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A sly Now TV update is culling sideloaded apps like Plex
Ever since the launch of the first Now TV box for just £10 in 2013, some buyers have been using the little streaming pucks in ways Sky hadn't originally intended. Cut through the branding, and Now TV boxes are just Rokus in disguise, complete with a developer mode that lets users sideload apps not available in the sparse Now TV store. But no longer, as Sky has quietly begun issuing an update to Now TV boxes that disables developer mode and purges any apps that've been installed on them using the loophole.
Sky's new Now TV box is full HD compatible after all
Sky's second-generation Now TV box goes on sale tomorrow, and the company's just been in touch to say it made a bit of a boo-boo on yesterday's announcement. You see, the new Now TV box is basically a rebranded Roku 3, and since that device supports full HD, 1080p streaming, we assumed Sky's reskinned version would too. We were told yesterday, however, that Sky's model was slightly different, in that it can only output at 720p like the first-gen Now TV box. As it turns out, this isn't true: the new Now TV box does support 1080p, but Sky content will continue to stream at a maximum resolution of 720p. Also, there are "no immediate plans" to make the jump to full HD, as Sky would rather not hinge the user experience on the speed of your internet connection. By coming clean about its mistake, Sky's actually made the £15 streaming puck a more attractive purchase. You can use the little set-top box to stream from plenty of content sources that aren't the Now TV app, so where available, you'll now be able to do so in glorious full HD.
Sky's new £15 Now TV box arrives this week
Sky announced a successor to its cheap and cheerful Now TV streaming puck way back at the beginning of the year, and today we've learned it's definitely going to meet its August release window. In fact, the little set-top box will be available through the Now TV website from this Thursday, August 6th, before hitting Argos the following day and other retailers "in the coming weeks." At £15, it's a fiver more expensive than the original Now TV box, but that extra cash buys you a faster processor, which should make the user experience that bit slicker, and an Ethernet port for ensuring stable streams if your WiFi is on the flaky side.
Sky's new full HD Now TV box will launch in August for £15
Sky is shedding a little light today on its next-generation Now TV box and a new monthly streaming plan for Sky Sports. Its refreshed hardware, which slipped out earlier this year in an investor presentation, will debut this August for £14.99 with an ethernet port and a five times faster processor. It's based on the Roku 3 player, the same as the company's "Sky Online TV Box" in Italy, which means it should finally support 1080p streaming too.
Sky's Now TV box is a £9.99 Roku clone that streams iPlayer and more
BSkyB started investing in Roku last year and it's leveraged that involvement to develop this new Now TV set-top box. Going on sale today for just £9.99 (including shipping), it brings a rebranded Roku 2 XD (no gaming remote) with software built for Sky's IPTV platform and a curated list of additional channels. Notably missing from the list are Netflix, Lovefilm, ITV Player, and 4oD, however Now TV (of course), iPlayer, Demand Five, Spotify, Facebook and several Sky channels are included. It gives up a bit in flexibility compared to the standard player, but the ultra-low entry price certainly makes for a compelling option. Roku is facing more competition than ever with new game consoles, Google's Chromecast and even Apple's TV ambitions, we'll see if partnering with traditional providers makes it the "operating system for TVs" CEO Anthony Wood wants it to be. For Sky, this is just part of a multi-pronged plan to move its TV offerings into the future, detailed in today's earnings report. Starting in September it will offer a WiFi equipped Sky+HD box to customers as the standard, and low cost wireless adapters to those with older hardware that isn't already connected. It's also enhancing Sky Go, with plans to add 10 new channels in the next year while marketing Sky Go Extra more. Finally, it's adding more content to the Catch Up TV and Sky Store VOD bundle -- check the PDF linked below for more details.%Gallery-194728%
