# Slow VOD D/L



## toobs (Oct 10, 2012)

Jeez, Directv VOD is very slow. Yesterday, I was getting 6 Feet Under, season 2, 13 episodes, SD. I started at around 8am and it was still downloading at 1am.

Really slow.


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## DBSSTEPHEN (Oct 13, 2009)

That is not DirecTV's fault that is your Internet provider running slow


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## toobs (Oct 10, 2012)

You could be right. I also heard that the Genie doesn't use all of the bandwidth on your network to download faster. I have 100Mbps and the my network wasn't slow at all with VOD was downloading.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

toobs said:


> You could be right. I also heard that the Genie doesn't use all of the bandwidth on your network to download faster. I have 100Mbps and the my network wasn't slow at all with VOD was downloading.


What matter is (mostly) is not your LAN speed, but your ISP speed. 100Mbps does not do you any good when the bottle neck is your ISP if you have say 3Mbps "pipe"


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## toobs (Oct 10, 2012)

My pipe is 100Mbps. I think that there is a cap on the Genie on how much pipe it can use.


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## slice1900 (Feb 14, 2013)

Maybe Directv is getting hit with a lot of people checking out 4K VOD since it was just introduced a week or two ago.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

toobs said:


> My pipe is 100Mbps. I think that there is a cap on the Genie on how much pipe it can use.


Of course there is a cap, otherwise, folks like you and I with a huge pipes, would bogged down their servers and leaving people with 'small" pipes suffering. While DIRECTV® may have a humongous pipe to serve, it still have a limit that needs to be share with all customers


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## Aridon (Mar 13, 2007)

So what you're saying is your first post where you said what matters is the individuals pipe was wrong and DirecTV is the issue? I guess I agree. Netflix serves tons of data just fine and on demand. DirecTV's on demand is garbage as is their online watching.


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## toobs (Oct 10, 2012)

Netflix is in the streaming business and Directv is not.


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## inf0z (Oct 16, 2011)

slice1900 said:


> Maybe Directv is getting hit with a lot of people checking out 4K VOD since it was just introduced a week or two ago.


4k is downloaded via satellite only right now.

The issue could also be at the server where the content is being downloaded from. There's also a possibility that there is some kind of issue between point A and point B.


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## slice1900 (Feb 14, 2013)

inf0z said:


> 4k is downloaded via satellite only right now.
> 
> The issue could also be at the server where the content is being downloaded from. There's also a possibility that there is some kind of issue between point A and point B.


No, it is downloaded via internet.


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## Diana C (Mar 30, 2007)

Actually, the reports say that 4K PPV is being downloaded via satellite and staged on the Genie for playback to an RVU capable 4K TV. There is a loop running on a Ka transponder.

Some PPV/VOD content comes via satellite, but most "watch now" selections are streamed via the web. The speed of streaming or downloading via the web is dependent on your ISP connection, the congestion level on your ISP's network, the congestion on the transport providers (eg. Level 3), the load on the DirecTV servers and the load on all the routers in the link. On average your session will traverse 10 or more network segments and as many routers.


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## slice1900 (Feb 14, 2013)

Diana C said:


> Actually, the reports say that 4K PPV is being downloaded via satellite and staged on the Genie for playback to an RVU capable 4K TV. There is a loop running on a Ka transponder.
> 
> Some PPV/VOD content comes via satellite, but most "watch now" selections are streamed via the web. The speed of streaming or downloading via the web is dependent on your ISP connection, the congestion level on your ISP's network, the congestion on the transport providers (eg. Level 3), the load on the DirecTV servers and the load on all the routers in the link. On average your session will traverse 10 or more network segments and as many routers.


So why does Directv require an "internet connected" Genie if they are delivering it via satellite?


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

Because no one uses phone lines or calls in anymore to initiate the download? Not sure.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

Aridon said:


> So what you're saying is your first post where you said what matters is the individuals pipe was wrong and DirecTV is the issue? I guess I agree. Netflix serves tons of data just fine and on demand. DirecTV's on demand is garbage as is their online watching.


I have no problem with streaming stuff in Hi Definition from their Video On Demand. What area of the country are you in. I think that matters a lot. Also who is your provider?


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## toobs (Oct 10, 2012)

I'm in Southern California. I have Time Warner 100Mbps.


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## AmazinglySmooth (Oct 25, 2014)

I have TWC in Austin, and I find VoD to be slow also. I'd guess TWC is throttling DirecTV since they compete. I have a 300M pipe.


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## Aridon (Mar 13, 2007)

Comcast se fl 50mbs solid.


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## inf0z (Oct 16, 2011)

slice1900 said:


> So why does Directv require an "internet connected" Genie if they are delivering it via satellite?


Internet connection is required for the 4K installation process.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

Aridon said:


> So what you're saying is your first post where you said what matters is the individuals pipe was wrong and DirecTV is the issue? I guess I agree. Netflix serves tons of data just fine and on demand. DirecTV's on demand is garbage as is their online watching.


Nope, not at all. If you pipe is tiny, no matter how big DIRECTV®'s pipe is, you will get slow downloads. If you pipe is big, DIRECTV® will throttle the download as to not over load the servers&#8230;.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

Aridon said:


> Netflix serves tons of data just fine and on demand. DirecTV's on demand is garbage as is their online watching.


And that is why they have to pay off ISPs to get "priority" that is the sole business


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

I'll throw out another complaint about this. I thought the slow VOD was because of our connection (12 mps) but we just upgraded to 40 mps (CenturyLink) and it's still ridiculously slow downloading an HD movie. It's supposed to be "On-demand", not "start downloading it 6 hours before you want to watch it".


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## mrknowitall526 (Nov 19, 2014)

dbronstein said:


> I'll throw out another complaint about this. I thought the slow VOD was because of our connection (12 mps) but we just upgraded to 40 mps (CenturyLink) and it's still ridiculously slow downloading an HD movie. It's supposed to be "On-demand", not "start downloading it 6 hours before you want to watch it".


This makes me feel better about my 3 Mbps DSL from Verizon! They refuse to increase the speed even though the line can handle it, but now that I see that you have 40 and still have issues with downloads, I just feel the on demand service is inadequate. I have trouble doing that start from the beginning streams also.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

dbronstein said:


> I'll throw out another complaint about this. I thought the slow VOD was because of our connection (12 mps) but we just upgraded to 40 mps (CenturyLink) and it's still ridiculously slow downloading an HD movie. It's supposed to be "On-demand", not "start downloading it 6 hours before you want to watch it".


If you are not able to download consistently with 40 Mbps bandwidth pipe, then there is something "broken" in your set up. I have a 100/35 connection and I have no problems what so ever. Although anyone with anything above 20, should not have any issues.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

mrknowitall526 said:


> This makes me feel better about my 3 Mbps DSL from Verizon! They refuse to increase the speed even though the line can handle it, but now that I see that you have 40 and still have issues with downloads, I just feel the on demand service is inadequate. I have trouble doing that start from the beginning streams also.


With 3Mbps, you should be able to record and watch later. You are really on the slow (very) side.


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## 456521 (Jul 6, 2007)

peds48 said:


> If you are not able to download consistently with 40 Mbps bandwidth pipe, then there is something "broken" in your set up. I have a 100/35 connection and I have no problems what so ever. Although anyone with anything above 20, should not have any issues.


This is not correct based on multiple reports in the past. I have a rock solid 35/15 connection with no issues whatsoever with any other streaming service I use (Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, Vimeo, Vudu, iTunes, Xbox video, slingbox from remote site), but DirecTV VOD intermittently buffers on at least 50% of the shows I've tried to watch using it.


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## mrknowitall526 (Nov 19, 2014)

peds48 said:


> With 3Mbps, you should be able to record and watch later. You are really on the slow (very) side.


I know, but nothing faster available! What bothers me the most is the start over streams. I want them to work, and they really just don't unless I pause and wait a little while.


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## ejbvt (Aug 14, 2011)

dbronstein said:


> I'll throw out another complaint about this. I thought the slow VOD was because of our connection (12 mps) but we just upgraded to 40 mps (CenturyLink) and it's still ridiculously slow downloading an HD movie. It's supposed to be "On-demand", not "start downloading it 6 hours before you want to watch it".


Same here. I have 25 with Comcast and it takes 3 to 5 hours to download a movie. Streaming from their site is usually okay, but I don't do it that often. Other services are much faster - Netflix loads quickly and has no issues.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

pdxBeav said:
 

> This is not correct based on multiple reports in the past. I have a rock solid 35/15 connection with no issues whatsoever with any other streaming service I use (Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, Vimeo, Vudu, iTunes, Xbox video, slingbox from remote site), but DirecTV VOD intermittently buffers on at least 50% of the shows I've tried to watch using it.


Again, if you are experiencing these results, something is "broken" is your system.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

ejbvt said:


> Same here. I have 25 with Comcast and it takes 3 to 5 hours to download a movie. Streaming from their site is usually okay, but I don't do it that often. Other services are much faster - Netflix loads quickly and has no issues.


While you can't compare DIRECTV® to Netflix, with 25Mbps, you should be able to download in real time with no issues, if you are not experiencing this, then there is something amiss in your system


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## ejbvt (Aug 14, 2011)

peds48 said:


> While you can't compare DIRECTV® to Netflix, with 25Mbps, you should be able to download in real time with no issues, if you are not experiencing this, then there is something amiss in your system


What would that be? All computers, phones, smart TV stuff, X Box, Blu Ray Netflix apps are fast and look good. It's not as good as it was when I had AT&T U-Verse internet in NC, but it all works without drops or pauses. Directv is the only one that is slow and it was in NC, too.


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## davring (Jan 13, 2007)

We had AT&T DSL 6.0 for years, tried Uverse 18.0 and now have Comcast 50.0, and the download speed from DirecTV hasn't changed. Currently I can download a 4GB movie from iTunes in about 12 minutes so I'm certain there is no difficulty on my end. I've always assumed DIrecTV throttled the data.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

davring said:


> We had AT&T DSL 6.0 for years, tried Uverse 18.0 and now have Comcast 50.0, and the download speed from DirecTV hasn't changed. Currently I can download a 4GB movie from iTunes in about 12 minutes so I'm certain there is no difficulty on my end. I've always assumed DIrecTV throttled the data.


One thing is to say that "it does not work" and another is to say that it "slow" because it downloads in close to real time. If your downloads are in real time or less, then the system is working as designed. Why would it need to download faster than real time?


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

ejbvt said:


> Directv is the only one that is slow and it was in NC, too.


See above post

Granted, there is a bug with VOD now that affects HBO and perhaps some others. But putting this bug aside, the downloads should be in real time without buffering as long as you have a big enough pipe


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## Sgtsbabygirl1 (Dec 15, 2014)

I can download an HD movie fast enough to not have any buffering issues and my internet is only 15/3mb. Now I'm confused as to how mine is working so fast!!


