NOW

I am unsure of the contract laws that mean you find a series to watch and the first episodes have disappeared already! As an app on my TV and tablet it all functions fine. The dedicated box and app menus differ in functionality they seem to change (updates) occasionally and there’s not a 100% seamless menu experience (for me) but that’s the same for all streamers. With Sky Arts/Atlantic, Discovery, Comedy Central, Vice ... I get value. The Cinema is less appealing sometimes, more specialist channels you can adjust as favourites maybe, foreign language etc, and all versions of one film would be worthy (Blade Runner). Sport is big £££ but a premiership players new crib ain’t cheap. However if you have a monthly contract you can stop a payment for a while, which is why I have NowTV, monthly on off contract as I see fit.

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Now TV is without a doubt the worst TV app I’ve used. It lacks even the most basic features you would expect from a phone app of this kind. For one, the ability to download programs to watch at a later date - inexplicably this is only possible if you’re connected to a WiFi network. Say you manage to work around these arbitrary restrictions, find a WiFi connection somewhere, and download a programme - chances are you’ve done this so that you can watch it later when you don’t have access to the internet, e.g. on a plane or underground train journey, or even just a trip to the countryside. Well guess what, the Now TV app has another trick up its filthy sleeve - you can’t watch downloaded programmes without an internet connection (“Sorry we couldn’t connect you to the now TV app. Please make sure you are online and try again”). Read that again, slowly, and try and imagine the sheer blundering imbecile who made that decision. It honestly beggars belief. Not only does it fly in the face of logic and common sense, but these are basic functions which competitors like Netflix have had for years at this point. How is it possible for Now TV to miss the point so badly? I was so fed up I cancelled my subscription there and then - will watch the programmes some other way.

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So you’re eager to download an episode of your new favourite show for your commute to work and decide to download it at home, but for one of the countless reason why it doesn’t in Now Tv you go to download at the station. You think to yourself actually sometimes my mobile connection is faster than my home WiFi. While waiting for the train you click the download button and are told that for some reason it only can be downloaded over WiFi. Now I get that some like to save on their data, but for people that don’t care or who have unlimited data what is the reason? Netflix allows. Also when casting to a TV why can’t I have the 30s back and forth buttons on my phone like normal and are then able to move the video easily? Now like most people I like GOT, Get Shorty, Billions amongst other series so have to put up that Sky own the rights and so are forced to use this rubbish app. If you want to compete with the likes Netflix improve your kit!

Sky TV, excellent as it is, is far too expensive and you are paying for many ‘free’ channels available on Freesat. Now TV is a good and cheaper alternative with disadvantages for sure. You can’t record programmes you might want to watch, for example. On the other hand, there are always excellent deals - without examples in case others start telling me I am STILL paying too much, I have just taken out a half price Movies and Entertainment Bundle for a whole year and I have never had to pay the full price for Sky Sports. Picture quality is good and service reliable. If things DO go wrong they are usually able to ‘fix’ problems remotely. Obviously I would love Sky TV to be better value but you can’t have everything in life!

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The app insist on no more than 4 devices being registered, however if you use the app say on a laptop and then watch through the website on the same laptop this will count as two devices. Very inconvenient as you can then only add one or two devices per month so you end up not being able to watch on your chosen device at all for several weeks. It doesn’t remember what you have been watching in the same way as Netflix for example so you have to search for the show you were watching yesterday rather than it coming up for you. It’s great that downloads are now available but I am too scared to download it to my phone and watch on my commute as I guess the addition of another device will mean I won’t be able to watch on tv. So overall it’s watchable but nowhere near as user friendly and convenient as Netflix.