# DirecTv Everywhere or not everywhere



## Birdieman30 (Aug 26, 2008)

What am I missing? On the road and I decided to try out the new DirecTv Everywhere for a Stanley Cup playoff game on NBC Sports. It appears I could only remotely set my home DVR to record the target programming. I could not watch live programming with the iPad except on my home network. Not sure why I would want to watch live programming on my iPad when I am at home where I have 3 TV options. Looking at the D* website, there are 10 "networks" that are available for streaming by signing in on the "network" website with your D* login info and there is some premium channel content available for streaming. I understand there are technical and network issues with such an undertaking, but is this just more marketing smoke and mirrors, and shouldn't it be called "Some DirecTv, Someplaces".


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## Xsabresx (Oct 8, 2007)

I took it to mean that it was still new and channels would be added over time. Right now it is pretty much just a portal for the "Go" networks it seems. Never expected it to tbe permanent though.


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

If you go on their website you will see it still has 'beta' next to it. It's a work in progress. It's also not a slingbox. You may not have a use for watching tv on you iPad while at home but some people would like to walk around the house without missing a minute. Currently, the only thing for streaming is going to be On Demand content from specific providers. Keep an eye out for updates. Also keep in mind this is a free feature.


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## onebadmofo (May 24, 2012)

What really bothers me is how the directv app doesn't work on a Jailbroke ipad/iphone. 

Apparently, DTV is in bed with Apple...


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

onebadmofo said:


> What really bothers me is how the directv app doesn't work on a Jailbroke ipad/iphone.
> 
> Apparently, DTV is in bed with Apple...


I know right! No love for people using devices against company policies!


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## mreposter (Jul 29, 2006)

TV Everywhere.*
*Not all TV and not everywhere. Certain restrictions apply.


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## andrewj0781 (Dec 1, 2011)

onebadmofo said:


> What really bothers me is how the directv app doesn't work on a Jailbroke ipad/iphone.
> 
> Apparently, DTV is in bed with Apple...


I thought there was a jailbroken app that will trick your iphone/ipad to thinking it won't be jailbroken?


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

onebadmofo said:


> What really bothers me is how the directv app doesn't work on a Jailbroke ipad/iphone.
> 
> Apparently, DTV is in bed with Apple...


Really? Could it be that DIRECTV® plays by the rules? :nono2:


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## sshams95 (Sep 2, 2006)

"andrewj0781" said:


> I thought there was a jailbroken app that will trick your iphone/ipad to thinking it won't be jailbroken?


Yes. Look for it in cydia ...I think it is called directv fix for iPad. Also download Excon.


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## Combat Medic (Jul 27, 2007)

goinsleeper said:


> If you go on their website you will see it still has 'beta' next to it. It's a work in progress. It's also not a slingbox. You may not have a use for watching tv on you iPad while at home but some people would like to walk around the house without missing a minute. Currently, the only thing for streaming is going to be On Demand content from specific providers. Keep an eye out for updates. Also keep in mind this is a free feature.


For being in Beta they sure made it annoyingly prominent on their webpage.


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## onebadmofo (May 24, 2012)

Laxguy said:


> Really? Could it be that DIRECTV® plays by the rules? :nono2:


First off Jailbreaking isn't illegal. Second, rules?? What stinkin rules??? :hurah:


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## onebadmofo (May 24, 2012)

sshams95 said:


> Yes. Look for it in cydia ...I think it is called directv fix for iPad. Also download Excon.


Just jailbroke from 4.3.3 to 5.1.1 so not working yet...

Gonna hold of on 5.1.1 on iPhone til I can get it working on iPad2 on 5.1.1....


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## man_rob (Feb 21, 2007)

DirecTV Everywhere is a sad, sad, joke compared to the other carriers streaming options. DirecTV was caught with their pants down on mobile technology.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

sshams95 said:


> Yes. Look for it in cydia ...I think it is called directv fix for iPad. Also download Excon.


The packages are "DirecTV iPad Patch" and "xCon".


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## crawdad62 (Jul 16, 2008)

onebadmofo said:


> What really bothers me is how the directv app doesn't work on a Jailbroke ipad/iphone.
> 
> Apparently, DTV is in bed with Apple...


It's my understanding that it has more to do with having control in regards to DRM which they (content providers) lose on jailbroken devices.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

crawdad62 said:


> It's my understanding that it has more to do with having control in regards to DRM which they (content providers) lose on jailbroken devices.


That is correct. It has nothing to do with anyone being in bed with anyone.


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## RACJ2 (Aug 2, 2008)

Hopefully it will get better, because currently its Premium Channel TV Everywhere. The only reason I get DIRECTV anywhere is because I have a Slingbox. Although I actually have access to TWC's online programming through my parents account.


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## smithrh (Oct 3, 2007)

man_rob said:


> DirecTV Everywhere is a sad, sad, joke compared to the other carriers streaming options. DirecTV was caught with their pants down on mobile technology.


Sad commentary, but unfortunately very true.


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

onebadmofo said:


> What really bothers me is how the directv app doesn't work on a Jailbroke ipad/iphone.
> 
> Apparently, DTV is in bed with Apple...


 Works fine.


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

mreposter said:


> TV Everywhere.*
> *Not all TV and not everywhere. Certain restrictions apply.


Now THAT is funny! Kind of like "Unlimited Data" and "Macy's 20% off everything in the store."


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## cypherx (Aug 27, 2010)

Wait you can't watch directv on the iPhone app can you? At least it doesn't seem to be an option in the official app. I have 61 app updates to install and DTV isn't one either.

Just upgraded to 5.1.1 on iPhone today.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

cypherx said:


> Wait you can't watch directv on the iPhone app can you? At least it doesn't seem to be an option in the official app. I have 61 app updates to install and DTV isn't one either.
> 
> Just upgraded to 5.1.1 on iPhone today.


Just the iPad.


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## Talent384 (Sep 3, 2011)

And android phones... iPhone streaming is coming soon


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## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

"man_rob" said:


> DirecTV Everywhere is a sad, sad, joke compared to the other carriers streaming options. DirecTV was caught with their pants down on mobile technology.


Really? Lots of carriers with their pants down then.

Dish is the best but they bought sling box and you can do the same. Buy a sling box and watch your dvr anywheres


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## man_rob (Feb 21, 2007)

tonyd79 said:


> Really? Lots of carriers with their pants down then.
> 
> Dish is the best but they bought sling box and you can do the same. Buy a sling box and watch your dvr anywheres


Comcast, TW, Cablevision, Dish, Brighthouse, Verizon, AT&T, etc, all have much better streaming services than DirecTV, who's streaming is only in beta, and has almost no content. It's hardly what they portray in the DirecTV Everywhere commercials.


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## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

man_rob said:


> Comcast, TW, Cablevision, Dish, Brighthouse, Verizon, AT&T, etc, all have much better streaming services than DirecTV, who's streaming is only in beta, and has almost no content. It's hardly what they portray in the DirecTV Everywhere commercials.


Okay. Dead wrong. I have Verizon (Fios) and the ONLY thing you can stream is PURCHASED movies (and not all of them are available). The folks on Fios forums are asking where the content is. They do have agreements for HBO GO, etc, but you have to go to each individual channel for those.

