NowTV

[essop1@gp]

I know this is a little off topic, but has anyone using NowTV had problems with hectic buffering recently? had this service for a while now and recently i can barely watch a movie properly.

Using it on PS3, Unotelly, mweb 10mb uncapped. Netflix, Hulu and NTV works absolutely problem free.

 

[AdrianH]

I know this is a little off topic, but has anyone using NowTV had problems with hectic buffering recently? had this service for a while now and recently i can barely watch a movie properly.

Using it on PS3, Unotelly, mweb 10mb uncapped. Netflix, Hulu and NTV works absolutely problem free.

How is your streaming lately. Also, how did you register?

 

[essop1@gp]

How is your streaming lately. Also, how did you register?

Haven't tried it since, i will try to tonight and let you know. Just googled an address in the UK, used that to register and FNB card for payment details. Thats it.

 

[AdrianH]

Haven't tried it since, i will try to tonight and let you know. Just googled an address in the UK, used that to register and FNB card for payment details. Thats it.

Thanks, I am keen to give it a go on my DroidTV. I see they just released the new Android App.

 

[essop1@gp]

Cool, i was also thinking of changing the subscription to the Entertainment package which is GBP4.00 a month and see how that goes. But to be honest streaming quality was never better than Hulu and Netflix since i have started using it but the content is great.

 

[essop1@gp]

Thanks, I am keen to give it a go on my DroidTV. I see they just released the new Android App.

Changed subscription to Entertainment, tested some of the channels and its streaming without any issues on the ps3.

 

[AdrianH]

Changed subscription to Entertainment, tested some of the channels and its streaming without any issues on the ps3.

I am having a few issues with my DroidTV. Turns out the native app doesn't work if it picks up that your device is rooted. But it looks like I have found a solution that might just work. Going to try tonight.

But if a get it working, then with NowTV and Netflix i can cancel DSTV.

 

[essop1@gp]

I am having a few issues with my DroidTV. Turns out the native app doesn't work if it picks up that your device is rooted. But it looks like I have found a solution that might just work. Going to try tonight.

But if a get it working, then with NowTV and Netflix i can cancel DSTV.

Hope you come right. i need a couple of Roku's in my house. My kids only watch Netflix, they don't miss the dstv kids channels at all, and myself and my wife live on Hulu and normally watch NowTV over the weekends and i normally use NTV for the football and other UK channels. 2 hd pvr's just laying dormant in the house.

 

[AdrianH]

Hope you come right. i need a couple of Roku's in my house. My kids only watch Netflix, they don't miss the dstv kids channels at all, and myself and my wife live on Hulu and normally watch NowTV over the weekends and i normally use NTV for the football and other UK channels. 2 hd pvr's just laying dormant in the house.

How's your NowTV performing. I get buffering on Roku with NowTV and only SD quality. All the other Roku channels never buffer and are mostly in HD.

 

[Joeboy69]

How's your NowTV performing. I get buffering on Roku with NowTV and only SD quality. All the other Roku channels never buffer and are mostly in HD.

Wow,min didn't know that NowTV was an option on Roku! Must check it put when I get home next week

 

[AdrianH]

Wow,min didn't know that NowTV was an option on Roku! Must check it put when I get home next week

You need to have a Roku UK account to get NowTV. Right now though it stinks though, buffering all the time and pixellated.

 

[Joeboy69]

Ahhhh, I'm on a US account that's why I didn't see it before ...

 

[DominionZA]

How's your NowTV performing. I get buffering on Roku with NowTV and only SD quality. All the other Roku channels never buffer and are mostly in HD.

I get some buffering and only on certain movies.
I have highest priority QoS setup for all my Roku's which generally keeps things very smooth. Netflix never buffers, even with multiple streams. NowTV seems to be a bit of touch and go.

 

[AdrianH]

I get some buffering and only on certain movies.
I have highest priority QoS setup for all my Roku's which generally keeps things very smooth. Netflix never buffers, even with multiple streams. NowTV seems to be a bit of touch and go.

QoS is set on routers right? How do I set this up for the roku? I see there is all sorts of options under QoS on my router.

 

[DominionZA]

QoS is set on routers right? How do I set this up for the roku? I see there is all sorts of options under QoS on my router.

I use Kerio Control as my network gateway, but ye - most routers do some form of QoS. Setup will be dependant on your router and it's config.

If you can, setup QoS by device (IP). Set it to highest priority and to reserve around 50% of bandwidth.
A lot of consumer routers I have played with are not very good at QoS though. The Asus N66U and > routers are pretty good. Regardless, it will take some fiddling and tweaking. Took me nearly a week to get QoS nicely tweaked for online gaming, streaming, etc...
Your router should prompt for down and up speeds in the QoS config. Make these values around 85% of your actual speed. Never make it 100%.
Remember, QoS focuses on outgoing - not incoming. Incoming is a result of outgoing packets.