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## 456521 (Jul 6, 2007)

peds48 said:


> Again, if you are experiencing these results, something is "broken" is your system.


If by "your system" you mean outside of my house and specific to DirecTV then you are correct. But it's strange how no other video streaming service seems to "break" my system.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

This is not going anywhere, but as long you have that posture, you will never get nothing fix.


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## 456521 (Jul 6, 2007)

I've moved on from DirecTV VOD so it doesn't really matter to me any longer. But can anyone offer up an explanation as to why DirecTV VOD is the only video service that gives me intermittent buffering issues? I'm open to ideas, but a simple Google search shows that this isn't an isolated problem. Maybe it's a problem between DirecTV's ISP and my ISP.


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## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

Unless something has changed, I've found the bottleneck to be entirely on Directv's end and others, typically in the know, have posted that Directv throttles the stream. I stopped bothering with Directv's "VOD" a long time ago because the interface is slow, cumbersome and about 5% of the time didn't work at all.



peds48 said:


> If you are not able to download consistently with 40 Mbps bandwidth pipe, then there is something "broken" in your set up. I have a 100/35 connection and I have no problems what so ever. Although anyone with anything above 20, should not have any issues.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

raott said:


> Unless something has changed, I've found the bottleneck to be entirely on Directv's end and others, typically in the know, have posted that Directv throttles the stream.


Correct, downloads are throttled to about real time. An hour of HD should download in about 50 minutes. Some channels do better than others, but this is the general rule of thumb

And the questions stands, why would anyone need anything more than real time?


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## ejbvt (Aug 14, 2011)

I have never been able to watch something VOD in real time. Even a half hour SD show requires waiting several minutes and will stop a few times during playback. Peds, you never answered as to what is wrong. Saying over and over that something is wrong but not telling what that is doesn't solve anything.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

ejbvt said:


> I have never been able to watch something VOD in real time. Even a half hour SD show requires waiting several minutes and will stop a few times during playback. *Peds, you never answered as to what is wrong*. Saying over and over that something is wrong but not telling what that is doesn't solve anything.


Without knowing ANYTHING about your system is hard to guess. I doubt even VOS would be able to help you in this fashion. I based my findings over thousands of customers visited throughout a long period of time.


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## mrknowitall526 (Nov 19, 2014)

How does it throttle to real time? Does it take your current connection speed into account?


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

By setting a ratio of download that equals to or exceeds real time. I have a dumb router with no QoS or advanced features, but IIRC VOS has measured downloads to as little as 6Mbps to as high as 16?Mbps


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## 456521 (Jul 6, 2007)

raott said:


> Unless something has changed, I've found the bottleneck to be entirely on Directv's end and others, typically in the know, have posted that Directv throttles the stream. I stopped bothering with Directv's "VOD" a long time ago because the interface is slow, cumbersome and about 5% of the time didn't work at all.


The problem is most likely that DirecTV doesn't factor in any congestion between its servers and your ISP. Maybe DirecTV has enough bandwidth at their CDN locations, but they failed to design a system to take into account congestion along the route. There is no doubt DirecTV has enough bandwidth within their control, but they really need to use third parties and let experts manage their VOD systems.

And that's the exact reason why all other VOD systems work flawlessly.


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## ejbvt (Aug 14, 2011)

peds48 said:


> Without knowing ANYTHING about your system is hard to guess. I doubt even VOS would be able to help you in this fashion. I based my findings over thousands of customers visited throughout a long period of time.


HR44-500, Xfinity modem, 25 speed. What else do you need to know?


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## slice1900 (Feb 14, 2013)

pdxBeav said:


> The problem is most likely that DirecTV doesn't factor in any congestion between its servers and your ISP. Maybe DirecTV has enough bandwidth at their CDN locations, but they failed to design a system to take into account congestion along the route. There is no doubt DirecTV has enough bandwidth within their control, but they really need to use third parties and let experts manage their VOD systems.
> 
> And that's the exact reason why all other VOD systems work flawlessly.


If only they could be purchased by a company that knows and does networking on a massive scale


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## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

Because if there is the slightest hiccup, real time can't make it up. I use about five different streaming services on a solid 30down connection. Directv is the only one I stopped using because of delivery quality.



peds48 said:


> Correct, downloads are throttled to about real time. An hour of HD should download in about 50 minutes. Some channels do better than others, but this is the general rule of thumb
> 
> And the questions stands, why would anyone need anything more than real time?


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

peds48 said:


> Correct, downloads are throttled to about real time. An hour of HD should download in about 50 minutes. Some channels do better than others, but this is the general rule of thumb
> 
> And the questions stands, why would anyone need anything more than real time?


They don't. But again, mine isn't anywhere close to real time. Other services work fine. Therefore the problem is somewhere between DirecTV's server and my modem. Other people who live in different areas of the country and have different ISPs than me are reporting the same issue, which leads one to the conclusion the problem is with DirecTV.



peds48 said:


> This is not going anywhere, but as long you have that posture, you will never get nothing fix.


So how do you propose we go about getting it fixed? I called DirecTV and they said they problem is with my internet connection and were totally uninterested in trying to help.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

raott said:


> Because if there is the slightest hiccup, real time can't make it up. I use about five different streaming services on a solid 30down connection. Directv is the only one I stopped using because of delivery quality.


I watched S1E3 of 12 Monkeys via VOD today, which was weird since this episode is supposed to air next Friday. At around the 30 minute mark I had 95% downloaded. I was not able to FF, (it was disabled) but I was able to watch the entire show without any hiccups. So explain to why I have a fully working system? If the entire DIRECTV® VOD "backbone" as you suggest was "broken" wouldn't affect everyone including myself? Some questions to ponder or food for thought


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## 456521 (Jul 6, 2007)

peds48 said:


> I watched S1E3 of 12 Monkeys via VOD today, which was weird since this episode is supposed to air next Friday. At around the 30 minute mark I had 95% downloaded. I was not able to FF, (it was disabled) but I was able to watch the entire show without any hiccups. So explain to why I have a fully working system? If the entire DIRECTV® VOD "backbone" as you suggest was "broken" wouldn't affect everyone including myself? Some questions to ponder or food for thought


No, a problem wouldn't affect everyone. Not everyone's VOD streams go through the same set of Internet routers and ISPs. Some people have more hops than others with different congestion along the way. Just because it works for one person doesn't mean it'll work for someone else. That's like saying "I don't have reception problems due to rain fade therefore nobody should."


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## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

You just got done telling everyone earlier today that shows were throttled to "about real time". So which is it? Is it 2:1? Is it "about real time".

I've seen VOD at 2:1 and I've seen VOD not be able to keep up. The big difference seems to be the servers that deliver "watch now" (assuming they use different servers since the delivery system seems to be a big state secret).

All I can tell you is I, and a number of others, find Directv to be unreliable and I quit using it. Apple, Netflix, Vudu are always (yes I mean 100% of the time) reliable and they can all have my money. Directv doesn't get a dime anymore.



peds48 said:


> I watched S1E3 of 12 Monkeys via VOD today, which was weird since this episode is supposed to air next Friday. At around the 30 minute mark I had 95% downloaded. I was not able to FF, (it was disabled) but I was able to watch the entire show without any hiccups. So explain to why I have a fully working system? If the entire DIRECTV® VOD "backbone" as you suggest was "broken" wouldn't affect everyone including myself? Some questions to ponder or food for thought


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## ejbvt (Aug 14, 2011)

peds48 said:


> I watched S1E3 of 12 Monkeys via VOD today, which was weird since this episode is supposed to air next Friday. At around the 30 minute mark I had 95% downloaded. I was not able to FF, (it was disabled) but I was able to watch the entire show without any hiccups. So explain to why I have a fully working system? If the entire DIRECTV® VOD "backbone" as you suggest was "broken" wouldn't affect everyone including myself? Some questions to ponder or food for thought


If it is real time, like you said, you would have seen 50-51% download at the 30 minute mark. It's obvious that the problem is on Directv's end. Most people have bad luck with it and a few don't.


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## mrknowitall526 (Nov 19, 2014)

I know I've chimed in about this before, but they shouldn't advertise only needing 2 Mbps, but then tell me I can't stream something because it requires a connection of at least 4.62 Mbps, which I have seen come up multiple times. If I can stream YouTube on my PC at 1080p with my 3 Mbps connection, I should be able to stream something from DTV as well. They need to figure out a way to improve it.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

raott said:


> You just got done telling everyone earlier today that shows were throttled to "about real time". So which is it? Is it 2:1? Is it "about real time".


The show was only about 46 minutes long. So about 30 I had about 40 minutes downloaded. So yeah about real time


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

pdxBeav said:


> That's like saying "I don't have reception problems due to rain fade therefore nobody should."


But rain fade is not a myth, is a fact!


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

pdxBeav said:


> Not everyone's VOD streams go through the same set of Internet routers and ISPs. ."


So perhaps your ISP is the one to blame? we know one thing for sure, Netflix is being some ISPs for 'special treatment"


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

peds48 said:


> But rain fade is not a myth, is a fact!


And so is slow VOD!


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

Again, having a posture of this kind will do nothing for the cause. All of you all want to do is "complain" about something instead of looking for option to get it corrected. There are "tons" of customers enjoying VOD, and I am one of them. Basing success or failure on a forums like this one is bias as the ones where the service is working "as advertised" are watching TV and not posting their success here


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## 456521 (Jul 6, 2007)

peds48 said:


> So perhaps your ISP is the one to blame? we know one thing for sure, Netflix is being some ISPs for 'special treatment"


Could be, but probably not because every other video VOD service I've used has never had this type of problem. And I'm not saying that everyone has issues, but it's very clear that DirecTV VOD network architecture isn't up to par with almost all other video providers. But it's not surprising since this isn't their main business. They only offer VOD so they can compete against the cable companies when it comes to marketing these features.

Can you offer an explanation why no other video service seems to have these issues?


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## 456521 (Jul 6, 2007)

Does anyone here actually know the details of DirecTV's VOD architecture? Do they use CDNs or is everything located at one central site?


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

peds48 said:


> Again, having a posture of this kind will do nothing for the cause. All of you all want to do is "complain" about something instead of looking for option to get it corrected. There are "tons" of customers enjoying VOD, and I am one of them. Basing success or failure on a forums like this one is bias as the ones where the service is working "as advertised" are watching TV and not posting their success here


And again, please tell me what the options are to get it corrected. It's not my in-house setup or my ISP because other services stream HD extremely fast. DirecTV won't help me. So what are my options to get it resolved?

You're the IT guy whose response to every user call is "It works fine on my box."


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## Aridon (Mar 13, 2007)

It's easier to say it's your problem than to explain why every other service people try has no issues when direct sometimes does.


