NOW TV – Real World...
 

[Closed] NOW TV – Real World experiences please

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Thinking of ditching SKY in favour of NOW TV. What sort of broadband am I going to need for this? I’m on regular BT not the superfast stuff. We haven’t got a Smart TV either.

Also, what do I do about recording?

I’m happy with my Sky from a technical and viewing point of view but the bills are getting silly. My contract is up in November so I’ll haggle with them, but I would like to try NOW TV in the meantime to see if it is a viable alternative.

I barely watch TV anyway and when I do it is usually through the iPlayer, my wife is a Man U fan so she’ll watch the games pay as you go and the kids like the Disney stuff but a NOW TV kids’ package is only £3 per month as opposed to a tenner with SKY.

I’m not bothered about losing what I’ve got recorded on the Sky box.


 
Posted : 07/08/2017 10:54 am
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We have a standard Virgin fibre line and Now TV works great. It's a good product.


 
Posted : 07/08/2017 10:57 am
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Just ring Sky up and tell them you're ****ing off as you've had enough of them hiking the prices, and you've seen BT and Virgin are doing great packages.

We did last month and those bills that have been steadily creeping up suddenly get bumped right back down again.


 
Posted : 07/08/2017 11:00 am
 nbt
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I'm on regular broadband (currently with BT, was with plusnet). I use a NOWTV box for watching iPlayer and it's fine on my connection. I don't have any of the paid packages. I use a separate HUMAX box for recording stuff.


 
Posted : 07/08/2017 11:10 am
 Drac
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https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/watch-got-now-tv-entertainment-pass-for-349-per-month-plus-free-now-tv-box-2755697

Good deal above I'm about to cancel Sky unless they come up with some amazing deal.


 
Posted : 07/08/2017 11:12 am
 Pook
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Now tv here. Works perfectly well for the few times I want to pay for something like the F1. It's on a Roku, but it's the same box


 
Posted : 07/08/2017 11:15 am
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50% off Sky for 12 months is standard if you say you're leaving (wait for the phone call offer though as you can stipulate you only want a rolling monthly contract, the "My Sky" app offer locks you in for 12 months). Might not actually halve your bill though as depends what package you have.

I don't have Now TV myself but the web-site says 2.5Mbps (what's yours - use www.speedtest.net if you're not sure). Personally I'd say 2.5Mbps is a bit optimistic from other streaming I've done (Netflix etc.), even at 5Mbps I'd have occasional buffering (the Now TV box might do a big initial buffer though to help with this?).


 
Posted : 07/08/2017 11:17 am
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Yup, we have it, and it's spotty dog imho.


 
Posted : 07/08/2017 11:18 am
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Was going to get it for the Lions tour but it worked out cheaper to get sky for a month through BT TV. And i could get sky in HD - i do not think NOW TV is HD?


 
Posted : 07/08/2017 11:48 am
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I got it for the Lions tour.

Overall I thought it was alright.
We get 30MB speed on our line, streamed nicely through the XBOX One and on the iMac.

It didn't seem to like being cast from the iMac to the Chromecast as it went all juddery.

It also decides the chromecast is seperate entity even if juist casting from another device.

Would probably get it again for a big month long sporting event.


 
Posted : 07/08/2017 11:54 am
 Rio
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Our broadband reaches 10MB on a good day. Now TV works fine.

do not think NOW TV is HD

Last time I looked Now TV was 720p, but my understanding is that Sky HD is only 1080i so not really much difference.


 
Posted : 07/08/2017 12:00 pm
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We streamed the rugby from iPad Now TV App to Apple TV and onto a projector. Had a Now TV box box before that and picture quality was poor by comparison, particularly when played on a 208" screen. We have BT fast broadband, but the speed is nothing to write home about.

Never had Sky. Paying for the rugby makes me feel dirty enough.


 
Posted : 07/08/2017 12:33 pm
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[quote=Drac > https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/watch-got-now-tv-entertainment-pass-for-349-per-month-plus-free-now-tv-box-2755697
Good deal above I'm about to cancel Sky unless they come up with some amazing deal.

Cancelled my Sky last week. I was £80 for the full TV package inc movies and sport. Best they could do was 40% off. Happy to trial Now TV for a while.


 
Posted : 07/08/2017 12:40 pm
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[quote=Rio ]Our broadband reaches 10MB on a good day. Now TV works fine.
do not think NOW TV is HD
Last time I looked Now TV was 720p, but my understanding is that Sky HD is only 1080i so not really much difference.

I've used the Now TV app on my Xbox 360 and all the streamed content is in HD but the smart box gets 11 HD channels for broadcast TV. I'm assuming anything you buy as an add on (entertainment, movie or sports pack) is in HD as it's streamed rather than broadcast.


 
Posted : 07/08/2017 12:45 pm
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Am I right in thinking that you cant record and pause etc on one of these boxes?


 
Posted : 07/08/2017 12:46 pm
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[quote=FunkyDunc ]Am I right in thinking that you cant record and pause etc on one of these boxes?

Pause and rewind on a Smart box

no recording at all though


 
Posted : 07/08/2017 12:47 pm
 Rio
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all the streamed content is in HD

I just looked this up as the Smart Box we have is clearly capable of 1080p, and the streaming is apparently still 720p. [url= https://help.nowtv.com/article/what-is-highest-streaming-quality-for-my-device# ]https://help.nowtv.com/article/what-is-highest-streaming-quality-for-my-device#[/url]


 
Posted : 07/08/2017 12:56 pm
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no recording at all though

Thats the problem for me then, I dont tend to watch TV 'live', and not everything is available on iplayer etc.


 
Posted : 07/08/2017 12:58 pm