NOW TV stream quality could either be 720p (SD) or 1080p (HD)!
Unfortunately, users aren’t able to change the quality manually, since the streaming of NOW TV uses an adaptive bitrate, which changes by itself.
In this guide, we’ll explore the reasons why the quality appears bad when the bitrate changes and ways to improve the NOW TV quality!
To improve the NOW TV stream picture, verify that your device’s or monitor resolution is high enough to display 720p or 1080p respectively.
If you’re seeing only SD (720p), then you might not have the NOW Boost add-on, which uplifts the quality to Full HD (1080p).
Let’s continue to unwrap!
What Does NOW TV Stream Quality Mean?
By “stream quality” users typically refer to the quality of the picture on your NOW TV playout device, whether it’s from the NOW TV box or simply through the web.
As you are aware, NOW TV is a subscription-based service, which comes with a static resolution that you can’t change.
The regular NOW TV content (supported by all media) is 720p (progressive), which is not the best quality out there.
However, on All Sky Sports channels, you can reach up to the HD 1080p (progressive) but also requires the “NOW Boost” subscription add-on.
Does Your Device Matter?
For the NOW TV picture quality, yes, your device matters a lot.
In fact, not only your device but the internet connection as well, considering that NOW TV uses an adaptive bitrate.
This means that based on your device and internet speed, NOW TV will work with the best quality possible.
| Screen Size (inches) | Screen Resolution (Pixels) | Aspect Ratio | NOW TV (best plan) |
| 4.7″ | 750 x 1334 | 16:9 | Regular 720p |
| 5.5″ | 1080 x 1920 | 16:9 | NOW Boost 1080p |
| 5.8″ | 1125 x 2436 | 19,5:9 | NOW Boost 1080p |
| 6.1″ | 828 x 1792 | 19,5:9 | NOW Boost 1080p |
| 6.2″ | 1440 x 3200 | 20:9 | NOW Boost 1080p |
| 13″+ (laptop) | 1280 x 720 / 1080 x 1920 | 16:9 | Regular or Boost |
| 21″+ (monitor) | 1280 x 720 / 1080 x 1920 | 16:9 | Regular or Boost |
| 32″+ (TV) | 1280 x 720 / 1080 x 1920 | 16:9 | Regular or Boost |
| 42″+ (TV) | 1080 x 1920 / 3840 x 2160 | 16:9 | NOW Boost 1080p |
| 58″+ (TV) | 3840 x 2160 | 16:9 | NOW Boost 1080p |
Note: Based on the table above, you can determine which NOW TV plan is best for you!
How to Improve NOW TV Stream Quality?
1. Uplift your Device’s Resolution!
Note: Skip this step if you’re using a smart TV or a smartphone!
When you’re streaming NOW TV through a web browser on a Windows, macOS or a Linux PC, the device’s resolution matters.
Luckily these operating systems allow the user to uplift their device resolution, only of course, if the connected monitor allows higher resolution.
- Higher resolution on your device means better NOW TV quality!
How to Uplift Resolution on Windows?
- Press the Windows button on your keyboard.
- In the Start Menu, type “System” and enter.
- Then go to “System” from the left menu side.
- Then, click on the topmost “Display” settings.
- Scroll down and enter the “Display Resolution”.
- Select “1920 x 1080”, or the highest possible.
How to Uplift Resolution on macOS?
- First, go into the Apple Menu > System Settings.
- Then, click on the “Displays” tab from the sidebar.
- Scroll down and select the display for adjustment.
- Next, click on “Show all resolutions” to reveal them.
- Select the highest possible resolution for your Mac.
How to Uplift Resolution on Linux?
- Open the application menu, and search for “display”.
- Then, open the settings and look for a “Resolution” tile.
- Select “Screen Resolutions” or “Display Resolution”.
- Select the highest resolution from the drop-down menu.
Keep in mind that if you have a regular 720p NOW TV subscription, switching to a full HD (1080p) on your machine won’t make any difference.
This is why for a 1080 x 1920 (HD) monitor you need to have the NOW TV Boost subscription, which delivers full HD content streaming.
2. Acquire the NOW TV Boost Add-On!
For only an extra £6 per month, you can upgrade your NOW TV subscription to NOW TV Boost, which ultimately boosts your viewing experience to 1080p (Full HD).
