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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
nst
Elite

Small, but ultimately no-news kinda update for the 5.1 saga.

 

I tweeted NowHelp again as I think its a good idea to keep up the impression that people are indeed using the AppleTV app and are waiting for the 5.1 situation to be resolved.

 

My tweet:

 

Can we please have an update on appletv now app for 5.1 sound. It’s been many weeks since we discovered the app is capable of 5.1 via live stream yet on demand remains at 2.0 for boost subscribers. Almost 1 year on from launch and still not fixed. Why please?

 

Their reply:

 

This is totally understandable and this feedback has been raised to the team recently. Especially with the addition of our latest app we hope this can come to fruition. Thank you for getting in touch. - TD

 

 

As noted the Now app was relatively recently updated with a slightly updated interface - and still that opportunity wasn't taken to resolve this.

It really does continually add to my theory that this 5.1 situation is artificial - especially as we know the app can do 5.1 on the live streams...

It will be fixed... one year in... so its nearly November now - almost 11 months after launch.  Just one more month to go till this gets miraculously fixed.  Do I get a prize? 🙂 

 

 

Anonymous User
Not applicable
I’m done with NowTV. There is still no native support for the Apple remote
(I’ve purchased the new one) I don’t think there will either. I refuse to
pay £9.99 and have adverts. Most of the fox content is on Disney+ now.
Regarding Sky exclusive content a friend has helped out via a vpn and a
couple of sites that get me that content.
nst
Elite

@Anonymous User 

 

I agree in that Now's offering seems increasingly un-competitive.

 

Disney+ in particular since taking on the Stars content (Fox) has more and more exclusive content in high quality with 4K and Atmos streams too - and no ads.

 

Any paid streaming service should not contain ads although im not sure how Sky have ever justified the ads on Sky1 when thats been a paid service forever.

 

Your comment about the remote is true but to be fair a lot of the other apps on AppleTV have yet to natively support it.  Now are no different and the least likely to do so.  Thats a lost cause.

 

I find it interesting to see where Now are headed.  It seems like they have their head in the sand really and are making moves that seem to forget the competition.  For Movies and Entertainment... charging way more than any other streaming service... and their content is increasingly less compelling and different... and including ads, and charging £5 a month more for the privilege of a video and sound experience 10 years out of date and far behind the others... all told this seems insane.

They simply wont last.  Maybe they will disappear and become part of Sky Glass in one way or another eventually.  Who knows.

Right now they have to pull their socks up and realise that customer experience and cost are key and their customer base is not guaranteed just because of the content.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Agreed about streaming services adding Adverts despite you already paying for the service.

 

On a related note, I started watching Control on Amazon Prime the other day, when I looked up online if it was on Amazon it said 'Watch now: free with Ads" and assumed  this was for non-Prime members (maybe I wasn't logged in on that browser), but low and behold, about a third of the way through the film without any warning (that you might get when watching on terrestrial TV) ADVERTS. As this is a black and white film and the ads were loud colourful ones it really ruined watching the film. Nice one Amazon.

nst
Elite

@Anonymous User 

 

Interesting with 'control' ... however this is a new, and separate type of 'offering' seemingly.

 

Its not a Prime movie.  Its not Prime content....

 

It can be purchased... it can be rented... but also watchable 'free with ads'.

 

Doesn't seem bad to me to be fair.

 

IF they started to put ads in the middle of PRIME content.. then id be mad.  But they havent.  Yet.... just those annoying pre-show amazon content ads which aren't long to be fair.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@nst 

 

Sky Glass is going be a huge huge flop look at the sky community forum there recording functionality is far worse version of Apple's Continue Watching List. It records nothing whatso ever it just links you to iplayer all4 etc. So many people are cancelling it's a glorified NowTV with live BBC/ITV but nothing else basically the same as you could of got with the NowTV Freeview Boxes really. 

 

I'm happy i didn't go for it and waited see proper reviews i did wonder why no reviewer TVs were handed out last week now I know because it's a terrible experience. There talking system they boasted about doesn't work with netflix and on amazon prime it misses entire seasons. Some of this could be fixed with software updates but a lot of it can't be specially the playlist which Sky have do no expense what so ever into and just linking you to apps.

nst
Elite

@Anonymous User 

 

Interesting observation.

I wondered how sky glass would work.

 

So, its basically just an attempt to create what we in this forum thread already have... i.e. the AppleTV TV app which aggregates content from other streaming services.

 

The TV app is great and its the reason I use the AppleTV and its the reason I left the very expensive SkyQ behind.

 

AppleTV TV app and its ability to sync across your phone and iPad etc is a far superior solution to a physical recording on a skyQ box.

 

Its not flawless however.  its a huge shame that Netflix don't play ball - but all the others do - even so sometimes the catchup services inexplicably don't upload their shows in a timely manner and in some cases it can take days which is quite frustrating.  If Sky Glass relies on this too then there are about to be some very dissatisfied customers.  My rationale is that Id rather wait a few days in rare instances than pay £55 a month for a SkyQ service.

 

Im not surprised at all that there is no recording facility - to be honest that's quite an old fashioned need when all content is coming from streaming however I admit that some platforms keep things longer than others.  I find that at worst they are available for a month and a best a year.... even the month ones are long enough for me to be able to watch before they disappear.

 

The first reviews are going to be interesting.

Anonymous User
Not applicable
@nst

I’m personally surprised by the apps that support the new iPod inspired jog
wheel on the new Apple remote. All4 supports it, and the ITV Hub too.
AppleTV+ does (obviously). Netflix does. I haven’t tried it on Prime yet.
YouTube doesn’t but still works reasonably for me. It just seems to be
Disney+ who are holding out but I can very easily skip forwards/backwards
In 10 second increments. And pausing with the centre button I can still
scrub forward and backwards through content by using the centre button as
doubles up as touch pad.

nst
Elite

So here we are... about to hit November, and nearly the 11 month point since the AppleTV app was released (11 months and 1 week before the Firestick one was released 🙂 )

 

There have been several updates to the app in the last 11 months.

 

Most recently an updated look with content displayed in the top of the screen, brining it visually more in line with Netflix etc.

 

However... none of theses updates have managed the oh-so-tricky task of providing a 5.1 soundtrack.

... or have they....

... as we all know that the "live" streams via the apple TV app work perfectly well in 5.1 (on an app which officially is unable to supply a 5.1 soundtrack) and yet this eludes the capabilities of the on demand content.

 

Anyway, my annoying theory carries on... an arbitrary (contractually agreed with Amazon) period of functional disadvantages until it magically starts working for on demand content.  

 

I still think its 1 year.  I still think that it will miraculously be fixed in December... Do I get a prize for predicting it? 🙂 

 

I know this is a bit far fetched, but when we dont get any concrete information from Now despite asking over and over and told that its going to be fixed "soon" (remember that line in December last year?)... you have to start making up your own theories and reasons.

 

The fact remains that although we are not supposed to have noticed this... the App is providing 5.1 very easily and happily on Live content.  There is NO reason that the on demand content cant also stream in 5.1 is there..... and this has been the case for a few months now.

 

.. Just waiting for that switch to be flicked in Now HQ to allow on demand in 5.1 on the AppleTV app.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@nst 

 

Apple has just signed an agreement to allow Apple TV+ content on there Sky Glass and Sky Q platforms and from next year to allow Sky Go on Apple TV. Expect as part of that agreement Now Apple TV app has to be brought up same standard as Firesticks at least I hope it does taken long time for agreement to be sorted.