Installing Plex on the NowTV Box (£10 rebranded Roku, cheapest Plex streamer ever)

[Nimrod]

Install Plex on a NowTV branded Roku Box


​

In Sky's hope to push NowTV into the living room, they have rebranded a Roku 2 and put it on sale for a heavily discounted price of just £10 delivered on the Sky Website.

The downside, they blocked Netflix, Plex and other streaming apps besides BBC iPlayer and Channel 5 on demand (understandable, when they are paying for 75% of the unit's retail price to get you into a NowTV subscription).

Note: All other Roku apps are available, Sky are just blocking streaming services which compete with their business model, (ie Lovefilm, Plex and Netflix)

You can purchase the box £10 delivered at: https://shop.nowtv.com

The good news however, you can enable the dev mode and manually install Plex. Here is how:

Note: A more in depth guide to this is now available: https://digiex.net/threads/step-by-step-guide-to-installing-plex-on-a-nowtv-box.13101/

1) Enable dev mode on your box by pressing:
HOME 3 times
UP 2 times
RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT

(if this does not work then make sure you are not leaving long pauses between button presses)

2) Enable developer mode on the screen that comes up.

3) Download Plex client for Roku from: https://github.com/downloads/plexinc/roku-client-public/Plex.zip

4) Open web browser on your computer and browse to the Roku's IP (example: http://192.168.1.100)

5) Click browse and navigate to the Plex.zip you downloaded

6) Click the install button

7) Run Plex

This should keep you going!

Long term goal is hopefully finding a way to flash the original Roku Firmware (non-NowTV custom one), if this becomes available I'll be sure to update this thread! But for now, pick up a wireless streamer with remote to enjoy Plex for a mere £10 delivered!

 

[InsaneNutter]

Fantastic deal at £10 heard sky were doing this and wondered if it would be hacked. It makes the Raspberry Pi look expensive to buy as a media player now!

When running Plex does this need the PC to transcode, or does it have native support for file formats such as MKV?

 

[400nob]

I'm so glad this has already been plex enabled. Ordered.
To InsaneNutter's question, I would guess that the server/pc would need to do the transcoding based on the Roku LT only playing MKV through USB.

 

[seagate1]

ive just seen this ive got 2 of these boxes there not mine i thought i could put xbmc on but it looks like plex what does it offer and is this the latest version of plex, just need some advice please or a guide or is there something else i can put on ive read xbmc will not so whats the difference with xbmc and plex thanks .

well ive asked and im not sure what to do, ive been looking at the guildes i don't know if it worth buying a new 1. as you get 2 months pass. but can i put plex on it and lose the 2 months. is there a plex for windows7 seems like im talking to myself again lol.

well how many post do i have to get a answer, i got the pc 1 but that didnt work just got the plex 2.6.9 for boxes or is there a update, does not seem alot of support for these thanks.

just noticed that the plex fro roku version=2.5.2 i downloaded.and the bar files is there away to side load them ie with a program thanks.

 

[Nimrod]

ive just seen this ive got 2 of these boxes there not mine i thought i could put xbmc on but it looks like plex what does it offer and is this the latest version of plex, just need some advice please or a guide or is there something else i can put on ive read xbmc will not so whats the difference with xbmc and plex thanks .

well ive asked and im not sure what to do, ive been looking at the guildes i don't know if it worth buying a new 1. as you get 2 months pass. but can i put plex on it and lose the 2 months. is there a plex for windows7 seems like im talking to myself again lol.

well how many post do i have to get a answer, i got the pc 1 but that didnt work just got the plex 2.6.9 for boxes or is there a update, does not seem alot of support for these thanks.

just noticed that the plex fro roku version=2.5.2 i downloaded.and the bar files is there away to side load them ie with a program thanks.

One problem, you keep posting on the old guide where's there's a new one in the link with a lot more activity.
In terms of Plex vs XBMC, the key difference is XBMC is not supported on the NowTV Box. But there are some fundermental difference between the two.
Here's a better article than me re-writing whats already all over the internet: XBMC vs. Plex | Maximum PC

Yes there's a Windows client and clients for tons of devices, more here: https://plex.tv/

 

[seagate1]

One problem, you keep posting on the old guide where's there's a new one in the link with a lot more activity.
In terms of Plex vs XBMC, the key difference is XBMC is not supported on the NowTV Box. But there are some fundermental difference between the two.
Here's a better article than me re-writing whats already all over the internet: XBMC vs. Plex | Maximum PC

Yes there's a Windows client and clients for tons of devices, more here: https://plex.tv/

thank you for your reply now i've got the weekend to myself i can have a look at putting plex on the now tv box. i think my best bet is to do some reading, should i follow this 1 now. plus can you tell me do you have to pay for plex on a now box. i think i read that somewhere not sure tho. i know xbmc and plex are totally different but what i was asking was can i had things to plex ie addons ect, thanks again.

