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.

[nst]

@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]

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]

It that is the case I am am not getting all the boost features I am paying for then goodbye NowTV!

[nst]

@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]

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]

@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]

@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]

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]

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]

@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.

[nst]

@RoyB 

Nobody has any idea of figures of course.

But I feel this is definitely a self-fulfilling problem.

Nobody is using the AppleTV app because its useless!.... thats not necessarily a reflection of how many active (and potential) AppleTV owners are out there itching to use NowTV on their box.

Bear in mind, that most people who have an AppleTV *may* also have access to another device such as the in-built smart TV app on their TV, or maybe they have a PS4 or Xbox.  Therefore those appleTV owners will not be on NowTV's radar as they have elected to use a different platform even if they really wanted to use their AppleTV (as the probably do for all other streaming services they access).  Personally I bought the NowTV box when it was cheap and use that because of my need for boost support.

i cant imagine that the current app on the AppleTV has all that many active users as the experience is appalling and they arent getting the functionality that they are paying for - they dont get a discount for not having a watchlist and a continue watching function...

As I say, I think most AppleTV owners are "temporarily" using another platform - though itching to get back to to using the AppleTV as soon as they can..... either that or they are patiently waiting for the new app to enable them to become an active user again.

[Hooba]

Presumably when Boost was made available NowTV usage on AppleTV took a hit? I effectively walked away from it at that point. Before then I could live with the ancient / rubbish app. Didn't matter what device you were using, it was all 720p, 25FPS, stereo sound. I'd be surprised if other didn't follow suit.

But presumably NowTV spotted that and so far have decided not act.

I wonder what has happened to subscriber numbers, and devices that people are now using, since Boost became a thing, plus the availability on BT boxes.Perhaps NowTV are comfortable with that end result, and want to retain the current status quo. Who knows? 

[nst]

I think you are absolutely right.

Those who stuck with the app may well have walked away when you did.

It takes the mick a bit when the app is so far behind that of all the other platforms that the functionality you are getting is not the same - yet the service costs the same.  I feel its so bad that they shouldn't even currently advertise the AppleTV as a supported device.

Im surprised that the update isn't a lot more 'urgent' than it seems to be.

The beta has been ongoing for 3+ months and frankly doesnt seem to be moving along very fast.  At this rate I dont see the app dropping to the public until at least August.

As you say, there cant really be many active users out there on the old AppleTV app.  Most would have voted with their feet or as I did succumbed to another platform (albeit temporarily)

[waldopepper]

"I've long suspected that Sky simply don't want to cannibalise subscription to their far more lucrative dish based services."

I also pondered this, but then why do they have a set-top box / stick that you can buy and use for NowTV prices vs Sky dish ones! It's baffling that they offer the service via an app on a popular device but leave it so far behind. We can discuss this until the ends of the earth but I doubt we will ever find out why unless someone leaves their employment and spills the beans.

[nst]

@waldopepper 

Lets not forget this is a bit of a moot point as there *is* a much more up to date and feature rich app in the pipeline and it should be with the public sometime (ish).

As to why its taken so long and why the AppleTV as a platform has been left so neglected for so long... thats something we will never know.

I dont believe there is cannibalisation even though I myself left SkyQ for NowTV - OK its the same content but many prefer the premium services that SkQ offer - and that sets it apart - such as non-streamed content, PVR recording, and 4K picture quality. 

My theory, as I have stated before, is that NowTV have bold ambitions and want to look as good as the competition i.e. Netflix and have a huge list of "supported platforms".  I suspect the reality is that the development resources are spread far too thinly at NowTV towers... and its easy for them to lose track or de-prioritise certain platforms in favour of others.  Of course the NowTV box/stick gets the lions share of the development capacity and is always bang up to date.  AppleTV languishes down the bottom along with some smartTV OSs - and it shows.

Its surprising as the iOS (and iPadOS) is also very well maintained - yet the AppleTV app should be a universal binary and they could easily keep the whole lot in step.

[Anonymous User]

Skyq films and boxsets were streamed content and 4k was an additional fee same HD of the older boxes.

I fear Nowtv are so slow with updates that when they release it it wont be compatible with the up and coming iosTV 14

[Anonymous User]

One factor that I've not seen mentioned thus far and would explain most, if not all the issues/ shortcomings is the competence level of the app developer(s), or lack thereof.

If this is something Now TV are undertaking in house, they could literally be using a bedroom coder to do it. Or with the time it's taken thus far, several bedroom coders who have all failed up to this point.

Paul

[nst]

@Anonymous User 

I agree. There is definitely a lack of skilled resources on the TVOS "team" (I use that phrase lightly).

However, what doesn't make too much sense is that the iOS (and iPadOS) version of the app is great - and fully up to date and regularly updated.

As I understand it, iOS/IPadOS AND TVOS apps are a universal binary, and the same app if coded correctly will run on all 3 devices without needing changes.  I dont understand why the AppleTV app isn't just running the already working and well-maintained iOS version - surely its easier to tweak that to ensure that it works on TVOS instead of seemingly developing a whole new and separate app for the platform.  Of course the concern at this approach is that you end up with another app that could well fall into disrepair just as the existing original AppleTV app has done.

I just hope that when the new version is released that it gets the same ongoing TLC that they give to the iOS version.

[Anonymous User]

@nst 

That being the case, it doesn't sound as though they're directly porting the iOS/ iPadOS app across. If they were, it would have been done and dusted years ago and kept up to date, as the iOS/ iPadOS app is.

Have you compared the iOS app with the TVOS the other Apple apps at all?

Paul

[MrZippy]

It’s already realised as a universal app on the Irish App Store, and it looks identical to the beta.

[Anonymous User]

@MrZippy 

So Irish users have Boost available on their ATVs?

Paul