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## slice1900 (Feb 14, 2013)

pdxBeav said:


> Does anyone here actually know the details of DirecTV's VOD architecture? Do they use CDNs or is everything located at one central site?


It would be easy to determine that, assuming your connection goes through a router in your home somewhere. Most have a way to look at active connections, so you could tell what IP address you are downloading from. Have others do the same, and do a reverse lookup on the IP and a geo lookup on the location of the IP address. If people all over the country are getting it from the same place, that'll be the central site.

Net neutrality doesn't really exist anymore (pending the FCC's upcoming action) so ISPs have been shaking down content providers for "prioritization". Netflix was pretty slow on FIOS for a while until they paid up, and doubled in speed after the deal. A lot of ISPs are probably throttling streaming traffic for those who haven't paid up - that's why they are all so against net neutrality.


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

slice1900 said:


> Net neutrality doesn't really exist anymore (pending the FCC's upcoming action) so ISPs have been shaking down content providers for "prioritization". Netflix was pretty slow on FIOS for a while until they paid up, and doubled in speed after the deal. A lot of ISPs are probably throttling streaming traffic for those who haven't paid up - that's why they are all so against net neutrality.


The thing is, my ISP is CenturyLink. They resell DirecTV (I have it bundled on my bill), so I really doubt they are throttling DirecTV traffic. Of course it could be hitting a router somewhere between DirecTV and CenturyLink that is throttling it.


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## Kaiser Bob (Aug 17, 2012)

pdxBeav said:


> Does anyone here actually know the details of DirecTV's VOD architecture? Do they use CDNs or is everything located at one central site?


DTV does use CDNs for VOD.


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## mrknowitall526 (Nov 19, 2014)

dbronstein said:


> The thing is, my ISP is CenturyLink. They resell DirecTV (I have it bundled on my bill), so I really doubt they are throttling DirecTV traffic. Of course it could be hitting a router somewhere between DirecTV and CenturyLink that is throttling it.


Same here with Verizon.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

Kaiser Bob said:


> DTV does use CDNs for VOD.


Are you sure? I have been under the impression they have built their own infrastructure around the county with multiple servers in various places. I know they have for some of their stuff and was lead to believe they used it for Video On Demand as well.


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## lokar (Oct 8, 2006)

The speed doesn't bother me near as much as the terrible quality. Even when I download a show and wait for it to be finished before watching, it will always have 1-3 horrible glitches during the program that last 5-10 seconds each where the picture digitizes and the sound vanishes.


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## AmazinglySmooth (Oct 25, 2014)

raott said:


> Because if there is the slightest hiccup, real time can't make it up. I use about five different streaming services on a solid 30down connection. Directv is the only one I stopped using because of delivery quality.


Also, you cannot quick-skip past all the intro junk or to a specific spot within a movie that you want to show someone else.


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

I found some info that you're supposed to forward ports 27161 to 27192 to the Genie so I tried that, but still no improvement. It still takes 3 hours to download a 46 minute show.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

dbronstein said:


> I found some info that you're supposed to forward ports 27161 to 27192 to the Genie so I tried that, but still no improvement. It still takes 3 hours to download a 46 minute show.


Yeah, you found some incorrect info. Can you please clarify 3 hours to download or transcode?


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

peds48 said:


> Yeah, you found some incorrect info. Can you please clarify 3 hours to download or transcode?


Then what is the correct info?

Approximately three hours from the time I pressed the button to start recording until it reached 100%. What transcoding are you talking about?


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

dbronstein said:


> Then what is the correct info?
> 
> Approximately three hours from the time I pressed the button to start recording until it reached 100%. What transcoding are you talking about?


sorry I confused this thread with that of a GenieGo. But still forwarding ports has nothing to do with VOD

Sent from my iPhone 6 using Tapatalk


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

So another useless reply.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

dbronstein said:


> So another useless reply.


Pretty much, just like the one quote above !rolling


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## lokar (Oct 8, 2006)

peds48 said:


> sorry I confused this thread with that of a GenieGo. But still forwarding ports has nothing to do with VOD
> 
> Sent from my iPhone 6 using Tapatalk


So what does forwarding ports have to do with? If I remember right, my HR20 couldn't connect to the internet at all until I forwarded ports.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

lokar said:


> So what does forwarding ports have to do with? If I remember right, my HR20 couldn't connect to the internet at all until I forwarded ports.


 STB, which is what you forward ports for, is mostly used for TV apps.

Sent from my iPhone 6 using Tapatalk


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## mark40511 (Jul 18, 2008)

I started a topic on this a long time ago. I can't remember the last time I downloaded using DirecTV On Demand, but when I did this a while back, it was SO unbelievably slow! My connection is 24MPBS download, but I get 26.5 usually on speed tests, and my upload is 2MPBS. I researched and I wish I could remember what I did and it started working much better. It was either one of two things. It was something in my router/modem settings OR something in the settings in the DirecTV box itself. NOTHING else was slow as far as streaming through Netflix, youtube, web surfing, downloading, etc. Everything worked great EXCEPT for the VOD, which seems to work fine now because I just downloaded something. It starts out slow at first, but then it finishes quickly......so overall it's nothing like it was before I made whatever changes I made. I'll try to look online and see if I can find it.


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## mkdtv21 (May 27, 2007)

Why can't Directv offer a system where the picture quality is adjusted based on your connection speed? Are the receivers not advanced enough to do something like that?


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## twizt3dkitty (Aug 29, 2009)

mkdtv21 said:


> Why can't Directv offer a system where the picture quality is adjusted based on your connection speed? Are the receivers not advanced enough to do something like that?


That would require down scaling the resolution based on a speed test. I'm not sure we have that ability


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Or wouldn't want it.

When I download, I go for highest quality, and never plan to watch right away. That way I don't get excited about how fast or slow it's going.


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## BillN96 (Mar 30, 2007)

dbronstein said:


> I'll throw out another complaint about this. I thought the slow VOD was because of our connection (12 mps) but we just upgraded to 40 mps (CenturyLink) and it's still ridiculously slow downloading an HD movie. It's supposed to be "On-demand", not "start downloading it 6 hours before you want to watch it".


I have had CenturyLink 40Mbps service for over a year and DirecTV's VOD does not keep up with live viewing. I have to let it buffer for a time depending on the length of show. My Genie is hardwired over ethernet and my Speedtests at the time I am seeing slowness is at or above 40Mbps. The issue is not within my house.

Either CenturyLink is throttling at the ISP level or the DirecTV VOD service can't keep up with demand. I am leaning toward throttling by CenturyLink being the issue with no hard evidence to back it.


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## mrknowitall526 (Nov 19, 2014)

BillN96 said:


> I have had CenturyLink 40Mbps service for over a year and DirecTV's VOD does not keep up with live viewing. I have to let it buffer for a time depending on the length of show. My Genie is hardwired over ethernet and my Speedtests at the time I am seeing slowness is at or above 40Mbps. The issue is not within my house.
> 
> Either CenturyLink is throttling at the ISP level or the DirecTV VOD service can't keep up with demand. I am leaning toward throttling by CenturyLink being the issue with no hard evidence to back it.


I've said it before, but I still don't understand how I can watch 720p and 1080p YouTube videos without buffering, but can't do any start over or VOD streaming on Directv.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

mrknowitall526 said:


> I've said it before, but I still don't understand how I can watch 720p and 1080p YouTube videos without buffering, but can't do any start over or VOD streaming on Directv.


What is your download speed?


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## mrknowitall526 (Nov 19, 2014)

peds48 said:


> What is your download speed?


3 Mbps, yes I know it is low. But still! Other things work fine.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

mrknowitall526 said:


> 3 Mbps, yes I know it is low. But still! Other things work fine.


I would not be surprised if Google is paying your ISP to get their services faster.

Here is a nice article about why ISPs slow things down

http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/07/why-youtube-buffers-the-secret-deals-that-make-and-break-online-video/2/


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## mrknowitall526 (Nov 19, 2014)

peds48 said:


> I would not be surprised if Google is paying your ISP to get their services faster.
> 
> Here is a nice article about why ISPs slow things down
> 
> http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/07/why-youtube-buffers-the-secret-deals-that-make-and-break-online-video/2/


It's Verizon, so all bets are off!


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## ejbvt (Aug 14, 2011)

mrknowitall526 said:


> It's Verizon, so all bets are off!


It's just slow. Period. peds and a few others will swear your equipment is broken. I have 25 speed now and had higher in NC and neither location ever downloads properly. As you say, other services work flawlessly.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

ejbvt said:


> It's just slow.


Are you referring to his internet downloads? If so, we can agree on that. 3Mbps is just way to slow for any relievable VOD download.


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## ejbvt (Aug 14, 2011)

peds48 said:


> Are you referring to his internet downloads? If so, we can agree on that. 3Mbps is just way to slow for any relievable VOD download.


I am referring to Directv's VOD downloads - it takes at least overnight to download a full movie. Always has....


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

ejbvt said:


> I am referring to Directv's VOD downloads - it takes at least overnight to download a full movie. Always has....


Not in my case. So I wonder what is different. I was going to post a video of it, but I choose "Sex Tape" thinking it was a dumb comedy, but it has some stuff NSFW. So I will post a video tomorrow with another movie


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## twizt3dkitty (Aug 29, 2009)

I have comcast 105/20mb service router is asus rt87u.. never experienced buffering issues with dod... Verizons top speed around here is 15. Comcast is the only thing faster that is reliable. But even the Verizon based installs I do don't really have a lot of issues. The key is you need dsl or cable. Hotspots or 4G routers arnt supported and satellite is throttled too much unless you on an excede early bird plan. And even then I don't recommend excede unless you have no other options.


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

BillN96 said:


> Either CenturyLink is throttling at the ISP level or the DirecTV VOD service can't keep up with demand. I am leaning toward throttling by CenturyLink being the issue with no hard evidence to back it.


I have a hard time thinking CenturyLink is throttling it because they are partners with DirecTV. I have my DirecTV bundled with my phone and internet, so they would be throttling their own customers. I just don't see it.Enough people in different areas of the country with different ISPs report problems with VOD speeds that it's clearly an issue on DirecTV's side.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

dbronstein said:


> I have a hard time thinking CenturyLink is throttling it because they are partners with DirecTV. I have my DirecTV bundled with my phone and internet, so they would be throttling their own customers. I just don't see it.Enough people in different areas of the country with different ISPs report problems with VOD speeds that it's clearly an issue on DirecTV's side.


So DIRECTV® latest numbers says they have 7.3 million connected customers, let's say 50,000 (I made that number arbitrarily) are having issues. While the other 7,299,950 are trouble free. Whose to blame there?


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## ejbvt (Aug 14, 2011)

peds48 said:


> So DIRECTV® latest numbers says they have 7.3 million connected customers, let's say 50,000 (I made that number arbitrarily) are having issues. While the other 7,299,950 are trouble free. Whose to blame there?


