Now tv 4k

[Rich19861112]

So now tv have introduced a boost option to add 4k channels and on demand. It’s called ultra boost.

when will ee tv Apple TV users etc be able to receive this?

[hooba]

There has been no firm commitment to a date by which EE will offer Ultra Boost - just an assurance that it will be offered at some unspecified  time.

I've seen some anecdotal posts that suggest EE agents are pointing customers that want Ultra Boost towards Sky Stream - but that is firmly outside of the EE framework, with EE customers contracting with, and paying directly to, Sky. But this 'solution' appears to be what EE is currently suggesting as the best way forward.

An alternative to just closing the whole lot down is to close most of it down. When I switched from BT to EE I retained my full fibre Broadband. And mobile . I need both, and the service and pricing is pretty good. I also retained TNT Sport with the 4K UHD add-on - as again, that's a product I want and that EE can deliver.

But I cancelled all the Sky stuff through EE. Instead I now contract directly with NowTV for sports, entertainment, movies, and UltraBoost - all in I pay NowTV £36 a month. Contract free. I watch through an AppleTV 4K. This allows me to access live 4K sky sports and 4k series/movie content on-demand. You can 'rewind' the live channels by 2 hours which helps compensate for the lack of recording. Would I go back to EE once they can offer Ultra Boost? Not convinced I would.

[MartinH416]

hooba - That is probably the clearest articulation of a way forward that would work for me that I have heard. Thank you. 

I guess I now have to unravel the Now TV stuff with EE though which requires some painful phone calls as I suspect they will look to insist I retain something or other due to contracts. I know I can start stop elements of the Now TV on a monthly basis but can I legitimately cancel all of the Now TV (I have the lot currently to assess). I would likely plump for exactly the same setup as you do. 

I would be happy enough to return to EE for that same content once it had got it's act together on the content/offering and systems but won't be holding my breath. 

[hooba]

@MartinH416  I think unraveling the NowTV might be straightforward. One advantage of the EE TV packages is the ability to 'flex' which package you're on. So once a month you're free to downgrade your package. I think you just phone up and request  a down grade to TNT Sport, with 4K UHD add-on. That should be that.

Just a heads up - there is an issue that's been there since launch with the Now TV app on AppleTV. Of the 4 UHD/4K sports channels only 2 of them (Sports UHD1 and Sports UHD 2) work correctly. The other 4K sports channels won't display 4K content unless you select '4K 50Hz HDR' in the Apple Tv settings. It's a small niggle, but it's there and NowTV have a dreadful reputation for implementing even the smallest of fixes. To be fair, whatever I usually want to watch is usually shown on the UHD1/2 channels anyway. Also - it'll only work on 2nd or 3rd generation Apple TV 4Ks, first gen not supported. So go in with your eyes open !! 

[MartinH416]

Thx for the heads up on the Apple TV.

I will check that out.  I tend to mostly be watching Main Event or the Premier League.

I don't want to just be a moaning minnie but I have just logged onto EE TV to see the last bill to see what things are costing for comparison so that I understand the overall cost going forward and now it won't show me any bills. The plans are showing but from memory don't tie up with what I am being charged which is why I needed to check the bill. It's really hard work being a customer sometimes...... 

just as an aside I also have netflix premium included which is supposed to be 4k. 

Has anyone else got that on EE and do they actually get 4k and if so - what device do they use to achieve that? 

I am asking because the change from Sky to EE has gone so badly that we are currently paying for both still (bonkers but we have family members for whom this stuff is a life and death matter apparently 😉 ) . I had tried to flip the Netflix across in advance but it seems they have it still under Sky and so I can't test it myself. 

[Midnight_Voice]

@MartinH416 

You ask EETV to release you from your Now commitments through them, without penalty if they are thinking there should be one. You will lose your Now channels on the EPG of EETV devices and YouView boxes.

You contract with Now direct.

You do not try to watch the Now app in 4K on Box Pros and Box Minis, but use other devices - I believe the Now app on the EETV Apple device will work, and Fire devices will certainly work.

You watch this space for when UltraBoost finally launches, after which you can come back, unless you’ve gotten too used to the Now discounts you can get playing the cancel game.

[Midnight_Voice]

@hooba 

Just to satisfy my curiosity, can you go to the Now app on your Box Pros and, navigate to My Account in the Now app, and see what it reports there for Now Boost, if present, and also see what is under Sound settings; is 2.0 Stereo or Dolby 5.1 ticked?

[hooba]

@Midnight_Voice The Now app on my Box pro correctly reports that Ultra Boost is present, when signed in with my NowTV credentials. The sound settings has "5.1 and Atmos' ticked. But there is zero UHD or Atmos content available on the app.

I'm not sure why you think it might be anything else? As far as NowTv is concerned I've got absolutely no involvement with EE, other than using a BT Pro box to access the Now app.

I know there have been a very small number of reported cases where somehow people that contract with EE for NowTV have managed to get the UltraBoost applied to their accounts which seems to revert content to SD - but those are pretty rare. 

[MartinH416]

Not meaning to butt in here - but I would (perhaps incorrectly) have assumed that the Now app should play whatever content that you might see say on an apple or Fire TV - 4k. You are using an app on the box and I would expect the app/server decides what content is shown. So unless Now TV is spotting that the device is a BT Pro device and inhibiting 4k content from being streamed (which is possible for marketing/profit reasons/throttling capacity etc). 

I don't think it clarifies whether there are tech shortfalls to actually stream the content types or is it something hasn't been commercially implement/allowed but I would say its more likely the latter than the former. But as a consumer I would expect an app on a device to support what the app provider offers and I pay for within the limitations of the device. I would also expect a 'warning' that content was restricted up front too. 

Just musing. 

[hooba]

@MartinH416 Ultra Boost is supported on only a limited number of devices, it can be a bit of a minefield: https://help.nowtv.com/article/what-are-boost-and-ultra-boost 

[MartinH416]

Thanks - That could still reflect a commercial decision or/and a tech shortfall I guess. Right now a commercial decision is for definite because the apple TV can play the content but if you subscribe via EE then it won't still. If they do have a tech/software problem to solve (other than EPG that you referenced) then that wont hurry things along unfortunately. Fingers crossed.