Now, should I take your word on the others?


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## man_rob (Feb 21, 2007)

tonyd79 said:


> Okay. Dead wrong. I have Verizon (Fios) and the ONLY thing you can stream is PURCHASED movies (and not all of them are available). The folks on Fios forums are asking where the content is. They do have agreements for HBO GO, etc, but you have to go to each individual channel for those.
> 
> Now, should I take your word on the others?


It's still better than DirecTV, as are the others.

http://9to5mac.com/2012/01/12/verizon-finally-launching-live-tv-streaming-app-to-ipad-in-2012/

What can DirecTV customers stream on their Xboxes?


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## man_rob (Feb 21, 2007)

And Xfinity has blown the doors off of DirecTV

http://www.cedmagazine.com/news/201...pp-for-on-demand-streaming-to-android-devices


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## domingos35 (Jan 12, 2006)

Birdieman30 said:


> What am I missing? On the road and I decided to try out the new DirecTv Everywhere for a Stanley Cup playoff game on NBC Sports. It appears I could only remotely set my home DVR to record the target programming. I could not watch live programming with the iPad except on my home network. Not sure why I would want to watch live programming on my iPad when I am at home where I have 3 TV options. Looking at the D* website, there are 10 "networks" that are available for streaming by signing in on the "network" website with your D* login info and there is some premium channel content available for streaming. I understand there are technical and network issues with such an undertaking, but is this just more marketing smoke and mirrors, and shouldn't it be called "Some DirecTv, Someplaces".


:rotfl: to the "Some DirecTv, Someplaces" comment
once again DISH is way ahead in that department


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## sdirv (Dec 14, 2008)

I realize that D*'s marketing department doesn't "always" describe things the way they REALLY are but anyway.....

I find this new feature pretty cool. I'm able to watch D* programming from a variety of channels I subscribe to on my droid phone, on my tablet, and on my laptops/netbooks. I could also watch PPV programming on those platforms if I wanted to (which I don't).

AND.....D* isn't charging me anything extra for the service.

I'm finding D*'s droid app to be more and more useful. I use it to search programming and schedule recordings since it allows me to choose which DVR I want the recording on (without having to run up and down the stairs to do it manually).


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## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

"man_rob" said:


> It's still better than DirecTV, as are the others.
> 
> http://9to5mac.com/2012/01/12/verizon-finally-launching-live-tv-streaming-app-to-ipad-in-2012/
> 
> What can DirecTV customers stream on their Xboxes?


Why do I need to stream to an Xbox.

Again. Put in a sling box. Big deal made of nothing.


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## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

"domingos35" said:


> :rotfl: to the "Some DirecTv, Someplaces" comment
> once again DISH is way ahead in that department


I use the device dish bought long before dish had it. Still use it.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

tonyd79 said:


> Why do I need to stream to an Xbox.
> 
> Again. Put in a sling box. Big deal made of nothing.


Ditto


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

domingos35 said:


> :rotfl: to the "Some DirecTv, Someplaces" comment
> once again DISH is way ahead in that department


You're still stuck with Dish Network at the end of the day, so DirecTV customers are still better off by a long shot.


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## cypherx (Aug 27, 2010)

That would be cool if DirecTV made an RVU client for xbox. That way you could use an xbox as a receiver in a kids room or something without purchasing an additional receiver.

HOWEVER, IF that would ever happen, I bet you would still have to pay a mirroring fee like $6 or so per month to use it! So that negates that... might as well get a receiver rather than having a hot xbox running 24/7 with its fan's blaring.

Neat idea though, not sure how practical.


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## domingos35 (Jan 12, 2006)

Hoosier205 said:


> You're still stuck with Dish Network at the end of the day, so DirecTV customers are still better off by a long shot.


:barf:


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Nice. :bang


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## man_rob (Feb 21, 2007)

tonyd79 said:


> Why do I need to stream to an Xbox.
> 
> Again. Put in a sling box. Big deal made of nothing.


If DirecTV doesn't offer it, it's not needed by anyone. Got it.

Meanwhile, in the non fanboy world...

DirecTV is way behind in the streaming technology world. Even streaming from their own boxes is horrendous, with absurd wait times for programs to buffer enough to actually watch them.


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## DodgerKing (Apr 28, 2008)

onebadmofo said:


> What really bothers me is how the directv app doesn't work on a Jailbroke ipad/iphone.
> 
> Apparently, DTV is in bed with Apple...


It does currently and has been working since the last update, a few months ago.


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## DodgerKing (Apr 28, 2008)

onebadmofo said:


> Just jailbroke from 4.3.3 to 5.1.1 so not working yet...
> 
> Gonna hold of on 5.1.1 on iPhone til I can get it working on iPad2 on 5.1.1....


It's working for me


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## cypherx (Aug 27, 2010)

DodgerKing said:


> It's working for me


Me too. Use the ipad to watch Discovery when I'm on the toilet.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

man_rob said:


> If DirecTV doesn't offer it, it's not needed by anyone. Got it.
> 
> Meanwhile, in the non fanboy world...
> 
> DirecTV is way behind in the streaming technology world. Even streaming from their own boxes is horrendous, with absurd wait times for programs to buffer enough to actually watch them.


Uh, that'd be your internet connection, not "their boxes".


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## fleckrj (Sep 4, 2009)

man_rob said:


> DirecTV is way behind in the streaming technology world. Even streaming from their own boxes is horrendous, with absurd wait times for programs to buffer enough to actually watch them.





Laxguy said:


> Uh, that'd be your internet connection, not "their boxes".


I agree with Laxguy. Almost always, by the time I get out of the "on demand" guide in the 1000's where I select a program to watch and back to the recordings menu to start play, the program has buffered enough to begin watching. On the few occasions where it had not buffered enough, I have never had to wait more than three minutes before I could begin watching.


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## cypherx (Aug 27, 2010)

It would be nice if the on demand had a one click streaming option though. No hard drive required, no wasted HD space, no jumping in and out of various menus. Having VOD in my other non-DVR rooms would be great.

Sure leave the record option there though for those who want to "queue up" programming on their DVR hard drive for watching later. Best of both worlds.. Cable like VOD simplicity with the added feature of saving on demand content on your drive for later. That's one step better than cable.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

cypherx said:


> It would be nice if the on demand had a one click streaming option though. No hard drive required, no wasted HD space, no jumping in and out of various menus. Having VOD in my other non-DVR rooms would be great.
> 
> Sure leave the record option there though for those who want to "queue up" programming on their DVR hard drive for watching later. Best of both worlds.. Cable like VOD simplicity with the added feature of saving on demand content on your drive for later. That's one step better than cable.


And the complaints would come pouring in from people with bad Internet connections that would have to keep stopping to buffer the stream.

They've taken the route that they've taken by choice. Their main goal is to keep the amount of calls to support down, especially when the issue would be out of their control.


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## domingos35 (Jan 12, 2006)

RunnerFL said:


> And the complaints would come pouring in from people with bad Internet connections that would have to keep stopping to buffer the stream.
> 
> They've taken the route that they've taken by choice. Their main goal is to keep the amount of calls to support down, especially when the issue would be out of their control.


excuses


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

Can we get back to practicality? What percentage of consumers who have paid television watch any of it on their mobile devices? It's always nice to have extra features but only a portion of the country even has HD programming, internet or the understanding of using Smart devices. Now factor in the cost to develop and implement the new features of mobile apps or resources. Counter-productive much?

