# On Demand Dowloads



## miesque1127 (Jul 21, 2012)

I guess it depends on your speed, but my downloads are sllooowww. I have DSL thru ATT, U-Verse not available in my area yet. 3.0 speed right now.

I'm guessing my internet speed has something to do with this. When U-Verse becomes available with much faster speed, will downloads be faster?? 

It takes forever to download an episode right now, over an hour.


----------



## pandafish (Apr 20, 2012)

"miesque1127" said:


> I guess it depends on your speed, but my downloads are sllooowww. I have DSL thru ATT, U-Verse not available in my area yet. 3.0 speed right now.
> 
> I'm guessing my internet speed has something to do with this. When U-Verse becomes available with much faster speed, will downloads be faster??
> 
> It takes forever to download an episode right now, over an hour.


Yes it will be much faster. I had 3.0 DSL through Centurylink up until a few weeks ago. They upgraded my area to VDSL and now I have 12.0. The other day I set some on demand to download and I thought it had failed because the record light had turned off and it turned out that it was actually just finished.


----------



## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

miesque1127 said:


> I guess it depends on your speed, but my downloads are sllooowww. I have DSL thru ATT, U-Verse not available in my area yet. 3.0 speed right now.
> 
> I'm guessing my internet speed has something to do with this. When U-Verse becomes available with much faster speed, will downloads be faster??
> 
> It takes forever to download an episode right now, over an hour.


I had AT&T DSL, but the 6 Mb/s service that tested at 5. It beat the hell out of the cable modem service I had before.
3 meg, is going to be just about 1 min for every min of an SD recording. You can start watching before it finishes though.
6 Meg [or 5 in my case] took 1.5 x for HD, so a one hour show would finish in 90 mins.
I'm on a 12 Meg now and HD comes at 1:1.


----------



## curtmcgirt (Jul 11, 2010)

does anybody know if dtv has any plans for actual on-demand *streaming* to their dvrs? if DTV can stream a movie to my phone, and DTV can stream a movie to my laptop, why do i still actually have to *DOWNLOAD* the movie to my DVR? you'd think by now they could figure out a way to stream to their own device.


----------



## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

curtmcgirt said:


> does anybody know if dtv has any plans for actual on-demand *streaming* to their dvrs? if DTV can stream a movie to my phone, and DTV can stream a movie to my laptop, why do i still actually have to *DOWNLOAD* the movie to my DVR? you'd think by now they could figure out a way to stream to their own device.


Your internet bandwidth is going to be [and still is] the bottleneck.
OnDemand HD right now is close to streaming, with enough bandwidth from your ISP. I only need to wait a couple/few mins before I can start watching. I don't think I'd be happy with what a phone gets watching it on my HD TV screen.
DirecTV2PC sends full resolution to your laptop, and OnDemand is the same.


----------



## curtmcgirt (Jul 11, 2010)

i understand connection speed is a factor, but somehow netflix and amazon manage to *stream* movies instantly over the same internet connection that directv takes an hour to download a 30-minute tv show. 

i love directv. i have been with them for a decade and hope i never live anywhere without a clear view of the southern sky. but let's be honest with each other. it's not streaming, and it's not even really on-demand. we live in a world with a hundred services that legitimately *stream* content literally *on-demand,* and directv is honestly pushing ... wait for it ...wait for it... wait for it longer for effect...an "overnight" download service. 

an overnight. download. service. 

(this forum won't let me post the URL to cinema overnight delivery because i'm too new.)

a little laughable, yes? "if you pay for a movie by noon, we're fairly confident we can get it onto your dvr about as fast as netflix could mail the dvd to you."

maybe they are trying to sell the idea that the acronym OD never meant "on demand" in the first place. "overnight delivery." ;-)


----------



## Beerstalker (Feb 9, 2009)

I think you are missing one big difference though, video quality. DirecTV is sending out a high quality 1080i or 1080p signal for a lot of those On Demand shows. DirecTV everywhere, Amazon, Netflix, etc. tend to use a much lower bitrate for HD, or use an SD signal which means much smaller file sizes, and they are easier to stream.

Try using DirecTV's on demand for an SD show and I think you will see that you will be able to start watching it pretty much immediately.


----------



## wahooq (Oct 19, 2011)

my on demand is pretty much simultaneously....just a coupleminutes and i can start viewing


----------



## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

curtmcgirt said:


> i understand connection speed is a factor, but somehow netflix and amazon manage to *stream* movies instantly over the same internet connection that directv takes an hour to download a 30-minute tv show.


