# PPV and VOD...what a mess!



## TDK1044 (Apr 8, 2010)

Does anyone else find the PPV and VOD set up with DirecTV confusing and frustrating? 

Like a lot of people, I don't have a super fast internet connection...fast enough for us to browse the web and do what we need to do on our Laptops and i-pad, but a movie download from D* would take about two hours.

So, in what I think is a visually confusing mess, we look for movies that have been downloaded to our hard drive and are instantly accessible....that means four or five offerings at best. 

As a result, we don't buy any PPV or VOD movies any more. Is this a case of us really needing to get with the 21st century, or do others find this part of DirecTV as useless and confusing as I do?


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## captaink5217 (Sep 20, 2011)

This is one of the things I dislike about D, cable companies also generally have more choices on demand too including network channels on demand in HD.


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## FenixTX (Nov 11, 2005)

"TDK1044" said:


> Does anyone else find the PPV and VOD set up with DirecTV confusing and frustrating?
> 
> Like a lot of people, I don't have a super fast internet connection...fast enough for us to browse the web and do what we need to do on our Laptops and i-pad, but a movie download from D* would take about two hours.
> 
> ...


What is your Internet speed? When it asks you to download for 1080p or a faster download which do you select? If you choose the faster download it's still HD. 720p I believe so the picture still looks good and it should download very quickly. Also, it will download quicker if you are watching the movie while downloading instead of putting it in your queue and waiting for the entire movie to download.


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## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

The layout is still a complete mess even after the new HD GUI. I had high hopes with some of the screen shots I saw, but unfortunately, what is underneath is still awful.


D* could learn alot from the layout of Vudu and even Netflix.

Much like one of the posters said above, it costs D* money. DVD player broke the other day in a room without Vudu. Wife and daughter wanted to watch a PPV movie through D* but the navigation was so cumbersome they quit trying to find one.


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## Beerstalker (Feb 9, 2009)

I agree that it would be nice if they had a nice little selection you could choose titled something like "Watch Immediately" or "Immediately Available" that would list all of the titles already stored on your DVR's hard drive.

I would be much more likely to use it then. My HughesNet service is worthless for PPV that needs to be downloaded. I just use the linear PPV channels, or the pushed movies stored on my DVR if I do order a PPV (which I rarely do, and when I do it's usually PPV Events like UFC fights).


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## sdirv (Dec 14, 2008)

I don't buy PPV at all, but I use D*'s VOD all the time. Nothing could be simpler. 

I choose the browse by channels option which shows me all the channels I subscribe to that have VOD.
Once to the channel I select I can choose movies, series, new stuff, often by genre (like action, mystery).

I also realize that although D* calls it's VOD service VOD.....it's not streaming like is offered by some cable companies, or Netflix. Titles you choose to see must download to your DVR's hard drive before you can watch.

Doing THAT is then very dependent on your internet service/speed. Sounds like you've got very slow service. I've got 20mbps service and can select an HD movie from D*'s VOD and after just a few minutes of downloading the progress bar turns green and I can start watching without ever bumping up against the buffer.


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

sdirv said:


> I don't buy PPV at all, but I use D*'s VOD all the time. Nothing could be simpler.
> 
> *I also realize that although D* calls it's VOD service VOD.....it's not streaming like is offered by some cable companies, or Netflix. Titles you choose to see must download to your DVR's hard drive before you can watch.*


This is probably why they don't call it streaming....I agree with you, I thinks it incredibly easy to use. I was a little puzzled when I 1st saw this thread because I have always thought it was easy to use. I know because of the delivery method it isnt the same as On Demand content from a cable provider, and I'm fine with that because I completely understand the technology behind satellite tv.


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## TDK1044 (Apr 8, 2010)

I find the whole thing a confusing mess, and as a result, we don't purchase PPV or VOD.

I really don't care about what's involved technically...to quote Oddball from Kelly's Heroes... "I only ride 'em, I don't know what makes 'em work". 

I want to be able to go to a PPV or VOD offering and click on it and it plays. I'm not remotely interested in downloading to the hard drive.


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## hilmar2k (Mar 18, 2007)

sdirv said:


> I also realize that although D* calls it's VOD service VOD.....it's not streaming like is offered by some cable companies, or Netflix. Titles you choose to see must download to your DVR's hard drive before you can watch.


