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]

@Anonymous User  hear hear!

I think it will be worth the wait especially as they suggested a certain function will be available from launch just not on the beta.  This is what puts the AppleTV head and shoulders above the competition and if NowTV embrace that then it will be a great thing.

... I just hope common sense prevails and they also see including Boost compatibility as a no-brainer.

[Anonymous User]

@Anonymous User  that sounds like the same copy and pasted response myself and others got from the executive team back in February. 

[Anonymous User]

Hi Im not on the beta, just the old version.... Is there a way to refresh the app without closing it and going back in? Last night I watched the Everton match, then the Chelsea match and also the Muhammad Ali Doc and when I back out to the Schedules, whats currently playing is about 6 hours behind, it still says the Everton match 0 mins, but it does it even if i watch a half an hour show or whatever. Its no huge deal closing the app etc but just wondered.

[moroboshi]

Sky's development team must be the slowest in history. How old is the current ATV app at this point? At least 5 years? 

I've been in both betas of the new apps and I wouldn't exactly describe the pace of progress as rapid. 

[nst]

@moroboshi 

Its actually even older.

The app that we are currently saddled with is actually a port of the (even) older app that was on the last models of appleTV.  I cant recall how old that actually is but it goes back to the first models of the AppleTV.

We were all assuming at the time that when the new model of AppleTV launched, with its shiny new app store and Siri remote, NowTV would be a re-engineered app for the new platform.  I remember the delay when the box was released and we had to wait a few weeks for the NowTV app... and then when it finally appeared we were dismayed to find it looking identical to the OLD app at the time.

Obviously Apple launched the new platform and hardware with great fanfare and the promise that new software would take advantage of all the new bells and whistles.

We assumed that the lazy port from the old app was just a stop gap until they finished the new version that was written for (what became) TVOS... but of course it never did.

This was almost 5 years ago.   Of course the Apple TV hardware hasn't changed with the exception of launching the 4K version of the box a year later.

[Enapace]

I'm kind of surprised Apple hasn't launched a new box since the 4K one.

[Anonymous User]

There’s meant to be coming in September so the rumours say.

[ReadyPlayer2]

Apologies for it being out of context but someone was asking about iOS 14.

I have iPadOS 14 installed and the NowTV app crashes on launch continually.

I'll try it on iOS 14 and tvOS 14 and report back.

Note this would be the regular App Store version as I'm not part of the NowTV beta.

[nst]

@ReadyPlayer2 

Im sure you understand this very clearly...

But to be clear to anyone reading your comment:

iOS14 is a DEVELOPER BETA right now.  a developer beta on version 1.  Only developers should have access to it and is and therefore @ReadyPlayer2 must be a registered developer to be using iOS14 right now.

It is clearly understood that many existing apps can and WILL crash and not work on early developer betas.  This is normal behaviour and is not at all something to be alarmed about or even surprised about.  It happens every year on the early beta that many apps are not compatible - this is why they have developer betas to allow the app developers to download the software, then make any tweaks to their apps to fix the crashes.

Even when it comes into public beta, you'll still find many such problems.

Rest assured that by the time the final version is released to all, there will be no issues.

So, that being said... anyone care to guess whats going to happen when trying the current aged AppleTV app on beta 1 of TVOS14? 🙂 

[Anonymous User]

I can confirm the current store version crashes on my phone running iOS 14. 

[ReadyPlayer2]

Yes, apologies, I assumed all that was a given.  I am a registered Apple developer and this is Developer Beta 1 that I'm talking about.

Not surprisingly, the NowTV app also crashes on iOS 14, however it does work perfectly well on tvOS 14. 

[Anonymous User]

Why would Sky/Nowtv spend time updating the very old version to work with TvOS14! Surely this must push the need to get the one on trial compatible and released.

Heres hoping for the new release by September.

[Anonymous User]

Well maybe that gives us hope it will all be done for TVOS 14

[Anonymous User]

However, all previous iOS releases have worked with the NowTV app from 5 plus years ago, maybe they’ll drop lucky again!

[Anonymous User]

@ReadyPlayer2 I’m also an app developer. I was just saving you the trouble of checking the iOS version as you said you’d try it later. 
It’s kind of a shame the current TvOS version works with tvOS 14 as an incompatibility would have forced them to release a new version of the app. 

[MrZippy]

Would it? Previously they had to push an update to due expired certificates. They could just recompile with latest Xcode and it might fix the incompatibility.

Let’s hope as what appears to be the beta app being tested has actually be pushed out in Ireland months ago that we might see it soon.

The current beta build has no major issues that I recall, it’s certainly not prefect but better than the current store version.

[Anonymous User]

@MrZippy It would force them to release a new build, whether they just fix the problem in the old version, or release the new version is obviously up to them. I think it would be crazy to fix the old version, but this is moot as it seems to work anyway. 
Personally, I don’t yet see the new version as being much better than the old one. The addition of watch next, and continue watching features is offset by the much worse interface for scrubbing through episodes, and the loss of compatibility with the iOS remote app. 

[MrZippy]

@ Braindome

I think it looks a bit better, whilst not using the native tvOS controls, which is a shame. Plus once made universal the monthly updates would hopefully tweak the tvOS app as well as the iOS one. So it would be a start to get it out there as no show stopping bugs.

[Anonymous User]

@MrZippy Do we actually know if the new version is a universal app?

[nst]

@Anonymous User 

Good point.  it HAS to be released before September.

Having said that I can also see NowTV telling us not to update our AppleTV software if we want to carry on watching!

Lets hope it doesnt come down to that.

The current beta still has some rough edges but isn't all that bad.

As long as it supports boost on release ill be very happy.

[Anonymous User]

@nst They don’t have to update it as the old one is still working.