Directv...


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

Sure...


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## ejbvt (Aug 14, 2011)

Who else? Should I blame Comcast when everything else downloads at perfect speeds? HD youtube has zero buffer times and breakups. ESPN3 streams flawlessly, with some occasional blurring. My roommate streams Directv on a computer. All of that at the same time. try to watch "on-demand" on Directv, and it takes hours, when it's the only thing using Internet at the time. Who would you blame? Like I have said 500 times - it was the same with Time Warner and AT&T Internet when I lived somewhere else. AT&T was the slowest speed I had of the three and it actually worked the best with directv, but still painful.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

So how come is working for 99.8% of customers?


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

I am not saying blame your ISP, but perhaps take a look in your set up.


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## ejbvt (Aug 14, 2011)

peds48 said:


> So how come is working for 99.8% of customers?


I am sure it doesn't. There are MANY posts on here, satguys, the Directv forums, and other forums over the past couple years of people complaining about it. And just a small percentage of people post online about things....


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## HaterSlayer (Mar 24, 2010)

ejbvt said:


> I am sure it doesn't. There are MANY posts on here, satguys, the Directv forums, and other forums over the past couple years of people complaining about it. And just a small percentage of people post online about things....


Well people won't usually make posts about how stuff is working how it should be. Mine works fine with Comcast at 30 meg download


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## 456521 (Jul 6, 2007)

Most customers who have download issues with VOD will simply let it download for a while before starting playback. In fact, most customers won't even realize it's a problem. They'll just think that's the way it's supposed to work. It's conclusive that DirecTV's VOD delivery system isn't as robust as the other providers.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

ejbvt said:


> I am sure it doesn't. There are MANY posts on here, satguys, the Directv forums, and other forums over the past couple years of people complaining about it. And just a small percentage of people post online about things....


but those don't amount to 1% of connected customers. Which leads to to believe the problem lies elsewhere.

Sent from my iPhone 6 using Tapatalk


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## ejbvt (Aug 14, 2011)

peds48 said:


> but those don't amount to 1% of connected customers. Which leads to to believe the problem lies elsewhere.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone 6 using Tapatalk


What is your source that it's 1% of customers effected?


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

ejbvt said:


> What is your source that it's 1% of customers effected?


Not paying attention? See post #95. FWIW, it could be less than that


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## ejbvt (Aug 14, 2011)

peds48 said:


> Not paying attention? See post #95. FWIW, it could be less than that


I am paying attention. You guessing that a certain number of people have problems is far from a source.

pdx hit the nail on the head. There are people who just think it's supposed to be slow and unreliable. Look through the cable/Fios section of this site and you'll see people there who have posted about how much faster the on-demand is compared to Directv.

What is your deal? Why are you saying that a widespread problem isn't a problem just because you don't have it?


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

OK, bump it up to 100, 000 still, that leaves still 99% of folks with working systems.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

ejbvt said:


> What is your deal? Why are you saying that a widespread problem isn't a problem just because you don't have it?


Because in order for the problem to be labeled widespread, it needs to affect more than 1% of the base.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

Here is a clip I made of my VOD payback. Hopefully YouTube wont take it down thinking I am pirating the movie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT7qfZxQYnw


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## ejbvt (Aug 14, 2011)

peds48 said:


> Because in order for the problem to be labeled widespread, it needs to affect more than 1% of the base.


.......

Just because you think it only affects 1% of the customers doesn't make it so. Because I am paying attention, I will quote you from a few pages back and say that taking that attitude towards it won't solve anything.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

So you are suggesting I am special because my set up works as advertised?


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

ejbvt said:


> I will quote you from a few pages back and say that taking that attitude towards it won't solve anything.


No, taking the attitude that is DIRECTV®'s problem is what I as referring to. That attitude wont get you anywhere.


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

peds48 said:


> I am not saying blame your ISP, but perhaps take a look in your set up.


So please tell me what specifically to look at in my set up. Are there settings on the Genie that need to be set a certain way? Are there setting on my router I need to make? You keep saying "It's a problem with your setup" yet you have not given any suggestions that might actually help someone.

Again, you are the IT guy whose response to every problem is "It works fine on my box."


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

peds48 said:


> So you are suggesting I am special because my set up works as advertised?


I don't think anybody is suggesting that. By the same token, your entire participation in this discussion can be boiled down to:

"It works fine for me so therefore it cannot possibly be a problem on DirecTV's end."


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## ejbvt (Aug 14, 2011)

dbronstein said:


> I don't think anybody is suggesting that. By the same token, your entire participation in this discussion can be boiled down to:
> 
> "It works fine for me so therefore it cannot possibly be a problem on DirecTV's end."


EXACTLY.


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## twizt3dkitty (Aug 29, 2009)

It could be regional throttling by isps as well... comcast out of philly could work differently from comcast in SoCal... different markets enforce band with and data caps some dont. These are all isp based issues.


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## Aridon (Mar 13, 2007)

If I had to guess the issue likely is with DirecTV and certain distribution hops getting over burdened with traffic while others do not.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

dbronstein said:


> I don't think anybody is suggesting that. By the same token, your entire participation in this discussion can be boiled down to:
> 
> "It works fine for me so therefore it cannot possibly be a problem on DirecTV's end."


Not only for me, but for the thousands of folks that I have visited and have never complained of any issues in the regard.


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## ejbvt (Aug 14, 2011)

peds48 said:


> Not only for me, but for the thousands of folks that I have visited and have never complained of any issues in the regard.


"Are you paying attention?" It has been correctly said that many people just assume that's how it's supposed to be. Others probably are rural and don't have high-speed Internet, don't have a DVR with access to VOD, or just don't use it.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

ejbvt said:


> "Are you paying attention?" It has been correctly said that many people just assume that's how it's supposed to be. Others probably are rural and don't have high-speed Internet, don't have a DVR with access to VOD, or just don't use it.


You are assuming that customers are assuming, an you know what happens when you ASS-U-ME....

I on the other hand, refer to personal experience. I visit at the very least 3 to 5 houses daily. None, none, have complain about VOD. With new customers, I test the system to make sure it works before doing the education am dave never had a problem, if you don't count customers who don't have internet!

The numbers I posted, only correlate to those who have a DVR connected to the internet.

So please pay attention....


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## twizt3dkitty (Aug 29, 2009)

I was gonna say... I bet peds and i deal with more customers on a daily basis than you @ejbvt... not to mention this has never been a validated cadie that I can recall.


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## ejbvt (Aug 14, 2011)

So the OPINION of two installers makes it fact. Got it.

You're still wrong. My Internet is fine with everything except Directv. I am not alone. End of discussion.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

Well, actually, neither side can really say for sure its a wide spread issue for many customers...

It could be a combination, where some places it's dtv some places it's the isp, and I'll bet sometimes it's the persons network stuff at home...

Also, I think dtv uses multiple servers throughout the country. Just my guess but I believe they do and that means it could be a dtv issue at one server farm that only affects a small portion of the country and works just fine everywhere else.

In the end it's just not possible to say it's not dtvs fault, or that it is always dtvs fault. Not with the little real info we have.

However I know I agree and lean more towards it being a dtv issue for someone like ejbvt who seems to have the expertise to rule out anything on his end... But even then, I'm not so sure it's a server or delivery issue. It could even be a bug in his receiver and it's firmware. We know that the firmware can be randomly uncooperative for some specific units for some specific functions.


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## ejbvt (Aug 14, 2011)

I DO NOT appreciate being called a liar. I am sure dbrownstein, the thread starter, the other posters, the people here http://forums.directv.com/search.jspa?q=slow+ondemand , and the other people who have posted about this PROBLEM on DBS, satguys, and other forums don't appreciate it either.

Your attitude of "it works for me so it must be fine" is exactly what you're telling us NOT to do. Grow up.

I understand that it doesn't work for some and it does for others. Drive up here and fix it yourself if you're so friggin smart.


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## 456521 (Jul 6, 2007)

A few quick questions for the installers who have first hand experience with end users' VOD performance.
1. How many different ISPs are in your service area and how many of those have you tested?
2. How many different regions across the United States do you have first hand data from?
3. What percentage of the testing which you have performed at the customers' homes were done during peak time for Internet congestion? I don't have the data in front of me, but I believe it's somewhere between 6-10pm.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

pdxBeav said:


> A few quick questions for the installers who have first hand experience with end users' VOD performance.
> 1. How many different ISPs are in your service area and how many of those have you tested?
> 2. How many different regions across the United States do you have first hand data from?
> 3. What percentage of the testing which you have performed at the customers' homes were done during peak time for Internet congestion? I don't have the data in front of me, but I believe it's somewhere between 6-10pm.


You forgot one, have they called every customer back and asked them how many times they have used vod and if the experience was at all even slightly different from a linear channel... And then cross referenced that with the exact model of ever receiver used for the vod.


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## ejbvt (Aug 14, 2011)

How do the installers check the VOD when they do an install? Doesn't it take a few hours to show up? I know mine does after a RBR, power outage, new receiver, etc...


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

peds48 said:


> Not only for me, but for the thousands of folks that I have visited and have never complained of any issues in the regard.





peds48 said:


> You are assuming that customers are assuming, an you know what happens when you ASS-U-ME....
> 
> I on the other hand, refer to personal experience. I visit at the very least 3 to 5 houses daily. None, none, have complain about VOD. With new customers, I test the system to make sure it works before doing the education am dave never had a problem, if you don't count customers who don't have internet!
> 
> ...


Again, you have ignored the direct question:

What are the settings on my Genie, router and wherever else that I need to look at to make sure they are set correctly in order for VOD to work as well as it does for you and all of your customers? What are the other things in my setup that I need to look at? Please provide the instructions on how to make VOD work correctly.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

dbronstein said:


> Again, you have ignored the direct question:


The questioned is not being ignored, it has never been asked in lieu of just blaming DIRECTV® as the fix.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

dbronstein said:


> What are the settings on my Genie, router and wherever else that I need to look at to make sure they are set correctly in order for VOD to work as well as it does for you and all of your customers? What are the other things in my setup that I need to look at? Please provide the instructions on how to make VOD work correctly.


This is a step in the right direction, however, with hundreds of routers in the market right now, and different DIRECTV® configuration options, is best to start by posting what YOU have and go from there.