The point really comes down to remembering what we're talking about and keep in mind most people on this forum use and understand features better than the vast majority.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

If the figure that ca. 10% of DIRECTV® subs are even internet connected is correct, then the number with iPads, etc. who'll also stream is probably less than 1%. 

But it's a feature that must be implemented.


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## fleckrj (Sep 4, 2009)

cypherx said:


> It would be nice if the on demand had a one click streaming option though. No hard drive required, no wasted HD space, no jumping in and out of various menus. Having VOD in my other non-DVR rooms would be great.
> 
> Sure leave the record option there though for those who want to "queue up" programming on their DVR hard drive for watching later. Best of both worlds.. Cable like VOD simplicity with the added feature of saving on demand content on your drive for later. That's one step better than cable.





RunnerFL said:


> And the complaints would come pouring in from people with bad Internet connections that would have to keep stopping to buffer the stream.
> 
> They've taken the route that they've taken by choice. Their main goal is to keep the amount of calls to support down, especially when the issue would be out of their control.





domingos35 said:


> excuses


I would say "reality" rather than "excuses". Try watching something on Netflix with a slow internet connection and you will get an idea of what would happen. You must either limit the resolution or live with pauses and stuttering throughout the program. Buffering to the hard disc has the disadvantage of a less than instantaneous start, but it greatly improves the ability to watch the program uninterrupted.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

domingos35 said:


> excuses


Not at all, legit reasons.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

goinsleeper said:


> Can we get back to practicality? What percentage of consumers who have paid television watch any of it on their mobile devices? It's always nice to have extra features but only a portion of the country even has HD programming, internet or the understanding of using Smart devices. Now factor in the cost to develop and implement the new features of mobile apps or resources. Counter-productive much?
> 
> The point really comes down to remembering what we're talking about and keep in mind most people on this forum use and understand features better than the vast majority.


Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!

Very good point!


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

fleckrj said:


> I would say "reality" rather than "excuses". Try watching something on Netflix with a slow internet connection and you will get an idea of what would happen. You must either limit the resolution or live with pauses and stuttering throughout the program. Buffering to the hard disc has the disadvantage of a less than instantaneous start, but it greatly improves the ability to watch the program uninterrupted.


Exactly. I can deal with the less than instant start because I know once it starts it's not going to stop in the middle to re-buffer.


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## RACJ2 (Aug 2, 2008)

goinsleeper said:


> Can we get back to practicality? What percentage of consumers who have paid television watch any of it on their mobile devices? It's always nice to have extra features but only a portion of the country even has HD programming, internet or the understanding of using Smart devices. Now factor in the cost to develop and implement the new features of mobile apps or resources. Counter-productive much?
> 
> The point really comes down to remembering what we're talking about and keep in mind most people on this forum use and understand features better than the vast majority.


Not sure what percentage of consumers watch on mobile devices, but I'm one of them. I use my Slingbox app on my Android phone when waiting for flights at an airport. If I have more time, I watch on my lap top. If internet speeds and free internet access increases, I think more and more consumers will use mobile devices to access TV programming.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

RACJ2 said:


> Not sure what percentage of consumers watch on mobile devices, but I'm one of them. I use my Slingbox app on my Android phone when waiting for flights at an airport. If I have more time, I watch on my lap top. If internet speeds and free internet access increases, I think more and more consumers will use mobile devices to access TV programming.


No question about the increase over time. But:

I'd bet big money that less than 5% of DIRECTV® subs do mobile currently. Unfortunately if I were ever to possess such figures, I couldn't divulge them.....


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

fleckrj said:


> I would say "reality" rather than "excuses". Try watching something on Netflix with a slow internet connection and you will get an idea of what would happen. You must either limit the resolution or live with pauses and stuttering throughout the program. Buffering to the hard disc has the disadvantage of a less than instantaneous start, but it greatly improves the ability to watch the program uninterrupted.


Netflix on almost any connection has issues. I have over a 25 meg connection (steady) and I lose hd on Netflix all the time. It can last 20 minutes at a time where it just bumps up and down. This at 1 in the morning and speedtest showing perfect connection speed and latency. D* On Demand has never given me any issues, though, I will say, some of the providers broadcast in 24 fps but the On Demand version of the same thing seems to be lacking on frame rate. At least it does on my 240hz Sammy.


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## Satelliteracer (Dec 6, 2006)

As some have pointed out, this is phase 1 only. Additional phases coming out which will add more content, functionality, etc.


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## cypherx (Aug 27, 2010)

fleckrj said:


> I would say "reality" rather than "excuses". Try watching something on Netflix with a slow internet connection and you will get an idea of what would happen. You must either limit the resolution or live with pauses and stuttering throughout the program. Buffering to the hard disc has the disadvantage of a less than instantaneous start, but it greatly improves the ability to watch the program uninterrupted.


I dunno but I still think the feature is coming (at least to DVR's). There have been a few random reports (and me myself) who were presented with a new dialog box when selecting a VOD title. It said something to the effect of watch now in standard quality or record to hard drive and start watching in a few minutes for better quality.

I did not try the watch now option and I only ever saw this once on a paid 1080p movie.

Blue Ray Players don't have hard drives, but many of them can stream Netflix and Amazon Prime. I wonder how that works. I'd just like to see access to the VOD screens and programs in my rooms that have HD receivers and not full blown DVR's. I don't care if it has to harness the power of MRV and DECA to talk to the DVR, but a simple way to browse, select and play programming from other rooms would be a nice way to complete the "whole home" experience. If its a memory issue again find a network DVR via DECA and use it's horsepower for some of it. Makes the $3 MRV even better.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

cypherx said:


> Blue Ray Players don't have hard drives, but many of them can stream Netflix and Amazon Prime. I wonder how that works.


Yes, they can but with occasional dropouts. That's the point we're trying to make. With direct streaming you have dropouts, regardless of your connection speed, but with it going to the hard drive first there are no dropouts. DirecTV clearly prefers their customers not suffer dropouts.


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## Beerstalker (Feb 9, 2009)

cypherx said:


> Blue Ray Players don't have hard drives, but many of them can stream Netflix and Amazon Prime. I wonder how that works.


While they don't necessarily have hard drives, most of them do have a few GB of flash storage in them, or require a SD card or USB thumb drive attached to them to buffer the content. Something the DirecTV HD receivers don't have.


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## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

RunnerFL said:


> Yes, they can but with occasional dropouts. That's the point we're trying to make. With direct streaming you have dropouts, regardless of your connection speed, but with it going to the hard drive first there are no dropouts. DirecTV clearly prefers their customers not suffer dropouts.


The "dropout" issue is overblown. I've had far more rain fade outages with D* than I've had dropout or buffering issues and I use Netflix, Vudu, Amazon and MLBTV regularly.


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## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

goinsleeper said:


> Netflix on almost any connection has issues. I have over a 25 meg connection (steady) and I lose hd on Netflix all the time. It can last 20 minutes at a time where it just bumps up and down. This at 1 in the morning and speedtest showing perfect connection speed and latency. D* On Demand has never given me any issues, though, I will say, some of the providers broadcast in 24 fps but the On Demand version of the same thing seems to be lacking on frame rate. At least it does on my 240hz Sammy.