You only have to download enough of the title to create a sufficient buffer. For those with high speed internet (think 8-10+ Mbs) you only have to wait a short time before you can begin playback. I downloaded and watched an HD movie last night via VOD and I began watching less than 3 minutes after starting the download, and could have begun much sooner as the movie was downloading in faster than real time.

It may not be streaming technically, but it's pretty darn close if you have fast(ish) internet.


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## Red Orc (Oct 11, 2011)

hilmar2k said:


> You only have to download enough of the title to create a sufficient buffer. For those with high speed internet (think 8-10+ Mbs) you only have to wait a short time before you can begin playback. I downloaded and watched an HD movie last night via VOD and I began watching less than 3 minutes after starting the download, and could have begun much sooner as the movie was downloading in faster than real time.
> 
> It may not be streaming technically, but it's pretty darn close if you have fast(ish) internet.


My internet speed consistently tests at 35 mbps and it still takes forever to download one HD OnDemand movie


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

Red Orc said:


> My internet speed consistently tests at 35 mbps and it still takes forever to download one HD OnDemand movie


Why do you need to download a movie that much faster than it takes to watch it?


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

PPV movies can be downloaded in full, and several of them; the clock doesn't begin until you start watching it. And you don't pay for what you d/l and don't watch. 

Truly neither PPV or VOD requires an advanced degree. A bit of sleuthing and a touch of patience, though.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

TDK1044 said:


> Does anyone else find the PPV and VOD set up with DirecTV confusing and frustrating?
> 
> Like a lot of people, I don't have a super fast internet connection...fast enough for us to browse the web and do what we need to do on our Laptops and i-pad, but a movie download from D* would take about two hours.
> 
> ...


I usually have 11 pushed to my dvr at any one time. Just look in the channel guide at channel 125 _9 you may need to be channels i get, if your favorite channels list doesn't have channel 125 on it.). All the ad banners for movies are on your hard drive.

Also, go into the all movies on demand, and choose in theaters, and then select any movie you think you might want to watch someday when its out. Set your vod que to 5 or 10, and then they will automatically push those movies to you when they are released. Kind of like choosing a netflix movie before its even available, and then having it show up when it is.


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## TDK1044 (Apr 8, 2010)

inkahauts said:


> I usually have 11 pushed to my dvr at any one time. Just look in the channel guide at channel 125 _9 you may need to be channels i get, if your favorite channels list doesn't have channel 125 on it.). All the ad banners for movies are on your hard drive.
> 
> Also, go into the all movies on demand, and choose in theaters, and then select any movie you think you might want to watch someday when its out. Set your vod que to 5 or 10, and then they will automatically push those movies to you when they are released. Kind of like choosing a netflix movie before its even available, and then having it show up when it is.


This is very useful info. Thanks.


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## wingrider01 (Sep 9, 2005)

Red Orc said:


> My internet speed consistently tests at 35 mbps and it still takes forever to download one HD OnDemand movie


how is the unit conect to your internal lan? Wired or Wireless, does not matter what you internet to dmark speed is, what is important is your connection from your inside modem to the target device.

Have 60MB coming in, go into a SB6120 with a 1GB wired connection to my router, the router all has 1GB ports, the switch where the internet connection is, is also 1GB, the onl slow down is the downlink speed to the Directv box which from what I can tell is 100 mb.

Don't do wireless at all, the speed penality is unacceptable for the convience it gives


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## Red Orc (Oct 11, 2011)

wingrider01 said:


> how is the unit conect to your internal lan? Wired or Wireless, does not matter what you internet to dmark speed is, what is important is your connection from your inside modem to the target device.
> 
> Have 60MB coming in, go into a SB6120 with a 1GB wired connection to my router, the router all has 1GB ports, the switch where the internet connection is, is also 1GB, the onl slow down is the downlink speed to the Directv box which from what I can tell is 100 mb.
> 
> Don't do wireless at all, the speed penality is unacceptable for the convience it gives


Wired via broadband decca


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

Red Orc said:


> My internet speed consistently tests at 35 mbps and it still takes forever to download one HD OnDemand movie





Red Orc said:


> Wired via broadband decca


I'm using a wireless DECA CCK, with a 6 Mb/s internet, and HD varies from 1.5 times longer than the program length, down to 1:1 depending on the program's bit rate.


