed, and then there'll be a queue of other 3rd parties expecting the same.

 

The other way to access Boost is through BT / Freeview - but the BT deal in particular took years and years to reach fruition, and was only finally resolved with agreement between Sky/Now and BT to offer each other's channels.

 

Long story short - don't hold your breath to ever see Boost on AppleTV.

Anonymous User
Not applicable
It that is the case I am am not getting all the boost features I am paying for then goodbye NowTV!
nst
Elite

@Hooba 

 

With the greatest of respect - I think this is very far from the situation.

 

Why on earth would NowTV limit the potential additional revenue in this way.  £3 extra per subscriber potentially.

 

Apple certainly wouldn't be interested in paying a company who have provided an app for their box for the privilege.  Its the other way round if anything. 

Also this is not the case for all the other streaming services that are already on the AppleTV and who are not only providing their content as a minimum 1080p quality - but in some cases as much as 4k too.  This not a special or privileged tier of service its just what the companies provide to all their customers.  Generally speaking where the hardware allows, 1080p + is provided.

 

It is entirely up to NowTV to provide the service and develop an app for the platform that can deliver - and of course as we all know the development team have totally neglected the platform for many many years.

 

@Anonymous User 

 

Dont panic - this cant be the case.

Im assuming you aren't paying for boost if your only set-top-box is the appleTV as boost is simply not an option yet.

 

If, like me, you pay for boost as you are using it on another device (as I am with the NowTV box) then we can but hope that when the new app is finally released it will include boost support.  Im very keen to ditch the NowTV box and get everything under one roof i.e. appleTV

Anonymous User
Not applicable
Yes I am, as with boost it allows nowtv tp be watch on multiple devices simultaneously. I have 3 Appletv boxes, 2 firesticks, 3 ipads.
Hooba
Scholar 3

@nst With the greatest respect - what's your hypothesis for why the app hasn't been updated for years on end, and that the BETA doesn't include Boost, and there's been no indication that it ever will include Boost.

 

My central point was that Apple are never going to offer a kick back to Now in return for Boost. It's the exact opposite of their business model.

 

You express (often) surprise that NowTv are missing out on £3 a month from AppleTV users, but at the same time say you have an AppleTV, but were driven to buy a NOwTV device, and pay £3 a month for Boost. Given that, just how much revenue do you think NowTV are actually losing?

 

Do you think anther business model might be at play? Namely that by selling access to Boost, to either device manufacturers, or perhaps service providers, might realise greater profit to NowTV - who then anyway pick up the £3 a month that is aways payable to NOwTV?

 

If not - what, exactly, do you think is going on?

 

I'll give you a personal example. I signed up to NowTV through BT TV. Because It's 1080p, 50FPS, 5.1 audio and I can access that through a BT box I already own. Cost: 24 month contract for phone, broadband, TV = circa two and a quarter grand. You have to wonder just how much less leverage NowTV would have had when their deal with BT was finally agreed if punters could access the same quality content through AppleTV whilst picking up entertainment passes discounted to £3 a month, movies for a fiver a month, and Sports for circa £20 a month. And they would give up that leverage for £0?

 

So I ask again - what's your rational explanation for what's going on, and when, realistically, do you think things might improve?

nst
Elite

@Hooba 

 

No need to get tetchy - this is just a friendly discussion.  This isn't 'that' type of forum is it.

 

To answer your points:

 

Firstly, I admit i have absolutely no idea whatsoever why the appleTV app is in the state it is.  It makes absolutely no sense to me whatsoever.  The current app is just inexplicably bad, and gives the AppleTV customers a vastly inferior service to those of other platforms.  The app itself is a port of the even older app from the last model of AppleTV (pre siri remote).

 

Yes, I 'admit' (not sure thats some kind of thing to have to 'admit' to) - more i state that I have bought a NowTV box.  My point being that not everyone who wants 1080p and 5.1 sound will have 'resorted' to purchasing a separate box to do so.  Some may not have the room for yet another box.  Some may not have the additional spare HDMI port on the TV for yet another box.  All have the reasonable expectation that the app on the box they choose to use can support boost.

Are they losing revenue?  For the reasons ive stated YES of course they are - for absolute certain they will have an influx of additional boost subscribers if and when they finally release the function on the AppleTV - I dont see how that point can be argued against.

 

I dont have an explanation for whats going on - but its nice to have a pleasant discussion here to see what other people think eh.

 

Anonymous User
Not applicable

I've long suspected that Sky simply don't want to cannibalise subscription to their far more lucrative dish based services. I had Sky for years, and it's simply too expensive for the amount/quality of content available. I switched years ago to Freeview, happy to buy/rent the occasional movie from iTunes and that worked out great. I saved money, and barely missed out on any entertainment. 

In the past few years, Netflix and Amazon Prime have made Sky look ever more redundant unless you're into the sports that they own exclusively. I'm thankful I got bored with F1 around the same time Sky took it over.

Now having a great quality Now TV app perfectly integrated with Apple TV, and having the option to easily take the occasional one month subscription to catch up with some of their big exclusive shows such as Game of Thrones would make Sky's traditional system look horribly unappealing for a lot of people. It makes perfect sense for them to keep a barely working app for people like me to use rarely.

Anonymous User
Not applicable
While I appreciate your the occasional subscriber, for those of use that have a monthly ongoing subscription we want equal performance on AppleTV as other platforms. After-all are paying the same monthly costs for a worse user experience and with the current app it is difficult to get the full benefits as searching for programs and continuing a series is difficult.
RoyB
Legend

@Anonymous User 

 

I don’t have figures for what percentage of users watch NowTV on what platform, but I can’t see AppleTV bubbling up all that high, even if they ever get it working properly.

 

So why not cripple the Sticks instead?

To some, it would seem that NowTV have just had a trial run at that; though here, as with the AppleTV situation, never ascribe to C o n s p i r a c y what can be ascribed to C o c k - u p.

Set a Payment PIN on your account so that no-one but you can buy memberships on it. Check your bank accounts monthly for any other unexpected payments to Now. That way you can at least nip them in the bud, while you and Now figure out whose fault they are.