21-11-2019 11:53
Just spotted on my Now TV Stick, when in I go in to the Live Programming Guide in both Sports and Entertainment Sections, that a box has now appeared giving me the opportunity of the £3 HD and 5.1 Audio Boost......... you click on it and it gives you the chance to start the 7-day-free trial. Has this feature now gone out to customers??????
It does say only available on certain content and devices..... and also a line saying it's not available on Hayu or FOX.
Is this HD Boost thing only for certain Live programming or is it also catch-up????
I'm not particulary ready to sign-up and try it until I maybe know more about what content is or isn't Boosted.
Anyone else getting these HD Boost box things when they go in to the Live programming Guides???
22-11-2019 12:33
HD Boost answers a question I never thought to ask ! It now appears the standard (Non-Boost) native display 720P previously used the SD (576i) Sky channels for the Entertainment Pass content ; as the original description of 'HD' many years ago was 720P / 1080i , I had assumed that now TV took Sky at HD level and streamed them at 720P ...... bit cheeky if in fact the 'Native' 720P streaming was 576i up-scaled all along !!!
That explains why the picture quality was much worse than Netflix and Amazon that I have at 1080P on the Roku Steaming Stick+. On a fairly small screen, genuine 720P and 1080P are not all that different. Looking forward to F1 without the Charlie Chaplin jerky picture !
22-11-2019 12:38
The F1 will still be jerky as only Main Event and Premier League channels are being upped to 50fps at the moment. F1 is still only outputting 25fps (1080p won't change anything in that respect unless they up the frame rate to 50fps).
22-11-2019 12:47
Hi robert1997,
I had thought of that, but the actual live race is usually (always?) shown on Main Event as well as the F1 channel; so the question is where along the line is the 50fps is 'added' ?
I take it you agree with my SD / HD observation in the Post ?
22-11-2019 13:09
I’ve never understood all the fuss about 25fps. When you go to the cinema, the film is projected at 24fps, yet noone complains about the frame rate. Buy a BluRay, and you’ll find that it was made at 24fps in order to match the original film. Any half-way decent tv should be able to cope with frame rates from 24 to 60fps (mine can cope with rates up to 100fps). Of course, phones, tablets and consoles might well have problems but that would be for the device manufacturers to address, not NowTV/Roku.
22-11-2019 13:15 - edited 22-11-2019 13:19
There's plenty of material online to help you better understand frame rates.
No one complains about 24fps as you are watching at the intended frame rate. Compare BT Sport at 50fps and Sky Sports Football channel at 25fps to see why 50fps matters 😉
22-11-2019 13:19
Hi Mark_Weinreb,
Horses for courses I believe - 24fps is superb on my Pioneer plasma (1080P, 24-100fps capable) for cinema Blu-Ray films - but live streamed sports events are definitely jerky down at 25fps - this is the bit where all the football fans pile in !
22-11-2019 13:36
@Anonymous User I’ve managed to avoid watching any football match for the last 70 years, and see no reason to start now. Give me F1 any time.
22-11-2019 13:10
Yes @Anonymous User I do indeed agree with your SD observations.
I must admit I had forgotten the F1 is also usually simulcast on ME, therefore giving access to the 50fps stream.
28-11-2019 11:55
@Anonymous User @gavs82008
Just to pick up on our chat from a few days ago and all things HD/Fox related with this new HD Boost (what older Fox box set content may or may not be boosted??)...... I think I just noticed last night that Now TV have just brought back all the older seasons of The Walking Dead and out of pure curiosity on my part (as I haven't yet boosted) I was just wondering if you have spotted whether these older returning seasons of TWD are indeed boosted, or not????
Again, just plain curiosity on my part!!!
28-11-2019 12:05
The first 8 episodes of season 9 have the hd tags on it and that's it so makes no sense really