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NOW TV has seen some pretty dramatic changes in recent months. First up, the service got a whole new look with a redesigned home screen and bright green-coloured branding. It’s also had a name change with the word “TV” excised, so now it’s simply called NOW – and yes, we’re equally baffled by this choice too.
If you weren’t already aware, NOW is owned by Sky and it seems the satellite TV firm is on a mission to make things better for customers. The NOW app has already been upgraded on Apple TV devices to help users find content more quickly by being included in the Up Next menu and there’s a new look to the TV guide.
But things could be about to get even better with the possible launch of High Dynamic Range, HDR content on the platform. Sky Q users have been treated to this glorious picture quality for a while and it seems a similar upgrade could be coming soon to those who prefer to stream their content online.
In a recent briefing about its future plans, Sky’s chief product officer, Fraser Stirling, told Express.co.uk that HDR was something NOW was considering.
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“We’re always moving towards offering the best level of content, so that’s something we’re definitely looking at,” Stirling said.
It’s exciting stuff as HDR brings a picture packed with far greater contrast in the darkest and lightest areas of the screen. So, you won’t lose detail when scenes take place in places with a stark contrast between light.
It’s worth noting that NOW does already offer customers the option to add a Boost package to their plans which brings shows, sports and movies to TVs in full HD 1080p quality – without this you only get standard 720p definition.
However, there are currently no 4K or HDR options for NOW users which are both technologies that Sky Q has invested heavily in. Finger crossed this arrives soon on NOW.
Along with HDR, another feature that NOW users could get access to is the iOS widget. Sky recently introduced this iPhone and iPad upgrade to customers which allows users to easily see suggested new shows and movies, or shortcuts to the content they’ve already started watching and want to continue.
Like most iOS 14 widgets, Sky Go can be resized to suit individual tastes – that means you can view it as a small square or have the service take up almost the entire home screen.
When asked why NOW hadn’t followed with its own iOS widget, Stirling confirmed that it was on the to-do list. Sadly, one thing that NOW won’t be investing in is any more of its own-brand streaming devices.
The service appears to be more than happy to use smart TVs and other products that have this app pre-installed.
“We don’t have any plans to make a new streaming stick right now. I think the focus is really leaning into the experience of all of the platforms we have, and then looking at the best platforms to expand into,” Stirling told Pocket-Lint.
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