cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
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
Anonymous User
Not applicable
I have had an email from NOW TV offering me the cinema package for half
price for six months. I’m not taking it up though because 1) The selection
of films is poor and 2) I will not watch a film without 5.1 sound at least
and I’m not willing to pay more for boost when it should be standard at
that kind of price.
Anonymous User
Not applicable
If only more people voted with their feet!
Anonymous User
Not applicable

I have multiple accounts on different email addresses from where I’ve used different trials and bought boxes/vouchers. I’ve stopped getting any emails to the inactive accounts trying to lure me back. You only need to search HotUKDeals for Now TV to see how little promo they are putting in to even attract new customers. It very much feels they can’t be bothered anymore. 

nickmorc
Expert 2

I do think that we are now seeing the end of Now tv.

Sky would rather concentrate on their main satellite service. Out of all the streaming services they have become the white elephant.  

A great shame, but it just looks that way to me. The apple app tv app has to be the biggest example of a very poorly managed off shoot of Sky.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@nickmorc 

 

Not sure that is true NowTV has added a lot of features this year that it should of had for years now all of the Live TV channels are in HD more Sports channels are 50FPS [Should be all though] red button and on demand added.

 

Problem with NowTV is the fact all the apps aren't up to the same standard and it varies so big between them. 

nst
Elite

@nickmorc 

 

I would disagree for 2 main reasons.

 

Firstly, don't use AppleTV as the yardstick here.   Most, if not all other currently supported platforms have the 'proper' NowTV app, functionality, and experience.  Updates are made quite frequently.  Just recently for example there have been releases for the Google platform, and the next gen consoles too.  You can't say there are neglecting everyone.... but that makes the mystery of why the AppleTV has been left in such a terrible state for such a long time even more perplexing.  Hopefully we are on the cusp of this finally being rectified.

 

Secondly, Sky needs a "poor mans" service.  SkyQ is the premium all singing all dancing 4K service which costs and arm and a leg.  NowTV is there to get extra revenue for those willing to sacrifice 4K (yet pay more for HD) and still get most of their content for a much lower monthly cost with no contract.  Its just like mobile phone operators offering 2 years contracts vs monthly pay as you go stuff - horses for courses.  We could Argue the relative merits when compared to the other main players in the UK streaming services game... and of course content aside, they don't come anywhere close to Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime in terms of technical functionality, picture quality, cost... etc etc... all the main things you need to compare them with.

 

This leads to an interesting question - taken at face value does the current NowTV service stack up well with the others in the UK market?  Well, no it doesn't.  Will NowTV as we know it continue for years to come?  Well, perhaps not.  I was reading a while ago that Sky were going to launch a new SkyQ type service that doesn't need a dish - therefore its a streaming service of course... and THAT service will be where we will start to see the lines blur and maybe even NowTV being retired.  I can see this new service certainly being 4K... and more expensive that NowTV, and probably with a lengthy contract tie-in... but cheaper than the SkyQ dish service.

 

Interesting to see where this is heading long term,  But, unless they make the experience great on ALL the platforms they purport to support (the consumer should not have to change their streaming box as the NowTV app is rubbish on it) then people will vote with their feet.

 

The shame with NowTV is that like it or not.. their content is unique and premium.  New Movies appear first mostly on Sky Cinema (yes there are several examples where Amazon and Netflix snag them but not many), and also offerings on Sky1 and Sky Atlantic cannot be found elsewhere.  NowTV know that and I suspect that where the complacency lies.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

I didn’t get an email for my dormant account I logged in and there were offers when I selected passes.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Most people posting here seem to assume that Sky cares about its customers. It doesn't. We are an inconvenience, but one that must be tolerated so that the company can get our cash. It still surprises me just how many people are happy to pay Sky for a service which is basically ads. with bits of programming thrown in for good measure. That's one of the attractions for NowTV, although I read somewhere that Sky was considering inserting ads. into streams. Some material that's been aired on Sky Witness now has placeholders -- the Sky Witness banner on a grey background with an annoying audio loop. The moment that ads. appear in NowTV streams is the moment that I'd walk away from the service for good.

 

The updated SkyQ streaming box service seems to have died a death. A casualty of the ComCast takeover, no doubt.

 

As for NowTV, well it's a vehicle to gather more customers who can't or won't have a satellite dish. I have several friends who fall into that category.

 

Sky position on the NowTV app. on Apple kit makes no sense. There is clearly something going on behind the scenes that's having an impact.

 

The big gotcha here is that Sky does carry a lot of content that people want to watch. As consumers we're in a general no-win situation. Pay-up or don't watch.

 

I'm extremely doubtful that any updated NowTV app. will surface for ATV, or if it does, it won't be fully-fledged. Whether that's out of spite, contempt for viewers, laziness, incompetence or something else is anyone's guess.

 

I'm continuing to monitor the situation, but am not hopeful.

nst
Elite

@Anonymous User 

 

So full of cynicism !

 

I can't argue your points as I don't work for sky.  I don't think that they quite deserve the full force of your ire there.

 

However I totally agree - paid streaming services should not carry adverts.  Amazon prime are a tad annoying when they insert some self promotion in front of their shows but its not all that intrusive.

And as a Sky/SkyQ customer for many, many years of my life I also totally agree that there's something wrong when you pay a subscription for their content and its deluged with Ads.  Again there should be no ads on there.  The only saving grace has been that I recorded everything I watched... never live, and always skipped through the ads.  Of course Sky aren't alone here as Virgin media and im sure others also have ads. 

 

I would certainly tell you that when you say "I'm extremely doubtful that any updated NowTV app. will surface for ATV" then you are wrong.  There IS one coming.  Its been a long time coming but it is on its way.  The only way it wont be seen as "fully fledged" is if they released it without Boost support.  If it does then it will have functional parity with all the other platforms.   We also hope its going to have appleTV app integration but that's a feature that no other platforms will have so if they truly DO give us that, then the AppleTV app jumps head and shoulders over the other platforms - even NowTV's own.... and for that reason even though its been promised Id be pleasantly surprised to see it appear.

 

 

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@nst

 

> Sky were going to launch a new SkyQ type service that doesn't need a dish

I believe this was trialled in some European regions (e.g. Austria) as Sky X, a cheaper, streaming version of Sky Q.