ongoing NowTV/Sky Sports issues

adnydrumadnydrum Member Posts: 15 ✭
edited 4 November 2020, 9:00AM in Support
After many months of complaining to NowTV about the audio dropouts, freezing, multiple YVMxxx errors etc etc I recently did so again, and flat-out asked for a refund as the app on the YV platform is simply garbage. Today I received a different reply from the usual "there is nothing wrong with the NowTV app"; please see below and I'd be interested to hear a)  if anyone else has had the same, and b) is this a realistic operation to perform? Whenever I've spoken to tech support at YV there has never been any suggestion of putting the box into Maintenance Mode, so I am naturally suspicions of anything coming out of NowTV...

"Thank you for getting in touch with NOW TV regarding the issue on youview box, read below to know more about your query.


Please follow the below steps :-
 

Turn the power on using the switch found on the back of the box. A red light should appear on the front panel.

Press and hold the down arrow on the top of the device for 5 seconds until you see Enter Maintenance Mode Y/N (Y:POWER) prompt. The box will flash a blue light.

Press the Power button on top of the box.

The box should now enter maintenance mode.


When you see the maintenance mode menu, go to Perform the reset.

Let us know if the above steps works.

Awaiting your response.

 

To contact us about this topic, reply to this email without changing the subject line.

 
We’re working a little differently in these challenging times to keep our staff and customers safe.  Please expect delays while we deal with your query.
 
You may find the answer to your query in our Help and Community pages.
 

Thanks,

The NOW TV Team"

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Comments

  • mc2mc2 Member Posts: 34 ✭
    Hi. I have a Plusnet Youview Box and i’ve certainly experienced similar sound dropouts when using the Youview Now TV app. I tried the Maintenance Mode reset (option 2 to keep recordings) but it didn’t fix the problem. I also tried changing the HDMI Audio from Surround to Stereo, this didn’t fix the problem either.

    I had a look at the Now TV Community Forum and it seems a few people have encountered this problem. I’ve reverted back to using a several years old Now TV Smart Box which has no such problems.


    My Services - BT TV Box Pro with Entertainment and Boost
  • DarrenDarren Member, Super User Posts: 663 ✭✭
    edited 23 September 2020, 7:55PM
    I reported this on here a good few months ago and they was looking into the problem.
    I was at my sisters last weekend and there seems to be no problems with the Now TV app on here Samsung 4k smart TV logged into my BT account. So I think the issue with the Now TV app must just be affecting Youview boxes.
  • RoyRoy Member, Super User Posts: 17,647 ✭✭✭
    edited 23 September 2020, 8:43PM
    @adnydrum

    The Maintenance Mode resets are a long-standing YouView offering to deal with various otherwise intractable problems on YouView boxes, and you can read about them here:-

    https://support.youview.com/youview-box/box-and-remote/using-maintenance-mode/

    However, the procedures do vary slightly from box model to box model; do NowTV know which exact model you have, to give you the right instructions?

    And you will find there are five reset Options of varying severity; as @mc2 says, Option 2 is the best place to start.

    Options 3 and 5 will delete all your recordings; you probably don’t want that, and we only ever suggest these where there is evidence of disc corruption, and you don’t have any of that.

    Option 4 is like option 2, but it also refetches the YouView software.

    I have seen no evidence that these NowTV issues are down to the YouView box or its code, though, and Maintenance Mode doesn’t fetch new versions of apps; there’s a much simpler way of doing that, and if there was a fixed version of the NowTV app, then they would just tell you to Update Apps.

    But who knows? Maybe there is something; if not in the YouView code proper, then something that has gone awry in the copy of it run by everyone who has this problem.

    So by all means, try Maintenance Mode; it’s a proper YouView thing, it doesn’t cause any harm, and it’s just a minor inconvenience to put your tunings, settings, and schedules back in place afterwards.

    So try it, and let us know if it does any good; you can be sure that the advice I give in future, here and in the NowTV Community where I am a Community Contributor (kind of like a Superuser here) will be based on your and @mc2’s experience of this.
    ‘Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful’ Wm Morris
  • TomWTomW Member Posts: 508 ✭✭
    It’s a long shot but it might be worth connecting your YouView box directly to the router, if it isn’t already, to see if it fixes the problem,

    I had a problem receiving Sky Sports HD channels, albeit via BT subscription channels in the guide, rather than the NowTV app. After some painstaking trial and error I discovered that in order to solve the problem the Ethernet cable to my YV box had to be connected directly to the router. For some reason powerline adaptors and even a gigabit network switch screwed with the signal.
  • RoyRoy Member, Super User Posts: 17,647 ✭✭✭
    @TomW

    Probably couldn’t support multicast?
    ‘Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful’ Wm Morris
  • TomWTomW Member Posts: 508 ✭✭
    Roy said:
    @TomW