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## twizt3dkitty (Aug 29, 2009)

I work in the northeast. The isps locally are comcast verizon frontier excede and hughesnet. We all know how excede and Hughes work so let's just skip them. In my area comcast is king. Speeds anywhere from 12 to 150 down and 30 up. Verizon is next but not even close to comcast speeds are 1-3 3-7 and 7-15. The top two work ok so long as the phone wiring in the home is adequate and there's no carbon blocks or anything. Frontier around here is dsl only and top speed is 3meg. It just sucks. And there was a software update to the hr24 and genies that when it detects an Internet connection within 5min of activation it will force reset and autoload the interactive plugins and most dod menus. The direct channels still take 24hrs but ch 1000 will load and you can search all and get quite a bit of programming for immediate viewing. Aside from people with crap connections or speed I have never encountered a problem in the field.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

If you see something you absolutely have to watch right this minute, you should stick to live TV, and/or you should have a couple of things in the can while the VoD downloads. It's insanity for some of us to do otherwise. YMMV.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

twizt3dkitty said:


> excede and hughesnet. We all know how excede and Hughes work so let's just skip them.


Why skip them, at least with Exede, I had very good results. Most installs with them clocked at the very least 15Mbps down. Never had an issue with them while demonstrating to the customer. Exede put out a blast fact that when installing their services it was mandatory to connect all HR44s to the internet using WiFi. So I don't know if they had some kind of contract with DIRECTV® were VOD data would not count towards the data cap.


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

peds48 said:


> The questioned is not being ignored, it has never been asked in lieu of just blaming DIRECTV® as the fix.


I posted these in posts #49 and #62, which weren't the same question, but were legitimate queries for help:



dbronstein said:


> So how do you propose we go about getting it fixed? I called DirecTV and they said they problem is with my internet connection and were totally uninterested in trying to help.





dbronstein said:


> And again, please tell me what the options are to get it corrected. It's not my in-house setup or my ISP because other services stream HD extremely fast. DirecTV won't help me. So what are my options to get it resolved?


Then I posted this in post #114, which was the exact same question:



dbronstein said:


> So please tell me what specifically to look at in my set up. Are there settings on the Genie that need to be set a certain way? Are there setting on my router I need to make? You keep saying "It's a problem with your setup" yet you have not given any suggestions that might actually help someone.
> 
> Again, you are the IT guy whose response to every problem is "It works fine on my box."


You did not respond to either one. So yes, you did completely ignore the question.



peds48 said:


> This is a step in the right direction, however, with hundreds of routers in the market right now, and different DIRECTV® configuration options, is best to start by posting what YOU have and go from there.


I have an HR44 and a CenturyLink CyXEL C1000Z modem/router with 40 mps service. The Genie is connected to the modem via ethernet cable, I am not using wifi. There are 5 million settings on the Genie and the modem, so rather than spend two hours going through and posting them all, what are the relevant ones?


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

> dbronstein, on 24 Jan 2015 - 5:58 PM, said
> 
> So how do you propose we go about getting it fixed? I called DirecTV and they said they problem is with my internet connection and were totally uninterested in trying to help.





> dbronstein, on 25 Jan 2015 - 12:15 AM, said:
> And again, please tell me what the options are to get it corrected. It's not my in-house setup or my ISP because other services stream HD extremely fast. DirecTV won't help me. So what are my options to get it resolved?


And as I said before, with that mentality that is all DIRECTV® fault, is very hard to get somewhere


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

peds48 said:


> And as I said before, with that mentality that is all DIRECTV® fault, is very hard to get somewhere


With this attitude in response to serious questions, it's impossible to get anywhere.

You continue to ignore my questions. Yes, they were mixed in with some snarky comments, but there were the legitimate questions of "So how do you propose we go about getting it fixed?" and "And again, please tell me what the options are to get it corrected" that you still have not answered.

And I posted the info about my setup that you requested (without any snide comments) and you compltely ignored that as well. Do you have any constructive advice to give or not?


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## mkdtv21 (May 27, 2007)

I would like to understand what the bitrate of Directv vod titles are for either 720p or 1080p. I know they must be much more than what 1080p Youtube uses which I would assume is why 3 mbps would not be good enough for Directv On Demand. I can't even believe 3 mbps would be able to stream 1080p Youtube.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

dbronstein said:


> With this attitude in response to serious questions, it's impossible to get anywhere.
> 
> You continue to ignore my questions. Yes, they were mixed in with some snarky comments, but there were the legitimate questions of "So how do you propose we go about getting it fixed?" and "And again, please tell me what the options are to get it corrected" that you still have not answered.
> 
> And I posted the info about my setup that you requested (without any snide comments) and you compltely ignored that as well. Do you have any constructive advice to give or not?


If I were in your situation, I would start by getting a different router. Gateways are always problematic and I don't like them. You can always go to Best Buy or your favorite local electronics boutique and get one. If it does not improve, it can always be returned


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

peds48 said:


> If I were in your situation, I would start by getting a different router. Gateways are always problematic and I don't like them. You can always go to Best Buy or your favorite local electronics boutique and get one. If it does not improve, it can always be returned


I just got this router when I upgraded my service. CenturyLInk uses proprietary ones so getting a different one isn't an option. I could get a standalone router to use on top of the modem, but that seems like it would be a waste, plus the traffic would still have to go through the CL modem anyway.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

dbronstein said:


> I just got this router when I upgraded my service. CenturyLInk uses proprietary ones. I think Best Buy is the only authorized reseller but you still have to use the specific CenturyLink ones. I could get a standalone router to use on top of the modem, but that seems like it would be a waste, plus the traffic would still have to go through the CL modem anyway.


Correct, you can bridge your gateway and use a stand alone router.


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## west99999 (May 12, 2007)

I sometimes work in Century Link areas and almost all of them have issues with all of the internet features though DirecTV. Using a Broadband Deca instead of wireless always yields the best results but they still give issues.


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

peds48 said:


> Correct, you can bridge your gateway and use a stand alone router.


But what will this get me? If the problem is with the CenturyLink gateway, that will still be involved. A standalone router is only adding another layer of complexity.


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

west99999 said:


> I sometimes work in Century Link areas and almost all of them have issues with all of the internet features though DirecTV. Using a Broadband Deca instead of wireless always yields the best results but they still give issues.


As I said, I am not using wifi with my Genie, it is connected directly to the router/modem by ethernet cable. I have a C41 mini and I think that's connected to the Genie by a coax deca setup of some sort.


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## mrknowitall526 (Nov 19, 2014)

I have tried both WiFi and hard wired into my Verizon branded Actiontec GT784WNV gateway on my HR44. It works fine as a router so a standalone router won't make a difference. Yes, it is only 3 Mbps, but keep in mind DTV says you need to only have 2 Mbps. 

I don't mind starting a download a few minutes early to let it buffer. But what I have the most issue with is the start over streaming. It just makes no sense to me that I can watch HD YouTube videos but not stream a show from the beginning. Perhaps it is an issue with Verizon and not having a direct connection to DTV's network. But, like someone else said, Verizon partners with DTV, so you wouldn't think it would be a problem like Verizon had last year with Netflix performance. 

Two nights ago it took over an hour to download 4 half hour SD episodes of an old show from Nickelodeon. That makes no sense whatsoever. 

I have tried VOD and streaming on both my HR44-700 and HR24-500, and a C41-700 client. Same results. I really don't think it is my connection.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

dbronstein said:


> But what will this get me?.


Without trying, nothing!


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

mrknowitall526 said:


> Yes, it is only 3 Mbps, but keep in mind DTV says you need to only have 2 Mbps.
> 
> I really don't think it is my connection.


With 3Mbps, you are really asking for a lot!


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## slice1900 (Feb 14, 2013)

dbronstein said:


> I just got this router when I upgraded my service. CenturyLInk uses proprietary ones so getting a different one isn't an option. I could get a standalone router to use on top of the modem, but that seems like it would be a waste, plus the traffic would still have to go through the CL modem anyway.


Centurylink does not use proprietary routers. They provide DSL modems which today probably generally include a built in wireless router. You can provide your own modem, though if you go that route you have to know what you are doing because they will NOT provide any help setting it up. If you want to use your own router, you can disable the router built into the modem quite easily and connect your own.

The modem is not a bottleneck, if you are having issues either the router is a problem or your link is. I have great service with my Centurylink VDSL, but the quality of service can be area specific so "it depends". I don't have Directv at home so I have no idea how it works with their VOD.


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

peds48 said:


> Without trying, nothing!


I really tried to have a reasonable discussion with you, but I'm back to the snarky comments now. You don't have a freaking clue about this, you're just the proverbial monkey throwing crap against the wall to see what sticks. "Try a new router. Spend $40 and an hour of time getting it set up. I have no idea why I'm suggesting this, but maybe it will work."


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

There is no need for name calling. I am volunteering free of charge to try to help solve an issue of yours not mine. All you need to say is that help is not needed. But name calling is going too far now. You have two options, live with this or try to remedy. For latter some action of yours is required. This is not a simple flick a switch a viola is done. Good luck.


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

slice1900 said:


> Centurylink does not use proprietary routers. They provide DSL modems which today probably generally include a built in wireless router. You can provide your own modem, though if you go that route you have to know what you are doing because they will NOT provide any help setting it up. If you want to use your own router, you can disable the router built into the modem quite easily and connect your own.
> 
> The modem is not a bottleneck, if you are having issues either the router is a problem or your link is. I have great service with my Centurylink VDSL, but the quality of service can be area specific so "it depends". I don't have Directv at home so I have no idea how it works with their VOD.


When I had my previous modem/router, my son got a Chromecast and we found out there were known issues that it wouldn't work with that router. I went to Microcenter to get a new one, and I was told (by someone who had a vested interest in selling me one) that you can only get one that works with CenturyLink directly from CL or at Best Buy, you can't use any random DSL modem.

As I've said, my internet service works great with everything except DirecTV VOD.


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## Scott Kocourek (Jun 13, 2009)

Please get back on topic and avoid any personal discussion or name calling.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

dbronstein said:


> I really tried to have a reasonable discussion with you, but I'm back to the snarky comments now. You don't have a freaking clue about this, you're just the proverbial monkey throwing crap against the wall to see what sticks. "Try a new router. Spend $40 and an hour of time getting it set up. I have no idea why I'm suggesting this, but maybe it will work."


And again, without trying it, you wont find out.


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

peds48 said:


> There is no need for name calling. I am volunteering free of charge to try to help solve an issue of yours not mine. All you need to say is that help is not needed. But name calling is going too far now. You have two options, live with this or try to remedy. For latter some action of yours is required. This is not a simple flick a switch a viola is done. Good luck.


I apologize for the name calling, but we apparently have very different ideas of what "trying to help" means. You acted as if you had specific knowledge about why it doesn't work. After ignoring questions and responding to everything with "it works fine for me", you finally offer a suggestion to get a new router. I asked what the reasoning is for that, because it's not a trivial thing to do (compared to changing settings on the current one, for example), and the only reasoning you can provide is "why not?" This is completely unhelpful.

Not to mention that if the issue is compatibiity problems between the Genie and a new model router that adheres to the current standards, then that's an issue on DirecTV's end.


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

Scott Kocourek said:


> Please get back on topic and avoid any personal discussion or name calling.


