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.

[Hooba]

I suspect SkyX, if it ever sees the light of day, will be sold in the same way (and same price) as SkyQ i.e. consumers tied into long term contracts. Very different to NowTV model of dip in, dip out, on a monthly basis. Hobbling NowTV gives them the space to do SkyX if they ever want to.

[nst]

@dr_necessitor 

Absolutely. 

In my case, I do have a dish but SkyQ got so expensive - Movies and TV was £55 for me when I cancelled a year ago.  I had the opportunity to get a years pass for £99 to cover movies and tv... a no brainer at the time.  Of course the subsequent AppleTV app debacle has somewhat sullied the experience but generally speaking its fine - as long as its HD and 5.1 - after all there's no point replacing a 4K service with a 720p one.

I now no longer have any traditional means of receiving TV - both my dish and aerial are not connected.  All my programming is via the internet, and ive been quite surprised at how using iPlayer, ITV Hub, All4, and My5 covers live TV adequately.  There have been other benefits and of course the concept of recording TV has vanished as its all on tap.  The AppleTV TV app has been hugely beneficial to me in ditching a recorder as, when it works correctly, its great and totally fulfils that function - you can keep up with the latest episode of something just as easily as if you had a series link record on the go.  NowTV's own watchlist and continue watching also functions adequately although annoying that it doesn't automatically appear when a new episode of a new series starts... you have to have watched episode one before the subsequent ones appear.  It would be a huge benefit for NowTV to integrate with the TV function as Amazon, Disney+, Britbox, iPlayer etc have..... its was such a disappointment when the new app launched without it even though we were promised would.  I hope they fulfil that promise soon.

The only big downside for me is having to sit through Ads.  Ive not had to do this since the late 90's when I first got Sky+.  The trouble with the catchup services is that they bombard you with ads... too many frankly.  The ads at the beginning of the show are just not needed and annoying, and the inability to skip them is equally irritating.. and if you want to go to the end of a show for any reason you still have to sit through loads of ads to do so.

The ads are a pain, but considering the cost savings then its worth while.

[Clem_Dye]

I just completed the NowTV survey that asked me why I cancelled my passes. One of the reasons that I cited in the free text field was NowTV’s rubbish support for their app. on ATV kit and their brass neck in charging full price for an add-on, yet only supplying 50% of the service.

All-in-all, pretty pointless, I know, but it gave me the chance to have a rant. It won’t do any good, but perhaps if other ATV users cancelling their passes gave the same reasons, maybe Sky might just get the message. Unlikely, of course, but you never know ...

[Enapace]

@Clem_Dye 

I completely have given up on NowTV ever truly supporting the AppleTV system which is a shame as it a very good system. My Firestick arrived yesterday and it is a dream to use I can actually rewind and fast forward on NowTV and expect with the Amazon partnership it will be kept updated. 

[nst]

@Clem_Dye 

Its good you told them... not that it will make much difference but we can only hope that the terrible half baked app they delivered will be updated.  

At the risk of repeating myself again and again (yes I know I am).. I totally agree with you that boost should be boost... and support all aspects if you charge the £3.  Leaving out 5.1 is appalling.

@Enapace 

interesting thing I noticed today.....

Maybe this should be a different thread... but I was surprised....

I watched the Jack and the Beanstalk thing today... using the Firestick.. which I know the 5.1 works fine on.. or at least it HAS worked fine on.

The show was marked as 5.1... and yet... it was 2.0 (I have a Sonos system and I can see easily via the app what sound is being sent to the speakers).

So... this is something ive noticed before.  Of course the AppleTV app is not 5.1 ... but it seems not all shows labelled as 5.1 actually are 5.1 even on devices we thought were ok with boost.

NowTV this is simply inexcusable.  You label things as 5.1 and yet provide a 2.0 soundtrack.

Getting 5,1 supplied on the AppleTV seems to be only the tip of the iceberg here - as are we so sure that 5.1 is actually being provided on platforms that we are normally sure it should be and therefore not checking... because it isn't.

Definite trades description issue here if we are paying for boost and not getting the advertised service.

[Anonymous User]

I have also cancelled my entertainment pass even though I was already on an
offer.

I left feedback for why I was leaving.
I said you are treating your Apple TV customers with nothing but contempt.

The main reason I said was because of no native support for the Apple TV
remote control & no voice support.

I also had a good moan about the service only providing stereo sound and
720p picture yet asking £9.99 for this.

I said I will now be spending my money on your competitors superior
services which actually cost less than NOW TV but still managed to offer
superior sound and picture.

Personally I can't understand why they are happy to lose paying customers
and what I have said probably won't make any difference but I had to say my
piece.

[MrZippy]

Surely lack of voice support could be covered by the disability discrimination act, as this exists on the device but they don’t offer it. Just throwing ideas out here.

[Anonymous User]

One can only think the revenue they get from nowtv is not that much. As you say cancel by all means but will it make a difference. Whoever runs the development side of things at Nowtv needs replacing or maybe the whole team. A lot of people on here wasted 8 months giving feedback for the App only for them to wheel out this hunk of junk App. And what makes it worse is the firestick App was released a week later and is far Superior. The ATV box is a great device and completely better than the firetv stick or tv.

