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Now TV sound quality |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 141
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Now TV sound quality
Have been watching a few films on the Now TV box, from Sky Cinema. Picture looks fine, even at 720p, but the sound quality (on the film I was watching last night, Gran Turino), was abysmal, like it had been recorded in a cardboard box. Apparently Now TV broadcasts in stereo, not full surround sound, but I haven't noticed it sounding that bad before. Is it maybe just the film? Am listening through decent headphones or speakers on the TV.
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#2 |
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,647
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Quote:
Have been watching a few films on the Now TV box, from Sky Cinema. Picture looks fine, even at 720p, but the sound quality (on the film I was watching last night, Gran Turino), was abysmal, like it had been recorded in a cardboard box. Apparently Now TV broadcasts in stereo, not full surround sound, but I haven't noticed it sounding that bad before. Is it maybe just the film? Am listening through decent headphones or speakers on the TV.
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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Herefordshire
Posts: 22,785
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I have not noticed a problem with the sound
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#4 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Cambridge, Sandy Heath Transmi
Posts: 1,317
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I get Now TV with full surround sound through my Chromecast no issues there.
Surely the dedicated box accesses the same stream? |
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#5 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: The City and County of Bristol
Posts: 2,621
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Quote:
I get Now TV with full surround sound through my Chromecast no issues there.
Surely the dedicated box accesses the same stream?
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#6 |
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Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 275
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Quote:
Please tell us more.
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#7 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,155
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Quote:
Have been watching a few films on the Now TV box, from Sky Cinema. Picture looks fine, even at 720p, but the sound quality (on the film I was watching last night, Gran Turino), was abysmal, like it had been recorded in a cardboard box. Apparently Now TV broadcasts in stereo, not full surround sound, but I haven't noticed it sounding that bad before. Is it maybe just the film? Am listening through decent headphones or speakers on the TV.
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#8 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 275
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Now TV DOES have surround sound, you need to set the Audio up correctly on the settings menu.
The new box has Auto (Dolby D+ and DTS) setting, even with that selected the only output is still PCM. If I'm not mistaken, to get anything like 5.1 Now TV will need to go digital, especially if DD+ and DTS is to be enabled. |
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#9 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: The City and County of Bristol
Posts: 2,621
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Now TV is only PCM (stereo), isn't it?
The new box has Auto (Dolby D+ and DTS) setting, even with that selected the only output is still PCM. If I'm not mistaken, to get anything like 5.1 Now TV will need to go digital, especially if DD+ and DTS is to be enabled. That said with the proliferation of sound bars these too are not surround sound but use electronics to make it sound like surround sound, a bit like any AV amp worth its salt would do i.e. Quasi surround sound. So bottom line is Amazon sound = Dolby Digital 5.1 , Netflix Sound = Dolby Digital 5.1 and coming in last is NowTV with stereo sound that can be made to sound a bit like surround sound.
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#10 |
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Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 597
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I'd be tempted by NowTV if the picture was delivered in 1080i/p and the audio was proper multichannel, both for live and library content. If Amazon and Netflix can do it why not NowTV/Sky, especially as the NowTV box is made by Roku? Actually, it's pretty obvious when you think about it. Firstly, Sky don't want to whack their main business and secondly, they don't really care about their customers. There was a bit in the Telegraph today about the fact that Sky's market share is now being impacted by online streaming services like Amazon and Netflix, and that customers are starting to leave the platform. Well, duh, one way to gain new customers might be to match what the competition is delivering, rather than treating your customers as the lowest common denominator.
Clem |
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#11 |
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Reading
Posts: 27,884
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Quote:
Now TV is only PCM (stereo), isn't it?
The new box has Auto (Dolby D+ and DTS) setting, even with that selected the only output is still PCM. If I'm not mistaken, to get anything like 5.1 Now TV will need to go digital, especially if DD+ and DTS is to be enabled. Quote:
That’s how I see it, oops, I meant hear it and what NowTV customers (I’m one too) are hearing is not true surround sound but what is known as quasi surround sound and I can assure everyone having had a full surround system ever since the days of Dolby Pro-Logic analogue surround systems back in the early nineties my setup is correct.
That said with the proliferation of sound bars these too are not surround sound but use electronics to make it sound like surround sound, a bit like any AV amp worth its salt would do i.e. Quasi surround sound. So bottom line is Amazon sound = Dolby Digital 5.1 , Netflix Sound = Dolby Digital 5.1 and coming in last is NowTV with stereo sound that can be made to sound a bit like surround sound.![]() But even if it were ProLogic encoded still not as good as a "proper" Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1 audio track. |
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#12 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Cambridge, Sandy Heath Transmi
Posts: 1,317
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Probably hooked up to a AV receiver and has DPL engaged giving them virtual surround sound.
The Chromecast is plugged directly into my AV amp, but it's definitely not set to DPL mode. It's set to Auto Surround which simply automatically switches to Dolby Digital (or DTS which isn't relevant to this post) when it detects it. Otherwise it stays in stereo mode. I was watching some live Sky 1, and some box sets and the surround automatically came on. I assumed this is normal. |
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#13 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 275
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Quote:
Sorry hadn't had a chance to look at this thread for a few days.
The Chromecast is plugged directly into my AV amp, but it's definitely not set to DPL mode. It's set to Auto Surround which simply automatically switches to Dolby Digital (or DTS which isn't relevant to this post) when it detects it. Otherwise it stays in stereo mode. I was watching some live Sky 1, and some box sets and the surround automatically came on. I assumed this is normal. |
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#14 |
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Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 27
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I wonder if Now TV ever use something like a Dolby ProLogic encoder to encode a full 5.1 surround audio track down to two channel?
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#15 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 655
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I'd be tempted by NowTV if the picture was delivered in 1080i/p and the audio was proper multichannel, both for live and library content. If Amazon and Netflix can do it why not NowTV/Sky, especially as the NowTV box is made by Roku? Actually, it's pretty obvious when you think about it. Firstly, Sky don't want to whack their main business and secondly, they don't really care about their customers.
Clem to be honest I can't be bothered to find the articles now but when HD broadcasts first started I believe US broadcasters chose 720P for sports broadcasts and 1080i for movies and entertainment as 720P was deemed better for fast motion sports whereas UK broadcasters just chose a flat 1080i across the board for all broadcasts. I'd also add that due to the bitrates online services like Netflix and Amazon use then 72OP can quite often offer a better picture, for example BBC Iplayer at full bitrate 720P is far more watchable (to my eyes at least) than 1080P on Amazon or Netflix. Non of the online services offer a picture close to broadcast HD let alone full uncompressed Bluray. So to conclude I don't agree that Sky's choice of resolution lets their customers down or proves they don't care about their customers. What I feel could prove the point is their still lack of any digital surround sound on their Now TV service, although to answer another point in this thread they do encode with Pro Logic because I definately get some surround sound from them but its not a patch on proper digital surround sound. |
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is NowTV with stereo sound that can be made to sound a bit like surround sound.