    Probably couldn’t support multicast?
    Possibly, I don’t know enough about multicast to say one way or the other. All the other channels including subscription HD channels were fine. Weirdly the problem only affected Sky Sports HD. I think the tech support at BT explain why they thought it was happening. I’ve since forgotten but I think it was that Sky Sports HD was transmitted in a different way or at a higher bitrate.
  • CeejayCeejay Member Posts: 178 ✭✭
    The problem here does not seem to be to do with the connection as the video continues without any disruption or artefacts. Also it seems to occur more often at times of heavy loading - e.g. during critical parts of F1 qualifying or at the start of the race. The sound dropouts are really frequent during today’s qualifying.
  • mc2mc2 Member Posts: 34 ✭
    edited 26 September 2020, 2:04PM
    I thought I’d try Now TV again using the app on my Plusnet Youview Box. I’m watching Sky Sports News right now and when I first started watching the sound dropouts seemed worse than ever. The dropouts lasted for over 5 seconds, and this continued for a good 5 minutes.

    Now the dropouts seem less frequent, but still occur every now and again. It’s a shame really because the Plusnet subscription channels work like a dream. It would be great to be able to also use the Youview box for Now TV but it’s just not stable enough.

    Edit:- I’ve also noticed that when I close the Now TV app it briefly makes a sort of static noise, just for a second or so.
    My Services - BT TV Box Pro with Entertainment and Boost
  • CeejayCeejay Member Posts: 178 ✭✭
    Interesting...
    1) Set App setting in Boost menu to 5.1 Surround.
    2) Started stream. Dropouts occurring.
    3) Go into Youview sound menu.
    4) Change HDMI output to Stereo. Sound gets louder.
    5) Change HDMI output to Surround. TV reports surround but sound volume stays loud and Stereo only.

    Seems to be an interface issue between the app and the box wrt Stereo / 5.1 switching.
  • mc2mc2 Member Posts: 34 ✭
    edited 28 September 2020, 3:48PM
    I have been having a look at the different audio settings on my Hisense TV (B7500). I turned off the Surround Sound option on the TV and turned off Surround Sound on my Plusnet Youview Box and, fingers crossed, the sound problems with the Now TV app seem to have stopped (for now at least anyway).

    I should mention that I don’t have Now TV Boost, I only subscribe to the Entertainment Pass.




    My Services - BT TV Box Pro with Entertainment and Boost
  • mc2mc2 Member Posts: 34 ✭
    edited 29 September 2020, 10:04PM
    Re: my previous post, I’m afraid I spoke too soon! I’m watching Sky Sports News right now and there are constant sound dropouts. I timed one and it lasted a full 8 seconds. Also, there appears to be sporadic buffering too (the little coloured dots on the screen).

    I think I’m going to give up on trying to use Now TV on my Youview Box.  It’s back to the 4 year old Now TV Smart Box which still seems to work flawlessly, and much, much faster than my Youview Box! 
    My Services - BT TV Box Pro with Entertainment and Boost
  • CeejayCeejay Member Posts: 178 ✭✭
    Well i'm sorry Youview - I have given up on you fixing this. The Now TV app has just become available natively on my Sony Android TV and I will be watching via that from now on. No sound issues, no initial fuzzy vision as the stream speeds up, and much snappier response than my BT Box. Oh and as it's native the app is pin sharp.
  • Ken Hill1Ken Hill1 Member Posts: 261 ✭✭
    When are play On Demand I get woken up pictures of buffing but I only get that on my living room box to 4K one but on my DT t200 box it's ok what time is anyone else has got that problem?
  • RoyRoy Member, Super User Posts: 17,647 ✭✭✭
    Ken Hill1 said:
    When are play On Demand I get woken up pictures of buffing but I only get that on my living room box to 4K one but on my DT t200 box it's ok what time is anyone else has got that problem?
    @Ken Hill1

    Try swapping the two boxes over, and seeing if the problem moves with the box, or stays with the location.
    ‘Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful’ Wm Morris
  • Ken Hill1Ken Hill1 Member Posts: 261 ✭✭
    Roy said:
    Ken Hill1 said:
    When are play On Demand I get woken up pictures of buffing but I only get that on my living room box to 4K one but on my DT t200 box it's ok what time is anyone else has got that problem?
    @Ken Hill1