Again, I apologize for the name calling.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

dbronstein said:


> Not to mention that if the issue is compatibiity problems between the Genie and a new model router that adheres to the current standards, then that's an issue on DirecTV's end.


So is OK to have issues with your Chromecast, but is unforgiven if the incompatibility is with DIRECTV®. Keep in mind that gateways are mostly cheap. They can't be compared to what you can have outside of CL's world

Apology accepted. Moving on.


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

peds48 said:


> So is OK to have issues with your Chromecast, but is unforgiven if the incompatibility is with DIRECTV®. Keep in mind that gateways are mostly cheap. They can't be compared to what you can have outside of CL's world
> 
> Apology accepted. Moving on.


The issue with the Chromecast was with a much older model modem. It works fine with the new one. If Chromecast didn't work with this one, it would be unforgiven as well.

And again, I can't use a non-CL gateway, so even with a stand alone router, the data still has to go through the CL gateway.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

dbronstein said:


> And again, I can't use a non-CL gateway, so even with a stand alone router, the data still has to go through the CL gateway.


Right, but most issues is done at the routing side. The issue is not data going out the modem, but how the router handles the data going to the modem from the router. You can perhaps play with the gateway settings, but I am not familiar with those. I have a plain vanilla Apple router. Is a great router but lacks any of the features that many routers at the same price point have.

There was a big "issue" with 2 wire routers not too long, and those with issues reported that getting an stand alone router took care of those.


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## slice1900 (Feb 14, 2013)

dbronstein said:


> When I had my previous modem/router, my son got a Chromecast and we found out there were known issues that it wouldn't work with that router. I went to Microcenter to get a new one, and I was told (by someone who had a vested interest in selling me one) that you can only get one that works with CenturyLink directly from CL or at Best Buy, you can't use any random DSL modem.
> 
> As I've said, my internet service works great with everything except DirecTV VOD.


Routers are not the same as modems, though these days many DSL modems include a built in wireless router. You can't use any random DSL modem on any DSL provider, as there are different standards / settings - that's why I said you needed to know what you're doing because they aren't going to help you setting stuff like VCI / VPI.

If you went to Microcenter to buy a _router_, and the sales guy told you you couldn't use any random DSL _modem_, either he misheard you, you misheard him, or like the blue shirts at Best Buy the sales guys at Microcenter are worse than clueless (because they think by donning that blue shirt they suddenly know what the hell they are talking about when they don't)


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

I went to but a modem/router combo because I don't see the point in having two devices when one will do. The sales guy suggested a standalone router to use on top of the existing modem/router. I ended up having to get a new modem/router from CenturyLink when I upgraded my service anyway, because the old one wasn't compatible with the faster speed.

My frustration with the suggestion to get a new router is that when you are troubleshooting, you normally start with the simplest changes and work your way up to the difficult/complex ones. Getting a new router and completely redoing my network is at the very complex side of things, yet that was the first suggestion given. So I figured there was a good reason why peds48 suggested it, but the only reason he's given is "you don't know if you don't try it!" It would make a lot more sense to start by looking at settings and things like that instead of going right to the nuclear option.


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## 456521 (Jul 6, 2007)

What are the technical reasons why a new router might solve this specific problem? Is there something specific to the protocol that DirecTV uses that some routers are not very efficient at processing?


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

dbronstein said:


> I went to but a modem/router combo because I don't see the point in having two devices when one will do. The sales guy suggested a standalone router to use on top of the existing modem/router. I ended up having to get a new modem/router from CenturyLink when I upgraded my service anyway, because the old one wasn't compatible with the faster speed.
> 
> My frustration with the suggestion to get a new router is that when you are troubleshooting, you normally start with the simplest changes and work your way up to the difficult/complex ones. Getting a new router and completely redoing my network is at the very complex side of things, yet that was the first suggestion given. So I figured there was a good reason why peds48 suggested it, but the only reason he's given is "you don't know if you don't try it!" It would make a lot more sense to start by looking at settings and things like that instead of going right the nuclear option.


Your last bit there is why I prefer to not have any routing done in the modem. Let's me connect directly to one single device to check if a direct connection still has an issue. If not then it's either the router, or possibly something els in the system. So I'll then add back just the router. Then one device at a time to figure out what is causing an issue.

That's my personal preference though on why I prefer separate modems so that should trouble shooting be needed, imho it's much easier to diagnose if it's the modem and service or if it's the router or something else.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

pdxBeav said:


> What are the technical reasons why a new router might solve this specific problem? Is there something specific to the protocol that DirecTV uses that some routers are not very efficient at processing?


Have you tried unhooking everything else in your networks system first? Maybe something else is causing it to have issues. Also, if that doesn't work, as much of a pain in the caboose as it is, I'd also consider completely resetting the router to factory defaults first and trying that as well.

It is known that some routers don't play nice with some equipment in general. I have no idea if that's the case here...

If you could plug in just a modem and try it direct it would maybe help determine if your router has anything to do with the issue...


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

dbronstein said:


> Getting a new router and completely redoing my network is at the very complex side of things,


It does not have to be. You get the router, and only connect the directv to it, if it works, then you add the rest you your gear to it, but at least you found the problem. If it does not work, then remove router, set gateway back to DHCP and done.


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

peds48 said:


> It does not have to be. You get the router, and only connect the directv to it, if it works, then you add the rest you your gear to it, but at least you found the problem. If it does not work, then remove router, set gateway back to DHCP and done.


And I have to go out and buy a router, call CL to get my password, and find an hour or two when nobody in the house is going to be online.

Again, whatever the settings are on the Genie and the router make no difference? There's absolutely nothing worth trying that's simpler than getting a new router?


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

inkahauts said:


> Your last bit there is why I prefer to not have any routing done in the modem. Let's me connect directly to one single device to check if a direct connection still has an issue. If not then it's either the router, or possibly something els in the system. So I'll then add back just the router. Then one device at a time to figure out what is causing an issue.
> 
> That's my personal preference though on why I prefer separate modems so that should trouble shooting be needed, imho it's much easier to diagnose if it's the modem and service or if it's the router or something else.





inkahauts said:


> Have you tried unhooking everything else in your networks system first? Maybe something else is causing it to have issues. Also, if that doesn't work, as much of a pain in the caboose as it is, I'd also consider completely resetting the router to factory defaults first and trying that as well.
> 
> It is known that some routers don't play nice with some equipment in general. I have no idea if that's the case here...
> 
> If you could plug in just a modem and try it direct it would maybe help determine if your router has anything to do with the issue...


Can you even connect the Genie directly to a modem? Is there someplace in the Genie to enter your DSL logon info?

There are really no simple things to try like changing network settings on the Genie?


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## slice1900 (Feb 14, 2013)

I really don't think the router has anything to do with it unless the Genie is connecting it to wirelessly. If the that's the case, if you can connect it via cat5 you'll get about as good as it is going to get unless there's something really screwy with the Centurylink router's default config.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

dbronstein said:


> Can you even connect the Genie directly to a modem? Is there someplace in the Genie to enter your DSL logon info?
> 
> There are really no simple things to try like changing network settings on the Genie?


Yes you can ethernet from your router, modem if it has the ports. Semi directly! Via MOCA or DECA, it's sort of like ethernet directly into the box via coax.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

And there are advanced settings under Network whereby you can give your Genie a fixed IP.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

slice1900 said:


> unless there's something really screwy with the Centurylink router's default config.


this is not uncommon.

Sent from my iPhone 6 using Tapatalk


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## 456521 (Jul 6, 2007)

peds48 said:


> this is not uncommon.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone 6 using Tapatalk


What are the specific settings that are commonly screwed up with their routers?


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

slice1900 said:


> I really don't think the router has anything to do with it unless the Genie is connecting it to wirelessly. If the that's the case, if you can connect it via cat5 you'll get about as good as it is going to get unless there's something really screwy with the Centurylink router's default config.


It is already hardwired to the router with cat5.



Laxguy said:


> Yes you can ethernet from your router, modem if it has the ports. Semi directly! Via MOCA or DECA, it's sort of like ethernet directly into the box via coax.


But can you enter your DSL account info in the Genie somewhere? If you put the modem into bridged mode, whatever device is connected to it has to have the DSL login info on it.



Laxguy said:


> And there are advanced settings under Network whereby you can give your Genie a fixed IP.


Does this help? And by asking the quesiton, I am trying to find out if anyone has actually done this and found it to be helpful. I already know I don't know if it will help me unless I try it, but I would like to know what other people's experiences are with doing it.



pdxBeav said:


> What are the specific settings that are commonly screwed up with their routers?


Yes, this has been my question the whole time. What are the router settings that are optimal for the Genie? And what are the network settings on the Genie that are optimal?


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## slice1900 (Feb 14, 2013)

dbronstein said:


> It is already hardwired to the router with cat5.
> 
> But can you enter your DSL account info in the Genie somewhere? If you put the modem into bridged mode, whatever device is connected to it has to have the DSL login info on it.


You were talking about a combined modem/router, I was referring to plugging into the router ports on that. Not putting it into bridged mode, as the Genie of course cannot set up the DSL connection. Since you are already hardwired in, you can at least eliminate wireless from the list of possible issues.

The only other thing to check would be if there is a way to (temporarily, of course) disable the firewall and quality of service in the modem/router and see if that affects the connection. If that does not speed it up, it is simply the bandwidth from Directv to you. Whether that is the fault of Directv, Centurylink or some intermediary on the internet between Directv and Centurylink is academic at that point - it isn't something you can fix.


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

slice1900 said:


> You were talking about a combined modem/router, I was referring to plugging into the router ports on that. Not putting it into bridged mode, as the Genie of course cannot set up the DSL connection. Since you are already hardwired in, you can at least eliminate wireless from the list of possible issues.
> 
> The only other thing to check would be if there is a way to (temporarily, of course) disable the firewall and quality of service in the modem/router and see if that affects the connection. If that does not speed it up, it is simply the bandwidth from Directv to you. Whether that is the fault of Directv, Centurylink or some intermediary on the internet between Directv and Centurylink is academic at that point - it isn't something you can fix.


Someone else mentioned troubleshooting by connecting devices directly to the mdoem in bridged mode without a router.

Thanks for the suggestions on the firewall and QoS. That's the kind of suggestions I've been hoping to get. I will try it out.


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

I turned off the firewall and the QoS and there was no change - VOD was still as slow as ever.


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## mws192 (Jun 17, 2010)

Is anyone having issues with downloading the latest episodes of Episodes and House of Lies from Showtime? I can stream from my iPad or Showtime Anytime, but trying to download to a receiver hasn't worked for the last couple of weeks. I hit record but nothing shows up in my playlist. I tried a reset but to no avail. I tried scheduling from two different receivers as well as through the iPhone and IPad apps too. 

