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]

Think about it... what we are saying here.

What a shame... after all that effort and pretend pseudo-beta-testing that we all had to go through.. they deliver an app that is in many ways inferior to the appalling one that it replaced.

Your points are correct in that its a better experience from the scrubbing forward/backward perspective.

Of course the new app has a number of features that are needed but nowhere near what we want or were promised.  I think we would even settle for functional parity with the Firestick app but that seems too much to ask.

4 months in and no sign of that 'temporary problem' of not being able to output 5.1 audio being addressed... no surprise there.

TV app integration was something I was never expecting and I can understand why they would not want to support it as it gives the AppleTV hardware a big advantage over all the others and im sure NowTV dont want that to happen - when it was promised in Beta I was surprised... but the fact it didn't get released and still hasn't doesn't really shock me at all.

[Xtal]

Not sure if this has been mentioned but just noticed that search functionality is completely broken in the app too.

If I search for ‘console wars’ for example I get ‘no results found’ but of course it’s there... I’m now having to search for shows on my phone, add them to the my TV list and then open the Apple TV app.

Any live TV I watch still has a weird black splotchy pattern overlaid despite me reporting it in the ‘beta’, at least with Sky One. I’ve actually had to stop watching live as I’m concerned it’s going to damage my OLED...

[nst]

@Xtal 

As a fellow "beta tester" I would agree that almost everything we took the time, trouble, and effort in testing and feeding back to the trials team was ignored.

Looking at what we have now... I wonder why any of us even bothered to take part. 

It was stretched out over 8 months of effort and despite many things being fed back and promised in return nothing was done.

Its a shame.

Whats worse is that what was delivered in december was apparently a stop gap and that it would be improved soon.  Its now been 5 months and although a couple of app updates its nothing material or changed what we got or added the features that were promised.

Given its been 5 months I no longer hold out any hope that the app will progress beyond what we have today.  Promises were made from the nowTV help twitter account but of course this remains unfulfilled.

A real shame.

I dont want to be using the Firestick but I have no other choice.

[johnyslats83]

Can barely believe it but glad to see Apple TV app integration as of this morning!

[nst]

seriously?? after I just had a major whine???

How do you know?

Have they also sorted 5.1 sound?

[Samuel71]

What the hell... that’s crazy just seen that myself.... might restart it now

[nst]

im at work and can't check.. although I can on the iPhone as the functionality would work across devices.

Please report back and let me know what you find.

if it is working im very surprised.  

However it remains unusable without 5.1 for me!  can someone with boost check that too?

Why dont they have release notes to tell us that these things are working?

[Anonymous User]

I can’t believe it!

If only Netflix would get on board with Up Next then every provider I use could be accessed through the TV app. TV app integration for Now TV has solved the issues with the NowTV app such as “sticky” interface and lack of voice search — I can just do that through the TV app instead. Fix the playback navigation to use native controls and this is as close as perfect as I think we will get. 

[nst]

ive just been able to use my iPhone to access the TV app, search for a show on NowTV, add the show, and it appears in up next.

So, suprisingly its been done.  Amazing.  Never thought they would.

Why dont they announce this somewhere... its a HUGE deal for AppleTV owners.

And some who have abandoned the platform due to the app released in december they would probably come back now knowing that the TV app integration in here.

TV app integration is a huge USP for the AppleTV platform and having another mainstream app use it is a huge bonus - just Netflix annoyingly hold back now.

However as ive said before that 5.1 issue is a big one for me at least - can anyone check to see if thats fixed too?

[johnyslats83]

Tested on iPhone and an Apple TV 4K.  I have boost but not seeing 5.1 unfortunately 

[nst]

@johnyslats83 

Damnit.

Thanks for looking.

I remain bemused as to why this is technically difficult when all the other streaming apps manage 5.1.... and atmos, and 4K.  Whats the problem exactly?

My main 'TV watching interface' is the AppleTV TV app.  It keeps track of whats ready to watch when... and its a pain to have to go into NowTV, and Netflix to check on availability of new episodes of shows you are watching.

Even if I can't watch the shows using the AppleTV app due to the lack of 5.1, at least I will now be prompted of new episodes of shows available via the TV app.  Thats a step forward from what we had.

[nst]

interesting update.

I just tweeted Now Help Team (nee NowTV help) and asked about 5.1.

They replied saying I should delete and reinstall the app.  OK this is a very generic response and Im not able to do this right now... but I replied asking if they can confirm that 5.1 has indeed been included now (otherwise I wont bother doing the reinstall)...

I await confirmation.

[Anonymous User]

Is it just me or does the movies not show up in up next and just tv shows

[nst]

its just you

works fine same as TV shows.

Remember that your existing 'watchlist' in the NowTV app will not automatically transfer to the AppleTV TV app.

You need to re-search for the items from within the TV app and (+ADD) them manually.

From that point forward TV app will keep tabs.

Im assuming that like Amazon etc you dont need to use the NowTV app watchlist anymore as the AppleTV TV app one takes over from here on in.

[nst]

Another update.

My tweet was replied to.  No surprise but the 'reinstall the app' advice was completely wrong as they apparently HAVE NOT implemented 5.1 audio.

I got the same response which is that they are working on it.... but this has been the case since goodness knows when.  We were certainly told this same thing in December.

So i replied asking them to pass on to the dev team that I would like to know the problem here and that until 5.1 is implemented some boost subscribers still can't use the app.  Also why is it ONLY nowTV who 'cant' have 5.1 when all the other streaming services manage it and then some.

[Simonpaddy1]

Not much new to add, but I spent the best part of two years moaning that we didn't have so....hat tip, thanks very much.

[Anonymous User]

@Enapace

So do we take it that now we have Apple TV intergration other things will follow and hopefully Now isn’t so pro Amazon.

[Enapace]

@Anonymous User 

Err it does lol I haven’t even put my Apple TV Box on this month been using my Firestick and my PS5

[Anonymous User]

@Enapace

With obviously the exception to Netflix, it is nice to be able to search for a film in the Apple TV app and not have to search now tv and Netflix separately now.

If they could just sort the sound out now and maybe add a bit of top row and the remote features I think were pretty much there.

[dr_necessitor]

Yeah just needs the 5.1 sound now, then I’d be reasonably happy with it

[Anonymous User]

It only needs 5.1 to make this app useable now.  I'm tired of NOW Help Team's generic responses to my queries on Twitter.  They know we're not in the '80s right?  Stereo sound?!!!

Integration with the TV app is a step in the right direction so fingers crossed...