I would suspect it is your service provider. I've had no issues with Netflix on a 20 meg down connection. We use it quite often, although I prefer the quality of Vudu's picture.


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## mreposter (Jul 29, 2006)

I've been on business trips and stuck in hotel rooms with old tv's with horrible picture quality and skimpy channel lineups. It would be nice to pull out the laptop or iPad and be able to watch streams of my favorite channels. Sadly, those hotels usually have really crappy wifi too


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## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

"mreposter" said:


> I've been on business trips and stuck in hotel rooms with old tv's with horrible picture quality and skimpy channel lineups. It would be nice to pull out the laptop or iPad and be able to watch streams of my favorite channels. Sadly, those hotels usually have really crappy wifi too


I've been doing it for years. Buy a slingbox. If you travel a lot, sling and netflix streaming make it worthwhile.


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## cypherx (Aug 27, 2010)

No problems here either and I have 12/1 Mbps cable. All new RG11 lines to the tap outside and brand new rg6 quad shield to the modem.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

raott said:


> The "dropout" issue is overblown.


I disagree.



raott said:


> I've had far more rain fade outages with D* than I've had dropout or buffering issues and I use Netflix, Vudu, Amazon and MLBTV regularly.


You probably watch more DirecTV than Netflix, Vudu, Amazon and MLBTV too.


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## cypherx (Aug 27, 2010)

Well part of it is things like HBOGo, MaxGo, Netflix, Amazon Prime etc... are using CDN's (Content Delivery Networks). A lot of the content is cached at regional servers where it doesn't have to make as many hops to get to your connection. I'm not sure how DirecTV distributes it's VOD, but it's streaming stuff and also HBOGo/MaxGo seem to originate on Limelight Networks. If DirecTV builds out or subs out vast connections with CDN's like Limelight Networks, Level 3 Communications, NetDNA, OnApp, EdgeCast Networks, Akamai Technologies and others, they would have a solid distribution platform.

Have to say on my PC, iphone/ipad or xbox, services like HBOGo do not stutter. On my xbox connected with an HDMI cable, the picture quality is astoundingly good. Even YouTube content looks far better on the xbox than DirecTV HR24. Also things like vimeo and zune content on xbox stream in very good quality.

Again with all new lines into my home and even in my home, I have dead on modem signal levels. My provisioned rate is always 12/1 (what I pay for). There are 8 DOCSIS channels down and 3 DOCSIS channels up on this cable system and because of that I've never experienced lag or slowdown in the last mile. I guess your miles may vary of course, but I would hope as time goes on and technology gets better, so do people's connection to the Internet. I could subscribe to "wideband 50" but I don't even need 50mbps at this point. 12 seems to work great and when you figure an HD stream multi-pass encoded using MPEG4/AVC can be sustainable from 5 - 8 mbps. I measured about 8mbps bursts while pulling Game of Thrones off of HBOGo on xbox. That leaves me with 4mbps of headroom without buffering technology.

They could also continue to develop HEVC (H.265) and get the bitrate down even less while maintaining the same quality.

There's a lot of very smart people on this board so I'm sure you've heard of HEVC, but if not here's some info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HEVC

http://www.multichannel.com/article...otorola_To_Pump_Up_CMTS_Density_Demo_HEVC.php

http://www.multichannel.com/article/474978-The_Next_Big_Video_Squeeze.php


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## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

RunnerFL said:


> You probably watch more DirecTV than Netflix, Vudu, Amazon and MLBTV too.


I probably do, but my point was, I watch a significant amount of programming on the above providers and buffering or dropouts are not a problem for me.


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## TigersFanJJ (Feb 17, 2006)

raott said:


> I probably do, but my point was, I watch a significant amount of programming on the above providers and buffering or dropouts are not a problem for me.


Same here. Yes, I watch more Directv than streaming. However, I can count how many times it's rained here in the last 2 years on one hand (two hands at the most). I have still seen more rain fade than dropouts/buffering while streaming on Netflix.

As for Directv Everywhere, I just tried it out for the first time on this pc. I don't understand why it is $3.99 to watch the same older movies that I have watched on HBO, etc. in the past. Tried to watch Bad Boys, since it was free, and the video was bad quality, really choppy, and audio/video was out of sync. Was horrible. The minute or so that I watched it, it looked like a really bad bootleg copy.


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## man_rob (Feb 21, 2007)

Laxguy said:


> Uh, that'd be your internet connection, not "their boxes".


I have a fast internet connection, and can stream HD video instantly from other sources and devices. So no, it's not my internet connection.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

man_rob said:


> I have a fast internet connection, and can stream HD video instantly from other sources and devices. So no, it's not my internet connection.


No one's Internet connection is perfect all the time, or always "as advertised". There are many factors that can make a "fast Internet connection" slow from time to time.


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## TBoneit (Jul 27, 2006)

RunnerFL said:


> That is correct. It has nothing to do with anyone being in bed with anyone.


They are in bed with the Content providers to the extent that since the content has to have DRM and a jailbroke device is not secure they block it.



goinsleeper said:


> Netflix on almost any connection has issues. I have over a 25 meg connection (steady) and I lose hd on Netflix all the time. It can last 20 minutes at a time where it just bumps up and down. This at 1 in the morning and speedtest showing perfect connection speed and latency. D* On Demand has never given me any issues, though, I will say, some of the providers broadcast in 24 fps but the On Demand version of the same thing seems to be lacking on frame rate. At least it does on my 240hz Sammy.


My Netflix on a WD Media player works flawlessly when watching. The FF & Reverse are not as good as a Satellite DVR due to Netflix using thumbnails instead of being full screen. Any HD content looks HD to me. No buffering for me either beyond the initial few seconds.

YMMV

However I still remember the complaints when DirecTV had to take down national HD to make room for Sunday Football.
Also when DirecTV had way fewer HD channels than DishNetwork.

I mention that to show that every provider has had issues in the past and will have in the future. Especially when it comes time to negotiate the channels, D* has stated they are more willing to let a channel go dark in order to get a better price.


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## Scott Kocourek (Jun 13, 2009)

TBoneit said:


> They are in bed with the Content providers to the extent that since the content has to have DRM and a jailbroke device is not secure they block it.


Is that being "in bed" or part of the deal? If the provider says you must do "x" or you cannot use our content then should DIRECTV stand up and say it's more important that jailbroken device be allowed so we don't want your channel?

If it's so important to have an iPad to view programming through DIRECTV then don't jailbreak it.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Good points, Scott. 
"In bed with" implies a lot more than either agreeing to terms or the making of a new contract.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

TBoneit said:


> They are in bed with the Content providers to the extent that since the content has to have DRM and a jailbroke device is not secure they block it.


You may want to brush up on your terms. That's not "being in bed" at all.


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## TBoneit (Jul 27, 2006)

Well, I've always had the feeling that of the two satellite companies DirecTV went beyond what was required by the providers and Dishnetwork always pushed the limits.