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

Red Orc said:


> My internet speed consistently tests at 35 mbps and it still takes forever to download one HD OnDemand movie


Your Internet Provider could be throttling you as well....I have a 6Mb/s connection from AT&T(DSL), and I get very similar results to VOS...1.5 to real time for even 1080p


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

CCarncross said:


> Your Internet Provider could be throttling you as well....I have a 6Mb/s connection from AT&T(DSL), and I get very similar results to VOS...1.5 to real time for even 1080p


I'm not sure, but maybe this comes down to one's expectations and DirecTV doesn't download faster than 8-9 Mb/s, which is close to 1:1 for HD.


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## Scott Kocourek (Jun 13, 2009)

veryoldschool said:


> I'm not sure, but maybe this comes down to one's expectations and DirecTV doesn't download faster than 8-9 Mb/s, which is close to 1:1 for HD.


I downloaded a movie from HBO OnDemand and with a 19 Mb/s download speed took 3.5 hours. I have also downloaded HD movies that I could watch almost instantly. I have a feeling that sometimes the servers may be overloaded, but it could have been my ISP throttling me down too, I would like to know how to check.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

Scott Kocourek said:


> I downloaded a movie from HBO OnDemand and with a 19 Mb/s download speed took 3.5 hours. I have also downloaded HD movies that I could watch almost instantly. I have a feeling that sometimes the servers may be overloaded, but it could have been my ISP throttling me down too, I would like to know how to check.


I don't know of anyway to know/check whether it's your ISP or the server "other than" try another OnDemand "channel". SHO took me 1.5 times, while HBO was 1:1.
"If" any OnDemand doesn't come through near 8 Mb/s, "then" it may be your ISP.
My old ISP was very overloaded and the 3 Mb/s connection, while it always tested "good" would only be that in the middle of the night. ISPs can "play games" with the tests compared to sustained downloading and from which sites. I could always "pull" a large file from Microsoft [service packs] but couldn't squeeze and SD OnDemand out of them in 12 hours. :eek2:


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## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

veryoldschool said:


> I'm not sure, but maybe this comes down to one's expectations and DirecTV doesn't download faster than 8-9 Mb/s, which is close to 1:1 for HD.


I thought the cap was a bit less than that.

I wish they would implement a Vudu / Netflix like true VOD system rather than the download.

If they did that and significantly cleaned up the interface, I might actually get a D* PPV. But until that happens, the alternatives will continue to get my money.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

raott said:


> I thought the cap was a bit less than that.
> 
> I wish they would implement a Vudu / Netflix like true VOD system rather than the download.
> 
> If they did that and significantly cleaned up the interface, I might actually get a D* PPV. But until that happens, the alternatives will continue to get my money.


DirecTV seems to put a premium on picture quality instead of streaming speed. NetFlix optimizes [reduces] bit-rates for streaming, where DirecTV doesn't.
"On Demand" is more like "On Request" with DirecTV, but the PQ is the same as with the SAT feed.


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## hilmar2k (Mar 18, 2007)

I watched another HD VOD movie last night, and started the playback as soon as it showed up in the list (about 20 seconds). Movie played just fine, and was done downloading 20-30 minutes before I was done watching the movie.


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

veryoldschool said:


> DirecTV seems to put a premium on picture quality instead of streaming speed. NetFlix optimizes [reduces] bit-rates for streaming, where DirecTV doesn't.
> "On Demand" is more like "On Request" with DirecTV, but the PQ is the same as with the SAT feed.


+1......I prefer picture quality over streaming speed.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Red Orc said:


> My internet speed consistently tests at 35 mbps and it still takes forever to download one HD OnDemand movie


How long is that forever, what size (length) of movie?


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## Red Orc (Oct 11, 2011)

Laxguy said:


> How long is that forever, what size (length) of movie?


As long as five hours to download a HD movie that's about 1:40 in length. The fastest I've ever had an HD movie download wad about 3 1/2 hours.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Red Orc said:


> As long as five hours to download a HD movie that's about 1:40 in length. The fastest I've ever had an HD movie download wad about 3 1/2 hours.


