NowTV - can't find answers, OCUK will help!

[stoofa]

Guys,
I've just spent around 45 minutes trying to figure out NowTV and what is meant by "streaming and catchup" & "some content" and "not all content is available to stream" and, well very basically, how it all works!

So, currently have a subscription to Sky purely for TV. We get a fair few channels, but we definitely don't watch them all.
What exactly do you get from NowTV for your £6.99/month for the Entertainment pack?
When they say you get live and catch-up content from the channels:

Sky 1
Sky Arts
Sky Atlantic
Sky Living
Comedy Central
Discovery Channel
Disney Channel
Fox
Gold
ITV Encore
MTV
Nickelodeon
Nick Jr.

Do they mean just that? If it's scheduled to appear on one of these channels I'd be able to stream it or catch it on catch-up? Or does it all depend?
What I'm getting at is that around 99% of Sky viewing for us is either on:

Sky 1
Atlantic
Fox
Living

But I'm assuming that £6.99/month isn't going to give me free and unrestricted viewing of all those channels? That, for example, I'm not going to be able to see the new series of Game of Thrones next month on this service?

Also, seems to be confusion on HD content. I mean, Sky charge me for HD channels, I'm assuming what I'm getting from NowTV would be SD?

I assumed I would find out all the answers to this and everything else on the NowTV website, but I just cannot find a definitive answer to them. From people with NowTV - if I'm used to being able to watch the 4 channels listed above in HD to watch new programs as they are released or at worst, catch-up on the same day, how much of that ability do I lose by going NowTV from a Sky subscription?

Cheers.

 

[stoofa]

Thanks for that - really useful.
I do have a good, stable internet connection - speed testing at around 74mb down with low ping.
I'm obviously losing the ability to record and all of the other Plus features that the current Sky box allows me to do - but then I'd be relying on the catch-up services rather than the stuff I've recorded, which works for me.

Like the idea of the Apple TV box (even though I've vowed not to own any Apple products).
So with the Apple box I could actually stream content in HD as well - so GoT, Blacklist, Walking Dead, Limitless (to name a few)?

A lot of food for thought as I'm told Sky subscription prices are going up, again, in June this year. Was looking at a way of saving some money and it seemed Atlantic was the stumbling block each time, this may well be the solution.

Ta

 

[stoofa]

At the moment I'm watching Sky through a SkyHD box, so this is broadcasting in 1080i?
Is there a massive difference when watching in 720p instead? This is on a rather modest 42" Samsung LED TV.
Also I see that NowTV doesn't offer any 5.1 sound, even for movies. Am I right in thinking that most channels via Sky don't actually broadcast in 5.1 for "everyday" programs?
The ones I've listed before - we have the SkyHD box plugged into a surround sound system, but I'm guessing the system is performing a "virtual surround sound" for the majority of what I'm watching?

 

[stoofa]

I guess that would be the option - sign up for a month and use it via my PS3 and see if the content is what I want and the "on demand" quality is acceptable.

It's just come June my monthly with Sky is going to be £38.
When I can get TV via my ISP (Talk Talk) for quite literally a few pounds a month (so I get all of the Freeview channels and a box to record etc) and then NowTV at around £5/month with offers it is a massive difference.

But.....If the quality isn't going to work for me I'm just not going to be happy.
Damn you Sky Atlantic! If it wasn't for that I'd cancel Sky right now and take the Freeview route

 

[stoofa]

Just been playing with my free trial and so far so good.
I know I'll miss the Sky TV planner - just go to the page and there are all my programs recorded and ready to go, but I'm sure I'll get used to relying, for the main, on the catch-up services.
I went and found all of the programs we watch and the only thing not available to me is The Simpsons - I'd be able to watch the new episodes live when broadcasted, but Simpsons doesn't appear in the catch-up service, but only a very minor issue.
Just been reading that apparently there is going to be a new NowTV box released later in the year:

https://recombu.com/digital/article/sky-new-roku-4-now-tv-box-freeview-plus-on-demand
http://www.engadget.com/2016/01/29/sky-now-tv-smart-box/

So pick up secondhand AppleTV box for now and then take a serious look at the new box later in the year.
I'll trial for another week and then I'll be ready to cancel the Sky contract. Want to be sure that I can go through with the cancellation should Sky not offer me a great deal to keep me - nothing worse than threatening to leave, not getting the offer and then calling back and saying "actually, I don't want to leave"