Example, D* External drive will only playback attached to the DVR it stored the content from. E* External drive will playback from any DVR on the account as well as let you use multiple drives So you can build a sorted library if desired that will play as long as you are a subscriber.


----------



## TBoneit (Jul 27, 2006)

RunnerFL said:


> You may want to brush up on your terms. That's not "being in bed" at all.


Cahoots?
Collusion?

DirecTV has always been more willing to do whatever the providers wanted. That may be changing?


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## sdirv (Dec 14, 2008)

fleckrj said:


> I would say "reality" rather than "excuses". Try watching something on Netflix with a slow internet connection and you will get an idea of what would happen. You must either limit the resolution or live with pauses and stuttering throughout the program. Buffering to the hard disc has the disadvantage of a less than instantaneous start, but it greatly improves the ability to watch the program uninterrupted.


And a lot of this is because the internet companies mis-advertise their services kinda like D* does with some things.

I can't believe how many people truly believe they have "high speed internet" and are pissed that things like netflix and VOD don't work properly for them. When looking at what sort of "high speed internet" they have.....it's 768kbps dsl, or maybe 1.5mbps service.....nowhere near fast enough to properly support the services and features they want to use.

And then of course, since they BELIEVE they have "high speed internet" (based on what their ISP has told them and advertised)......of course the problem would lay with D* or Netflix or????

I was running a 12mbps internet feed, worked great for Netflix and VOD, but when I put more than one Netflix enabled device in the house, and then a second DVR in a whole home system...I bumped my service up to 20mbps. My dad comes over and sees what I'm doing and wants to do the same thing, and I've explained until I'm blue in the face that his 768kbps DSL won't handle it. :lol:

I know people get tired of hearing it, but it's all about the infrastructure.


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## sdirv (Dec 14, 2008)

goinsleeper said:


> Netflix on almost any connection has issues. I have over a 25 meg connection (steady) and I lose hd on Netflix all the time. It can last 20 minutes at a time where it just bumps up and down. This at 1 in the morning and speedtest showing perfect connection speed and latency. D* On Demand has never given me any issues, though, I will say, some of the providers broadcast in 24 fps but the On Demand version of the same thing seems to be lacking on frame rate. At least it does on my 240hz Sammy.


The only time I've EVER had issues with Netflix rebuffering was if there was a problem with my internet feed of my own hardware. Happens VERY infrequently (seldom enough that I'd like to say never)....rebooting a router usually takes care of it.

I've got 20mbps service and I stream Netflix over my wireless system, through the wireless CCK of my whole house system to my PS3. Speed test on my PS3 normally shows I'm getting about 13mbps over my wireless N network, perfect for streaming HD content with 5.1DD surround sound without any rebuffering or stuttering, or retraining resolution.

If you're having issues, checking internet speed at your PC isn't much help. When I've had issues (like I said, VERY seldom) my internet speed can look perfect, but when I get to the end of the pipe (so to speak) I find I'm only feeding the PS3 about 500kbps....reboot of the W-CCK or the router fixes me right up.


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## Scott Kocourek (Jun 13, 2009)

TBoneit said:


> Cahoots?
> Collusion?
> 
> DirecTV has always been more willing to do whatever the providers wanted. That may be changing?


Why not be mad at Apple for not designing the iPad the way you want it?

Does Apple promise that using a jailbroken device will work will all apps developed by others? Here's an idea, if you want to use the DIRECTV app then don't jailbreak you iPad.


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## sdirv (Dec 14, 2008)

RunnerFL said:


> Yes, they can but with occasional dropouts. That's the point we're trying to make. With direct streaming you have dropouts, regardless of your connection speed, but with it going to the hard drive first there are no dropouts. DirecTV clearly prefers their customers not suffer dropouts.


This has NOT been my experience streaming content HD directly to blu-ray players, netbooks/laptops, tablets, cell phones, game platforms in my home.

As I've stated here before....in the rare cases I do have drop outs or rebuffers...something is wrong and usually a router reboot solves it. Happens so seldom that I'd love to use the word "never" to describe the frequency.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

TBoneit said:


> Well, I've always had the feeling that of the two satellite companies DirecTV went beyond what was required by the providers and Dishnetwork always pushed the limits.
> 
> Example, D* External drive will only playback attached to the DVR it stored the content from. E* External drive will playback from any DVR on the account as well as let you use multiple drives So you can build a sorted library if desired that will play as long as you are a subscriber.


Still has nothing to do with DirecTV being "in bed" with anyone.


----------



## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

TBoneit said:


> Cahoots? *No*
> Collusion?*No*
> 
> DirecTV has always been more willing to do whatever the providers wanted. That may be changing?


What proof do you have of this?


----------



## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

sdirv said:


> I can't believe how many people truly believe they have "high speed internet" and are pissed that things like netflix and VOD don't work properly for them. When looking at what sort of "high speed internet" they have.....it's 768kbps dsl, or maybe 1.5mbps service.....nowhere near fast enough to properly support the services and features they want to use.
> 
> And then of course, since they BELIEVE they have "high speed internet" (based on what their ISP has told them and advertised)......of course the problem would lay with D* or Netflix or????
> 
> ...


Very, very true...


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

sdirv said:


> This has NOT been my experience streaming content HD directly to blu-ray players, netbooks/laptops, tablets, cell phones, game platforms in my home.


Maybe, but as you pointed out you have a better Internet connection than most. The "average" user *MAY* have a 3.0mbps DSL line and that won't cut it.



sdirv said:


> As I've stated here before....in the rare cases I do have drop outs or rebuffers...something is wrong and usually a router reboot solves it. Happens so seldom that I'd love to use the word "never" to describe the frequency.


Which is it? It has not been your experience to suffer dropouts or you have rare cases of dropouts? Both can't be true. You can't say "never" because it "happens so seldom". Either it never happens or it happens very few times.


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## sdirv (Dec 14, 2008)

man_rob said:


> I have a fast internet connection, and can stream HD video instantly from other sources and devices. So no, it's not my internet connection.


Define "fast"......

And be aware that "fast" internet connections are not always capable of sustaining those speeds for long periods of time under constant demand. Some are, but many are not.

And what does your infrastructure "look like" inside your home??

AS I started plugging more streaming devices into my system, I not only upgraded my internet service from 12mbps to 20 mbps but I also had to upgrade my wireless systems from G to N for the higher speeds and range within my home.


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## sdirv (Dec 14, 2008)

RunnerFL said:


> No one's Internet connection is perfect all the time, or always "as advertised". There are many factors that can make a "fast Internet connection" slow from time to time.


Yep.....and a quick, "standard" speed test can show you've got high speed while a longer, sustained test can show that same connection the speed to slow to a crawl......

I'm just sayin'


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

sdirv said:


> The only time I've EVER had issues with Netflix rebuffering was if there was a problem with my internet feed of my own hardware. Happens VERY infrequently (seldom enough that I'd like to say never)....rebooting a router usually takes care of it.
> 
> I've got 20mbps service and I stream Netflix over my wireless system, through the wireless CCK of my whole house system to my PS3. Speed test on my PS3 normally shows I'm getting about 13mbps over my wireless N network, perfect for streaming HD content with 5.1DD surround sound without any rebuffering or stuttering, or retraining resolution.
> 
> If you're having issues, checking internet speed at your PC isn't much help. When I've had issues (like I said, VERY seldom) my internet speed can look perfect, but when I get to the end of the pipe (so to speak) I find I'm only feeding the PS3 about 500kbps....reboot of the W-CCK or the router fixes me right up.