Holy cowpies! That is forever. Given your overall speed capabilities, something is very off, and I am afraid I don't have any ideas as to how to troubleshoot, but it seems likely to be unrelated to the box or software.


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## Red Orc (Oct 11, 2011)

Laxguy said:


> Holy cowpies! That is forever. Given your overall speed capabilities, something is very off, and I am afraid I don't have any ideas as to how to troubleshoot, but it seems likely to be unrelated to the box or software.


I haven't used OD since I updated my router's firmware so I thought I'd try again & see if they came through any faster.
I started downloading an HD movie (Murder by Death) at 10:50 Am. It's 11:31 now and I'm at 56% so maybe the problem was my Netgear router?


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Red Orc said:


> I haven't used OD since I updated my router's firmware so I thought I'd try again & see if they came through any faster.
> I started downloading an HD movie (Murder by Death) at 10:50 Am. It's 11:31 now and I'm at 56% so maybe the problem was my Netgear router?


I love Netgear, but am no expert IP guy. Yes, it certainly could have been something on the router setup. What model do you have? I have the 3400.

*Asides:* Quite a BB game last night! *Hooo-aaaah!*

The British version of that movie is really good. Dinklage plays in both!


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## Red Orc (Oct 11, 2011)

Laxguy said:


> I love Netgear, but am no expert IP guy. Yes, it certainly could have been something on the router setup. What model do you have? I have the 3400.
> 
> *Asides:* Quite a BB game last night! *Hooo-aaaah!*
> 
> The British version of that movie is really good. Dinklage plays in both!


N750 DB.
I hated this router until Netgear pushed out a firmware update about a month ago. I t was flaky as hell I had to reset it almost every day because it would constantly drop the wired connections.
12:02 PM and I'm at 97% so I guess I'm down to about 1 1/2 hour for a 1hr:35m HD movie


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Happy to hear it's no longer forever!


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## jcr159 (Feb 15, 2010)

I'm not an expert, but seems to me like the only commonality here is Directv....

I would bet that they are the ones throttling.... especially when it seems like whether you are watching or not affects the download speed... bandwidth is expensive and all... 

Maybe they prioritize folks that are actually watching (streaming to abuse the term), and anyone just downloading gets some small amount of bandwidth?

Dunno, like I said, not an expert, but seems reasonable that they cap their bandwidth for any given download, and only give enough bandwidth to those that are trying to watch while downloading...


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## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

Red Orc said:


> I haven't used OD since I updated my router's firmware so I thought I'd try again & see if they came through any faster.
> I started downloading an HD movie (Murder by Death) at 10:50 Am. It's 11:31 now and I'm at 56% so maybe the problem was my Netgear router?


Wouldn't get too excited until you try and DOD at night when D*'s bandwidth may be more taxed.


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## Red Orc (Oct 11, 2011)

raott said:


> Wouldn't get too excited until you try and DOD at night when D*'s bandwidth may be more taxed.


Not really an issue for me. I'm usually in bed by 8:30PM ,9PM at the latest. Work days I get up at 3:30 AM on my off days I usually get up at around 4:30 AM.
The latest I would be using OD is _maybe_ 7PM and that would only be if I downloaded something when I got home from work and I wouldn't be watching it until the next day or the next time I'm off


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

jcr159 said:


> I'm not an expert, but seems to me like the only commonality here is Directv....
> 
> I would bet that they are the ones throttling.... especially when it seems like whether you are watching or not affects the download speed... bandwidth is expensive and all...
> 
> ...


While DirecTV might have occasional issues, it's in their best interest not to be the choke point, while the ISP has been known to be the problem, and even more so if they're offering on demand too.


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

Easy way to test if you have 2 receivers connected just start a movie on both to download and watch your data usage. Then stop one and see what happens to your data usage.

I believe that DIRECTV does throttle each connection at a maximum of 11 mbps. I have never seen an On Demand go faster than that. I will say that I haven't tested in a few months because everytime I want to watch something I can do it 1:1 after waiting about 5 minutes for it to start.