 

[seagate1]

right everything as gone ok with the first 2 parts of the guide i now have user name for now tv didnt ask for credit card.im just a bit unsure with the zip fil ie, the rar file the new 1 in this post is saying to use. do i unzip it first or send it how it is zipped up thanks.

sorry for being a pain i know it seems as tho im talking to myself lol. ive been over to to plex site do i have to set up a server thru there website or are the channels already packed in the zip file thanks again.

well i seem to have set it up ok but like i thought no channels. i have set up a server on plex website and managed to add a film which is on now.so is there no way of adding your own addons and whats the idea with the pin do you share that with others. ive seen many post on youtube xbmc vs plex. im not sure yet got to do more reading.

 

[Nimrod]

right everything as gone ok with the first 2 parts of the guide i now have user name for now tv didnt ask for credit card.im just a bit unsure with the zip fil ie, the rar file the new 1 in this post is saying to use. do i unzip it first or send it how it is zipped up thanks.

sorry for being a pain i know it seems as tho im talking to myself lol. ive been over to to plex site do i have to set up a server thru there website or are the channels already packed in the zip file thanks again.

well i seem to have set it up ok but like i thought no channels. i have set up a server on plex website and managed to add a film which is on now.so is there no way of adding your own addons and whats the idea with the pin do you share that with others. ive seen many post on youtube xbmc vs plex. im not sure yet got to do more reading.

It might be worth using the Plex website for these, as its all in there help section. It's pretty simple to install channels via the Plex/Web interface. These aren't questions related to the NowTV box hack.

 

[Theep Thava]

Hi Friends, I have an now tv box with a developer application installed on it. I need a help. how i can i copy that developer app to another now tv box?

 

[jesste66]

once you opened the developers page using the the now tv box remote you would of got an ip address which you type into your pc then follow instructions

 

[ukbobboy]

New to Now TV Box - Box has new firmware (5.5 Build 430)

Hi Forum Members (especially Nimrod)

I have just bought a Now TV box, it arrived last week, and I am getting to grips with it, and it certainly is a device worth having.

However, I have run into a problem which to me seems insurmountable.

You see, I would like to install Plex on the Now TV box but your instructions, and with those that appear over the Internet, e.g. YouTube, etc. deals with an earlier version of the Box. The Now TV Box screen has changed from the "white" background you have shown in your instructions now to one with a dark blue background. And the "UP" function has no natural screen stop unlike the older "white background" screen , the new screen just continually goes up until it goes to the beginning of the menu options again, i.e. from Home (menu option = My Channel), UP UP takes you to Channel Store. One more UP takes you back to My Channel, and so the screen continues to highlight the three Home selections, My Channel, Channel Store and Settings in a continuous circle.Therefore, the function that triggers the Now TV Box browser screen never (ever) gets triggered.

Unless someone of your technical ability can find the hidden route to that elusive Now TV Box browser screen then I guess SKY has had the last laugh.


UK Bob

 

[ukbobboy]

once you opened the developers page using the the now tv box remote you would of got an ip address which you type into your pc then follow instructions

Dear jesste66

I am sorry that my post is not as clear as it should be but I have explained that I cannot get to the "Developer Page" (I called it the "Now TV Box browser screen") because the original instructions worked on an earlier version of the Now TV Box. The current version (5.5 build 430) has enough differences to ensure that the instructions no longer work.

In fact, I also said the following:

the Now TV Box browser screen never (ever) gets triggered

and so the "Developer Page" will never appear.

I was hoping against hope that someone knows how to get to the "Developer Page" of this current version of the Now TV Box.

Please note, I am able and willing to answer any questions required to clarify this and my first post and to verify my experience and dealings with the Now TV Box so far.


UK Bob

 

[Ferzo]

hi there
i followed instructions for installing plex.
I'm stuck on my PC where the website i got from now tv screen its not opening on my pc browser,
Any help is appreciated. this is what i get from my internett browser
This site can’t be reached
192.168.0.7 took too long to respond.

Try:

• Checking the connection
• Checking the proxy and the firewall
• Running Windows Network Diagnostics

ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT

 

[InsaneNutter]

You have posted this in both threads for different NowTV boxes, so which do you have?

Are you sure 192.168.0.7 is the IP address of your NowTV box, also what is the IP address of your PC on your local network?