I've had no issues streaming anything other than Netflix. I brought up speed testing on my computer because it and my WD Live Media Center are the only wirelessly connected devices where as my Directv, Samsung tv, Samsung blu-ray and Logitech Revue are all hard wired to my Asus RT-N56 router. Granted I can set the priorities with my router and may try changing that as its set to gaming and sometimes change to ftp connection. Either way, I only have any issue with Netflix. Oddly enough, it's not all the time. It's either non-existent or every 2 minutes that it wants to change the resolution. This is at the same time of day though. Monday at 2am it may run great. The following Monday at 2am it changes resolution 15 times per 30 minutes show.


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## sdirv (Dec 14, 2008)

RunnerFL said:


> Maybe, but as you pointed out you have a better Internet connection than most. The "average" user *MAY* have a 3.0mbps DSL line and that won't cut it.


Yes, I have a better connection than most, but the fact that the "average" user doesn't have a faster connection available to them doesn't make services like Netflix or D*'s VOD the root of the problem.

People can't blame the service if their infrastructure isn't capable of supporting it.



RunnerFL said:


> Which is it? It has not been your experience to suffer dropouts or you have rare cases of dropouts? Both can't be true. You can't say "never" because it "happens so seldom". Either it never happens or it happens very few times.


Both can be true....I was replying to a post in which someone (was it you??) described dropouts and rebuffers as a normal occurrence. I replied that my experience was otherwise.....that I didn't have those problems.

Since nothing is perfect, I was unable to say that I NEVER had dropouts, but the frequency of the problems I have is so seldom that I'd like to be able to use the word "never".

In the last three years I've experience dropouts twice. Once was when a powerline adapter I was using to transport my internet from my router to my home theater failed. The second time (after I'd upgraded my system to use a W-CCK over a wireless N network) was when my router needed a reboot.

So...unless I have a pretty specific hardware issue, my experience is that I NEVER have dropouts, rebuffers, retrains in resolution.

Is that good enough for you?? I'd prefer not to "argue" semantics here.


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## sdirv (Dec 14, 2008)

goinsleeper said:


> I've had no issues streaming anything other than Netflix. I brought up speed testing on my computer because it and my WD Live Media Center are the only wirelessly connected devices where as my Directv, Samsung tv, Samsung blu-ray and Logitech Revue are all hard wired to my Asus RT-N56 router. Granted I can set the priorities with my router and may try changing that as its set to gaming and sometimes change to ftp connection. Either way, I only have any issue with Netflix. Oddly enough, it's not all the time. It's either non-existent or every 2 minutes that it wants to change the resolution. This is at the same time of day though. Monday at 2am it may run great. The following Monday at 2am it changes resolution 15 times per 30 minutes show.


Here's a little trick I learned after I got my Droid...

Wireless routers have (usually) 10 to 14 channels. Depending on where you live, or what other equipment you have in your home....the default channel on your wireless router my be experiencing interference, which will slow down it's speed.

I've got an app on my phone that looks at the channels my router is using and tells me which channel is the best quality. I go to my router and tell it to use THAT channel instead of the default channel 6, which everyone else in the neighborhood seems to be using.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

sdirv said:


> Yes, I have a better connection than most, but the fact that the "average" user doesn't have a faster connection available to them doesn't make services like Netflix or D*'s VOD the root of the problem.
> 
> People can't blame the service if their infrastructure isn't capable of supporting it.


I realize that. That's my point as well.



sdirv said:


> Both can be true....


No they can't. The terms "Never" and "Seldom" contradict each other. Saying "Never" and "Seldom" can both be true is like saying black can also be called white.


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

sdirv said:


> I'd prefer not to "argue" semantics here.


+1.

Especially when irrelevant, move on.


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

sdirv said:


> I can't believe how many people truly believe they have "high speed internet" and are pissed that things like netflix and VOD don't work properly for them. When looking at what sort of "high speed internet" they have.....it's 768kbps dsl, or maybe 1.5mbps service.....nowhere near fast enough to properly support the services and features they want to use.


That "high speed internet" is, by definition, high speed internet. 768kbs compared to 56kbs is very fast. Compared to modern day speeds, 768kbs seems slow but was the first move toward higher speeds.

In the same reguards, 720p is high definition though looks somewhat standard compared to 1080p and higher.

I will agree that "high speed internet" has become very generic terminology, and it does seem that most providers put the internet speed requirements in the fine print. Most Americans do not know what high speeds are in the technical lingo and probably never will, so they do not understand the numbers in the fine print to begin with.

Looking forward to seeing what kind of data plans come with the new WildBlue services later this year. Between satelite internet and 4gLTE raising the bar on wireless connection speeds, DSL is going to have some issues keeping subs in the future.


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## RACJ2 (Aug 2, 2008)

TBoneit said:


> Well, I've always had the feeling that of the two satellite companies DirecTV went beyond what was required by the providers and Dishnetwork always pushed the limits.
> 
> Example, D* External drive will only playback attached to the DVR it stored the content from. E* External drive will playback from any DVR on the account as well as let you use multiple drives So you can build a sorted library if desired that will play as long as you are a subscriber.


It would be nice to be able to attach your external drive to any DIRECTV dvr. I'm sure they are trying to prevent something like this happening. Someone that pays for the premium channels, records several movies. Then they let their friend that only has the entertainment package, borrow the drive, attach it to their dvr and watch premium programming for free. That takes potential revenue out of DIRECTV's pocket.


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## RACJ2 (Aug 2, 2008)

goinsleeper said:


> That "high speed internet" is, by definition, high speed internet. 768kbs compared to 56kbs is very fast. Compared to modern day speeds, 768kbs seems slow but was the first move toward higher speeds.
> 
> In the same reguards, 720p is high definition though looks somewhat standard compared to 1080p and higher.
> 
> ...


I know most here think the word "cable" is taboo, but you left that option off your list. I switched my ISP service to TW cable and have 20 mbps. And over wireless just ran a speed test and getting 17.6 mbps. And if I wanted to pony up $100/mo, I could get 50 mpbs service. And as you mentioned about what might start happening, I just dropped AT&T DSL. That's because the fastest service I could get was 6 mbps, which typically gave me speeds of 5 mbps.


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## TigersFanJJ (Feb 17, 2006)

RACJ2 said:


> I know most here think the word "cable" is taboo, but you left that option off your list. I switched my ISP service to TW cable and have 20 mbps. And over wireless just ran a speed test and getting 17.6 mbps. And if I wanted to pony up $100/mo, I could get 50 mpbs service. And as you mentioned about what might start happening, I just dropped AT&T DSL. That's because the fastest service I could get was 6 mbps, which typically gave me speeds of 5 mbps.


Same here. I switched from Uverse to Suddenlink cable almost a year ago. Paying for 20Mbps but my speeds stay rock solid at 45Mbps wired and a little more than 30 on the devices that are connected wirelessly. I could get 107Mbps for $107/month, but that's hard to justify when I can run everything at the same time and still play the xbox online without any issues. That's something I couldn't do with Uverse.


