Sky has just released a dedicated NOW TV box for £9.99 (including shipping).

According to Engadget it's a rebranded Roku 2 XS (which Amazon has up for £77).

Pretty good deal for any Now TV subscribers and maybe, if the other features can be used without subscription, users of various catch-up and streaming services.

I've picked up two in the hopes that it's identical hardware to the Roku 2 XS and i can somehow finagle the Roku firmware onto it.

That would be pretty cool, but I suspect Sky and Roku have sewn up the box so nothing else can be done with it.

Maybe the NowTV box is the reason for the delay of the Roku 3 being released in the UK, Roku being distracted with this box instead. Lets hope for the Roku 3 soon!

There are some pictures on Techradar.

No Ethernet port, so definitely not a rebranded Roku 2 XS.

If it does 1080P it's got to be a Roku 2 XD; if only 720p it could be a Roku LT, Roku HD, or Roku 2 HD.

its definitely a Roku 2 XD, exactly the same box and rear

It is the Roku LT.

http://wwwimg.roku.com/support/images/Roku_LT_large.png
https://shop.nowtv.com/static/images...354823f5dc.png

Confirmed as based on the Roku 2 XS but I bet they are all very similar under the hood.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tech/new...t-top-box.html

That's not confirmation of the Roku XS. I suspect one publication stated it was a Roku XS and then everyone else took it as gospel.

From this video of the interface the Now TV box tops out at 720p which, if it is just a rebranded Roku, indicates it's a Roku LT.

One of mine shipped yesterday so i've fingers crossed that it'll arrive today. If it does i'll pop the top and have a look at the innards, see if i can confirm one way or the other. Then on to trying to get the genuine Roku firmware installed.

So will this allow us to watch iplayer, 4OD etc FOR FREE just by buying the box and plugging it in?

You won't be able to watch 4OD on it apparently, but the other catchup services will be free ..

£300+ a year to watch Sky sports..............Real bargain that.!!!

It's actually more than £3000. It's a tenner a day, so even watching once a week would be £520

It sounds ridiculous when you say it like that, but that's thinking about it from the same perspective as taking out a Sky Subscription. NOW TV is really about avoiding signing up to Sky - 'cord cutting' as our chums across the pond, where cable dominates, call it.

If you don't need sports every day, or even better don't need it every week and irregularly, it's a decent option. For example, say you only want the F1 and everything else you would watch on Sky, you have access to on other platforms. Instead of having to take out a full Sky subscription for the year, you can just DayPass the Sky-exclusive races (and can skip them if you won't be able to watch live that day), saving a lot of redundant spend - £100 as opposed to around £350-£500 with a more traditional subscription. Even adding Qualifying (£200) and Friday Practice (£300) is cheaper with NOW TV than Sky+HD or Virgin Media.

The point of NOW TV Sports is flexibility to only pay for what you actually want. It's not intended as a true alternative to Sky+HD. Similarly, NOW TV Movies is a way for movie fans who don't need the other things Sky offers to access Sky's movie offerings during their Excluisve Pay-TV window - ie, before Netflix and LOVEFiLM have them.

OOps! missed a zero out there. I see your point, but, you can view F1 in other places without resorting to shoring up the Murdoch empire.
It's still not really a cheap option. Still, I don't suppose it will be too long before hacked boxes are being hawked down at the local.....

I tried SKY NOW on a free trial on my Roku a while back and watched "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" advertised as not available on Netflix at the time. The film keep freezing and went very blocky like all the films I tried on SKY NOW they were totally unwatchable. Eventually switched to Netflix Sweden and watched it in HD with no problems. I hope Sky have improved things to sell this box as the service was terrible before.

Definitely not for everyone, that's for sure. I like that it's an option if it's wanted though.

And the box is a great deal even allowing for the couple of services Sky's removed from the Roku Channel Store, looking forward to mine arriving.

One thing mentioned in Sky's statement on Friday is that Now TV have signed a deal to go on LG Smart TV's.

So if you have one of those, no need to buy the box.

That's interesting to know. I have an LG bp620 BluRay player with Lovefilm, Netflix etc, so if Now came to that platform as well it would be great - with Acetrax closing, there's an empty slot ready and waiting

it would depend on if the maker of the tv or player decided to make any new service available to existing kit, or (as I suspect) only provide it on their brand new hardware - thus you would have to buy new equipment again.

Just got mine and to answer 'the' question some have been asking,do you have to pay,or register a card to view the free content.its NO

You will have to create an account on the Now TV website,I did that,found I could log back into the site on my PC,so I knew it worked.

Had to wait a few minutes before the Now box would accept the log in,but other than that,its working,got the TWIT network on,at the moment.

Had a quick look at Pramface on the iPlayer,and the picture ratio looked just a little odd maybe?,but the TWIT podcast looks OK to me.

So yes,got it to work on the 'free content' without paying anything or even registering a card

Hi How do you create an account on now tv without signing up for a free trial of sky movies, as the video on you tube says to click on the free movies for a month.

Thanks Marina

I can only tell what I did,go the the Now TV website on PC/laptop,create an account,that is to say,make up a name and password,register it.
Then log out,and log back in again,just to try it,then just enter those same details when you have your Now box connected to your television.

Then you should be able to see the free stuff without signing up for the movies or sport,don't even try to subscribe to the movies/sport,if you don't want them. You can always get them later if you wish,its up to you.

Having just signed up via the website,I found that I had to wait a few minutes for the box to accept the sign in,but other than that,no problems.

tom dont forget the special offer today m8,,
£15 for 6 months now.. ( they debit £2.50 pm) then its £8.99pm for 3 mnths then £15pm
offer unto 04 aug

Correct me if im wrong but once you have a now tv box if you dont want to watch the movies or sports u shouldnt have to register anyhowe. if all u want to do is just watch bbc ipayer then surely its a case of going to the free content. For example if you have a sky id and password if you log into nowtv website it will log you in and then assume you want the free trial but at the top of the screen it will say you will be charged £8.99 but if im right that will only be after you fill in your address and billing details.

DAZ dont forget m8 there is now a new offer untill sunday..
But AND its only my opinion as my box hasnt arrivrd yet..
But im sure there still ask u for a ID once one plugs the box into the wall... just the same as if you logged into there "now tv web site...
well i will anyway as I would like to see what goodies sky are showing...and dont foget its free for 30 days.. unless u take that special offer.

As I have said above,you 'will' have to create an account on the Now TV website,even to view the free stuff.
However you do not have to enter any card details,if your only want the free content.

Signed up and running on my LG smart TV. Offer extended until August 2.

One of the Sky Sports day passes has to be used by August 5, the other lasts a year.

I have a full Sky HD package and am only doing this to give feedback (it's handy having the real thing to compare the quality with).