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.

[Enapace]

@Anonymous User 

I am looking forward to watching Castle on Disney+ later this month. 

I must admit haven't watched anything on Apple TV+ to be honest I think the Firestick 4K might become my primary streaming device which i never thought it would but has all the apps i could want including the Apple TV app.

Plus it does 4K HDR BT Sport which the Apple TV can't

[Anonymous User]

I completely agree and have cancelled all my NowTV subscriptions in favour of BtSport, Disney+, Netflix and even Britbox.

[Anonymous User]

@Anonymous User

It’s just a shame the only app for live tv is tv player and that isn’t great at all, if we could get a good one for that it would be brilliant.

[Anonymous User]

I’m returning to NOW TV at the end of February for the bonus Walking Dead
episodes, Then I intend leave and return just for season 11 and 12 of the
Walking Dead.

For the above I will be using the old app because it fully supports the
Apple remote, voice search and window in window feature. I’m still livid
that they won’t add subtitles to many popular shows including The Walking
Dead.

After that any compelling HBO content (usually found on Sky Atlantic) will
be obtained by other means. I’ve just reached the end of the limit with
them.

[nst]

@Enapace 

What you've just said perfectly sums up why I think this was done on purpose.

"why would amazon strike a deal with NowTV to make their app better than the AppleTV's?"

.... obviously as it encourages people to use their hardware... purchase their hardware, and then get entrenched into their ecosystem.

Whatever deal might have been made... its clear that Amazon's firestick app is currently technically superior to Apple's and there's no reason this should have been the case.  Missing features like 5.1 are things that could have been included but incredulously were not.. making the Amazon app a far more compelling option.

Even for those like you, @Enapace and me... where I now use my fire stick more than ever before... this is a win for Amazon and would in itself explain why there exists this bizarre and unexplainable disparity in features/quality/user experience.

Will the AppleTV app ever "be allowed" to catch up with firestick?  Yes of course.. but only after a pre-determined amount of time to allow Amazon to entice as many AppleTV users as possible over to their hardware.

Personally, im itching to get back to using the AppleTV as the TV app is something that, although NowTV promised to support but still dont..., is still the unbeatable differentiator and is probably why the others are concerned at the competition and have to resort to underhanded deals to gain more users.

... just a thought!

[Duncaw67]

Hi @nst 

It's amazing how the tv stick is now no longer available on the Now tv website,just before the announcement of Amazon coming aboard,when you go into your account and check your passes or want to buy it says go to Nowtv/Amazon to purchase,strange or what, not!!!!!

[Anonymous User]

@Duncaw67

I heard that Nowtv have stopped using Roku for the devices, if that’s true maybe Nowtv decided to partner with Amazon for the go to device as it’s more affordable than Apple TV. Such a shame as they could of partnered with Apple like EE Tv did and had the best experience.

Just my thoughts though

[Duncaw67]

Hi @Anonymous User 

Just checked my tv upstairs,and nowtv is still working on my roku 4k stick,but I prefer the firestick as my go to device,as it will give you the bitrate for streaming,and it is easy to keep tabs if you have the boost pass,the roku for nowtv is a bit long in the tooth compared to Apple tv and Amazon going forward!!

[Anonymous User]

@Duncaw67

I meant going forward I read that Roku won’t be making Nowtv devices. Which would probably explain why the deal was struck with Amazon in my opinion.

When we were on the trial I asked the question why can’t we pause live tv like on the Nowtv devices and the trials manager said it’s because that feature was licensed to Roku.

Does the Amazon fire stick allow you to pause live tv?

[Duncaw67]

Hi @Anonymous User 

No only the blue now tv box with freeview built in allowed you to pause for up to 1/2 hour,if my memory serves me well,and that boxIMHO was the best nowtv device on the market at the time,but it disappeared like snow off a dyke,to be replaced by the pink smart 4k box which has also gone the same way,and now amazon firestick is the go to platform for Nowtv for the foreseeable future!!!!

[schnapps]

You can pause and rewind the live TV channels for up to 30 minutes with any of the NOW TV devices below: 

• NOW TV Smart Stick
• NOW TV Smart Box with 4K & Voice Search
• NOW TV Smart Box with Freeview
• NOW TV Box (black) 
• BT TV Box (rewind for up to 2 hours) via the BT TV Guide through BT TV.

On all other devices, you can only pause or rewind on demand movies and shows.

Keep in mindYou can’t record whole shows or series on the live TV channels on any device, except via the programme guide on the BT TV Box if you pay for your Passes through BT.

[Duncaw67]

Hi @schnapps 

Thanks for that,forgot the Now tv stick paused live tv,as I bought one when they first came on the market,totally underwhelmed by it as it had the tendency to get quite hot,as mentioned on previous threads,and replaced it with a Roku 4k stick night and day better IMO, then amazon have virtually taken over Nowtv!!!!

[Anonymous User]

@Enapace

If only Apple would create a live channel guide that would incorporate Uk channels like bbc etc and have access to the apps that play nice with the Apple TV app the better, better than that Dona deal were you pay a subscription for movies and shows a bit like Apple Music and it would be a game changer

[Duncaw67]

Hi @Anonymous User 

I thought after the 8 mth beta trial now tv on the apple platform would have all the bells and whistles when it was released to the general public,but the amazon firestick beat them to it,and had everything on it,which was promised by the now tv developers during the trial but sadly failed to materialise as I think the Apple tv box is the best streaming device on the market IMHO,albeit pricey compared to the firestick 4k,which is being sold at £34:99 on the Amazon shopping website,an absolute bargain compared to the Apple tv box!!!

[Anonymous User]

@Duncaw67

I thought exactly the same, I thought it would be head and shoulders above the rest.

I agree I think the Apple TV box is the best on the market, yes it’s pricey but you get what you pay for.

I just wish the Uk markets would play nice with it.

[Duncaw67]

Hi @Anonymous User 

Unfortunately the now tv app on apple seems to have been superceded by the nowtv app appearing out of the blue on the firestick,and the nowtv stick no longer in stock on the website,which means the go to device seems to be the amazon firestick,which I bet will the main platform for Nowtv going forward,and the app on apple tv will be a poor second  in comparison!!!!

[Enapace]

@Anonymous User 

To be honest i agree in a way it's the best streaming device on the market and in a way I don't agree with that. It can't support 4K 60 HDR for Sports on BT Sports where as the Firestick can and we can all agree it's far better NowTV Experience so that's a negative to me at least. It has the capabilities to be the best streaming device in the UK if it was properly developed by developers but it doesn't seem like it currently is. So at the moment for me the best Streaming Device is the Fire Stick 4K sad as that is. 

[nst]

As many may know.... there is an imminent software update due for the Firestick.

The software is already available on the newer models but will roll out to the older ones including the 4K firestick any time from now.

This is an actual update... not one of those 'nowTV' ones that never happen.

It will be interesting to see if it addresses the many issues I have with the Firestick's user interface.

That being said, I am still a fan of AppleTV... the TV app is unbeatable.  I don't want to be in the position of switching back and forth from the Firestick to the AppleTV but I do find myself staying with the firestick if I need NowTV content then not leaving to continue to use its iplayer/prime video/disney+ apps rather than go back to AppleTV.

again this all feels like a grand plan to drive users to the Firestick (and with many of the last 10 or so posts in this thread to back that up)... definitely at the expense of the AppleTV.  I wonder to myself out loud.... imagine that the AppleTV app had been delivered as promised... with all the features we were assured would be there.... would any AppleTV owners had even bothered to download the app on their firestick?  I suspect not.... all very fishy.

[Anonymous User]

Agreed, the user experience on Apple TV is very poor, including responsiveness of remote, positioning of the highlight, logical layout of shows and movies. Also I’m annoyed I’m not getting 5.1 and the titles don’t tell me about the resolution. It’s the worst app among Disney, Netflix, Prime, tv+. It feels like a port to Apple TV and not a native development.

[Anonymous User]

Unfortunately you will have to get used to it, they have no intention of sorting it out, had a reply back from the trials manager which basically said they can’t discuss anything with the public regarding development and everything that was promised prior to launch wasn’t added because not all things that are tested make it to launch, I find this funny as we never got to test the Apple TV intergration during the trial

[Anonymous User]

They could use the old app. I'm using it and it's very responsive. It has a
window in window feature, voice search and it's very easy to scrub forwards
and backwards.