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## wingrider01 (Sep 9, 2005)

CCarncross said:


> Your Internet Provider could be throttling you as well....I have a 6Mb/s connection from AT&T(DSL), and I get very similar results to VOS...1.5 to real time for even 1080p


forgot about packet shaping, that can be a major bottleneck. Have seen reports that comcast and a few others are doing that.


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## sdirv (Dec 14, 2008)

hilmar2k said:


> You only have to download enough of the title to create a sufficient buffer. For those with high speed internet (think 8-10+ Mbs) you only have to wait a short time before you can begin playback. I downloaded and watched an HD movie last night via VOD and I began watching less than 3 minutes after starting the download, and could have begun much sooner as the movie was downloading in faster than real time.
> 
> It may not be streaming technically, but it's pretty darn close if you have fast(ish) internet.


I actually said exactly that in the second half of the post of mine that you quoted......:lol:


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## sdirv (Dec 14, 2008)

TDK1044 said:


> I find the whole thing a confusing mess, and as a result, we don't purchase PPV or VOD.


A confusing mess??? Are you just adding the channels to your guide, or are you selecting the "On-Demand" menu item?? The "On-Demand" menu choice is very slick and easy to use.



TDK1044 said:


> I want to be able to go to a PPV or VOD offering and click on it and it plays. I'm not remotely interested in downloading to the hard drive.


It's not exactly click and play......but for me, I click....go to the kitchen to get a beer, and then play. Using VOD isn't any more difficult than recording anything on your DVR and with VOD (depending on your internet service) you only have to wait to watch the selected program until you've built up a sufficient buffer. With true high speed internet,even for HD programming, that would only be a few minutes.

Not wanting to start anything personal here, but the things you've said lead me to believe that you don't know how D*'s PPV and/or VOD works, and you seem to not want to know. :nono2:


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## sdirv (Dec 14, 2008)

Red Orc said:


> My internet speed consistently tests at 35 mbps and it still takes forever to download one HD OnDemand movie


Which brings us all back to a conversation I've seen here a bunch....

Although a speed test will indicate your speeds during that test, which is normally a short period of time, there exists a big difference in services and how they are able to sustain speeds over time while loaded with data.

Most providers will test close to their advertised speeds, they have to or their customers would be screaming bloody murder. But outside of that test, while streaming quantities of data (like a movie) over a sustained period of time, where does the speed go?? Some ISP's throttle, some don't, some just don't have the infrastructure to maintain test speeds over time, some do.....it's nowhere near a "standard" out there.

Another issue faced in the marketplace is the perception of the end user of what internet service he has, and that perception is driven by the provider's advertising. I've got what I consider to be high speed internet, 20mbps. There are faster services available. My dad will tell you he's got high speed internet too, his provider tells him he's got high speed internet. He's got 768kbps DSL. I don't consider THAT to be high speed, and surely isn't fast enough to stream movies, or use D*'s VOD in any sort of efficient manner.

But...what are ya gonna do?????


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

Don't forget that it wasnt that long ago that large majorities of the country had access to nothing but dial up speeds. 768kb/s is a huge improvement over 33-56kb/s speeds. Before fiber starting going in for residential installs, most didnt have access to anywhere near the speeds that some providers claim to offer today.


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## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

sdirv said:


> A confusing mess??? Are you just adding the channels to your guide, or are you selecting the "On-Demand" menu item?? The "On-Demand" menu choice is very slick and easy to use.........
> 
> Not wanting to start anything personal here, but the things you've said lead me to believe that you don't know how D*'s PPV and/or VOD works, and you seem to not want to know. :nono2:


User shouldn't have to figure out how it works, it should be intuitive. I'm fairly technical and I find it a confusing mess. Want to watch a kids movie? Go to On Demand > Kids > movies only to get hit with an alphabetical list of a several hundred movies. Some are already downloaded, some are free, some are pay, and many, many of which are on channels I don't subscribe to.

No listing of what new movies there are, no listing of what's "hot" etc.

The interface is terrible when compared with D*'s competitors. Go to Vudu to see how it is done right. But the proof, at least at my house, is what the average non-tech person chooses to use. My wife and daughter won't touch D*'s PPV, but have no issues with Netflix or Vudu.


