BBC iPlayer goes HD, time to drop STM - Page 4

cook1984 · 24-04-2009, 22:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Broadbandings

That won't help, the VM<>BBC bandwidth isn't the issue it's from the edge of VM's network to the customer's cable modem that's the issue.

If only they had fibre optic broadband.

Ignitionnet · 24-04-2009, 22:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by cook1984

If only they had fibre optic broadband.

Indeed - 2.4Gbps down and 1.2Gbps up shared between 32 / 64 homes is somewhat better on the numbers game than 38Mbps down and 4 x 8.8Mbps up shared between 500 - 1000 or more.

cook1984 · 24-05-2011, 17:57

Things have been degrading a lot over the past month or two. I get STM'ed pretty much every single night, just from other people in the household watching iPlayer.

I might upgrade to 30 meg but it will have to wait until they get modem-only mode on the SuperHubs working because I'm not replacing my Buffalo running Tomato with that rubbish.

Chrysalis · 24-05-2011, 19:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by dave6x

Interestingly back in 2005 NTL were proposing to do just that, introducing 10Mb as standard with different tiers of usage packages being made available. Of course it never did happen, far too sensible an idea!!!!

See CF news item on the proposal here:
http://www.cableforum.co.uk/article/...ed-as-standard

PAYG is a very backwards idea.

The 2 major downsides are.

light user's bring in less revenue to an isp, heavy user's pay silly money, some may say thats a good thing but wait until the day you want to download or you get the bill for your kids usage (which you didnt realise existed).

I support fixed usage limits with overage fees but not pure PAYG. Any system needs to have a subsidy system in place where people who barely use their connection pay decent amounts so there is profit to spend on investment and cover heavier users.

ADSL has almost gone to that method where by isp's all concentrate on one for all speed with the variables been usage limits and I think the adsl market is a mess as a result with very low quality services.

---------- Post added at 20:47 ---------- Previous post was at 20:45 ----------

Ironically I am surprised by this, the way the bbc have cut down the quality of F1 streaming made me think they were struggling for bandwidth yet they rollout a hd iplayer service. Watching F1 practice sessions recently is like watching a 240p youtube video.

Skie · 24-05-2011, 22:18

Erm, you do realise this is a thread from 2009. Pre superhub era! Oh those were the days....

jb66 · 24-05-2011, 22:36

Lol is ben still on the ignore list?

Chrysalis · 25-05-2011, 04:26

so if hd iplayer been here since 2009 is only on selected programmes? f1 stream has gone down in quality the past 12 months.

carlwaring · 25-05-2011, 10:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by cook1984

I think the bottom line is that VM really can't keep claiming that their service is "unlimited" now..

Except that it quite clearly is; certainly according to the industry definition of the word. If you want to try and get it changed then go right ahead

kwikbreaks · 25-05-2011, 12:54

No home broadband is going to be truly unlimited but after a year on cable I can certainly say it has a whole lot less in the way of limits than most ADSL packages I've had.

I find anything less than the highest quality iPlayer streams virtually unwatchable on my pretty average size 42" TV so avoid using iPlayer as much as possible by remembering to record anything I want to see which I can't watch when it's broadcast - old fashioned I know

.

Ignitionnet · 25-05-2011, 14:03

Oh dear God here we go again.

TJS · 25-05-2011, 14:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwikbreaks

No home broadband is going to be truly unlimited but after a year on cable I can certainly say it has a whole lot less in the way of limits than most ADSL packages I've had.

I find anything less than the highest quality iPlayer streams virtually unwatchable on my pretty average size 42" TV so avoid using iPlayer as much as possible by remembering to record anything I want to see which I can't watch when it's broadcast - old fashioned I know

.

Watch it using the STB then? it looks fine on the My TV which is 40" aswell as the 50" downstairs

Chrysalis · 25-05-2011, 14:26

iplayer is fine on my monitor, its f1 that for some reason is shown at a lesser bitrate than other programmes, live f1 that is, recorded f1 is fine.

kwikbreaks · 25-05-2011, 14:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by TJS

Watch it using the STB then?

Yes - a Foxsat. The high quality stream is acceptable but the standard one looks decidedly poor to me.

---------- Post added at 15:39 ---------- Previous post was at 15:33 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

Oh dear God here we go again.

Is that the unlimited / limited argument or one about iPlayer which I've missed in the past?

carlwaring · 25-05-2011, 21:04

A little related light relief

http://www.cad-comic.com/cad/20110525

|Kippa| · 26-05-2011, 05:07

It has been a long time since I watched iplayer on the internet. I just watched last nights Newsnight on iplayer early this morning. Is it me or have they increased the bitrate of their encodes. I remember watching the iplayer tv shows a long time ago and remember seeing a lot of blocking due to which arguably was a bitrate starved video encode. When I watched the program this morning upscaled to fullscreen there seemed to be no visible blocking what so ever.