UK Users... NOWTV suddenly broken Continue Watching integration?

[stocklen]

Hi All.

About a week ago, I was mid way through a NOW series and suddenly the show disappeared from my Continue Watching queue.

The show was still there in the NOW app of course... but with any attempt to search in the TV app although the show could be found, the 'how to watch' didnt mention the NOW app at all.

When going to the channels list on the left menu... NOW doesnt work anymore you just get a screen saying 'the NOW app is connected' and 'open app' - no actual content.

I assumed this was a quick glitch to resolve itself but a week later its still not working.

This is across all devices that have the Apple TV app - its not working on my iPhone or iPad either.

Anyone else experiencing this issue?

 

[StumpyBloke]

It’s completely broken. There is a massive post about it on AVforums.com

 

[stocklen]

It’s completely broken. There is a massive post about it on AVforums.com

Thanks.

At least its not just me.

Its pretty poor of NOW to leave this broken for an extended period of time.

I tried their online chat help and its very frustrating when they obviously have had numerous reports of the problem yet still insist on you 'logging out and back in again' to try to 'fix' the problem.

 

[-Gonzo-]

It’s pretty poor of NOW to leave this broken for an extended period of time.

Its not that it’s broken, they’ve severed the link to the data which is why no shows show they have a link to NOW and the NOW Channel app is empty.
Though do bear in mind that they are working on stuff behind the scenes at the moment for when HBO Max gets added to the NOW app at the end of the month so that’s likely the reason.

Whether or not it returns once HBO Max has launched is anyone’s guess.
I’d like to think it will but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

 

[stocklen]

Its not that it’s broken, they’ve severed the link to the data which is why no shows show they have a link to NOW and the NOW Channel app is empty.
Though do bear in mind that they are working on stuff behind the scenes at the moment for when HBO Max gets added to the NOW app at the end of the month so that’s likely the reason.

Whether or not it returns once HBO Max has launched is anyone’s guess.
I’d like to think it will but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Well, perhaps the timing is more than coincidental but we as NOW customers dont really know how we are going to access HBO content - either it will be included in the NOW subscription as now... or we will have to get an HBO subscription for new HBO shows that wont be on NOW going forward - although SKY subscribers are getting this included NOW hasnt always followed suit as for example NOW Movies does not include Paramount + which is included in SKY cinema subscriptions.

BUT that said, if they are making some changes behind the scenes.... they have indeed "broken" it for sure - for certain something that we are all used to working in a particular way now no longer does and we weren't notified about the 'downtime' which they could easily have done given they know exactly how to contact those paying customers who access their service via the AppleTV app.

It does seem unlikely that this is a long term problem as there seems no reason why the NOW app cant share its content as it usually does with the Up Next integration in the TV app.

 

[-Gonzo-]

Well, perhaps the timing is more than coincidental but we as NOW customers dont really know how we are going to access HBO content -

Yes we do, they’ve already informed current subscribers what’s happening, there’s a big green banner when you go to My Account.

NOW Entertainment Membership & HBO Max

NOW Members who had Entertainment when we introduced our new NOW Entertainment & HBO Max Membership at the end of March now get HBO Max Basic with Ads at no extra cost.

www.nowtv.com

And then there’s the information Cordbusters say they got from Sky.

Plot Twist: NOW Entertainment Will Include HBO Max Films | Cord Busters

NOW Entertainment subscribers will get Warner Bros. films included with HBO Max at no extra cost - even if they are not subscribed to NOW Cinema

www.cordbusters.co.uk

 

[stocklen]

Yes we do, they’ve already informed current subscribers what’s happening, there’s a big green banner when you go to My Account.

NOW Entertainment Membership & HBO Max

NOW Members who had Entertainment when we introduced our new NOW Entertainment & HBO Max Membership at the end of March now get HBO Max Basic with Ads at no extra cost.

www.nowtv.com

And then there’s the information Cordbusters say they got from Sky.

Plot Twist: NOW Entertainment Will Include HBO Max Films | Cord Busters

NOW Entertainment subscribers will get Warner Bros. films included with HBO Max at no extra cost - even if they are not subscribed to NOW Cinema

www.cordbusters.co.uk

Thanks for the link.
Genuinely didnt know that.

As a NOW subscriber the only time I personally visit the NOW website on a browser is to 'cancel' my latest subscription and then be given it cheaper.

99% of my time with NOW is through the AppleTV app.

 

[StumpyBloke]

Try it again. It’s supposed to be fixed. You may need to restart your Apple TV.

 

[stocklen]

Try it again. It’s supposed to be fixed. You may need to restart your Apple TV.

Thanks

Yes it seems they fixed it - all NOW content is back in the TV app.

Only took them a week
🙂

Now.. how do we get Netflix to play nice in the TV app too?
🙂

 

[StumpyBloke]

Thanks

Yes it seems they fixed it - all NOW content is back in the TV app.

Only took them a week
🙂

Now.. how do we get Netflix to play nice in the TV app too?
🙂

Don’t hold your breath on the Netflix one. They really don’t want to play that way unfortunately (Netflix that is)!