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## kirchnrd (Jan 5, 2012)

"CCarncross" said:


> Don't forget that it wasnt that long ago that large majorities of the country had access to nothing but dial up speeds. 768kb/s is a huge improvement over 33-56kb/s speeds. Before fiber starting going in for residential installs, most didnt have access to anywhere near the speeds that some providers claim to offer today.


Exactly. I just got upgraded to 1.5 mb from 768. I have downloaded a few items, but takes hours to do so. All in all, I prefer PQ over speed. I can watch HBO GO live, so maybe a perfect world solution would let you pick the PQ... I know, world isn't perfect


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## hilmar2k (Mar 18, 2007)

sdirv said:


> I actually said exactly that in the second half of the post of mine that you quoted......:lol:


No, you said that the title must download to the HDD before it can be watched. That is incorrect, or at least, misleading. Very little of the title needs to be downloaded prior to watching. In my case, less than 30 seconds worth.


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

Lets just say that most have to wait to start watching until there is enough of the show downloaded so that the download finishes before playing back in realtime would completely catch up. If someone doesnt like the way the current model works, they have a choice of choosing a cable type provider that can provide more immediate playback of on demand content.


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## Eddie501 (Nov 29, 2007)

VOD seems like something DirecTV has just so they can say they have it. But in reality is almost useless. I suppose it works okay for PPV, but barely at all for all other programming.

For instance, I was wanting to catch up with Being Human before the new season starts on SyFy.  And they have episodes 6-10 only on VOD from a 12 episode 1st season. In standard definition.

AMC has big banner for two of their high profile series when you tune to their VOD channel. But only has the first three episodes of season 2 of Walking Dead and the last two of Hell on Wheels. Again, only in standard def.

In fact, most of their non-PPV, non-premium channel content is in SD. I suppose if you want to watch random episodes of stuff on a 27" tube TV then VOD is appealing. For the rest of us, it's just not there yet.


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## hilmar2k (Mar 18, 2007)

Eddie501 said:


> VOD seems like something DirecTV has just so they can say they have it. But in reality is almost useless. I suppose it works okay for PPV, but barely at all for all other programming.
> 
> For instance, I was wanting to catch up with Being Human before the new season starts on SyFy. And they have episodes 6-10 only on VOD from a 12 episode 1st season. In standard definition.
> 
> ...


The content is controlled by the individual channels, not DIRECTV.

I agree, though, the content can sometimes leave a lot to be desired.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

There will be skips, misses and glitches- not necessarily due to DIRECTV® in VOD. It was invaluable to me to catch the first 5 or 6 eps of _*Homeland*_ after I read people here raving about it. It made my TV year!

I don't even look at SD offerings. I find VOD a lot more than cosmetic, however far from perfection it may be.


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## Red Orc (Oct 11, 2011)

raott said:


> User shouldn't have to figure out how it works, it should be intuitive. I'm fairly technical and I find it a confusing mess. Want to watch a kids movie? Go to On Demand > Kids > movies only to get hit with an alphabetical list of a several hundred movies. Some are already downloaded, some are free, some are pay, and many, many of which are on channels I don't subscribe to.
> 
> No listing of what new movies there are, no listing of what's "hot" etc.
> 
> The interface is terrible when compared with D*'s competitors. Go to Vudu to see how it is done right. But the proof, at least at my house, is what the average non-tech person chooses to use. My wife and daughter won't touch D*'s PPV, but have no issues with Netflix or Vudu.


I agree. That is _EXTREMELY_ irritating


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## TheRatPatrol (Oct 1, 2003)

Whatever happened to those 20 push transponders that they put aside on D12 to push PPV/VOD instantly to your receivers? 

*20 transponders that could have been used for more HD channels, but we won't go into that in this thread


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## mikeny (Aug 21, 2006)

I'm not too happy that 'On Demand' Showtime shows I downloaded months ago won't play back now because I'm not subscribed anymore. Give me a break. I was subscribed when I downloaded them. Seems unfair. 

Of course, if it was recorded off of the regular Showtime channel I would be able to play them now.


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

mikeny said:


> I'm not too happy that 'On Demand' Showtime shows I downloaded months ago won't play back now because I'm not subscribed anymore. Give me a break. I was subscribed when I downloaded them. Seems unfair.
> 
> Of course, if it was recorded off of the regular Showtime channel I would be able to play them now.


