NOW TV & EE TV Pro Box - buffering and/or sound but no picture

[PaulB2005]

Hi

This only happens with the NOW TV app on our EE TV Pro box.

If i start watching a series such as Plot against America then it gets to a point where it has to shows advertising. Usually the first 1 or 2 sets of adverts are ok but then it starts to play up. It'll go in to the adverts but will just show a black screen with the spinning wheel. Or it'll play the adverts but do the black screen with spinning wheel when returning to the program.

Even worse is when it returns to the program and I get a black screen with the audio...

To fix this usually entails coming out of the app and then going back in until it starts working.

Just me?

[Rach_H]

Hi @PaulB2005,

Welcome to the Community!

I'm sorry to hear about the trouble you're having, and I can understand your concern. If you watch the same show on the app using your phone do you have the same issue?

Rach

[PaulB2005]

Hi Rach

That's an idea i hadn't thought about. We also have a Roku TV with apps built in which doesn't get used much. I'll update it and try that too.

I'll report back when i have checked it

[PaulB2005]

Hi @Rach_H 

I left a few episodes of a couple of shows on Sunday and today on the Roku TV (The Pacific and Plot Against America) just playing away and no issues.

Literally 1 minute into the first episode of The Pacific on the EETV Pro box - black screen with audio and spinning wheel.

Same again a bit later coming out of adverts.

Seems fine on non- EETV hardware but not the EETV Pro box.

All other streaming services seem fine too.

[Leanne_T]

Hi @PaulB2005 

Thanks for trying the Roku TV and coming back to us. 

If this is only happening with the EE TV Pro box, please check the TV connection status and try the troubleshooting in the EE TV Box Not Working or Keeps Freezing page. 

If this continues after trying this, get in touch with our TV tech guides and they will be happy to help 🙂

Leanne.

[PaulB2005]

Thanks Leanne

The advice on that page is

Try the following to fix your EE TV box if it’s slow or keeps freezing

1. restart your TV box - have tried this multiple times
2. make sure the TV box software is up to date - Done
3. check your broadband settings and cables to ensure everything is connected securely - Done
4. the last thing to try is a full reset of your EE TV box 
   Not tried this yet and have quite a bit to loose at the minute. Not sure how and why a reset should fix one app.... But thanks

[Alex_H]

Thanks for confirming @PaulB2005. If the issue does continue we do recommend doing the reset, if it is your recordings you are worried about you can select to keep the recordings when resetting so you don't lose those. But if it does continue please do reach out to our TV technical team and they will be able to look further into the issue to help locate the problem.

Alex

[PaulB2005]

Hi @Alex_H 

Thanks. I’ll try the not deleting recordings method soon 

[PaulB2005]

@Alex_H @Leanne_T @Rach_H 

So as an update i have found an interesting pattern.

If i go into the NOW app using the menu on the EE TV box and select the program i want to watch all works well.

However, if i select the program from the MYTV menu on the EE TV box (which is meant to be a one-click launch the app and start the program) then this is where the issue starts. An episode might start ok but invariably the first advert break is where it goes wrong.

Also interestingly, this doesn't affect Prime Video, Netflix, BBC iPlayer or any of the other streaming services we have used. Just NOW.

[DarrenDev · Accepted solution]

Thanks for the insight @PaulB2005.

The My TV menu just launches the NOW app with a different set of parameters, but ultimately it's the same app that is being run.  I'll see if there's a way we can pass on your observations to the NOW app owners, in case they have a logic error.