    Try swapping the two boxes over, and seeing if the problem moves with the box, or stays with the location.
    roy bt sent me a  brand new 4k bt box 2 days ago and i stll have the prob and my speed is excellent  bt test it and come back excllent the rest off the app are ok know prob with them it just the now tv app .
  • Ken Hill1Ken Hill1 Member Posts: 261 ✭✭
    roy for got to say i did swapping and it was ok  it was working all good 
  • Ken Hill1Ken Hill1 Member Posts: 261 ✭✭
    Ken Hill1 said:
    roy for got to say i did swapping and it was ok  it was working all good I got it just dt200  boxes working in the living room but not the 4k box put in the bedroom so I swapping back .
  • Ken Hill1Ken Hill1 Member Posts: 261 ✭✭
    Ken Hill1 said:
    Ken Hill1 said:
    roy for got to say i did swapping and it was ok  it was working all good I got it just dt200  boxes working in the living room but not the 4k box put in the bedroom so I swapping back .J just to let you know I got the on-demand going again I went into TV booster and changed it from stereo to Sonya around and the picture was ok ok but the films wasn't still the films were still breaking up but the on-demand programs were ok then I'll put it back to stereo and the On Demand catch up started breaking up again and I'll put it back in to Sony surround and the picture was ok this is and his happening on my 4K box don't know what the problem is
  • adnydrumadnydrum Member Posts: 15 ✭
    Roy said:
    @adnydrum
    So by all means, try Maintenance Mode; it’s a proper YouView thing, it doesn’t cause any harm, and it’s just a minor inconvenience to put your tunings, settings, and schedules back in place afterwards.

    So try it, and let us know if it does any good; you can be sure that the advice I give in future, here and in the NowTV Community where I am a Community Contributor (kind of like a Superuser here) will be based on your and @mc2’s experience of this.
    Hi Roy, the maintenance mode reset went off without a hitch, but the NowTV disgrace continues. For the record I currently work with tv production equipment, and I know a bit about video codecs and transmission.Also, in a previous life I worked in IT including networks. My broadband connection is reliable and more than adequate speed. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind: the whole issue of the appalling experience of NowTV on the YV platform is in no way down to YouView. Every other app on my YV box (recently replaced because NOWTV swore blind my box must be at fault - it wasn't 'cos the new box changed nothing) streams flawlessly without breakup/audio dropouts/audio sync failures/total freezing. The NOWTV app is to blame; it is not fit for purpose and considering the cost of Sky Sports passes, is a disgrace. I dug out a 7-year-old Roku2 which runs a NOWTV app which hasn't even been updated, and the NOWTV app just works. Properly. NOWTV Player on a laptop just works. Properly. 

    NOWTV/Sky TV: I'm calling you out - why has this still not been fixed?
  • adnydrumadnydrum Member Posts: 15 ✭
    edited 11 October 2020, 7:45PM
    TomW said:
    It’s a long shot but it might be worth connecting your YouView box directly to the router, if it isn’t already, to see if it fixes the problem,

    I had a problem receiving Sky Sports HD channels, albeit via BT subscription channels in the guide, rather than the NowTV app. After some painstaking trial and error I discovered that in order to solve the problem the Ethernet cable to my YV box had to be connected directly to the router. For some reason powerline adaptors and even a gigabit network switch screwed with the signal.
    Hello Tom,

    I could go along with that idea, however:

    1) My YV box is connected to the router by ethernet cable, fed from a Powerline connector which has two ports - another device on the 2nd port works correctly/continuously so I know that b'band connectivity is not the issue

    2) Every single app on the YV box except for Now TV - connected as above - streams flawlessly. I can watch Netflix, Prime Video, iPlayer or even (god forbid) Demand5 for hours without so much as a judder.

    Both of which lead to the only conclusion ie. the Now TV app on the YV platform is garbage.

    Andy
  • SarahSarah Member Posts: 1,812 admin
    Hi @adnydrum
    It'd be helpful for us to know your box details so we can add this to the investigation. Can you please let us know the YouView box model you are using along with the manufacturer & component software version it's running on? This can be found by going to Settings > Box Information and Software Information.
    Thanks a lot,
    Sarah
  • Ken Hill1Ken Hill1 Member Posts: 261 ✭✭
    Sarah said:
    Hi @adnydrum
    It'd be helpful for us to know your box details so we can add this to the investigation. Can you please let us know the YouView box model you are using along with the manufacturer & component software version it's running on? This can be found by going to Settings > Box Information and Software Information.
    Thanks a lot,
    Sarah
    My box is the start 4000
    .carnival number 867bob5oo6
  • TomWTomW Member Posts: 508 ✭✭
    adnydrum said:
    TomW said:
    It’s a long shot but it might be worth connecting your YouView box directly to the router, if it isn’t already, to see if it fixes the problem,

    I had a problem receiving Sky Sports HD channels, albeit via BT subscription channels in the guide, rather than the NowTV app. After some painstaking trial and error I discovered that in order to solve the problem the Ethernet cable to my YV box had to be connected directly to the router. For some reason powerline adaptors and even a gigabit network switch screwed with the signal.
    Hello Tom,

    I could go along with that idea, however:

    1) My YV box is connected to the router by ethernet cable, fed from a Powerline connector which has two ports - another device on the 2nd port works correctly/continuously so I know that b'band connectivity is not the issue

    2) Every single app on the YV box except for Now TV - connected as above - streams flawlessly. I can watch Netflix, Prime Video, iPlayer or even (god forbid) Demand5 for hours without so much as a judder.