 

[AdrianH]

I use Kerio Control as my network gateway, but ye - most routers do some form of QoS. Setup will be dependant on your router and it's config.

If you can, setup QoS by device (IP). Set it to highest priority and to reserve around 50% of bandwidth.
A lot of consumer routers I have played with are not very good at QoS though. The Asus N66U and > routers are pretty good. Regardless, it will take some fiddling and tweaking. Took me nearly a week to get QoS nicely tweaked for online gaming, streaming, etc...
Your router should prompt for down and up speeds in the QoS config. Make these values around 85% of your actual speed. Never make it 100%.
Remember, QoS focuses on outgoing - not incoming. Incoming is a result of outgoing packets.

Thanks, I'll have a look.

I honestly think that either 2 things are happening with NowTV though because I too am only getting SD and buffering in NowTV.

1. The servers at their end just cant handle the load. (I will test at 3AM this morning)
2. The NowTV app on the Roku has an issue with regards to the determining of the adaptive stream bitrate. Because we average around 200ms to the UK, I think it causes issue with the adaptive streaming.

I say its the NowTV app because via my web browser I don't have issues when streaming the same content. With the NowTV app, I average 50KB/s in download traffic. With web browser, I get about 150KB/s. Very odd indeed.

 

[DominionZA]

Thanks, I'll have a look.

I honestly think that either 2 things are happening with NowTV though because I too am only getting SD and buffering in NowTV.

1. The servers at their end just cant handle the load. (I will test at 3AM this morning)
2. The NowTV app on the Roku has an issue with regards to the determining of the adaptive stream bitrate. Because we average around 200ms to the UK, I think it causes issue with the adaptive streaming.

I say its the NowTV app because via my web browser I don't have issues when streaming the same content. With the NowTV app, I average 50KB/s in download traffic. With web browser, I get about 150KB/s. Very odd indeed.

I was testing with World War Z last night. That streamed nicely and was klapping my line at 340KB/s. This afternoon when I was playing I got buffering and average rate was only about 110KB/s so def something up. Line is 6mbps. Had nothing else using the line when fiddling today.

I found after each buffering session, the quality would reduce a bit and keep repeating until the stream stabilised. Wish they would adapt on the fly like Netflix.

 

[AdrianH]

I was testing with World War Z last night. That streamed nicely and was klapping my line at 340KB/s. This afternoon when I was playing I got buffering and average rate was only about 110KB/s so def something up. Line is 6mbps. Had nothing else using the line when fiddling today.

I found after each buffering session, the quality would reduce a bit and keep repeating until the stream stabilised. Wish they would adapt on the fly like Netflix.

Yeah, I'm also on a 6Meg with Mweb Uncapped. I'll keep trying and see how things go.

 

[Hogrod]

Thanks, I'll have a look.

I honestly think that either 2 things are happening with NowTV though because I too am only getting SD and buffering in NowTV.

1. The servers at their end just cant handle the load. (I will test at 3AM this morning)
2. The NowTV app on the Roku has an issue with regards to the determining of the adaptive stream bitrate. Because we average around 200ms to the UK, I think it causes issue with the adaptive streaming.

I say its the NowTV app because via my web browser I don't have issues when streaming the same content. With the NowTV app, I average 50KB/s in download traffic. With web browser, I get about 150KB/s. Very odd indeed.

I think it's a server load issue. I've watched F1 Grand Prix on the Sky Go app on Xbox, picture is fine up until the point where the race starts, then it gets worse. Then a few laps into the race the picture is perfect again. This is over a small 20 minute window period and every week the race is on.

More people log on when the race starts and don't watch the full race. So it could be the servers are under more strain and less bandwidth to go around at peak demand which equals worse pic quality. My theory.

 

[AdrianH]

I think it's a server load issue. I've watched F1 Grand Prix on the Sky Go app on Xbox, picture is fine up until the point where the race starts, then it gets worse. Then a few laps into the race the picture is perfect again. This is over a small 20 minute window period and every week the race is on.

More people log on when the race starts and don't watch the full race. So it could be the servers are under more strain and less bandwidth to go around at peak demand which equals worse pic quality. My theory.

Thanks for feedback.

I wish I knew what the issue is. I woke up just after 2AM this morning and tried Game of Thrones. Even at that time it made no difference whats so ever. But I do think NowTV is over-subscribed currently and this is causing load issues and subsequent buffering.

My other theory is that NowTV does not have adaptive bitrate like Netflix does. I think that when the stream is started, some pings and whatever other readings are done and then your bitrate and possibly a download speed to the app is determined at that point, and thats it. I think due to our crumby pings to the UK, we always get crumby bitrates.

Via the Roku I manage 50KB/s download speed. If I watch via PC though, it can go up to 300KB/s. This could either mean the Roku app just sucks, or the PC connects to different servers than the Roku and NowTV Box. Man its frustrating :twisted: