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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
Mark_Weinreb
Legend 5
Legend 5

Guys, I don’t have a 5.1 setup, so I can’t indulge in any testing of this issue. However I had a thought:

Some of you can get 5.1 all the time, some get it some of the time, some only get stereo. So, my thought is, perhaps it is down to the home theatre equipment you’re using and how it is connected to the tv as well as the Apple tv model and actual tv itself. 

If the exact equipment combinations were known, a common factor may just emerge.

 

Sorry if this sounds like “blame the user”, but there must surely be a reason for this conundrum/fiasco.

nst
Elite

@Mark_Weinreb 

 

No its not.

 

Bear in mind those of us with such a setup have it wired in perfectly correctly ....

AND....

 

It works for ALL other apps across appleTV anyway.  We aren't going to go poking around with plugs and wires hen every other app is fine.

Anonymous User
Not applicable


I think the previous user was just wondering if it’s a problem with the now tv app not reading the output properly or not able to send 5.1 to certain outputs rather than the app itself not being apple to do 5.1. Seemed like a valid question to me to see if that’s an issue.

Nothing to do with being set up correctly more to do with now tv not programming the app to detect when to send 5.1 maybe.

I myself have 5.1 capability for all apps but refuse to pay for boost until I know it’s working so can’t test. Actually tbh I refuse to pay for boost as it’s ridiculous in the world of streaming we are that 5.1 isn’t a standard. I’d also pay to go from stereo to Dolby vision and atmos but not just to go to 5.1. 🤦🏻‍♂️
nst
Elite

point being, NOW launched this app 1 year ago.

 

1 year.

 

plus 9 months of "beta testing".

 

.. on a device and OS that has many other streaming apps from many other companies.  ALL of which have been providing 5.1 content since the new AppleTV platform was launched in 2010.  2 0 1 0 - 11 years ago.

 

I find it impossible to accept that NOW are unable to provide a 5.1 stream on a device fully supported by all the other main players in the field... many of whom are no actually providing 4K Dolby ATMOS content now too.

 

Why has it taken a year.  Why is it still not working....

 

Why are they happy to charge AppleTV boost users full price for something that doesn't fully work on the platform?

 

Utterly ridiculous.

 

We can only hope they "fix" this soon.

 

As ive said before many times for the above reasons and more I just dont believe this could possibly be a technical issue.

 

Getting REALLY fed up waiting for this.

 

If this is a technical issue, then NOW should be utterly embarrassed by this.  They charge an arm and a leg compared to Netflix and Disney+ and Amazon Prime... yet they are content to provide the worst service.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

I tried what @Popeye13 said, and this might be a coincidence, but I put on the darts and my Sonos says it’s Dolby Digital 5.1 (I only have a 5.0 setup though.) There is definitely crowd noise in the back speakers, but it’s a little difficult to tell if it is broadcasting in 5.1 but I suspect it is. 

I tried Dexter on demand and the banner still says stereo but Sonos says it’s 5.1, but it’s clearly only stereo as there’s nothing in the back channels. It’s currently also on ‘live’ on Sky Atlantic and Sonos says that is 5.1, and there’s back channel action there. 🤔 

[UPDATE] I checked the broadcast episode to the on demand one. There’s a Leonard Cohen song that plays in episode three, and that played in the back channels live, but no in the on demand version. 

Hooba
Scholar 3

Oh. Wow. I just got 5.1 for the first time on AppleTV. I had started to think it was a problem with my set up (pair of HomePods). But clearly not. Xcode is showing 6 channel audio, at 256kbps.

 

Never thought I'd see the day ...

Hooba
Scholar 3

Update: All live channels 5.1. All on demand 2.0. And now I've got the same problem others are reporting on other threads referring to AppleTV / NowTV / HomePods - whenever the audio switches from 5.1 to 2.0 (e.g. adverts) the sounds drops out completely. Obviously something is broken and needs a fix ..... 

nst
Elite

@Hooba 

 

Ive had this since early August.

 

Checked again yesterday as I noticed the app had just been updated on the AppleTV...

 

however, no change.   Live is always 5.1, on demand is always 2.0

 

Utterly, utterly, ridiculous that we are using an app that has been 5.1 capable for months yet they wont let their on demand content be 5.1.

 

 

I’m surprised we haven’t heard anything about the new “Juice” pass. Only available to tv users. Same features as the “Boost” pass - but with added 5.1 sound, enabled across the board (Live AND On Demand for Sport, Movies, Entertainment). Just £10 a month extra (£6 if you get an offer). 

 

😂 Whoa! That was some nightmare I had last night…

Hooba
Scholar 3

@nst Yes, not great that there's no 2.0 for on demand. 

 

Still - there's more to come, e.g. the recent announcement on all of this said something about all the Now passes being available to buy through the app (mind you, didn't that used to be the case years ago?). So maybe we'll see a full 5.1 launch at that point?