Installing PLEX on NOW TV
Follow this easy step by step guide to get your NowTV box setup and install Plex without having to sign up for any NowTV service.
Background:
The NowTV box is just a rebranded Roku LT (which usually retails for around £40) however sadly Sky choose to block third party apps which compete with it’s service, with this guide I’ll show you how to enable the developer mode and get around Sky’s restriction and get Plex up and running in no time. This can be achieved in about 10 minutes.
Before you begin this guide, I will assume you have already purchased your NowTV box, but if not, for only £9.99 delivered you might as well order one (or a few, hehe!) and allow Sky to subsidize your Plex viewing habits. You can buy them at this link: https://shop.nowtv.com
Step 1: Registering a free NowTV account.
To even get the NowTV box setup, you need to setup an account with Sky. They will try and push you into giving away credit card details in the promise of a free 30 day trial (which they hope you forget to cancel and then charge you for it) but if you follow these steps you can avoid all that.
Click this link to go to the Sign up Page: Join NOW TV today and watch the latest movies and live Sky Sports | NOW TV
Scroll down and Select the 30 day free Movies Trial (ignore the Sports Day Pass)
Next you’re asked for some details. I filled in a random name for this step as well as a username and password. It does ask for an email address for this step and I did use an old email of mine but they never asked to verify it so you could get away with entering any old/fake email address here.
On the next page, it will suddenly ask you for a credit card and billing address. I do not wish to give this to Sky so at this stage I just closed the page. But rest assured the account is still made and usable!
Job done, your account is made but you didn’t have to give any details away and is now ready for the NowTV box.
Step 2: Connecting up and Configure your NowTV Box.
This is simple, unbox your NowTV device and connect it up to your TV.
When you first boot it up, it will ask for your wireless network details then performs some software updates. Once these are completed you need to login with your newely created account before your device completes setup and boots up.
Step 3: Enabling Developer Mode and Install Plex
First thing’s first, your need to download Plex to your PC. We have the latest version.
Download Plex 3.2.6 for NowTV Box
Download this file to your desktop, but don’t unzip it.
Next, grab your Now TV remote and press the following buttons in order, relatively quickly. If you fail once, just repeat and try again:
Home x3, Up x2, Right, Left, Right, Left, Right
All going well, you will be presented with the below screen:
Write down the address which is shown, or take a picture (this is important!)
Next press ‘OK’ on the ‘Enable installer’ option presented and agree to the developer agreement that appears (you have to pretend to read it all, so just hold the down button until its fully scrolled and press ok). You will need to agree one final time on the pop up box and your NowTV box will restart.
Once it’s reloaded and back on the home screen fire up your web browser on your PC and go to the address which was shown to you earlier. If you got it correct, you will be presented with the below screen:
Select ‘Browse’ and select the zip file you downloaded earlier. Select install and all going well you will be presented with the below:
Now take a look at your TV and you should see the below:
Your all set, Plex is installed onto your NowTV box. Think of the bright side of this, Sky have subsized your Plex media habits by giving you a Roku box at a dirt cheap price!
Down the line if you ever want to complete another update, you will need to repeat the process with the web browser and loading a zip. Sadly as Plex was installed via the developer route it cannot be updated via the Channel Store like normal apps.
Step 4: To watch our service
You will of course need one of our subscriptions plans.
You will need to download the plex server. Download PLEX media server
install this to your computer and then just sign into your plex account on your pc and your NOW TV will now discover the server. (To watch our service on your NOW TV box requires your pc to be turned on and plex media server to be running if you fail to do this your NOW TV app will show nothing)
Now all there is to do is sit back and enjoy.
