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.

[MrZippy]

Don’t get me wrong, the remote functionality is good. Although maybe a couple of extra buttons would be nice instead of having to hold a button down to do something, hardly a good easy interface. I note that tvOS 14 now has a pop up to tell you how to switch users.

My main issue is it’s too thin and symmetrical. It’s either lost down the cushions of the sofa or it’s the wrong way up as even the IR transmitter has an identical hole for the power cable. I know the 4K remote tweaked this with the white circle.

[nst]

well, with a faster chip to accommodate higher quality...

a tweaked remote (though I have zero issues with the current 4K one)...

a newly updated NowTV app that supports boost, and TV app integration (the reasons we assume for the continued delays as this isn't in the functioning beta)...

The AppleTV is really the box to beat.  Its got a great interface, smooth, fast, and not busy and cluttered like the fire stick is...

... add to that the fact that it accommodates pretty much all the streaming services whereas most other boxes miss out one or two (no nowtv on first stick... )..

.. and the fact that full TV app integration is incredibly useful... (please Netflix play nice here too).. it really should be the only set top box you need.

[Simonpaddy1]

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.. and the fact that full TV app integration is incredibly useful... (please Netflix play nice here too).. it really should be the only set top box you need.

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I notice that at some point over the past week BritBox UK has added TV integration...

[dr_necessitor]

Re current beta app release, there’s still 29 days until it expires (according to my TestFlight) - so it’s obviously early days yet.

Although my personal expectation is that, when push comes to shove in 29 days time, it will be same as before (and I mean same as 2 years ago now - crikey has this been dragging on that long now? - and it will all go a bit “Yogi Berra” (i.e. “déja vu all over again”...

[Anonymous User]

I’m hoping not, hopefully they release it in 29 days and get everything sorted.

[MrZippy]

I wouldn’t hold your breath.

[Enapace]

Not sure what you guys are reading but my TestFlight says 27 days so less than 4 weeks left now till it expires. 

[nst]

Unfortunately the TestFlight expiry date means nothing.

Its an arbitrary period of time for which the current beta version is valid for thats set on release.  It not an indication of anything else.  Typically its been 90 days or suchlike.

Its not as if this is some kind of countdown to the live release... far from it.  Its just a countdown to beta expiration. 

Hopefully.... the live release will pre-date the current expiration!

We live in hope.

I do wonder out loud whats taking the time.... we've had a perfectly adequately (though not polished) beta since beta 2 in May/June (cant remember).  

As has been said before.. there are a number of additional things they intended to include that were specifically not in the Beta... so I can only guess that its these things that are causing the problems pre-release.

Remember, the autumn window is still open.

[dr_necessitor]

TestFlight says it’s 21 days until beta app 6.2.8(2) expires for me

[Anonymous User]

@ dr_necessitor

And still no word from the trials manager with any news on what’s going on. Makes you want to give up doesn’t it.

[MrZippy]

They was when I emailed earlier in the week, I was told autumn 2020 release planned. But we’ll see.

[nst]

Like many of us I tire of the ever drawn out release of this - its been in beta since March...

However regardless of guesswork.. and expiring beta dates (which are irrelevant in context)..

The one concrete thing we've been told is that it should launch in the Autumn.  Its still the Autumn.  "promising" Autumn gives them a wide window:  in the UK the Autumn is 22nd September to 21st December.

Of course the trial is going to expire.. and will it be extended... or stop working... or the new version released before that?  Who knows.  We had this discussion when the last beta was about to expire.

Remember... technically they still have till 21 Dec if they intend to keep to the autumn timeframe.

[dr_necessitor]

Based on my extensive past experience of this beta, my guess is that “the beta app stops working at expiry” is more likely than “the beta app launches publicly before it stops working” (but I have of course become somewhat cynical of the whole situation after more than 2 years of this palava)

[nst]

@dr_necessitor 

Totally understand that perspective.  Myself having only been involved in the current beta.. and not the previous one too.... personally I think this one has dragged on too long but adding on the last one too - very frustrating.

Yes it does make you wonder whats happening.  Most logic and reason doesnt really apply here - "surely they will release it before x,y,z" but nothing seems to work!  TVOS14 release? No.  Expiration of the previous beta? No.  Of course we arent privy to the behind the scenes stuff so what do we know anyway.

So, where are we now?  A beta with 3 (well, 2.5) iterations and one that is a pretty reasonable candidate for release having been running for the last few months.  Seems no reason not to go live with it.

I remember... a year ago I decided to renew my passes and ditch SkyQ as an all-in NowTV customer... and then the AppleTV app was appalling but there was rumour of the new version.. Back then I assumed we were weeks from a new version but here we are a year later.

I think we are further ahead than before given that the beta is stable, functional, and they have been at least a little vocal promising people an "autumn" launch - and as I said before that gives them till 21 Dec.  Of course meanwhile we have the impending expiry of the beta - so will it expire... or be renewed, or will we have the public release before that happens.  We shall see but nobody is holding their breath!

[Anonymous User]

They won't release EVER

Comcast and Sky are trying to move content to SkyQ (next will be Disney) instead of producing thins (like Apple, Netflix, Amazon and Disney)

So if you are a distributor you try to move people within your content framework

Figure out what will happen if they release Nowtv on tvOS and AndroidTV

people will subscribe only on the basis of the content and not the channel

[Anonymous User]

Now Tv is already on Android tv.

[Enapace]

@Anonymous User 

You are really behind the times first off there is no disney content really left on Sky Q all the disney channels are gone and the vast majority of the disney/fox films [Rest will be gone by middle of next year I imagine.] only thing left is Fox and National Geographic. 

Second NowTV have launched on Android TV to a limited degree already on Sony TVs. It will eventually be updated on TVOS as well there is two ISPs in UK who are offering Apple TV boxes and all saying NowTV is one of the benefits i can't imagine they would be happy if it wasn't. 

[Anonymous User]

They keep sending me offers to subscribe.

Not until they update the app will I consider it.

[Anonymous User]

I think there is definitely some truth in this. I don’t think Sky or NowTV have any interest in investing in the NowTV infrastructure. 

Scrolling through Twitter the other day, I saw they were promoting Boost and in the comments underneath they were being absolutely slated to have the nerve to ask people to upgrade to 1080p when companies like Netflix and Amazon are offering 4K as standard. A very fair criticism if you ask me.

The other common complaint is that they have a lot of unsupported devices, such as recently no longer supporting the white boxes, without even notifying some of the customers. This doesn’t affect me directly, but it goes hand in hand with my initial comment about not wanting to invest in the infrastructure.

I’ve been with NowTV for just over a year after cancelling my Sky Q subscription due to poor coverage and persistent inference, and I can hand on heart say, I’ve had enough and will be cancelling my subscription with NowTV after Christmas. 

The feeling I am getting from them, is offering customers a similar catalogue of content but on a much much worse and unreliable platform to coerce customers to switch over to Sky Q.

Personally, there is only two things that they could do to retain me as a customer. 1) implement the long overdue update to the Apple TV 4K

2) include the TV app support for the top row to make accessing content easier. 

[AlexB83]

I think that full sky should have a few benefits over now tv, I look at now tv as a lite version of now but with added flexibility and they do put now tv on a variety of platforms. Also they know not everybody can afford a full sky subscription but it allows people to dip in and out and some aren't able of have a satellite dish. Also Netflix does not offer 4k as standard it's only on their premium Tier

[MrZippy]

I’m being lazy as online but I believe the cheapest Netflix tier is SD too. But certainly 4K is premium. It is standard on Amazon Prime though.