TV problems - DH's attitude

All sounds very complicated. The only thing I can suggest is get your own TV do you can watch what you want. We don't pay for any services, we just watch freeview and bought a recorder so we can also see all the catch up stations.

No, I don’t think you’re being unreasonable, I think your husband is.

I’m not sure I understand, I use 3 different remotes with my smart tv, the DVD player remote works the tv once the DVD is switched on plus two remotes that came with the tv including a smart remote. I can’t see anywhere in my settings to set it for only one remote, I have Netflix and Now tv they all work fine.

Sorry I don’t think you are being unreasonable.

You might want to review whether you are paying twice for the same channels seeing as Sky own Now.

Have you checked the apps on your Smart TV? It may be that you haven’t added it to the ones that come preset. I bought a Smart TV at the end of last year and Now was already in the presets. I can remember removing it as I no longer have Sky or want any of their channels other than Sky Arts which is now free to air via Freeview.

Do you have Sky+ or SkyQ? I thought one of the benefits of having SkyQ is that you access all your services through the Sky interface and their voice-controlled remote rather than, if you watch via the Smart TV interface, you have to remember which app you were watching what on.

If you don’t feel you can sort this on your own, I’d wait until your husband is out, give Sky a call and ask them to talk you through setting up Now through your Sky interface.

Else look at your Smart TV remote for a button called Source. That will show all the devices you have attached. Choose the one that says TV. Tab along the apps (Netflix, Amazon, BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All4 etc) and find one that says Apps - it's often located near the Home and Search options. See if you can find Now in there and install it.

I find it hard to believe you can't add Now if your TV is a new one.
I suggest you do as StatenIsland suggests - or google the actual model and see if anyone else has this problem.

Good luck.

I'd suggest you ask someone, who knows properly how Smart TVs work, to come and set it all up properly for you. We bought one, and didn't have clue what we were doing, or how all the functions work. DS finally talked us through it all, and we're now able to access NowTV, Netflix, Sky, and all the usual channels, with one remote control. We don't live in the UK, but I assume the basic technology is the same. Oh, for a more simple life!

I think you need a tv installer to visit and sort it out. Using the old remote sounds bonkers.

Sorry, but it sounds to me like you are allowing yourself to be bullied! Just stand up for yourself. You do know we’re living in 2021?

Agree you need to set up the TV properly so you can use the remote it came with, there is no reason why you can’t access Now through it, maybe needs recalibration or reinstalling or whatever, Contact the manufacturer or retailer where it was bought. Not wanting to watch sport is another issue and maybe you need your own TV (jointly paid for ).

Another tv is what is needed.

I’m thinking he’s possibly a typical male who doesn’t really understand the way the new tv/remote works so is using the old one to cover his lack of knowledge. My OH reckons to be good at tech but is actually really rubbish. He doesn’t read instructions properly. Am sure there are other reasons and no you’re not being unreasonable- but the fragile male ego could be a factor.

We can access all the channels via the remote that came with our smart tv. I think you would just choose the option for NowTV from the apps (they roll along the bottom of the screen on ours). Set it up, sign in to your account and off you go.
We have SkyQ and simply use it's own remote when we switch over to that.
I'm not sure why the picture quality would be affected by which remote control he uses though.

I also have to say I don't understand why you are paying half the subscriptions if you never watch them.

Gingster

Another tv is what is needed.

Or another husband.

Hello Trisha, I must admit that I find your post a bit difficult to understand.
It's seems like two different threads; a TV one and a DH one.

That is very annoying. If you were to buy another telly would you have to get an additional tv licence? I hate all this technical stuff and would dread having to cope with new stuff.

Why do you pay for tv channels you never watch? If you are going half and half on things, it should be half and half for things you both use and each pay for their 'them only' pleasures.

To be honest your DH sounds a bit of a bully and you sound a bit of a doormat.

I’m another who is wondering why he needs Now TV to watch sport when you have Sky? DH has a Now TV sports sub because we don’t have Sky. We have a smart TV and I don’t think it was ever set up properly by John Lewis when we bought it, but DH seems to know what makes it tick in a circuitous kind of way, so I just leave him to it. As Springychicken says, best get a tv installer in.

Not all men are geniuses with tv remotes and navigating the roads etc they will not ask for help! It’s all too complicated for them. You can pretty much watch what you want on your iPad. Stick to that and cancel the subscription let him pay for his own.

Trisha - On a technical front - perhaps a firestick or similar may be the answer?
They are means of accessing loads of channels and channel providers on one remote. They are also voice operated. I'm a techno-fool but I'm fine with it.
You plug it in the back of the TV.
You also don't need an aerial so you can use them with TVs in the house anywhere you can get WiFi.
I definitely think that this might be the way forward.
TV wise, anyway; you are on your own with DH!

Yes, I can't understand the Now TV bit. It's sounds like he doesn't know what he's doing.

You may have a point Polarbear. Although it would be news to many of them, men do not know everything. Nor do they have to cling to the remote like it’s a bodily appendage. If manufacturers made them in the shape of a clothes iron they might be less likely to.

Smart devices are intuitive and women are perfectly capable of setting them up*. However, adding a Sky receiver into the mix can complicate things. From what Trisha has written, I’m assuming that that they have separate Now and Sky services although the two are owned by Sky and offer broadly similar content including Sky Sports channels - one without a contract and one with. Otherwise I can’t think why the tech problem as described exists.

*Smart TVs aren’t difficult to set up. Initially, you need to enter the password for your WiFi router to connect the devices and then activate the different apps which can easily be done from your laptop, tablet or phone - just follow the onscreen instructions. Each will say something like … go to www.itv.com/activate and enter this code … Have your laptop, tablet or Smartphone alongside and it’s easy.

The set will come with preset screen icons for many of the most popular apps: Netflix, Amazon Prime, BBC, ITV etc but they still have to be activated to access streamed content. There are many, many more services offered under the Apps option so that you can curate your own viewing preferences. Some are free, some are subscription. You need to figure out what suits you.

I don’t understand what footballhead has done if vision and sound quality is so poor. After all, the sound must be coming either from the TV speakers or a separate soundbar if, as is often the case, integrated TV speakers are poor. In addition to what I said in my earlier post, also investigate the Settings button on the TV remote to make sure vision and sound is set to how you wish to watch and listen.

I agree with vegansrock and FannyCornforth. There is more than one issue here and if the man is hogging the TV watching sport much of the time, then a second TV (set up herself) is a way to go. I haven’t looked too far (or compared) but see that Now’s Sports package is £34 a month so over £400 a year. Half of that or a little over will buy a perfectly decent second Smart TV.

Hi all. I'm going to have a proper look at what we've got set up when DH goes to play tennis this morning. We haven't got Sky, so I think all the Sky sports channels must be coming via Now TV. You can tell I'm not a TV techie! Thanks for taking the trouble to reply - I'll wait with baited breath as he's now ordered a replacement remote!

Stop subscribing until he sees sence.

I’m horrified he’s ordered a new remote. Get someone in to set it up for you. Carrying on like that is crazy