    Both of which lead to the only conclusion ie. the Now TV app on the YV platform is garbage.

    Andy
    Hi Andy,

    When I had the issue all the other apps and devices worked fine as well so that doesn’t necessarily rule out a connectivity problem. The problem I experienced only affected the Sky Sports HD channel, nothing else. As such I think it would be worth connecting the box directly to the router if nothing else just rule out connectivity issues.

    Tom
  • adnydrumadnydrum Member Posts: 15 ✭
    TomW said:
    adnydrum said:
    TomW said:
    It’s a long shot but it might be worth connecting your YouView box directly to the router, if it isn’t already, to see if it fixes the problem,

    I had a problem receiving Sky Sports HD channels, albeit via BT subscription channels in the guide, rather than the NowTV app. After some painstaking trial and error I discovered that in order to solve the problem the Ethernet cable to my YV box had to be connected directly to the router. For some reason powerline adaptors and even a gigabit network switch screwed with the signal.
    Hello Tom,

    I could go along with that idea, however:

    1) My YV box is connected to the router by ethernet cable, fed from a Powerline connector which has two ports - another device on the 2nd port works correctly/continuously so I know that b'band connectivity is not the issue

    2) Every single app on the YV box except for Now TV - connected as above - streams flawlessly. I can watch Netflix, Prime Video, iPlayer or even (god forbid) Demand5 for hours without so much as a judder.

    Both of which lead to the only conclusion ie. the Now TV app on the YV platform is garbage.

    Andy
    Hi Andy,

    When I had the issue all the other apps and devices worked fine as well so that doesn’t necessarily rule out a connectivity problem. The problem I experienced only affected the Sky Sports HD channel, nothing else. As such I think it would be worth connecting the box directly to the router if nothing else just rule out connectivity issues.

    Tom
    Hi Tom, unfortunately I haven’t been able to do that - router is in another room and I don’t have a 20m+ Ethernet cable. By the way, I don’t pay have NowTV in HD; just the standard service. No way would I fork-out a further £3.99 (‘Boost’?) for this ****.
  • kodikidkodikid Member Posts: 1,076 ✭✭
    edited 13 October 2020, 7:24AM
    Now are having a giraffe still charging extra for HD
    Deacon Blue hit from October 88
  • redchizredchiz Member, Super User Posts: 5,453 ✭✭✭
    Not that this will help much here, but there was a flurry of complaints over the weekend, particularly concerning the England v Belgium game and a variety of devices were implicated, not just YouView boxes. Just saying.
  • VisionmanVisionman Member, Super User Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭
    redchiz said:
    Not that this will help much here, but there was a flurry of complaints over the weekend, particularly concerning the England v Belgium game and a variety of devices were implicated, not just YouView boxes. 

    Yes I read those. It seems to be a problem at source and not the platform it is streamed on.
    There is 1 Now TV Super User on here, no doubt he can hopefully shed some light.
    I'm now happy with the disagree icon, because its gone.
  • RoyRoy Member, Super User Posts: 17,647 ✭✭✭
    kodikid said:
    Now are having a giraffe still charging extra for HD
    Sticking their neck out, you mean?
    ‘Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful’ Wm Morris
  • RoyRoy Member, Super User Posts: 17,647 ✭✭✭
    Visionman said:
    redchiz said:
    Not that this will help much here, but there was a flurry of complaints over the weekend, particularly concerning the England v Belgium game and a variety of devices were implicated, not just YouView boxes. 

    Yes I read those. It seems to be a problem at source and not the platform it is streamed on.
    There is 1 Now TV Super User on here, no doubt he can hopefully shed some light.
    It usually takes a good while to run up 7 pages of complaints on one topic on the NowTV Community; that match managed it in two days.

    There are a lot of complaints about intermittent audio breaks with NowTV on YouView boxes. 

    Personally, we use the NowTV app on our Samsung TV upstairs, and on a Roku stick downstairs, and have very little trouble on Movies and Entertainment, but we don’t have Sport.

    This Community is like a calmly ordered float downstream though, compared with the raging maelstrom that is the NowTV Community. We try......
    ‘Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful’ Wm Morris
  • kodikidkodikid Member Posts: 1,076 ✭✭
    I think the biggest issue Sky/now have is the rampant piracy of live football. 
    At over £1000 to engage with Sky BT and Amazon it really isn't hard to see the attraction of those naughty streaming devices which ironically had none of the above issues , or so I'm told.
    Deacon Blue hit from October 88
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