I believe all providers work this way, so its probably a stipulation from the channels, and not D*.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

CCarncross said:


> I believe all providers work this way, so its probably a stipulation from the channels, and not D*.


+1.

And while no one might like it, it's hardly unfair.


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## mikeny (Aug 21, 2006)

Laxguy said:


> +1.
> 
> And while no one might like it, it's hardly unfair.


That's your opinion. In mine, since I laid out 'x' amount of dollars in several months time to use their subscription and the on demand/download service, I should be entitled to view the show(s) that I downloaded. I could see not being able to go and download others but ones that I have already downloaded should work.


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## sdirv (Dec 14, 2008)

hilmar2k said:


> No, you said that the title must download to the HDD before it can be watched. That is incorrect, or at least, misleading. Very little of the title needs to be downloaded prior to watching. In my case, less than 30 seconds worth.


You left out what I said AGAIN....here's my direct quote:

"I also realize that although D* calls it's VOD service VOD.....it's not streaming like is offered by some cable companies, or Netflix. Titles you choose to see must download to your DVR's hard drive before you can watch.

Doing THAT is then very dependent on your internet service/speed. Sounds like you've got very slow service. I've got 20mbps service and can select an *HD movie from D*'s VOD and after just a few minutes of downloading the progress bar turns green and I can start watching without ever bumping up against the buffer*."

You have referenced the first paragraph of what I said, ignoring what was said in the second paragraph twice now to misrepresent what I said.


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## hilmar2k (Mar 18, 2007)

sdirv said:


> You left out what I said AGAIN....here's my direct quote:
> 
> "I also realize that although D* calls it's VOD service VOD.....it's not streaming like is offered by some cable companies, or Netflix. Titles you choose to see must download to your DVR's hard drive before you can watch.
> 
> ...


What part of this says anything other than what I said it did? You said titles need to be downloaded *before* they can we watched. That just simply isn't accurate.



sdirv said:


> Titles you choose to see must download to your DVR's hard drive before you can watch.


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## sdirv (Dec 14, 2008)

raott said:


> User shouldn't have to figure out how it works, it should be intuitive. I'm fairly technical and I find it a confusing mess. Want to watch a kids movie? Go to On Demand > Kids > movies only to get hit with an alphabetical list of a several hundred movies. Some are already downloaded, some are free, some are pay, and many, many of which are on channels I don't subscribe to.
> 
> No listing of what new movies there are, no listing of what's "hot" etc.


Seems like we have different views of what is "intuitive".....I'm also fairly technical and on first use chose to use the system in a different manner than you.

Goto On Demand > Browse By Channel > (at this point I know what the kid channels are) > Nick

Now I see a menu that lists "Just Added" programs, "All" programming, a list of the top 7 programs on the channel, as well as a HUGE graphic (well it's on my 65" TV) of two of the more popular shows.

When I follow this same process of browsing by channel, I can go to HBO (for example) and I see selections split out by "just added", movies, series, genre, etc.

I guess it's just more intuitive to me, if I want to watch a movie that instead of selecting a list of every movie in the system..that I would want to choose movies by provider (like HBO, TMC). Makes it MUCH simpler.



raott said:


> The interface is terrible when compared with D*'s competitors. Go to Vudu to see how it is done right. But the proof, at least at my house, is what the average non-tech person chooses to use. My wife and daughter won't touch D*'s PPV, but have no issues with Netflix or Vudu.


I don't do PPV, but find VOD very easy to use....(shrug). In my home, my wife can barely operate a remote control, can't figure out how to play a DVD...:lol:.


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## sdirv (Dec 14, 2008)

hilmar2k said:


> What part of this says anything other than what I said it did? You said titles need to be downloaded *before* they can we watched. That just simply isn't accurate.


You're making this personal.....you are cherry picking one sentence from a multi-paragraph post I made on a subject to misrepresent what I said...and claiming that I was being misleading......

I did NOT say that titles had to be downloaded COMPLETELY before they could be viewed.

Go find someone else to screw with......


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

Whoa 

The cable company owns the supply medium. 
NetFlix reduces bit-rates/PQ to suit the connection speed.

