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Anonymous User · ‎10-05-2017

Hi there,

I was just wondering if anyone had any thoughts about what the best device is to watch now tv sports on? I watch quite frequently but even on my computer I get some buffering from time to time even with fibre internet.

Would one of the now tv boxes be the way to go or maybe ps4 etc?

Appreciate any replies.

commanda6 · ‎10-05-2017

@Anonymous User wrote:

Hi there,

I was just wondering if anyone had any thoughts about what the best device is to watch now tv sports on? I watch quite frequently but even on my computer I get some buffering from time to time even with fibre internet.

Would one of the now tv boxes be the way to go or maybe ps4 etc?

Appreciate any replies.

Hi @Anonymous User

For watching sports. Your best bet is a device that supports 50 Hz output. The devices below support 50 Hz output: unfortunately, I don't believe PlayStation supports 50 Hz output. NowTV's content is 50 Hz. So if the device you're using outputs at 60 Hz. The content has to be converted. This can resultt in the picture Being jumpy/Fuzzy

⦁   Now TV box/smart box
⦁   Xbox one (change video output settings to allow 50 Hz output)
⦁   EE TV box
⦁   Samsung smart TV (2015/16 models)
⦁   LG smart TV (2013 onwards)
⦁   Apple TV (change video output settings to allow 50 Hz output)
⦁   chromecast ((change video output settings to allow 50 Hz output)

your best bet would be to get a now TV box and connect it to your TV. Do bear in mind though that you will need a TV that supports HDMI.

http://www.nowtv.com/best-tv-boxes

With regard to the buffering you're experiencing who is your ISP? Depending on who your ISP is there may be something specific you can do which could help.

I would say where it is reasonably possible to do so always use ethernet rather than Wi-Fi. If you have to use Wi-Fi try to put your router on a separate Wi-Fi channel to neighbouring routers to help reduce interference and if the device you're using is a reasonable distance away from you router put the device onto 2.4 gig Wi-Fi rather than five gig as 2.4 gig has better performance over longer distances. 5 gig Wi-Fi doesn't have a long broadcast range and will perform badly if the signal strength is low. Most routers these days have a 2.4 and 5 gig SSID make sure to give them different names, so you know which one is which.

I hope this helps you out

I do not work for Now . I am simply a Now customer trying to help I am a Community Contributor This means that I know a lot about the service. But just like you I am still a customer. This means I cannot help you with issues that would involve looking into your account directly. A member of the now TV forum team or live chat will need to assist you with these issues.

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Anonymous User · ‎12-05-2017

@4268 wrote:
Best device is TV at your local public house 😉

@4268 Very expensive though when you buy a few beers and bar snacks. Also they have the volume down at zero and no choice of channel. And someone will invariably spill booze over you meaning you have the additional cleaning costs. And your mates never stop talking. Besides few pubs have Sky anymore cos it is so expensive and the number of pubs that have closed mean my "local" is about two miles away. And I live in London.

The TV at the local public house is the worst option.

4268 · ‎12-05-2017

@Anonymous User wrote:
@4268 wrote:
Best device is TV at your local public house 😉
@4268 Very expensive though when you buy a few beers and bar snacks. Also they have the volume down at zero and no choice of channel. And someone will invariably spill booze over you meaning you have the additional cleaning costs. And your mates never stop talking. Besides few pubs have Sky anymore cos it is so expensive and the number of pubs that have closed mean my "local" is about two miles away. And I live in London.

The TV at the local public house is the worst option.
@

@Anonymous User I was joking. I encourage the dearly beloved to go to pub as I don't enjoy sports. Our closest pubs all have Sky Sports. Several have BT as well. All have choices if you ask, obviously depending on what is on and how many people are watching. I guess pubs in London are a different experience to pubs elsewhere. There is a difference between a local and a nearby pub. Prices up here are less than London, which is probably why pubs have sports here.

Please take a moment to click thanks or marked as solution if this answered your question. I am a community contributor and pop on when I can.

Anonymous User · ‎14-05-2017

@4268 wrote:
@Anonymous User wrote:
@4268 wrote:
Best device is TV at your local public house 😉
@4268 Very expensive though when you buy a few beers and bar snacks. Also they have the volume down at zero and no choice of channel. And someone will invariably spill booze over you meaning you have the additional cleaning costs. And your mates never stop talking. Besides few pubs have Sky anymore cos it is so expensive and the number of pubs that have closed mean my "local" is about two miles away. And I live in London.

The TV at the local public house is the worst option.
@
@Anonymous User I was joking.

Sure. Judging by the tennis non scheduling the best device is a Tivo or Sky box, at least it is on there 🙂

Anonymous User · ‎12-05-2017

@SeeMoreDigital wrote:
@Anonymous User wrote:
...The new Smart box delivers a better picture for sport...
Actually, the 'smart' box and the 'black' box offer identical 720p images...