I don't know what your connection speed is, nor whether your ISP is throttling your downloads.
I do know my speed and that my ISP isn't throttling me.
I can start watching OnDemand HD almost as soon as it shows up in my playlist. I think I normally get at least 1 min of program before I start watching.
"All those streaming" suppliers aren't going to look as good and Ondemand does on my HD TV. They still look a bit crappy on the PC monitor.


----------



## jfam54 (Aug 17, 2012)

I'm having difficulty with the On Demand downloads. I have the Directv Whole home DVR. I also have a content filter which is also whole home called Bsecure. I have them to communicate with each other and it allows me to access the internet (ie, Pandora and YouTube.) However, it won't download on demand programming. It just stays at 0% for 24 hours and then disappears. I have had to "allow" certain websites at times for Bsecure to allow it, but not sure if that is the problem now. I've already allowed Directv.com and that didn't work. (If I turn off the filter and change the DNS numbers it will work.) Any ideas?


----------



## camo (Apr 15, 2010)

I was surprised at what Directv was charging for a movie you download with services (like cable internet)we are already paying for. $7.99 for a movie you can't keep . With Amazon prime I get movies for free when I feel the need. Movies just aren't that high on my need list..Much of the old stuff is better quality anyway. IMO of course....I'm probably in the wrong forum saying movies just aren't that important. LOL I got directv for sports....


----------



## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

camo said:


> I was surprised at what Directv was charging for a movie you download with services (like cable internet)we are already paying for. $7.99 for a movie you can't keep . With Amazon prime I get movies for free when I feel the need. Movies just aren't that high on my need list..Much of the old stuff is better quality anyway. IMO of course....I'm probably in the wrong forum saying movies just aren't that important. LOL I got directv for sports....


Fortunately not all the OnDemand is the PPV, as I don't watch PPV "unless" it comes with a credit before hand.


----------



## brett_the_bomb (Oct 24, 2009)

veryoldschool said:


> I had AT&T DSL, but the 6 Mb/s service that tested at 5. It beat the hell out of the cable modem service I had before.
> 3 meg, is going to be just about 1 min for every min of an SD recording. You can start watching before it finishes though.
> 6 Meg [or 5 in my case] took 1.5 x for HD, so a one hour show would finish in 90 mins.
> I'm on a 12 Meg now and HD comes at 1:1.


VOS i wanted to ask if you have "tuned" your modem/router to get these download speeds? I have the same speed from clink and I am no where near 1:1 on hd. Maybe im just always downloading whats popular and the server is the issue but when i had 20 meg(or even 12 meg) from the company formerly known as qwest my on demand was much quicker. I dont live in the same place so this may be a factor but my net speed tests at 11.5

any thoughts?


----------



## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

brett_the_bomb said:


> VOS i wanted to ask if you have "tuned" your modem/router to get these download speeds? I have the same speed from clink and I am no where near 1:1 on hd. Maybe im just always downloading whats popular and the server is the issue but when i had 20 meg(or even 12 meg) from the company formerly known as qwest my on demand was much quicker. I dont live in the same place so this may be a factor but my net speed tests at 11.5
> 
> any thoughts?


My modems/routers haven't had any tweaks, and run default settings.
My 3 Mb/s cable modem service was horrible. I would have to download in the middle of the night to get a decent speed. I worked with them for a year trying to improve my service, but the last weekend I had it, SD was taking 14 to 20+ hrs.
I moved to AT&T 6 Mb/s DSL, which tested @ 5 Mb/s. SD came at 1:1 or better, and HD was about 1.5:1, any time of the day or night.
I'm now on their U-Verse with 11+ Mb/s tested connection. HD comes in at 1:1 or slightly better.


----------



## brett_the_bomb (Oct 24, 2009)

veryoldschool said:


> My modems/routers haven't had any tweaks, and run default settings.
> My 3 Mb/s cable modem service was horrible. I would have to download in the middle of the night to get a decent speed. I worked with them for a year trying to improve my service, but the last weekend I had it, SD was taking 14 to 20+ hrs.
> I moved to AT&T 6 Mb/s DSL, which tested @ 5 Mb/s. SD came at 1:1 or better, and HD was about 1.5:1, any time of the day or night.
> I'm now on their U-Verse with 11+ Mb/s tested connection. HD comes in at 1:1 or slightly better.