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

RACJ2 said:


> I know most here think the word "cable" is taboo, but you left that option off your list. I switched my ISP service to TW cable and have 20 mbps. And over wireless just ran a speed test and getting 17.6 mbps. And if I wanted to pony up $100/mo, I could get 50 mpbs service. And as you mentioned about what might start happening, I just dropped AT&T DSL. That's because the fastest service I could get was 6 mbps, which typically gave me speeds of 5 mbps.


I only neglected cable internet because of the relevance to the previous post. I have comcast with their 25 meg connection and I get right at 25. They changed the area to DOCSIS 3 about 18 months ago and with my DOCSIS 3 modem and ASUS RT-N56 (only paying for 20meg connection at the time) I had a steady 43 meg connection speed. Apparently they caught on. They raised my bill $18 dollars and said I now have a 25meg connection speed and the 20 is no longer offered. And now my speeds reflect the package I pay for, though the price went up and speeds went down.

As soon as fiber optics are available, I'm out! It'll take about 6 months though.


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

TigersFanJJ said:


> Same here. I switched from Uverse to Suddenlink cable almost a year ago. Paying for 20Mbps but my speeds stay rock solid at 45Mbps wired and a little more than 30 on the devices that are connected wirelessly. I could get 107Mbps for $107/month, but that's hard to justify when I can run everything at the same time and still play the xbox online without any issues. That's something I couldn't do with Uverse.


107 megs for $107?! I would be all over that! The 100meg connection here is over $200. So envious right now...


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## TigersFanJJ (Feb 17, 2006)

goinsleeper said:


> 107 megs for $107?! I would be all over that! The 100meg connection here is over $200. So envious right now...


A good friend of mine has it and it's nice.....for what he uses it for. It's not unusual for him to have friends over there running 5 or more xboxes on it at once. Personally, I wouldn't want that many of my friends in my home at once. :lol:


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## sdirv (Dec 14, 2008)

RunnerFL said:


> The terms "Never" and "Seldom" contradict each other. Saying "Never" and "Seldom" can both be true is like saying black can also be called white.


Groan......:nono2:


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

You know the expressions: "Never say 'never'"! 

And "Seldom say 'seldom'".

A distinction needs to be made. Thanks, Runner.


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## TBoneit (Jul 27, 2006)

Scott Kocourek said:


> Why not be mad at Apple for not designing the iPad the way you want it?
> 
> Does Apple promise that using a jailbroken device will work will all apps developed by others? Here's an idea, if you want to use the DIRECTV app then don't jailbreak you iPad.


I'm not mad at Apple I just don't use any Apple devices. The only ones I know of in the entire family are two Ipods and they were won as prizes. If they were not won in drawings they would not have been bought.

No Tablets either of any brand.

That Apple is a control freak about their devices is a good reason not to buy along with the cost.



RunnerFL said:


> What proof do you have of this?


When I had both services years ago and I wanted locals, back before they rolled them out everywhere. D* said sorry, E* gave me NYC and LA.

That cost E* in the long run but they were more prone to push the limits.



RACJ2 said:


> It would be nice to be able to attach your external drive to any DIRECTV dvr. I'm sure they are trying to prevent something like this happening. Someone that pays for the premium channels, records several movies. Then they let their friend that only has the entertainment package, borrow the drive, attach it to their dvr and watch premium programming for free. That takes potential revenue out of DIRECTV's pocket.


That isn't the fear at all. From My understanding of it. All content moved to the Dishnetwork external is encrypted. The drive as I understand it only works on DVRs that are on the same account using a Key tied to that specific account.
DirecTV could do that to by locking the drive to only work on a specific account, Instead they tie it to the DVR so that when that DVR dies the contents are lost. I'm speculating now that it may be done that way since the external replaces the internal with DirecTV rather than working along with the internal like Dish does.



goinsleeper said:


> 107 megs for $107?! I would be all over that! The 100meg connection here is over $200. So envious right now...


My Cable company offers Ultimate 101meg for $100 a month.



sdirv said:


> The only time I've EVER had issues with Netflix rebuffering was if there was a problem with my internet feed of my own hardware. Happens VERY infrequently (seldom enough that I'd like to say never)....rebooting a router usually takes care of it.
> 
> I've got 20mbps service and I stream Netflix over my wireless system, through the wireless CCK of my whole house system to my PS3. Speed test on my PS3 normally shows I'm getting about 13mbps over my wireless N network, perfect for streaming HD content with 5.1DD surround sound without any rebuffering or stuttering, or retraining resolution.
> 
> If you're having issues, checking internet speed at your PC isn't much help. When I've had issues (like I said, VERY seldom) my internet speed can look perfect, but when I get to the end of the pipe (so to speak) I find I'm only feeding the PS3 about 500kbps....reboot of the W-CCK or the router fixes me right up.


If I'm reading it right you are saying you lose 1/3 of the internet speed by being wireless? I only run wired on a Gigabit network at home. I'll go so far as to say that the first thing I did when I upgraded the router to one with Gigabit ports was go into the configuration and turn off the wireless. I had no problem getting wires to all three floors. Includes the basement wher ethe Modem, router and switch are. I may be lucky in that the old hot air ducts were left in the walls when the conversion to baseboard was done.

They do make handy wire chases to go from the basement to every room.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

TBoneit said:


> When I had both services years ago and I wanted locals, back before they rolled them out everywhere. D* said sorry, E* gave me NYC and LA.
> 
> That cost E* in the long run but they were more prone to push the limits.


Still not proof that DirecTV is "in bed" with anyone.


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## cypherx (Aug 27, 2010)

I think our very own P Smith did a little research and found that many of the HD set tops like the H24 for example has 1GB of memory.

I think 1GB should be enough to stage a buffer to do instant streaming on demand. It would be great for DirecTV to bring on demand into more rooms for better exposure and also potential revenue generation with paid content from DirecTV Cinema on Demand.

Lets take a hard drive less BD Player or even a Nintendo Wii for example. Both can do Netflix instant streaming. I'm not sure how much memory is in various BD Players, but the Wii has 512mb (half that of an H24 if P Smith is right). Add in the various game saves and downloadable content you can install on the Wii, and you have even less storage space... but somehow Netflix still works.

I have no problem with the current model of "Download on Demand". Great way to "queue up" and save a list of VOD titles for watching later. However bringing quicker VOD access and into other non-dvr rooms would really improve the feature offerings. Of course that would mean the software needs to do a speed check and verify that the connection is good to enable the feature. Also DirecTV would need to employ some CDN's for fast, distributed and cached access to regional edge servers where the user's ISP can find the fastest route. Limelight Networks or Level3 are 2 very successful players they could partner with.

When you have all this content cached and served from CDN's, you can then truely offer a "DirecTV Everywhere" offering. The same VOD content available on a tablet, phone, pc, xbox, or regular HD set top box in another room.


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## RACJ2 (Aug 2, 2008)

TBoneit said:


> ....That isn't the fear at all. From My understanding of it. All content moved to the Dishnetwork external is encrypted. The drive as I understand it only works on DVRs that are on the same account using a Key tied to that specific account.
> DirecTV could do that to by locking the drive to only work on a specific account, Instead they tie it to the DVR so that when that DVR dies the contents are lost. I'm speculating now that it may be done that way since the external replaces the internal with DirecTV rather than working along with the internal like Dish does.


