Technical Information
NOW TV content can be in standard definition (576p)in HD (720p) or Full HD (1080p). To play those in SD you need an ADSL connection of at least 2.5Mbps, to play those in HD you need, however, a connection of at least 3.5Mbps.
The compatibility of the service is ensured with all the most popular browsers (Microsoft Silverlight support is required in some cases), except Microsoft Edge. Outside of the computer world, NOW TV works on game consoles such as PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox 360 e Xbox One, on Samsung Smart TV and LG, on iPhone / iPad and Android devices. For the complete and updated list of compatible devices, see this information page.
There are also two dedicated devices produced by NOW TV in collaboration with Roku: NOW TV Smart Stick e NOW TV Box. Let me tell you about it in more detail.
NOW TV Smart Stick
NOW TV Smart Stick represents the quickest and most immediate solution to watch NOW TV contents on the TV: it is a key that, once connected to the HDMI port of the TV and connected to a wireless network, allows you to access the entire catalog of the streaming service by Sky, to project selected NOW TV contents on a smartphone or tablet on the TV and to access a wide range of additional apps, such as YouTube, Vimeo and Vevo.
It costs 19,99 euros. Measuring 84 x 20,3 x 12,6 mm for 20 grams of weight, it can be powered via the USB port of the TV or via the power socket (using the supplied power supply) and can be controlled via the remote control included in the package sales or via smartphone app. To find out more, read my post on how the NOW TV Smart Stick works and check out the official website of the product.
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NOW TV - prices
Before seeing in detail how Sky Online works, it seems appropriate to give an overview of the packages offered by the service (called "tickets") and their prices.
- Sport - it costs 14,99 € if you choose the 1 day Sport Pass (without automatic renewal and lasting 24 hours) or 29,99 euro / month if you choose the Monthly Sport Pass (with monthly renewal and automatic activation, can be deactivated within 24 hours before the expiry of the viewing period). Includes football and Sky sports to be seen in Super HD.
- Cinema and Entertainment - starts from 3 euro for the first month and then 14,99 euro / month and renews automatically and monthly (but you can deactivate it when you want, within 24 hours before the expiry of the viewing period). Includes all Sky entertainment and cinema.
The availability of some should also be emphasized ADSL and fiber promotions, such as those of Fastweb, which include 6 or 12 months of NOW TV at no cost.
How to subscribe to NOW TV
To subscribe to NOW TV, connected to the website of the service, click on the button Choose located under the box Sport or under the one related to the package Cinema and Entertainment (based on the offer of your interest). If you have chosen the Sport package, you will have to decide whether to activate the Monthly Sport Pass or 1 day Sport Pass, by clicking on the button Choose relating to the Pass of your interest.
Then write theemail address with whom you intend to register, click on the button Continue and fill out the appropriate form providing all the relevant information (name, last name, fiscal Code, address, city, POSTAL CODE, province, telephone number, Etc.).
After you have expressed your preferences regarding the receipt of communications and commercial offers from Skyee toanalysis of behavior and preferences to receive personalized commercial initiatives and offers, click on your bottone Proceed, choose the payment method you intend to use (specifying the information of the latter), click on the button Proceed and follow the instructions you receive on the screen to complete the procedure.
How to use NOW TV
After creating an account on NOW TV you can access all the contents of the service, or rather, the contents included in your subscription.
So connect to the home page of NOW TV and choose whether to browse the catalog of Cinema, TV Series, Entertainment o Sport using the menu located at the top. If you have activated the 14-day free trial you can only view movies, TV series and entertainment programs, football and sporting events are not included.
You can browse the films according to the genre they belong to (Genres), the degree of popularity (Most viewed) or on the date added on NOW TV (New); the series based on their airing status (Complete seasons), the degree of popularity (More views) or on the date of online publication (New), while entertainment content is divided into categories such as series, documentaries e children's programs. Sporting events are listed in the menu Sport and are classified according to the reference discipline: football, formula 1, Moto GP etc. To search directly for a content, press the icon of the magnifying glass you see at the top left, it's very easy.
When you find a movie, a show or any other content of your interest, first click on its poster and then on the button Play to start playback. Alternatively, click on the button Trailer and only a short preview will be played. You can also create a favorite content list to include all the movies, series and shows to watch. Just select the icon of the heart which is located next to the poster of each content. The list will subsequently be accessible from the menu Add to Wishlist which appears when you move the mouse cursor over your profile photo (top right).
It should be noted that the use of high definition content is only allowed on NOW TV Box, NOW TV Smart Stick, video game console, Chromecast and Smart TV. It is not currently possible to play HD content on PCs, smartphones and tablets.
Manage dell'abbonamento
To purchase content not yet included in your subscription (e.g. a sporting event) you must first click on its poster, then on the button with the price (usually single sporting events cost € 9,99) and finally on the button Confirmation. The charge will be made automatically to the payment method you indicated when registering for the service (PayPal or credit card).
If you want to activate a new ticket, go to the tab Discount NOW TV (top right), select the ticket of your interest (eg. Cinema o Entertainment) and confirm your subscription by pressing the button Attiva.
Do you want turn off automatic renewal of the NOW TV subscription? No problem. Go to the section My Area service, select the tab My offer (top left) and deactivate all the tickets you no longer wish to use by clicking on the appropriate buttons. The viewing of the contents associated with the selected packages will be blocked at the natural expiration of your subscription at no cost.
Offers with Sky Q without dish
If NOW TV is not for you, you can think about activating the offers they integrate Sky Q without dish. What is it about? Offers that include the Sky Q device without satellite dish through which it is possible to subscribe and view its contents using the home Internet connection, which must be in FTTH or FTTC.
Among the most interesting are the TV offers of Sky, which can be subscribed with two subscription profiles: that Open it has no duration restrictions and allows you to subscribe to the monthly subscription with the full price fee; the one defined Smartinstead, it has a constraint of 18 months which, if respected, allows you to have an important discount on the fee. The packages I am about to list can be activated both by those who are already Sky customers and by new customers.
- Sky TV - it costs 14,90 euro / month (with the Sky Smart profile) or 25 euro / month (like the Sky Open profile) and allows you to watch all Sky TV shows and series and the best documentaries in HD. It obviously includes all the functions of Sky Q without a dish.
- Sky TV + Entertainment Plus - includes all the benefits of the Sky TV package and, in addition to these, allows you to watch Netflix HD content on two devices at the same time.
- Sky TV + Sky Football - includes everything included in Sky TV and also adds 7 out of 10 Serie A TIM matches.
- Sky TV + Sky Cinema - to the advantages of the Sky TV package, it also includes the Sky cinema with the best international releases, the most anticipated new releases in the city, as well as all the Sky Original productions and over 1000 films to watch on demand.
- Sky TV + Sky Sport - to what is already present in the Sky TV package, it also adds the sport of Sky, which allows you to see Formula 1, MotoGP, Champions League, Europa League, and much more.
You have to face an initial one-off cost of 9 euros for the activation of Sky Q without a dish, while the delivery of Sky Q without a dish is free.
How Sky Online works