Crucial Now TV update is confirmed, but won't launch in time for Game Of Thrones

We're living in some pretty futuristic times. Billionaire and Tony Stark wannabe Elon Musk's SpaceX company has managed to successfully launch and land three separate boosters for its Falcon Heavy rocket. Smartphones with folding OLED displays are (almost) ready to hit shelves worldwide. There are wire-free Virtual Reality headsets on the market. And 5G is about to revolutionise mobile connectivity. 

So, why are we still living in a world where Now TV is still only 720p?!

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The hugely-successful Sky-owned streaming service can only muster blockbuster movies and must-binge box sets in 720p which, while technically still HD, doesn't really cut the mustard these days.

Thankfully, that's finally about to change. Now TV exclusively confirmed to technology blog Pocket-Lint that plans are afoot to implement 1080p streaming – after years of customers requesting the featue.

A spokesperson for Sky told the publication: "Later this year we will be introducing the option of streaming Now TV both live and on demand in Full HD, with content from the likes of Sky Atlantic, Sky One and Sky Sports.

"Like any new functionality, we always conduct trials before releasing new products or features to all our customers."

It's worth highlighting that Sky is referring to the 1080p upgrade as an "option". Of course, that could simply be referring to the fact that it's not Full HD or nothing with customers able to choose between a variety of options ranging from 480p to 1080p, so customers with slower broadband speeds will still be able to keep up-to-date with the latest episodes of Game Of Thrones. However, it's possible that Sky is referring to the 1080p quality as an "option" because it will be an optional extra.

When pushed by Pocket-Lint, Sky wouldn't confirm whether the move to 1080p quality would come with additional costs. Netflix charges its subscription tiers based on the streaming quality available, with HD only possible when you upgrade from the £5.99 plan to the £7.99 option. Likewise, UHD quality is only available to those who are willing to pay £9.99 a month.