 

[stocklen]

Don’t hold your breath on the Netflix one. They really don’t want to play that way unfortunately (Netflix that is)!

I know

Ive never understood their reticence.

We know how easy it is after last year's quickly corrected 'mistake' when they flipped the switch and flipped it back again after an hour or so.

Apart from some old outdated commercial rivalry I can see no reason whatsoever to not integrate.

All it would do is make life BETTER for THEIR customers on the Apple platforms (not just TV but iOS/iPadOS too) but will aid discoverability and get more customers to their content.

I dont see a downside for Netflix. Its not as if the shows are being viewed outside the Netflix app after all.

It's the one big hole in the experience. I really want my Up Next to have my Netflix shows in there.

 

[JulianL]

I know

Ive never understood their reticence.

We know how easy it is after last year's quickly corrected 'mistake' when they flipped the switch and flipped it back again after an hour or so.

Apart from some old outdated commercial rivalry I can see no reason whatsoever to not integrate.

All it would do is make life BETTER for THEIR customers on the Apple platforms (not just TV but iOS/iPadOS too) but will aid discoverability and get more customers to their content.

I dont see a downside for Netflix. Its not as if the shows are being viewed outside the Netflix app after all.

It's the one big hole in the experience. I really want my Up Next to have my Netflix shows in there.

So true. If I had to pick one thing to change/fix in the Apple TV ecosystem it would be for Netflix to play nicely with Apple TV.

 

[stocklen]

of course now HBO has launched theres a new problem!

Superman was available yesterday on HBO and NOW - its a 'sky cinema' movie - and yet according to 'up next' its only available in the HBO Max app and not the NOW app (which it is of course)

Its been on my up next for months and I was expecting it to 'move to the top of the list' as usual when it was released on NOW.

And unless Im mistaken as NOW customers accessing HBO content we can only do it from inside the NOW app and cant log into HBO Max.


Hopefully a glitch if they can be bothered to fix it.

 

[-Gonzo-]

And unless Im mistaken as NOW customers accessing HBO content we can only do it from inside the NOW app and cant log into HBO Max.

It’s a bit hit & miss as to what does and what doesn’t from the atv app.
For example House of the Dragon does, Game of Thrones doesn’t, A Knight of The Seven Kingdoms does.

You can login to the HBO Max app if you link your NOW account, unfortunately though even if you have Boost or Ultra Boost you only get access to the Basic with ads plan when using the app.

Edit:
Have just noticed a few shows that weren’t showing a link to NOW yesterday are now doing so.
The Pitt being one example, Game of Thrones is now too,

 

[stocklen]

It’s a bit hit & miss as to what does and what doesn’t from the atv app.
For example House of the Dragon does, Game of Thrones doesn’t, A Knight of The Seven Kingdoms does.

You can login to the HBO Max app if you link your NOW account, unfortunately though even if you have Boost or Ultra Boost you only get access to the Basic with ads plan when using the app.

Edit:
Have just noticed a few shows that weren’t showing a link to NOW yesterday are now doing so.
The Pitt being one example, Game of Thrones is now too,

I must admit I haven't tried but I read somewhere yesterday that only SKY customers get the ability to create a HBO login for the app and NOW customers do not....

... not sure if thats true.

But hopefully this is just a teething problem.

If, for example. Superman is on Sky Cinema then its also on NOW and should appear as available via both the NOW app and the HBO app - thats the way it works when Paramount movies are available on both Paramount and NOW.

 

[-Gonzo-]

I must admit I haven't tried but I read somewhere yesterday that only SKY customers get the ability to create a HBO login for the app and NOW customers do not....

NOW customers do too, but you’re only getting Basic with ads which is a bit of a downgrade if you have a Boost or Ultra Boost sub.

 

[stocklen]

NOW customers do too, but you’re only getting Basic with ads which is a bit of a downgrade if you have a Boost or Ultra Boost sub.

presumably getting the app and logging in will just aid in discoverability. If you want to watch the content you can do so via the NOW app?

 

[-Gonzo-]

presumably getting the app and logging in will just aid in discoverability. If you want to watch the content you can do so via the NOW app?

I’ve not had time to compare the two but I’m not sure if discoverability will be any different now that NOW has a HBO Max section.
I guess it’ll probably show all the stuff you don’t actually have access to.
To a certain extent I only really want to be seeing what I can watch rather than having the temptation of spending more money to unlock what’s not included under the current plan.

 

[stocklen]

I’ve not had time to compare the two but I’m not sure if discoverability will be any different now that NOW has a HBO Max section.
I guess it’ll probably show all the stuff you don’t actually have access to.
To a certain extent I only really want to be seeing what I can watch rather than having the temptation of spending more money to unlock what’s not included under the current plan.

Out of interest, my 'superman' which had worked its way to the right hand end of my 'continue watching' list still didnt show the 'watch on NOW' option... just HBO Max

So, I went into the NOW app, pressed play on the movie and allowed it to play for 10 seconds.

Now, it appears at the beginning of my list, with the NOW badge on it, and if you look at the details (go to movie) it shows NOW as an available source alongside HBO Max.
But, it needed this manual intervention to work.

Im hoping this is just a glitch as other content thats available across multiple apps works fine.