Lucky... I wonder if upload is my problem. Clink is 896k up and 12 meg down. While it tests fine I wonder how it really plays out in practical applications. What is you upload like VOS?


----------



## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

brett_the_bomb said:


> Lucky... I wonder if upload is my problem. Clink is 896k up and 12 meg down. While it tests fine I wonder how it really plays out in practical applications. What is you upload like VOS?


If you're having problems, "I'd say" it may be your ISP.
Upload isn't your problem, because I've had much less without any.
500k was common before I got my current 12/1.5.
The old cable modem ISP clearly played games with me over the year I was working with them to improve my OnDemand.
At first I could tell the number of users online by testing my connection.
"They fixed this", by spoofing the test so it would always show full speed.
Downloading from Microsoft [large service packs] would download fine, but a SD VOD from DirecTV was being throttled by them. They clearly weren't going to support a TV service that was competing with their crappy cable TV service.


----------



## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

veryoldschool said:


> If you're having problems, "I'd say" it may be your ISP.
> Upload isn't your problem, because I've had much less without any.
> 500k was common before I got my current 12/1.5.
> The old cable modem ISP clearly played games with me over the year I was working with them to improve my OnDemand.
> ...


What you are suggesting his provider is doing would run afoul of fcc regulations. I would doubt any reputable provider would be willing to do that and face the negative publicity.

Are you sure your issues weren't more a function of D*'s crappy servers. When DOD first came out, they were awful.


----------



## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

raott said:


> What you are suggesting his provider is doing would run afoul of fcc regulations. I would doubt any reputable provider would be willing to do that and face the negative publicity.
> 
> Are you sure your issues weren't more a function of D*'s crappy servers. When DOD first came out, they were awful.


ISP throttling is a known fact.

"Am I sure"? 
Definitely, in my case.
I had both the cable service and the DSL for a few days/week and know for a fact it wasn't on the DirecTV end.


----------



## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

veryoldschool said:


> ISP throttling is a known fact.


Throttling because going over a limit? Sure. Throttling in violation of net neutrality, I need more than just a statement saying it is so.


----------



## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

raott said:


> Throttling because going over a limit? Sure. Throttling in violation of net neutrality, I need more than just a statement saying it is so.


Fine, you need what you need.
I don't need more than what I experienced [and tested] to know for the cable company I had at the time.
I can't/won't say what another ISP is doing, until I could test it.


----------



## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

raott said:


> Throttling in violation of net neutrality,


Let me start by saying I'm in no way a "tinfoil hat" type, but in "the real world" a violation of "net neutrality" seems almost laughable. 
Every company will have their own needs first, and then someone else's.


----------



## brett_the_bomb (Oct 24, 2009)

veryoldschool said:


> ISP throttling is a known fact.
> 
> "Am I sure"?
> Definitely, in my case.
> I had both the cable service and the DSL for a few days/week and know for a fact it wasn't on the DirecTV end.


I dont know if they are throttling per se, but not giving a decent upload speed does that automatically. I also know that they know how to recognize certain packet types and on occasion do slow those packets to perserve quality of service for other consumers. But i do think its not fair to sell 12 meg service if they arent prepared to back it up. Just my opinion.


----------



## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

brett_the_bomb said:


> I dont know if they are throttling per se, but not giving a decent upload speed does that automatically. I also know that they know how to recognize certain packet types and on occasion do slow those packets to perserve quality of service for other consumers. *But i do think its not fair to sell 12 meg service if they arent prepared to back it up. *Just my opinion.


"And they'll say" we only list it as "up to" speeds.
I got so pissed at my cable service for the same reason. "Sure I have 3 Mb/s" but only at 2 AM! :eek2:
At this time, they had way over sold the service and there were over 500 modems/customers on one node.
A year or two after I dumped them, they finally ran some more fiber and split the node.


----------



## brett_the_bomb (Oct 24, 2009)

"veryoldschool" said:


> "And they'll say" we only list it as "up to" speeds.
> I got so pissed at my cable service for the same reason. "Sure I have 3 Mb/s" but only at 2 AM! :eek2:
> At this time, they had way over sold the service and there were over 500 modems/customers on one node.
> A year or two after I dumped them, they finally ran some more fiber and split the node.


I remember when our local cable co sold a minimum speed and it could burst 20x faster if the node wasn't busy.


----------

