LL
London Lite
Founding member
What I've noticed with some programmes on VOD and even some live channels occasionally is that on my Smart Box, you get motion judder, yet on the Chromecast, it's perfect.
There's also a juddering issue with the 'Now TV Player' which is mainly used by Windows 7 and 8.1 users, where as the Windows 10 app plays smoothly.
There's also a juddering issue with the 'Now TV Player' which is mainly used by Windows 7 and 8.1 users, where as the Windows 10 app plays smoothly.
NG
If the PBS app - like Netflix and Amazon - is casting 24p content at 24p and 29.97p content at 29.97p, and the Chromecast is outputting this at 50p, then you'll see horrid judder. If it is 24p native you'll get 3:2 judder if you set the output to 60p.
If the PBS content has already been converted to 50/25p - then it could be the conversion has been done badly (particularly if it's a conversion for VOD rather than broadcast).
noggin
Founding member
It's set to 50 Hz.
If the PBS app - like Netflix and Amazon - is casting 24p content at 24p and 29.97p content at 29.97p, and the Chromecast is outputting this at 50p, then you'll see horrid judder. If it is 24p native you'll get 3:2 judder if you set the output to 60p.
If the PBS content has already been converted to 50/25p - then it could be the conversion has been done badly (particularly if it's a conversion for VOD rather than broadcast).
NG
Is this on top of the baked-in judder that happens on 50Hz content that is being streamed at 25Hz? (AIUI NowTV doesn't offer 50p steams like iPlayer does yet?)
You won't see 50->25 judder on 25Hz native (or 24->25Hz sped up) content (drama, documentary, movies), but on native 50Hz content (sport, entertainment, news) you will see the 50->25 halving of temporal resolution.
noggin
Founding member
What I've noticed with some programmes on VOD and even some live channels occasionally is that on my Smart Box, you get motion judder, yet on the Chromecast, it's perfect.
Is this on top of the baked-in judder that happens on 50Hz content that is being streamed at 25Hz? (AIUI NowTV doesn't offer 50p steams like iPlayer does yet?)
You won't see 50->25 judder on 25Hz native (or 24->25Hz sped up) content (drama, documentary, movies), but on native 50Hz content (sport, entertainment, news) you will see the 50->25 halving of temporal resolution.
NJ
Neil Jones
Founding member
The £99 I posted about previously and it was supposed to end at the end of October but has obviously been extended and is probably going to hang around for a while as an introductory teaser.
NJ
Neil Jones
Founding member
I jumped on the £99 Entertainment and Cinema offer in the end and grabbed a Now TV box from Argos (the newer one with the network port, not the smart one) as they're knocking them out at the moment for £12.49 with various passes. Can't believe how tiny the box is! Seriously good piece of kit this, the picture quality is quite good too.
I think I might dump my Sky+ actually, the only things really going for it for me now is the Sky+ functionality and the fact ITV Hub on Sky is advert-free, as opposed to other platforms. These on their own don't really justify my paying £15.40 a month for what is now a really chunky looking box with a bunch of channels in the original bundle I don't even watch.
I think I might dump my Sky+ actually, the only things really going for it for me now is the Sky+ functionality and the fact ITV Hub on Sky is advert-free, as opposed to other platforms. These on their own don't really justify my paying £15.40 a month for what is now a really chunky looking box with a bunch of channels in the original bundle I don't even watch.
Last edited by Neil Jones on 25 November 2017 8:57am
RE
An early Christmas present from NOW TV - Syfy is coming tomorrow on the service.
With the addition of Syfy, that brings the number of channels up to 12 (we’ll be back to 11 by next spring though...)
Edit: Channel was added this morning - and having checked image quality on the Smart Box - it joins the likes of Comedy Central and Discovery as an SD service.
Tomorrow for the Live Channel but the on demand catchup stuff is all there right now Matt :)
— NOW Help Team (@NOWHelpTeam) December 5, 2017
With the addition of Syfy, that brings the number of channels up to 12 (we’ll be back to 11 by next spring though...)
Edit: Channel was added this morning - and having checked image quality on the Smart Box - it joins the likes of Comedy Central and Discovery as an SD service.
Last edited by Rex on 6 December 2017 4:04pm
DV
Monthly Sports Passes with accompanying Fancy Paperweights at Argos for £24.99 if you're interested. Reasonable number of stores with stock locally at present too.
NJ
Neil Jones
Founding member
Well I dumped Sky+, having eventually decided the original bundle with a discount wasn't worth keeping now I have NowTV, as most of the linear channels I was watching on Sky are on Freeview and I can get the iPlayer, ITV Hub and All4 on the Firestick and NowTV anyway. So I have to sit through adverts before watching anything, no difference really to how it used to be.
The likes of the alternatives to Sky (satellite) are really competitive price-wise, Amazon Prime is still £80 a year, Netflix from £5.99 a month and NowTV from as little as £2.99 (Kids pass) a month. It makes Sky starting at £22 a month look really expensive for what you get, though I suppose a) the convenience of the major Catch-up TV services all in one box is nice and b) it depends what you like to watch and whether you view most of the channels in your bundles.
The likes of the alternatives to Sky (satellite) are really competitive price-wise, Amazon Prime is still £80 a year, Netflix from £5.99 a month and NowTV from as little as £2.99 (Kids pass) a month. It makes Sky starting at £22 a month look really expensive for what you get, though I suppose a) the convenience of the major Catch-up TV services all in one box is nice and b) it depends what you like to watch and whether you view most of the channels in your bundles.