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]

Sorry to report but this seems like a bit of a red herring.

Ive just checked it myself and I have the recently updated version of the App.. but its still just producing 2.0.

TV connected to Sonos ARC sound bar via TV Audio Return Channel.  Sonos reporting 2.0 soundtrack only.

Checked a movie and still just 2.0.

[dr_necessitor]

@nst My Sonos is connected via optical. I wonder if that’s what makes a difference to 5.1 or no 5.1?

[Anonymous User]

Anyone able to pause live TV on Apple TV -  the device is listed as one able to now pause live TV but the UI on live streams just shows now and next rather than the transport controls you get on boxsets and other  non-live content?

sTeVE

[nst]

@dr_necessitor I doubt that.

The AppleTV is either outputting 5.1 or it isn't.

Some hardware is capable of making its own pseudo-5.1 mix.  Its your TV that could be doing this not the Sonos as its the TV thats passing the signal down to the Sonos.

[Hooba]

Xcode shows what sort of stream AppleTV is receiving. And for audio that's currently (as of last night) aac 2.0 at about 160 kbps.

[nst]

@Hooba 

Thanks for the clarification.

Agreed its only 2.0 still.  As I said i think others experiences are red herrings at this point as Now seem just as unwilling to address this issue as they have been since December.

My sonos sound system does a fair job of using all the speakers even when a 2.0 signal is received... to the point where in the past pre-boost I was often convinced that NowTV had changed to 5.1 sound (they had not) as 'rear' sounds were indeed coming from the rear speakers (dont ask me how it does that when all it has to work with is a 2.0 signal!).  Sonos still correctly reports a 2.0 stream though.

[dr_necessitor]

Ok thanks, wasn’t sure if different set ups might cause different resulting experience.

here, the Sonos app reports that the Playbase audio-in is Dolby Digital 5.1 and I’m getting sound from rear speakers on live sport (watching on Apple tv 4K). It sounds a lot better than it used to. When I get a minute, I’ll get my MacBook and see what Xcode reports the Apple tv audio-out to be.

[nst]

@dr_necessitor 

Interesting you say that.

If the Sonos app is reporting that it is receiving a 5.1 signal then it indeed is.  

I do not have a sports pass.. and I can only test using entertainment or movies.

My test was a movie from Sky Cinema.  Thats not to say that your sports pass was indeed giving you a 5.1 signal.

I believe that the app can have no problems whatsoever providing a 5.1 signal and the reasons that it has not yet are far more mysterious..

I can imagine that some content delivered via the app could well be 5.1 - but seemingly only the sports channels.

Maybe someone with a sports AND cinema pass... and equipment that will definitively  identify the source audio format (such as Sonos) could do a quick test to see if we are getting 5.1 and from what channel.

[dr_necessitor]

@nst yes the experience of somebody with Sports & Cinema would be interesting to know. Also useful to know if any difference between live & catch up content on Entertainment. Entertainment but no cinema pass here. Don’t watch anything live on NOW here except Sport, so not enough info to draw any conclusions from my experience alone. Need reports from a wider range of people!

[Hooba]

To be clear. Xcode shows what stream is being received, not what AppleTV is doing with that stream.

For live Sports, SDR, 1080, 50FPS, audio AAC, 2.0 audio channels.

Sports on demand: SDR, 720, 25FPS, AAC, 2.0 audio channels.

On demand and live movies, both: SDR, 1080, 25FPS, audio AAC, 2.0 audio channels.

Above, is the stream(s) from NowTv.