It could still be DIRECTV's fear, they may have just gone down an easier path to prevent someone from lending their external drive to a friend. Maybe they just haven't seen a need to use additional programming resource to make it work like DISH. Especially since out of the 26 million customers, I'll bet only a small percentage use an external hard drive. I don't have any.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

cypherx said:


> I think our very own P Smith did a little research and found that many of the HD set tops like the H24 for example has 1GB of memory.
> 
> I think 1GB should be enough to stage a buffer to do instant streaming on demand.


And where would you keep the guide data??


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## sdirv (Dec 14, 2008)

Laxguy said:


> You know the expressions: "Never say 'never'"!
> 
> And "Seldom say 'seldom'".
> 
> A distinction needs to be made. Thanks, Runner.


And, even here, spelling and grammar flames suck......


----------



## cypherx (Aug 27, 2010)

RunnerFL said:


> And where would you keep the guide data??


Back when I was a renter vs a homeowner, I had Comcast. The first DVR I had was a Motorola DCT-6412 which only had 128mb of ram and 64mb of flash. It had no issue containing guide data for 12 days. Granted it was (and still is) a very rudimentary 16 color basic UI with no poster art or anything, but still that is a fraction of the data. The hard drive was only 120GB and none of the guide data was saved on the drive. If you power cycled it, all guide data was lost for literally HOURS. That was always a major complaint across many user forums online.

Plus none of the poster art or "My DirecTV" is even on the H21/22/23/24. They could theoretically do that stuff if they utilized the internet for data. The screen would be nothing more than a glorified web browser with certain key images cached, much like the Xfinity X1 platform that is starting to slowly roll out:


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

cypherx said:


> Back when I was a renter vs a homeowner, I had Comcast. The first DVR I had was a Motorola DCT-6412 which only had 128mb of ram and 64mb of flash. It had no issue containing guide data for 12 days. Granted it was (and still is) a very rudimentary 16 color basic UI with no poster art or anything, but still that is a fraction of the data. The hard drive was only 120GB and none of the guide data was saved on the drive. If you power cycled it, all guide data was lost for literally HOURS. That was always a major complaint across many user forums online.
> 
> Plus none of the poster art or "My DirecTV" is even on the H21/22/23/24. They could theoretically do that stuff if they utilized the internet for data. The screen would be nothing more than a glorified web browser with certain key images cached, much like the Xfinity X1 platform that is starting to slowly roll out:


You're failing to see the point here. Take a few steps back and look at the entire forest instead of just the one tree you're standing in front of.

You want VOD/Streaming on your H24/25, I get that. You think you've found a way that DirecTV can do this by using the, potentially, 1GB of flash memory in the H2X's. What you're not seeing is that flash memory is already in use to store the guide data.

I don't know about you but on my H24/25 I'd rather have guide data than VOD/Streaming. If you want VOD/Streaming get a DVR.


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## TBoneit (Jul 27, 2006)

RACJ2 said:


> It could still be DIRECTV's fear, they may have just gone down an easier path to prevent someone from lending their external drive to a friend. Maybe they just haven't seen a need to use additional programming resource to make it work like DISH. Especially since out of the 26 million customers, I'll bet only a small percentage use an external hard drive. I don't have any.


That low usage could be because of the limited utility of an external drive.

But if you could archive to the external drive, move it to any DVR on the account and play the content, and choose to record to the internal or external drive when setting a timer. Then a simple little blurb in the bill and maybe a promo channel advertising the cool new feature.

*Disclaimer:* The quote below is not a current feature set it is more of a wishlist.


> Attach a external drive and be able to move content to any DVR on your account.
> No more losing your shows due to upgrading your DVR.
> Store your videos on the external drive and if your DVR dies your content is safe.
> Note for ultimate content safety a external drive with mirroring is required.
> Maybe even make a NAS device work. Sort of an alternative to MRV but with control of what the other DVRs can see. Thus only what is on the NAS could be accessible everywhere. That would allow private content on the DVR and shared (public) on the NAS.


Would not a feature list such as that make a external drive more desirable?

As currently configured a external drive has limited appeal. No matter how big it is people will fill it up and run out of room. for some people a DVR drive is like a closet, no matter how big it is they fill it.

My usage of a DVR is capture and release. I record it, watch it and delete it. I've seen it so in general I don't need a huge drive. Anything I really want to keep I capture to the computer and put on a BluRay blank and erase it from the DVR and the Computer.


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## cypherx (Aug 27, 2010)

RunnerFL said:


> If you want VOD/Streaming get a DVR.


I have a DVR. It's in the living room.

So if twice the amount of memory than a video game system still can't stream... why not utilize my deca cloud and the resources in my home? Think of my HR24 as network attached storage then. The non-dvr's obviously know about this storage, as MRV works fine for me. So why can't they utilize this resource to pull down VOD screens and allow for selection and playback of VOD content? Sure you could walk into the other room do a search and download content, then walk back to the other room and play it.... But I'm thinking more of a "terminal services / citrix / vnc" approach where you can actually initiate the content from other rooms.

Doesn't sound impossible to me. In fact if we immediately disregard an idea as impossible and not even explore it, we wouldn't have any innovation or the technology that we have today. How does that apply to this topic? It's DirecTV VOD Everywhere. A DVR room, a regular HD set top room, a tablet, a laptop, a smartphone, etc... You pay the bill, you watch it where and how you want.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

cypherx said:


> I have a DVR. It's in the living room.


Then you have VOD. 



cypherx said:


> So if twice the amount of memory than a video game system still can't stream... why not utilize my deca cloud and the resources in my home?


That's not a bad idea but might be a big resource hog, who knows. Who knows what DirecTV may/may not already have planned?



cypherx said:


> Think of my HR24 as network attached storage then.


We don't have to think of it as such, it already is. Download VOD to your HR24 then watch it on your H24/H25. Bingo, VOD on your H24/H25!


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

Since this topic was actually about "DirecTv Everywhere or not everywhere" and has gone slightly off topic, I just saw a DTV commercial for D.T.E. and I must say, after watching it twice I found it to be quite "misleading." The impression it leaves you with (especially for it's intended target, the NON-subscriber) is just a bit off.

Yea folks, I'm sure the lawyers have combed it with a fine tooth comb for "truth in advertising" but still, just a tad bit misleading and just might leave you with the wrong impression.


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## wahooq (Oct 19, 2011)

it makes me angry


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## e500 (Aug 31, 2007)

DirecTV Everywhere ≠ all live channels received + recordings, anywhere

Slingbox Pr0 HD = all live channels received + recordings, anywhere


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## inf0z (Oct 16, 2011)

domingos35 said:


> :rotfl: to the "Some DirecTv, Someplaces" comment
> once again DISH is way ahead in that department


Ignore List
domingos35

One less useless troll post I have to read on every thread.
Quality of life improved!

On that note, yes this technology is still in beta. Give it time, I have heard good things are coming.


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## wahooq (Oct 19, 2011)

dude IKR...he trolls his own forums to so...*shrugs*


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