On Demand Pause and Restart

[number.cruncher]

Tried on demand for the first time on the TVDrive/V+HD. Nice system, and decent DVD-quality feed.

However, you can't fast forward at more than roughly 2x, and when you stop viewing it, you have to restart from the beginning. For the system to compete with DVD rental (which I assume at £3.50 a pop), I must be able to stop the film, and start again later from roughly the same point. Remember VHS?

At the very least, fast forward should be faster.

Am I missing something obvious?

[monkey2468]

You need to press fast forward a few times to 32x speed. It should also give you the choice of where you want the start point to be when you go back into the asset. ie last point viewed.

[number.cruncher]

That's what I tried - I can do this for anything I've recorded locally, just not for "On Demand" stuff, which must be streamed from the server end.

---------- Post added at 18:08 ---------- Previous post was at 16:19 ----------

Anyone else unable to fast forward "On Demand" content?

[Googleflump]

Originally Posted by number.cruncher

That's what I tried - I can do this for anything I've recorded locally, just not for "On Demand" stuff, which must be streamed from the server end.

---------- Post added at 18:08 ---------- Previous post was at 16:19 ----------

Anyone else unable to fast forward "On Demand" content?

I agree, 32x FF is only available when you're watching something you've recorded. The OnDemand stuff (when it used to work for me!) was roughly 5x FF maximum, with no means of remembering your place if you stop and go back to it later.

Best fix would indeed be to increase the FF speed, not sure if this will happen though because as far as I know it has always been like this

[Peter Litler]

Using VOD isn't the same as playing a DVD.
The bit rate used for VOD is much less than the maximum a DVD can achieve, so the picture quality can end up looking lower.
VOD can't playback at variable speeds because it doesn't really increase the speed at all.
What it actually does is to access another file that contains a fixed fast speed version of the programme.
When normal play is resumed, it accesses the same point on the normal speed file that was reached upon the fast speed file.

VOD restarts from the beginning if you stop viewing the programme, because the system's resources have to be shared between customers.
This explains why when VOD is held in pause for too long, an on-screen message will appear asking if you wish to continue viewing the programme.
If you click on "continue" it should then re-access the programme on the VOD server.

So there are still advantages in viewing programmes from off DVD.

[number.cruncher]

Originally Posted by Peter Litler

When normal play is resumed, it accesses the same point on the normal speed file that was reached upon the fast speed file.

Thanks for the info. Okay, I can live with the fixed FF speed given the technical differences between sources, but why can't the TVDrive store the current offset when you press stop and access the same point on the server's file when you restart it the next day?

I realise this requires more than "PLAY" or "STOP" to be sent from client to server, but not much.

Anyone know of an "official" location to post feature requests?

[jamiehorrocksuk]

anyone know what catch up programmes are listed today?

[1701-e]

Originally Posted by number.cruncher

Tried on demand for the first time on the TVDrive/V+HD. Nice system, and decent DVD-quality feed.

However, you can't fast forward at more than roughly 2x, and when you stop viewing it, you have to restart from the beginning. For the system to compete with DVD rental (which I assume at £3.50 a pop), I must be able to stop the film, and start again later from roughly the same point. Remember VHS?

At the very least, fast forward should be faster.

Am I missing something obvious?

AFAIK the FREE content doesn't mark your last location but when I had the Sammy prior to the V+ any PURCHASED movie had a marker i.e. if I stopped a movie during the end credits, then if i wanted to watch it again i would be asked if i wanted to resume from where i left off or from the start.

[number.cruncher]

Originally Posted by 1701-e

AFAIK the FREE content doesn't mark your last location but when I had the Sammy prior to the V+ any PURCHASED movie had a marker i.e. if I stopped a movie during the end credits, then if i wanted to watch it again i would be asked if i wanted to resume from where i left off or from the start.

That's what I was expecting, but not what happened with "Pirates of the Caribbean". (Which certainly wasn't FREE, or all that good - but that's another story )