@SeeMoreDigital The new Smart box outputs at 50Hz which is superior for NowTV sports content, compared to the older white and black boxes which were fixed at 60Hz output. They aren't identical.

commanda6 · ‎12-05-2017

@Anonymous User wrote:

@SeeMoreDigital wrote:

vc13 wrote:
...The new Smart box delivers a better picture for sport...

Actually, the 'smart' box and the 'black' box offer identical 720p images...

@SeeMoreDigital The new Smart box outputs at 50Hz which is superior for NowTV sports content, compared to the older white and black boxes which were fixed at 60Hz output. They aren't identical.

Hi @Anonymous User

actually, that's no longer the case. For the past few months the black box has also had its output fixed at 50 Hz. The firmware update to 7.5.3 fixed video output at 50 Hz. I'm not sure about the white box as I don't have one of these in use anymore. The video quality and the now TV service is 720p, although I do agree with you that the overall picture quality looks slightly better on the smart box. I believe this is because the upscaling capabilities of the smart box are slightly better than the black box. But given the difference in hardware between the two that's not surprising.

I do not work for Now . I am simply a Now customer trying to help I am a Community Contributor This means that I know a lot about the service. But just like you I am still a customer. This means I cannot help you with issues that would involve looking into your account directly. A member of the now TV forum team or live chat will need to assist you with these issues.

Anonymous User · ‎12-05-2017

@commanda6 wrote:
Hi @Anonymous User
actually, that's no longer the case. For the past few months the black box has also had its output fixed at 50 Hz. The firmware update to 7.5.3 fixed video output at 50 Hz. I'm not sure about the white box as I don't have one of these in use anymore. The video quality and the now TV service is 720p, although I do agree with you that the overall picture quality looks slightly better on the smart box. I believe this is because the upscaling capabilities of the smart box are slightly better than the black box. But given the difference in hardware between the two that's not surprising.

@commanda6 Picture is definitely better on the new smart box. I thought it was the 50hz/60hz difference but can cetainly believe the better hardware imnproves matters. Out of interest, do you know if the same applies to Roku sticks/boxes? I have heard conflicting information on them and the Roku stick I have is on a par with the Smart 50Hz output. (The Samsung app isn't).

commanda6 · ‎12-05-2017

@Anonymous User wrote:

@commanda6 wrote:

Hi @Anonymous User

actually, that's no longer the case. For the past few months the black box has also had its output fixed at 50 Hz. The firmware update to 7.5.3 fixed video output at 50 Hz. I'm not sure about the white box as I don't have one of these in use anymore. The video quality and the now TV service is 720p, although I do agree with you that the overall picture quality looks slightly better on the smart box. I believe this is because the upscaling capabilities of the smart box are slightly better than the black box. But given the difference in hardware between the two that's not surprising.

@commanda6 Picture is definitely better on the new smart box. I thought it was the 50hz/60hz difference but can cetainly believe the better hardware imnproves matters. Out of interest, do you know if the same applies to Roku sticks/boxes? I have heard conflicting information on them and the Roku stick I have is on a par with the Smart 50Hz output. (The Samsung app isn't).

Hi @Anonymous User

I believe standard Roku hardware is a bit hit and miss with regard to 50 Hz support. Some standard Roku's such as the 2015 Roku 2 and Roku 3 supports 50 Hz, but the 50 Hz support works slightly differently and standard Roku. Instead of having the output fixed at 50 Hz like it is on NowTV hardware. Instead Roku now dynamically switches between 50 and 60 Hz output depending on the content that is being played. Chromecast supports 50 Hz in exactly the same way, if you have the option enabled on the chromecast that is.

I've heard reports that some devices, including the Roku stick are still fixed at 60 Hz

I do not work for Now . I am simply a Now customer trying to help I am a Community Contributor This means that I know a lot about the service. But just like you I am still a customer. This means I cannot help you with issues that would involve looking into your account directly. A member of the now TV forum team or live chat will need to assist you with these issues.

Anonymous User · ‎11-05-2017

Brilliant, thanks all!

Karl-F · ‎10-05-2017

Hi @Anonymous User,

I'd have to agree with the two comments above.

Personally a NOW TV Smart Box works well for me due to the fact that you can plug in an Ethernet cable, although this adds an extra cable, it's nothing a cable tie can't tidy up.

Let us know how you get on and what other devices you try, it would be interesting to find out!

Anonymous User · ‎10-05-2017

Karl-F wrote:
Hi @dsdf,

although this adds an extra cable, it's nothing a cable tie can't tidy up.

@Karl-F It is actually up to 4 cables (power/aerial/hdmi/ethernet). If Roku, Amazon and Chromecast can do without them then so can everyone else. Surely in the 21st Century it must be possible. I had too many cables and plugs going into my TV . I have given up my TiVo box because it was too big, so replacing it with something that looks like an ashtray with up to 4 wires dangling from it is a no no. If Now TV do decide to have a new box then it should be more like the afore mentioned devices whose cables can be hidden, all of which retail for £30-£40 (even cheaper in Black Friday sales).

As it stands the only cable that runs into my TV from a box is the HDMI cable for the PS4 that I have concealed in the wall.

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