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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
Anonymous User
Not applicable

I took part in a NowTV survey last week. One of the questions which seemed to be asked several times was how important was a full HD picture and 5.1 audio. To me, very important and I suspect to ATV users still waiting for 5.1 audio support on the app. too. I wonder if they sent the survey to NowTV subscribers using Apple hardware?

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Well they didn’t send to me. 

And you have to laugh, Atmos audio is important to me as it makes an amazing difference. 5.1 is so 1990’s.


Lets face it the pause button doesn’t always work when using the NowTV app. We have no chance of advanced 1990’s features like 5.1 audio. 

I suspect Sky is doing a BlackBerry, not keeping up with the tech, and look where that got them. 

gavs82008
Legend 5
Legend 5

@Anonymous User  

Haven’t had a survey from NOW in a while. 

That being said, god knows why 5.1 sound is still not in the app for Apple TV’s. 

@nst 

Just looking for some info, what’s the pros for the Apple TV? As I’m just curious.

Even though I have a Sony Android TV with the fully functioning NOW app, I do have 2 Amazon 4K fire sticks. Which I use one for a back up and the other for my bedroom TV.

 

That being said I do have an iPhone and iPad, so I’m not far from the world of Apple. Just could never justify paying their prices for the TV.

FYI that I do not work for NOW, just a NOW customer trying to help
Anonymous User
Not applicable

That's the issue for me. I've bought into the Apple ecosystem, but my braindead Panasonic TV doesn't play with other Apple stuff like my LG TV does. An ATV box is the only solution. Or rather it would be, if the NowTV actually offered full Boost support.

 

Does anyone from Sky/Comcast/whoever actually check-out posts in these forums in order to appreciate customer satisfaction levels, or is it a case, like the BBC, that they don't care, that we're expected to make do with what we're given and be grateful that they can be bothered at all?

Anonymous User
Not applicable

The Apple TV is fast an responsive, no freezes, pauses or stutters in the UI.  It also properly supports frame rate matching, although not surprisingly NowTV don’t support this. Also I think every streaming app is available, bar NowTV most are implemented quite well. Amazon is probably the next worst after NowTV. 

Also if you use the Infuse app you can play back pretty much anything, and that app supports lossless audio, Atmos and Dolby vision. 

nst
Elite

@gavs82008 

 

I could wax lyrical about the AppleTV box all day... though given this thread is AppleTV owners mostly its preaching to the choir.

 

OK, so to summarise for me:

 

1.  Interface - uncluttered, and very fast and smooth.  Compare to the Firestick which is still so messy and riddled with ads.

2.  Performance - even the last gen boxes are still very fast.  Way way faster than even new models of the Firestick.

3.  Stand alone box is better than TV built in apps only because TV OSs come and go and eventually get dropped by app developers and you end up with old apps.... that said BBC Iplayer on AppleTV is functional and fine but somewhat neglected.

4.  The TV App.  Well this should be 1.  Ive said before its just great and the main reason the AppleTV is unbeatable.   As an iPhone owner you know this, as you have it already - its functionality is so handy in the streaming era and I couldn't have ditched my SkyQ without it - in many ways its better than having a recording queue.

5.  Inter-device compatibility including airplay audio and video - if you have iPhone and iPad the iCloud integration between devices is second to none.

 

Anyway I could say more but you get the picture.

 

Just a shame that NOW don't think AppleTV customers are worth spit.

redchiz1
Champion 2

@nst wrote:

@gavs82008 

 

I could wax lyrical about the AppleTV box all day... though given this thread is AppleTV owners mostly its preaching to the choir.

 

OK, so to summarise for me:

 

1.  Interface - uncluttered, and very fast and smooth.  Compare to the Firestick which is still so messy and riddled with ads.

2.  Performance - even the last gen boxes are still very fast.  Way way faster than even new models of the Firestick.

3.  Stand alone box is better than TV built in apps only because TV OSs come and go and eventually get dropped by app developers and you end up with old apps.... that said BBC Iplayer on AppleTV is functional and fine but somewhat neglected.

4.  The TV App.  Well this should be 1.  Ive said before its just great and the main reason the AppleTV is unbeatable.   As an iPhone owner you know this, as you have it already - its functionality is so handy in the streaming era and I couldn't have ditched my SkyQ without it - in many ways its better than having a recording queue.

5.  Inter-device compatibility including airplay audio and video - if you have iPhone and iPad the iCloud integration between devices is second to none.

 

Anyway I could say more but you get the picture.

 

Just a shame that NOW don't think AppleTV customers are worth spit.


Re. point 3. Have a look at the BBC's ever reducing budget and then consider their responsibility as regards supporting myriad devices universally. Then look at the number of Apple TV boxes active in the UK. And wonder where their are priorities are. As are those of NOW, seemingly. The fact that you are invested in what you regard as a superior device does not entitle you to anything other than what that box is capable of. If other services do not provide the qualities you desire then, erm, use another device. I know, tough, innit?

Anonymous User
Not applicable

It’s more the fact they advertise as supporting Apple TV when they clearly really don’t.

No issue using another device if they didn’t support it. But they claim to support it and don’t.
Hooba
Scholar 3

Well the current implementation of Now on AppleTV is head and shoulders above what it was a couple of years ago. I've got a couple of AppleTVs on the go - one hooked up to 5.1, one not. The one not hooked up is a pretty faultless experience.

 

It is pretty frustrating not having 5.1. But for my 5.1 set up I just use a BT TV Pro box for Now. So, as per usual, if you want full bells and whistles, its a 2 box/device solution. I don't think there's any device that supports all the major streaming apps with 5.1, 4K, HDR etc. Even SkyQ doesn't deliver that as AppleTV+ on the Sky box is restricted to 2.0 audio. Which seems a bit tit-for-tat. But there you go .....

 

I use Now mostly for Sport. Then about another £15 on top for movies and entertainment combined. If I didn't want the Sport I wouldn't bother at all. But I do occasionally watch some cracking movies on Now, and you tend to get 4-5 decent box sets each year on Entertainment. Just about makes it worthwhile. You pays your money, you choose from what's out there I guess.

nst
Elite

@Anonymous User 

 

I agree with you though I know others do not.

 

In my opinion, the £5 (NOT CHEAP) boost pass gives you a number of features.  That boost pass is supported on a number of platforms that NOW have an app for.

 

I firmly believe that if they say they support AppleTV boost, then that should be ALL the features that customers who pay £5 a month get.

 

I think its beyond cheeky to implement Boost on the AppleTV, and leave out a major feature.  YES, I know that not everyone has a 5.1 system and doesn't care about 5.1 sound but thats not the point.  NOW's attitude is that the think people are happy to pay for boost on the AppleTV and take advantage of all the other features and not care about 5.1.

 

To leave out something like 5.1, on a platform which is more than capable of measly 5.1 sound output and especially where all the other streaming apps manage it is ridiculous.

 

To have launched this app and still, over 14 months later not have "fixed" the 5.1 problem is also ridiculous.

 

This is NOW TV.  One of its USPs is the Sky Cinema pass.  A "top tier" movies package... and those movies are only in 2 channel stereo.  What an embarrasing service in 2022.  Their rivals are much cheaper, and providing movies in 4K and ATMOS.....