# HBO On Demand Slowwwwwwwwwwwwww!



## mrmojo (Feb 11, 2008)

I have been having issues streaming HBO On Demand on my HR21-200 recently. Sometimes it will be fine, other times it says my connection is too slow and I have to wait until the video buffers or I will get the message to just record the program yet when I analyze my wireless bridge (Linksys WET610N) during the download it has a solid connection with rates between 270-300 Mbps. I have no problems with my wireless network at all as I have a background setting up networks and all looks good so I can only assume this is a DirecTV server issue. Anyone else experiencing similar issues since this update? All other internet functions on my DVR such as YouTube and Pandora have no problems at all and all other VOD channels are fine. I also tested using DirecTV2PC and streaming a HD movie and again, no problems.

I have already done a RBR as well as a power down reboot but nothing seems to help - it is hit or miss and is becoming increasingly annoying.

I also notices that when I go to say HBO On-Demand and select a series that sometimes I will see the orange record symbol ® on the episodes and other times I don't. What is that?


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

mrmojo said:


> I have been having issues streaming HBO On Demand on my HR21-200 recently. Sometimes it will be fine, other times it says my connection is too slow and I have to wait until the video buffers or I will get the message to just record the program yet when I analyze my wireless bridge (Linksys WET610N) during the download it has a solid connection with rates between 270-300 Mbps. I have no problems with my wireless network at all as I have a background setting up networks...


What's your ISP speed?


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## mrmojo (Feb 11, 2008)

veryoldschool said:


> What's your ISP speed?


10 Mbps. I have no issues using the watch now option for any other VOD channel, just HBO seems to have the problem. Also I tried to download an 1 hr show last night and after 45 minutes only 12 minutes downloaded. Up until recently I could download the same 1 hr show in about 20 minutes.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

mrmojo said:


> 10 Mbps. I have no issues using the watch now option for any other VOD channel, just HBO seems to have the problem. Also I tried to download an 1 hr show last night and after 45 minutes only 12 minutes downloaded. Up until recently I could download the same 1 hr show in about 20 minutes.


I had just over that with my U-Verse and some channels/programs would work fine and others wouldn't.
Starz tended to be the best, with HBO second, and Showtime being the hardest.

I don't remember ever having a 1 hr show take only 20 min.
"Good" for me was better than a 1:1. but no where near 3:1 for HD.
Watch Now a lot of times will be a 720p replacement for the 1080i original that you get when you record the OnDemand.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

mrmojo said:


> 10 Mbps.


Have you done a speed test recently?


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

veryoldschool said:


> I don't remember ever having a 1 hr show take only 20 min.
> "Good" for me was better than a 1:1. but no where near 3:1 for HD.


"right on" on that! with my speeds (posted below the best I get is about 1 hour HD show in 50 minutes


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

My solution is to never ever try to stream anything that can be recorded. There's nothing On Demand that I_* have *_to see right this second. For some, I realize, this is no solution at all.


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## mrmojo (Feb 11, 2008)

peds48 said:


> Have you done a speed test recently?


Yep, did it right before I posted.


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## mrmojo (Feb 11, 2008)

peds48 said:


> "right on" on that! with my speeds (posted below the best I get is about 1 hour HD show in 50 minutes
> 
> If I chose the watch now options I used to be able to download a 1 hr HD program in about 20 minutes or so on HBO on demand, other channels were slower - maybe 1:1. If I chose the record (to watch later) option it was 1:1 on HBO on demand and now takes 2.5 hrs to download a 1 hr HD program. Again, I have no speed issues with any other on demand channel.


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## mrmojo (Feb 11, 2008)

Laxguy said:


> My solution is to never ever try to stream anything that can be recorded. There's nothing On Demand that I_* have *_to see right this second. For some, I realize, this is no solution at all.


As I mentioned the slow speed all of a sudden using the watch now option is only part of the issue I have with HBO on demand. Even just recording a HBO VOD program is now very slow.

Can anyone in this thread please test downloading a HBO on demand HD program using the watch now option report if it is slower for them? Thanks.


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## mrmojo (Feb 11, 2008)

peds48 said:


> "right on" on that! with my speeds (posted below the best I get is about 1 hour HD show in 50 minutes
> 
> 
> 
> I used to only get 1:1 with my old 56 Mbps Wi-Fi router. When I upgrade to a dual-band N (450+450) Wi-Fi router my "watch now" downloads for HBO on demand programs increased to about 3:1 as the connection speed for my wireless bridge that my DVR is plugged into went from 56 Mbps to 250-300 Mbps.


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## coolman302003 (Jun 2, 2008)

mrmojo said:


> Can anyone in this thread please test downloading a HBO on demand HD program using the watch now option report if it is slower for them? Thanks.


I used the Record function (which downloads the highest quality HD in 1080i) on Sat. night for a 1hr 40 min movie and after ~2 hrs it had only downloaded 56 mins!  :scratch: It took about 4.5 hours total to finish the entire download of the movie. This was from HBO VOD.

Earlier on Sat. I downloaded a 1hr 43 min movie from Cinemax VOD (record option; highest quality HD in 1080i) and it was about 3:1 ratio and finished downloading before we were done watching the movie.