DirecTV has chosen to keep the PQ & bit-rate high.

You don't need to completely download the whole program before watching and you only need to have a sufficient amount of buffer so you don't run out while you're watching.
This amount may be enough even while it shows red, but "YMMV" because DirecTV doesn't control your ISP.


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## SPACEMAKER (Dec 11, 2007)

The key to enjoying D* VOD is patience. I don't mind the long down load time because I am in no immediate hurry to watch what is offered. I just plan on watching whatever I download the next day.

And I don't understand why people are confused by the HD GUI as it relates to VOD. It seems extremely simple. My wife (who in not technically inclined at all) had no problem finding things to download. Anyone who can read should be able to figure it out with ease.


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## hilmar2k (Mar 18, 2007)

sdirv said:


> You're making this personal.....you are cherry picking one sentence from a multi-paragraph post I made on a subject to misrepresent what I said...and claiming that I was being misleading......
> 
> I did NOT say that titles had to be downloaded COMPLETELY before they could be viewed.
> 
> Go find someone else to screw with......


No intentions of making this personal. If you took it that way, I apologize.

We can certainly move on.


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## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

SPACEMAKER said:


> The key to enjoying D* VOD is patience. I don't mind the long down load time because I am in no immediate hurry to watch what is offered. I just plan on watching whatever I download the next day.
> 
> And I don't understand why people are confused by the HD GUI as it relates to VOD. It seems extremely simple. My wife (who in not technically inclined at all) had no problem finding things to download. Anyone who can read should be able to figure it out with ease.


Show me the easy way to find new release kids movies. Kids movies that I can actually get, ie, they are on channels I actually subscribe to.


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## SPACEMAKER (Dec 11, 2007)

raott said:


> Show me the easy way to find new release kids movies. Kids movies that I can actually get, ie, they are on channels I actually subscribe to.


Just search by title?


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## hilmar2k (Mar 18, 2007)

raott said:


> Show me the easy way to find new release kids movies. Kids movies that I can actually get, ie, they are on channels I actually subscribe to.


I think the only thing that makes this complicated is that stuff you don't subscribe to is shown. Otherwise the layout is fine.

I understand why they show you everything, but it can be annoying.


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## Xsabresx (Oct 8, 2007)

Eddie501 said:


> VOD seems like something DirecTV has just so they can say they have it. But in reality is almost useless. I suppose it works okay for PPV, but barely at all for all other programming.
> 
> For instance, I was wanting to catch up with Being Human before the new season starts on SyFy. And they have episodes 6-10 only on VOD from a 12 episode 1st season. In standard definition.
> 
> ...


Was coming to post this very thing. I havent been big on VOD because it takes forever to download something (30Mb/s downstream and literally nothing else is slow other than VOD) but there are a couple of shows I'd like to go back and watch so I was just going to let them download and catch them eventually. When you go to the network and the show it seems like just any random show in the season.

Your comment of having it just to say they have it is spot on IMO.


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## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

SPACEMAKER said:


> Just search by title?


Not exactly the user friendly presentation I'm talking about. I'm talking about browsing to see what new kids movies to see what they may want to watch at a given time.

Again, to see how it is done right, see Netflix or Vudu.


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## SPACEMAKER (Dec 11, 2007)

raott said:


> Not exactly the user friendly presentation I'm talking about. I'm talking about browsing to see what new kids movies to see what they may want to watch at a given time.
> 
> Again, to see how it is done right, see Netflix or Vudu.


I just don't see D* wasting their time on something like that right now.


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## sdirv (Dec 14, 2008)

raott said:


> Show me the easy way to find new release kids movies. Kids movies that I can actually get, ie, they are on channels I actually subscribe to.


Thought I "talked" about this already earlier today.

An example would be:

Goto On Demand > Browse By Channel > Disney > Just Added

How hard is that????? I mean, you may have to hit the page down key a few times to get to Disney....(shrug). If you don't subscribe to Disney, it shouldn't be showing anyway....so pick Nick, or one of the other kid channels.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

"sdirv" said:


> Thought I "talked" about this already earlier today.
> 
> An example would be:
> 
> ...


Or on the new he GUI go to all menu > search and browse > all movies > genre > kids

That brings up everything from ppv to stars and so on.


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