Some people often get confused because instead of the resolution you’re provided with stream-quality figures.
For example:
- If you see, NOW TV stream quality 4865, then you have the 720p NOW TV plan.
- If you see, NOW TV stream quality 7831, then you have the 1080p NOW TV plan.
How to Subscribe for NOW TV Boost?
To upgrade your NOW TV membership, you only need to enter the NOW TV and sign into your account.
From there navigate to your NOW Membership area page and then add Boost to your subscription for some extra money.
Note: When you later check, you should see a stream quality of 7831, instead of 4865.
3. Optimise your Internet Connection!
As we’ve already mentioned, NOW TV uses an adaptive bitrate, which resembles the quality that you’ll be seeing when streaming anything.
The dynamic bitrate changes based on the speed of your internet connection, especially when using a NOW TV streaming box.
- You’re not able to manually change the bitrate!
What you can do, however, is verify that your internet is fast enough to fulfil the fundamental 720p (4865) and if you have NOW Boost, 1080p (7831).
In order to stream NOW TV in 720p without the bitrate decreasing you need roughly 2 Mbps – 4 Mbps. In turn, to stream 1080p in NOW TV, you need 5 Mbps and preferably, up to 10 Mbps.
How to Optimise Internet Connection?
- Run a free speed test online to verify speeds above 2 Mbps!
- Power cycle your network router by unplugging it from the power.
- Reconnect your NOW TV box to the WiFi or via Ethernet cable.
- Disconnect unused devices from your WiFi to relieve bandwidth.
- Temporarily stop uploading, downloading or streaming media.
- Switch from using the 5 GHz WiFi frequency to the 2.4 GHz WiFi.
- Contact your internet service provider for additional assistance.
Note: NOW TV bitrate will lower when your internet speed is not fast enough, resulting in bad picture quality.
4. Use a High-Definition HDMI Cable!
If you’re attempting to view content from downloaded apps on your NOW TV 4K box, but you are still stuck with the 1080p resolution, the HDMI cable could be the culprit.
Some HDMI cables do not support 4K resolution data transfer, meaning that you’ll see the maximum available.
Also, HDMI cables that use 4K resolution must be short, a maximum of 10 feet in length, since this is another factor that might impact the NOW TV stream standard.
So if you’re unable to see 4K quality from downloaded apps on your NOW TV 4K box, get a high-definition HDMI cable.
Note: You can browse and view 4K HDMI cables here or purchase one from a local store!
5. Power Cycle the NOW TV Box!
Sometimes, even if rarely, you might encounter NOW TV stream quality 3100, which is even lower than the SD (720p) standards.
This is only expected when your internet is very slow and fluctuating, but sometimes the bad quality remains there, even after solving internet issues.
- So, simply, unplug the NOW TV Box from the power for 60 seconds!
This should refresh all of the operational services, and when you check again, the stream quality should either be 720p (4865) or 1080p (7831).
In case that doesn’t help, keep reading!
6. Factory Reset the NOW TV Box!
Note: This method does not apply if you’re using a computer, smart TV or smartphone!
Sometimes the reason why you’re stuck on SD and can’t get HD content even with NOW Boost, is because of your streaming box. One of the best fixes out there is the factory reset process!
- This method will erase all of your user settings on the NOW TV Box!
- First, go to the NOW TV Box “Settings” > “System”.
- Then enter the “Advanced System Settings” menu.
- Select the “Factory Reset” option from the very top.
- Enter the code shown beneath the reset number pad.
- Select the “OK” button to initiate the factory resetting.
Note: Shortly after the reset completes, you’ll be prompted to set up your NOW TV box from scratch and when you’re ready test the stream picture quality.
Quick Recap:
Hence, the NOW TV stream quality depends on the dynamic bitrate, which will drop low when your internet speed is slow or when the monitor doesn’t support HD format.
To improve the NOW TV quality, uplift your device’s resolution and boost the internet speed. Follow us for more!
Read Next: How to Get Subtitles on NOW TV?
Finn Wheatley holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from UCL, London. He helped small data science consultancy firms, helping large corporations to grow their data capabilities, deploy advanced machine learning-based analytics and troubleshoot tech-related issues. Check out more about him here.