VOD from other networks seem fine.

Sent from my iPad using DBSTalk


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

If it's the latest installments, you would seem to be better off just recording them. Lies reshows often, and I hit both VoD and record with good results. 
Just checked with Episodes, and it seems to be the same deal. 

Are you going to "Other showings" in Info?


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## mws192 (Jun 17, 2010)

Laxguy said:


> If it's the latest installments, you would seem to be better off just recording them. Lies reshows often, and I hit both VoD and record with good results.
> Just checked with Episodes, and it seems to be the same deal.
> 
> Are you going to "Other showings" in Info?


It's only on the one's they put up a week early, so there hasn't been a chance to record it outside of VOD. Which as of today is episode 7 of each series. Anything that already aired on Showtime seems fine.

I've been using the Showtime Anytime app along with Chromecast as a workaround, but I was hoping someone could confirm the issue isn't on my end.

Sent from my iPad using DBSTalk


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Ah, I see. Well, ep. 407 of Episodes is downloading now. I also recorded S1E1 for kicks.


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## ejbvt (Aug 14, 2011)

dbronstein said:


> Yes, this has been my question the whole time. What are the router settings that are optimal for the Genie? And what are the network settings on the Genie that are optimal?


And still nothing about this. I used the start over option last night for the first time in a long time. Movie started at 8pm. I started "preparing for playback" at 8:09. It started playing at 8:21. I was surprised that it only had to stop twice to catch up downloading.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

ejbvt said:


> And still nothing about this. I used the start over option last night for the first time in a long time. Movie started at 8pm. I started "preparing for playback" at 8:09. It started playing at 8:21. I was surprised that it only had to stop twice to catch up downloading.


The start over feature either works or it does not. I have not seen where it keeps trying to play and keeps trying. If it does not work in a minute or perhaps two, it supposed to time out and give an error message.


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## 456521 (Jul 6, 2007)

ejbvt said:


> And still nothing about this. I used the start over option last night for the first time in a long time. Movie started at 8pm. I started "preparing for playback" at 8:09. It started playing at 8:21. I was surprised that it only had to stop twice to catch up downloading.


And.....still nothing. It's clear that nobody knows the technical reasons why some routers don't work very well with DirecTV. The only thing we keep hearing is something along the lines of "....uh, I don't know the root cause, but randomly switching out the router might help...".

I think it has more to do with the color of the router or cable.


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## ejbvt (Aug 14, 2011)

pdxBeav said:


> And.....still nothing. It's clear that nobody knows the technical reasons why some routers don't work very well with DirecTV. The only thing we keep hearing is something along the lines of "....uh, I don't know the root cause, but randomly switching out the router might help...".
> 
> I think it has more to do with the color of the router or cable.


Such reasons and settings probably do not exist. If they did, the "experts" would have told us pages ago...


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

ejbvt said:


> Such reasons and settings probably do not exist. If they did, the "experts" would have told us pages ago...


It's easier to tell people they are being too negative and have a bad attitude than it is to try to give some constructive help.

Thank you to those who did try to help, I appreciate the effort.


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

Over 4 hours to download a 44 minute show yesterday, at the lower HD option. Ridiculous.


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## jimmie57 (Jun 26, 2010)

dbronstein said:


> It's easier to tell people they are being too negative and have a bad attitude than it is to try to give some constructive help.
> 
> Thank you to those who did try to help, I appreciate the effort.


I am not connected to the net with my receivers and it is because of threads like this one.
You would think that if the routers are the problem then there should be settings in the routers that are causing the problem.
If so, then there should be a list of the settings that shows :Check xxx and set to yyy.
I know that settings in the router can make a big difference on the PC by itself for sure. I just went thru this a few months ago.
I also found out that there is big differences in routers and speeds. The Netgear we were using was a gigabit top of the line when we bought it. When Comcast upped our speeds from 25 to 50Mbps we saw the increase on the wired connections but basically none on the wireless connections.
Comcast tried to help with the settings but nothing helped.
I took the old router that Comcast had given us to use back to them and picked up one that was Modem and Router in one piece.
Wow, the wireless is now almost as fast as the wired connections.

Have you tried setting the connection for the DTV as a High Priority in the router ?
Have you tried changing the Security type to see what that does for speed ?


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## slice1900 (Feb 14, 2013)

I have to applaud peds48 for taking the time to start that poll to find out the true incidence of issues, at least among a self-selected group of dbstalk participants. Much better than the "yes it is / no it isn't" war that filled up a few pages earlier in this thread


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## ejbvt (Aug 14, 2011)

slice1900 said:


> I have to applaud peds48 for taking the time to start that poll to find out the true incidence of issues, at least among a self-selected group of dbstalk participants. Much better than the "yes it is / no it isn't" war that filled up a few pages earlier in this thread


The only flaw of that pole is that the people posting their Internet info without saying if their VOD works!


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

ejbvt said:


> The only flaw of that pole is that the people posting their Internet info without saying if their VOD works!


The first question addresses this, the problem that I am having is that I am not able to link anyone to any of the answers, I don't know if this an issue with the site.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

jimmie57 said:


> I am not connected to the net with my receivers and it is because of threads like this one.
> You would think that if the routers are the problem then there should be settings in the routers that are causing the problem.
> If so, then there should be a list of the settings that shows :Check xxx and set to yyy.
> I know that settings in the router can make a big difference


The problem is that there isn't "one setting fits all" approach when it comes to networking. Also, another thing to take into consideration are how is the network installed. Most folks think that adding switches everywhere is a good networking method, some use routers as AP without knowing the exact procedure some use hubs, etc...


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## mrmojo (Feb 11, 2008)

This issue is also being discussed in another thread. DirecTV has acknowledged (at least to me) that they are having problems with their VOD service and that engineers are working on it (supposedly).

Here's what I posted in another thread:

http://www.dbstalk.com/topic/216604-vod-download-issues/?p=3340622

So until DirecTV gets the issue resolved I wouldn't spin my wheels worry about routers, etc. Last night I was able to download several issues of "The Sopranos" without any problems but today the episodes disappeared with the infamous "No programs match your current filters" (or something like that) message. When I finally was able to see the episodes again the watch now feature buffered after a minute. It's truly hit or miss and I am sure very aggravating to others as it is to me as DirecTV should have had this resolved within a week if they knew what they were doing.


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

jimmie57 said:


> Have you tried setting the connection for the DTV as a High Priority in the router ?
> Have you tried changing the Security type to see what that does for speed ?


I have disabled QoS. I don't know how I would set it so DTV has high priority. It gives me options for CenturyLink traffic or create a custom one, but i have no idea how to use any of the custom settings.

I have tried turning off the firewall and all security on the router and it made no difference. I put the Genie in a DMZ and it made no difference.


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

peds48 said:


> The problem is that there isn't "one setting fits all" approach when it comes to networking. Also, another thing to take into consideration are how is the network installed. Most folks think that adding switches everywhere is a good networking method, some use routers as AP without knowing the exact procedure some use hubs, etc...


You mentioned that in all the installations you've done, VOD works just fine. So how about giving us some of the configurations that it has worked with? Modems, routers, configuration settings, network settings on the Genie, etc.

That would give us some things to try. Additionally, it would give us some data points that if certain settings work for some people and not others, that it indicates a problem with DTV. And if there are configurations and settings that make it work for the people who are having problems, then we'd have evidence that it's setup issues.


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## mrmojo (Feb 11, 2008)

I will reiterate that DirecTV has known issues with it's VOD service. Search the internet, check out their tech forum. If you were able to stream VOD content without issues 2 months ago than any issues you are experiencing now is due to known, current VOD issues.

I will say that the only thing I did when I set up my DVR for internet access is I assigned it a fixed IP address outside of the DHCP range I defined. This is easy to do and explained in your router manual. I would not mess with security on your router especially if you don't know what you are doing. This is 30+ years of IT/networking experience speaking.


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

mrmojo said:


> I will reiterate that DirecTV has known issues with it's VOD service. Search the internet, check out their tech forum. If you were able to stream VOD content without issues 2 months ago than any issues you are experiencing now is due to known, current VOD issues.
> 
> I will say that the only thing I did when I set up my DVR for internet access is I assigned it a fixed IP address outside of the DHCP range I defined. This is easy to do and explained in your router manual. I would not mess with security on your router especially if you don't know what you are doing. This is 30+ years of IT/networking experience speaking.


I've never been able to stream VOD decently. I just figured my internet speed wasn't fast enough, but then I upgraded to 40 mps about a month ago and it still didn't work. I have searched the net and checked the DTV forums and I know it's a know issue among users, but I've never seen anything from DTV that acknowledges the issue, and as I said, when I called them, they wouldn't acknowledge that it's a problem.

I am pretty tech savvy, but the QoS priority settings are beyond me.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

dbronstein said:


> You mentioned that in all the installations you've done, VOD works just fine. So how about giving us some of the configurations that it has worked with? Modems, routers, configuration settings, network settings on the Genie, etc.
> 
> That would give us some things to try. Additionally, it would give us some data points that if certain settings work for some people and not others, that it indicates a problem with DTV. And if there are configurations and settings that make it work for the people who are having problems, then we'd have evidence that it's setup issues.


I live in a market where Optimum is king. Cable internet in this market does not provide gateways. The either give you a modem or a modem PLUS a router. they are currently using a D-Link AC1750 router. Folks who don't have the Optimum provided router, are using most of the time run of the mill Cisco or Netgear routers. Most of the issues with VOD stems with gateways.


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## mrknowitall526 (Nov 19, 2014)

peds48 said:


> I live in a market where Optimum is king. Cable internet in this market does not provide gateways. The either give you a modem or a modem PLUS a router. they are currently using a D-Link AC1750 router. Folks who don't have the Optimum provided router, are using most of the time run of the mill Cisco or Netgear routers. Most of the issues with VOD stems with gateways.


But why? What's wrong with gateways that is not wrong with a regular router? I have problems with NOTHING else that would indicate a problem with a router.

Just because some people don't like the idea of a gateway doesn't mean they are inferior.


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## damondlt (Feb 27, 2006)

The fact that people are even talking about this , proves an issues exists.

The fact that Directv apologizes every time it's brought up, and claimed it's a known issue also states there is something there.

I got a question, out of the Yes people in peds poll, what providers VOD have you used previously?

Because any cable TV provider I've ever used never required a download, also the minute you start watching you can ff all the way to the middle or end if you wish and Start watching instantly. 

So people whom never used VOD from another provider wouldn't know any better or different. 

Let's ask about Dish Networks VOD? I never hear a peep about issues!
So how does Dish Networks VOD function?


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## damondlt (Feb 27, 2006)

mrknowitall526 said:


> But why? What's wrong with gateways that is not wrong with a regular router? I have problems with NOTHING else that would indicate a problem with a router.
> 
> Just because some people don't like the idea of a gateway doesn't mean they are inferior.