[dr_necessitor]

@nst Definitely getting 5.1 via Roku Streaming Stick+ on our Sonos system

[nst]

@dr_necessitor 

And for me definitely not getting 5.1 from Firestick for that particular show.

Sometimes it works.  sometimes it doesn't. 

No wonder they can't get it to work at all on the AppleTV!

[Anonymous User]

Don’t know if anyone else uses a HomePod for there sound on ATV but I have to say it isn’t that bad to be fair, don’t know if the HomePod does anything to upscale the sound but it’s definitely useable, and for the sake of being shot down, I completely agree with what everyone else is saying

[nst]

@Anonymous User 

Homepods sound great.

A Stereo pair of HomePods are expensive... but very great!

In fact.. a lot of 'augmented' sound systems (those that replace the twin speakers from generally awful sounding TVs) sound amazing.

However most of them, including the HomePods only really output 2 channel sound.

Even if you have a slightly more expensive Sonos Beam (great device by the way) or the way more expensive Arc.. they still really sound "the same" given a 2.0 signal or a 5.1.  Its only when you place physical speakers behind you AND get a true 5.1 signal that they sound amazing.  I think that even if you have one of those soundbars that have a virtual rear speaker setup.. (which I never really believe works well sorry) you still just wouldn't be able to hear the lack of a true 5.1 soundtrack in these.

For this reason I totally see why a lot of NowTV's customers are perfectly happy with the 2.0 stream as it sounds great in the majority of systems out there.

Heck.. even in my super duper Sonos Arc with rear surrounds the 2.0 sounds good as my system will distribute some sound to the rears even if its only 2.0.  Although sound does seem to be coming from behind you at all times.. there is still a big difference when you get a proper 5.1 or atmos soundtrack.

This is what we are paying for in Boost.. and NowTV are seemingly failing to deliver even though they say they are.

Whats most interesting about this... given what I just said about a lot of speakers sounding great and even the rears getting some sound... unless you physically check the sound output signal (via the Sonos app, or a display indictor on the sound bar), you might even be forgiven for thinking it was 5.1.  Maybe Sly Sky are counting on this.

[nst]

p.s.

I make no apologies for the fact it irritates the hell out of me that I am paying for a boost subscription.... being told I have 5.1 sound via the labels on the content... and yet I can prove that they simply aren't.  (im not talking about the appleTV app here - ive seen this on the new Firestick app and also my LG TV built in app too)

[Anonymous User]

Yes fully agree  there @nst. I previously had a sky hd box in my room along with a sound system so always knew when I was getting surround sound. Sadly as you say the majority of people are just happy with 2.0 sound. Only time they will experience true sound is at the Cinema. As a last suggestion have you thought about contacting Jeremy darroch regarding this. Can not lose anything in the process. 

[ReadyPlayer2]

So, late to the party, but just seen that the ATV app has finally been updated.  However, seems the response to it on here is generally negative - is it just the lack of 5.1 and 1080p that people are unhappy about?

Only quickly skimmed it but, from what I can see, the new app more closely matches the iPad and iPhone apps and I can finally access my Watchlist.

Just curious.

[MrZippy]

It’s awful, watchlist is unreliable, interface poor, scrolling not smooth, no 5.1 support, no swipe fast forward, no voice support, no TV app integration, no iOS remote text entry...

And that’s just off the top of my head!

[waldopepper]

To add insult to injury, I also realised today that pressing the Apple remote Pause button (and also pressing the centre of the swipe area) doesn't pause your programme, you now have to navigate to the Pause button then press this. This isn't just making their app Universal, it's as if they are actively trying to make their app more difficult to use. 

[ReadyPlayer2]

This is weird.  My installation is just like the iOS/iPadOS version.  Smooth scrolling and very responsive, remote text entry works fine (used it to enter my credentials).

Doesn't use native keyboard but can use voice integration via remote app.

[ReadyPlayer2]

Play/pause button works fine for me, as does tapping on the swipe area of the ATV remote.

[nst]

@ReadyPlayer2 

long..LONG story!

TL;DR

App took years to arrive, 8 months in "beta" testing but when it finally got released a number of promised features missing, and many UI irritations exist. "supporting" boost without 5.1 sound is unfathomable given the technical abilities of the AppleTV and the fact that all other content and apps on it have managed 5.1 for years.- its hardly a new fangled thing.

That, coupled with the fact a "surprise" Firestick app appeared completely by surprise one week later, with no beta programme, and managed to be more polished and fully support Boost..

You'll understand why some are irked by the situation!

Of course, on the other side of the fence, its better looking than the old one, and supports watchlist and continue watching - and for many the fiddly nonsensical controls aren't really an issue.  For many too, they have vindicated NowTV's attitude of releasing a full priced, yet half implemented version of boost by no having a 5.1 sound system and thinking that's fine for them.

[ReadyPlayer2]

Yep, don't disagree with anything you've said there.  Have been following this thread since the start.  Was just a bit thrown by the comments as my experience of the revised app seemed a lot better than what people were saying.

I have a 5.1 setup myself, but I use Disney+, Netflix and Prime for all my 5.1 content.  I'm happy to tolerate NowTV at 720p/2.0 for easy access to Sky's catalogue of shows, so I just buy passes as required (just cancelled Sports now the F1 is done), and usually as part of a deal (just got 3 months of movies at half price) which suits me well. 👍🏼