Both of these downloaded on the HR24-200. I have 30/4 Mbps internet, and using a wired DECA BB.


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## mrmojo (Feb 11, 2008)

coolman302003 said:


> I used the Record function (which downloads the highest quality HD in 1080i) on Sat. night for a 1hr 40 min movie and after ~2 hrs it had only downloaded 56 mins!  :scratch: It took about 4.5 hours total to finish the entire download of the movie. This was from HBO VOD.
> 
> Earlier on Sat. I downloaded a 1hr 43 min movie from Cinemax VOD (record option; highest quality HD in 1080i) and it was about 3:1 ratio and finished downloading before we were done watching the movie.
> 
> Both of these downloaded on the HR24-200. I have 30/4 Mbps internet, and using a wired DECA BB.


Thanks for the info - maybe I'm not the only one experiencing this problem with HBO VOD. I tried to record a "True Blood" episode (54 min) and it took over 2 hrs.

Any one else having issues with HBO VOD?


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

mrmojo said:


> > If I chose the watch now options I used to be able to download a 1 hr HD program in about 20 minutes or so on HBO on demand,


If this is true, you will be the first one reporting this.


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## mrmojo (Feb 11, 2008)

peds48 said:


> If this is true, you will be the first one reporting this.


coolman302003 posted (see post #12) they had similar speeds downloading a 1080i HD movie on Cinemax VOD as well (i.e. 3:1 ratio).

I am only reporting what speeds I was getting and am now getting from HBO on demand. If I am not mistaken when using the watch now option some HBO VOD content may be downloaded in 720p HD which would reduce the download size and thus reduce the amount of download time. Even if I would download the 1080i HD version it was always a bit faster than a 1:1 ratio on HBO on demand.


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## Getteau (Dec 20, 2007)

Yesterday afternoon I pulled down Sunday's episode of True Blood. I didn't watch the download tracker the whole time, but I seem to remember looking back an hour or so later and it only being 20 or 30% complete. I had the same issue a few weeks ago with the first season 7 episode of True Blood. I tried to do the watch now and it couldn't keep up. So I started watching something else thinking if I gave it 20 or 30 minutes it would be OK. After 20 or 30 minutes, I was still only 5 or 10% complete. By that time, a live showing of the episode was playing again so I recorded that as well. I want to say even after the live episode finished, my on demand download still wasn't anywhere near complete. So I just deleted the on demand download and watched the one I recorded live. So what your seeing is pretty typical of the download speeds I get with HBO on demand (or lack of on demand).


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

mrmojo said:


> coolman302003 posted (see post #12) they had similar speeds downloading a 1080i HD movie on Cinemax VOD as well (i.e. 3:1 ratio).


That still makes you the first one since he came second.... :rotfl:


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## coolman302003 (Jun 2, 2008)

I might have over exaggerated the download speed ratio a bit, the movie from MAX VOD was probably closer to ~2:1. Regardless, it was definitely faster then a movie later that day from HBO VOD. 

Tonight I downloaded a 48 min episode (highest quality; 1080i HD) of a series from MAX and it was a bit slower probably closer to 1:1.


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## pappasbike (Sep 19, 2006)

Tried watching Gravity now on demand on HBO. The green loading bar progressed normally and the movie began. About 10 minutes in it just quit and threw me back to the live channel I was on. Got some message about Internet connection not working, ran the system test and everything was working fine. Tried doing this again and the movie got about 5 minutes in and the same thing happened. In the list it now said pending download. Saw the download progress bar get to green showing 88%. Started the movie again, kicked me out after 2 or 3 minutes. This is on my new HR 44 with 100 meg Comcast service. This is either an HR 44 issue or an HBO on demand issue. I restarted the receiver and tried finding the movie again. Now a search only brings up later HBO airings and showing no on demand listings for Gravity. I guess they just don't want you downloading this movie. 

I've now set it to record another HBO on demand movie and am playing it back without any apparent issues. Not exactly a fast download but at least it's playing. I tried doing that "watch now" with another movie and it just barely started and then kicked out. So I don't think that function works at least not on HBO on my device.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Streaming is dodgy at best in my home where the i is slow anyway. There's congestion on the ether highways, too. 

To keep from frustrations, set your downloads of VOD while you're doing something else, or headed to bed. Don't start watching until it's all downloaded. Requires a minimum of planning, though!


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## pappasbike (Sep 19, 2006)

Laxguy said:


> Streaming is dodgy at best in my home where the i is slow anyway. There's congestion on the ether highways, too.


Dodgy is right. Maybe these are different circumstances but I can rent a movie ( HD ) on iTunes on my Apple TV and it's ready to watch in a minute or so and I watch them as they download ( stream?). I don't know why there would be such a different experience with the VOD.


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## mrmojo (Feb 11, 2008)

pappasbike said:


> Dodgy is right. Maybe these are different circumstances but I can rent a movie ( HD ) on iTunes on my Apple TV and it's ready to watch in a minute or so and I watch them as they download ( stream?). I don't know why there would be such a different experience with the VOD.


I really think this is a HBO On Demand issue with DirecTV as others are reporting it on the "connected home" forum.


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