Agree, Directv downloads were the extent of my network issues.
I remember a number of times it claimed internet wasn't connected when it was.

I reset what ever receiver was giving me the trouble this time, because the issue wasn't just one receiver, and like clockwork it's was temporarily fixed again.

I've been through 2 Swim 16 and 2 ccks, 2 lnbs, Never changed!


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## damondlt (Feb 27, 2006)

dbronstein said:


> It's easier to tell people they are being too negative and have a bad attitude than it is to try to give some constructive help.
> 
> Thank you to those who did try to help, I appreciate the effort.


That's why I take that poll with a grain of salt. 
Because quite frankly some never say anything bad about directv regardless,and others may not know any different.
I've seen a few Key directv fans chime in with issues, and if they aren't in denial, then that's all the poll results I need.


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## damondlt (Feb 27, 2006)

dbronstein said:


> I turned off the firewall and the QoS and there was no change - VOD was still as slow as ever.


It isn't going to fix it.
You are trouble shooting issues that are beyond your home network.

Most of yous are talking about solutions for Wifi issues.

Direct/Lan connections don't suffer from half the issues you guys are troubleshooting. 
Sure there is Firewall settings, and most time it's default is low.

Also, the combination units are far more trouble prone than having a separate router. 
That came right from my cable company that selling these crappy things,and the $85 per hour computer guy who fixed our network issues.

Arris DG1660 is the only Combo unit that's not a piece of crap.
And Guess what , still didn't change Directv's download speeds.

Ask any computer or networking repair guy what combo unit he has? They will laugh in your face.

But I've had multiple types of configurations, and having a separate router is not frowned on . 
I just now prefer The Arris combo
Tivo units need a reliable connection, and I've never had one issue yet.


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## 242424 (Mar 22, 2012)

peds48 said:


> So how come is working for 99.8% of customers?


Looks like your own poll is PWNing you. lol


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

damondlt said:


> It isn't going to fix it.
> You are trouble shooting issues that are beyond your home network.
> 
> Most of yous are talking about solutions for Wifi issues.
> ...


If a gateway is so bad, why does every other streaming service I've used work perfectly fine - Amazon, Netflix, Hulu, HBOgo. The only one that doesn't is DTV VOD. If every other service can figure out how to work with these "trouble prone" devices, then why can't DTV?


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## damondlt (Feb 27, 2006)

dbronstein said:


> If a gateway is so bad, why does every other streaming service I've used work perfectly fine - Amazon, Netflix, Hulu, HBOgo. The only one that doesn't is DTV VOD. If every other service can figure out how to work with these "trouble prone" devices, then why can't DTV?


It's not bad. Read my post slower lol.
Peds is just trying to direct the issues away from Directv, rather than face the truth head on.


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## slice1900 (Feb 14, 2013)

damondlt said:


> Because any cable TV provider I've ever used never required a download, also the minute you start watching you can ff all the way to the middle or end if you wish and Start watching instantly.


That's not a fair comparison, because if your cable company is your ISP then their VOD is completely isolated to their own network so it is trivial for them to insure it gets through at the desired speed.


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## damondlt (Feb 27, 2006)

slice1900 said:


> That's not a fair comparison, because if your cable company is your ISP then their VOD is completely isolated to their own network so it is trivial for them to insure it gets through at the desired speed.


That's not my fault directv doesn't have anyway to deliver their VOD efficiently. 
Our Point is when you have used another company's VOD you realize how bad Directv is at its delivery method.

Again I can stream any other services without issues.

So again I ask what about Dish Networks?


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## ejbvt (Aug 14, 2011)

damondlt said:


> It's not bad. Read my post slower lol.
> Peds is just trying to direct the issues away from Directv, rather than face the truth head on.


I thought the same thing when I read your post. I understand Directv pretty well, but I don't understand Internet very well. I shouldn't have to fiddle with anything to make the Internets work for one service. All other services that use the Internet do NOT have ANY issues - only Directv. I didn't have to fiddle with ports or anything to make anything else work, so I shouldn't expect to need to with Directv. Even if 70% of the people don't have problems, 30% do so it's clearly something on Directv's end.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

242424 said:


> Looks like your own poll is PWNing you. lol


If "attacking" me gives you pleasure, so be it. All I can is attest that VOD works for and tons of other folks, flawlessly. And BTW, that poll does not account for the 23 MIL customers. What is does shows is that it does works for the majority of olds who voted. Majority as defined as more than half of those who voted


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## damondlt (Feb 27, 2006)

peds48 said:


> If "attacking" me gives you pleasure, so be it. All I can is attest that VOD works for and tons of other folks, flawlessly. And BTW, that poll does not account for the 23 MIL customers


No one denies it's works!! Have you been reading anything anyone has been saying?

AND flawless, Yeah Okay Bahhhahhahaaha


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

peds48 said:


> If "attacking" me gives you pleasure, so be it. All I can is attest that VOD works for and tons of other folks, flawlessly. And BTW, that poll does not account for the 23 MIL customers. What is does shows is that it does works for the majority of olds who voted. Majority as defined as more than half of those who voted


It "works" for an unpopular SD program like your totally skewed video. Try a popular HD program and and enjoy the buffering and pauses. Please make videos of that.

Now, it "works" the way I choose to use it..... by downloading before I view it. But Watch Now is ridiculous.


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## damondlt (Feb 27, 2006)

sigma1914 said:


> It "works" for an unpopular SD program like your totally skewed video. Try a popular HD program and and enjoy the buffering and pauses. Please make videos of that.
> 
> Now, it "works" the way I choose to use it..... by downloading before I view it. But Watch Now is ridiculous.


Exactly. 
As others have mentioned there is a work around.
But obviously if a work around is needed, then issues are apparently present.


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

peds48 said:


> If "attacking" me gives you pleasure, so be it. All I can is attest that VOD works for and tons of other folks, flawlessly. And BTW, that poll does not account for the 23 MIL customers. What is does shows is that it does works for the majority of olds who voted. Majority as defined as more than half of those who voted


You're the one who claimed it works for 99% of customers. Now you've changed your tune to "more than half".


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

sigma1914 said:


> It "works" for an unpopular SD program like your totally skewed video. Try a popular HD program and and enjoy the buffering and pauses. Please make videos of that.
> 
> Now, it "works" the way I choose to use it..... by downloading before I view it. But Watch Now is ridiculous.


Pick a movie (I don't want it pick one then I would be blame of being bias) and I would try to make a video. I would share it via dropbox

I have the premier package, so pick anything that is NOT PPV


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

dbronstein said:


> You're the one who claimed it works for 99% of customers. Now you've changed your tune to "more than half".


Did ALL 23 MIL folks voted? You can't accuse me of not delivering when not all the metrics have been met. At the rate it was going, it seem that it worked for the majority of folks. That can't be denied.


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

peds48 said:


> Did ALL 23 MIL folks voted? You can't accuse me of not delivering when not all the metrics have been met. At the rate it was going, it seem that it worked for the majority of folks. That can't be denied.


I've never said it doesn't. I've said that there are enough people who have problems with it that indicates it is a systemic problem on DirecTV's end, and there has been nothing to refute that.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

peds48 said:


> Pick a movie (I don't want it pick one then I would be blame of being bias) and I would try to make a video. I would share it via dropbox
> 
> I have the premier package, so pick anything that is NOT PPV


Well, I feel stupid - I just tried 2 new movies from HBO with Watch Now... watched 30 minutes of each and neither needed buffering pauses.

Here's my current speeds.


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## damondlt (Feb 27, 2006)

sigma1914 said:


> Well, I feel stupid - I just tried 2 new movies from HBO with Watch Now... watched 30 minutes of each and neither needed buffering pauses.
> 
> Here's my current speeds.


That's good, but why is it so hit or miss?
I've used to too without issues, but often it's gave me issues


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

sigma1914 said:


> Well, I feel stupid - I just tried 2 new movies from HBO with Watch Now... watched 30 minutes of each and neither needed buffering pauses.
> 
> Here's my current speeds.


No need to feel that way. This just proves the service works


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## ejbvt (Aug 14, 2011)

peds48 said:


> No need to feel that way. This just proves the service works


For some. When it wants to.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

If anyone has some with issues, I'm happy to try.


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## dbronstein (Oct 21, 2002)

sigma1914 said:


> If anyone has some with issues, I'm happy to try.


Obviously I do. What should I do to troubleshoot?


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

dbronstein said:


> Obviously I do. What should I do to troubleshoot?


I meant examples of shows to try the Watch Now feature. Sorry.


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## damondlt (Feb 27, 2006)

sigma1914 said:


> I meant examples of shows to try the Watch Now feature. Sorry.


I would say Try Boardwalk Empire, And Maybe some Sopranos if you have HBO.
You don't have to do watch it now, unless you want to, but just see how long they take to download .
Sometimes they would take hours for 1 episode.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

I'll try "Watch Now" on each and report back.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

Well, that didn't take long for the buffer message - literally right after the HBO snow screen finished on Boardwalk Empire S1E1. Yeah it still sucks.

I'll time a download later.


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## damondlt (Feb 27, 2006)

sigma1914 said:


> Well, that didn't take long for the buffer message - literally right after the HBO snow screen finished on Boardwalk Empire S1E1. Yeah it still sucks.
> 
> I'll time a download later.


Usually, I never made it past the Sopranos theme song, or the Boardwalk empire theme song, With 10, 15,and 30 Mbps services.
But thanks for testing it out.
Downloads were hit or miss , mostly miss, lol. 
As already stated wasn't uncommon to have 5 episodes of Boardwalk, or Sopranos take 8-9 hours to download .
I've had movies from Showtime take twice as long, as well as Starz Encore take hours, if at all.

Many times a message, claiming my internet speeds were not enough to support watch it now, And I'm like what, 30 Mbps isn't enough? LOL!

Most 1/2 hours shows from the main networks were fine, But premiums, no way.
Even HDnet, and MGM had same issues.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

I'm letting it D/L... 8 minutes since started and 25%..... that's actually not bad.


Update - 19 minutes since and at 70%.


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## damondlt (Feb 27, 2006)

sigma1914 said:


> I'm letting it D/L... 8 minutes since started and 25%..... that's actually not bad.


That's good.


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## damondlt (Feb 27, 2006)

If you don't mind , keep checking some , But don't go over your data limit if you have one


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

damondlt said:


> If you don't mind , keep checking some , But don't go over your data limit if you have one


It finished around 27 minutes - I'll try just downloading a Sopranos episode now.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

Never mind... now it can't find any DOD programs. lol


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## damondlt (Feb 27, 2006)

That's fine, you don't have to drive yourself nuts over it lol. 
I never did, I just used HBO GO. 
Lol.
Hit or Miss.


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