TiVo : BBC iplayer problem

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by Gavin-D

In relation to a post by uk_viewer on VM's support forum Kath F posted this

Hi uk_viewer,

Thanks for your post.

I'm sorry to hear that you are having issues with this.

We are aware of many people having an issue with the service but after speaking with the BBC, any known issue has been resolved. They have suggested this is down to an individual fault.

http://community.virginmedia.com/t5/...458619#M101335

This admission on the VM support forum is very useful and should assist customers to have their concerns taken seriously.

However, I think that this will not be properly resolved until the VM update has been rolled out and the new BBC i-Player is installed on the Tivos later this year.

[japitts]

One thing I'm increasingly curious by though, and probably wouldn't have been but for this issue.

For some people, it seems there is no problem whatsoever with TiVo streaming apps, for others it seems all but unusable. Personally, HD at peak times is prone to stuttering, but otherwise it's generally ok.

However... anyone who's saying it's unusable, consistently says that using their normal VM broadband but watching via other routes (PC, xbox etc) is fine. So... if the TiVos have dedicated modems built in which should be quite capable of the speeds required.. HD is, what, 3-4Mb/s, SD nearer 2.. does this mean the TiVo traffic is routed differently over the network once it goes "down the pipe".. it must be?

[spiderplant]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

However, I think that this will not be properly resolved until the VM update has been rolled out and the new BBC i-Player is installed on the Tivos later this year.

It's not software related. The problems are all down to network congestion, which explains why it only affects some people.

Originally Posted by japitts

does this mean the TiVo traffic is routed differently over the network once it goes "down the pipe".. it must be?

The majority of modems use DOCSIS3 and the majority of TiVos use DOCSIS1, so they are using different frequencies and talking to different equipment in the hubsite. One can be congested and the other not.

[andy_m]

Originally Posted by spiderplant

It's not software related. The problems are all down to network congestion, which explains why it only affects some people.


The majority of modems use DOCSIS3 and the majority of TiVos use DOCSIS1, so they are using different frequencies and talking to different equipment in the hubsite. One can be congested and the other not.

So it's not network congestion, it's that TiVo is using a congested part of the network, in simple terms?

I've twice this week found iPlayer unusable through my new TiVo, a problem I never before experienced before the box swap. Every other device I've used - because the TiVo has been dreadful - has been faultless.

---------- Post added at 11:36 ---------- Previous post was at 11:23 ----------

Incidentally, my Anywhere app no longer seems able to display my shows, saying it can't find my new TiVo on the network, despite correctly displaying its name and storage % used elsewhere in the app.

---------- Post added at 12:17 ---------- Previous post was at 11:36 ----------

Anyone having problems this survey http://community.virginmedia.com/t5/...n/td-p/2375611 is on the help and support forum. I've filled it out. According to Virgin the Beeb are saying that there are no issues, but Virgin are well aware that this isn't the case so are trying to collect information to back this up and have the issue re-raised as a fault. Best to work with them, I would say...

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by spiderplant

It's not software related. The problems are all down to network congestion, which explains why it only affects some people.

Thank you for that clarification, spiderplant.

However, I'm still a little confused. I have had quite a few issues with the i-Player at times - mainly when watching in HD, but Netflix works fine, with no stuttering or anything, and the picture is good too.

Why is this congestion affecting one app and not the other? And given that congestion is the problem, have Virgin got any plans to deal with this in terms of capacity or better technology?

[Gavin-D]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

Thank you for that clarification, spiderplant.

However, I'm still a little confused. I have had quite a few issues with the i-Player at times - mainly when watching in HD, but Netflix works fine, with no stuttering or anything, and the picture is good too.

Why is this congestion affecting one app and not the other? And given that congestion is the problem, have Virgin got any plans to deal with this in terms of capacity or better technology?

The problem we still have is VM are blaming the beeb and the beeb are saying its VM's fault

Kath_F posted this last night on the support forum

Hi all,

Thanks for your posts.

Huw is working hard on getting this issue re raised and his doing his best to get this resolved.

It's the BBC who have advised us there is no issue and that we should be investigating individual issues. We disagree and as such have set up the survey here to see how many people are actually having problems.

Huw is collecting all information ready to present to the team the number of people having this problem without any issues on their lines.

http://community.virginmedia.com/t5/...459931#M101438

So until they stop blaming each other and find a solution this will not get resolved

[andy_m]

Surely an admission that there is at least a problem is a start? Everyone should fill out the survey if they're having problems.

[spiderplant]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

I have had quite a few issues with the i-Player at times - mainly when watching in HD, but Netflix works fine, with no stuttering or anything, and the picture is good too.

Why is this congestion affecting one app and not the other? And given that congestion is the problem

Netflix seems more tolerant. I suspect they have a wider range of bit-rates available, and may also use a bigger buffer in the STB which helps hide the problem.

have Virgin got any plans to deal with this in terms of capacity or better technology?

Yes, network upgrades happen continually.

[jb66]

I reckon the bandwidth is fluctuating and the netflix app has a bigger buffer to cope with it

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by spiderplant

Netflix seems more tolerant. I suspect they have a wider range of bit-rates available, and may also use a bigger buffer in the STB which helps hide the problem.


Yes, network upgrades happen continually.

In which case, I live in hope that the big upgrade we are expecting later this autumn will resolve this issue. It really doesn't show VM in a good light, so the sooner it is sorted, the better.

---------- Post added at 12:26 ---------- Previous post was at 12:24 ----------

Originally Posted by jb66

I reckon the bandwidth is fluctuating and the netflix app has a bigger buffer to cope with it

Additionally, the quality of the picture on Netflix can adjust to the bandwidth, so maybe this increased sophistication is what sets it apart from the BBC i-Player.

[Gavin-D]

After months of problems the service status page has the following

You might find that some of your apps such as iPlayer & Youtube are either a bit slow to load or Freezing/Buffering at the moment on your TiVo® service.

Fault Reported on : 09:47AM Tuesday 7 October

We have identified the problem and an engineer is on their way.

Estimated Fix time: 06:00PM Thursday 9 October - though this was Tuesday, then yesterday and now today so basically it keeps changing

[japitts]

Gavin,

I've had the same. The fault log in my case is a different one to that given by VM Support on their forum - but the text is exactly the same, as is the (current) fix time.

I'm in North-Bristol fringe.

[Gavin-D]

Originally Posted by japitts

Gavin,

I've had the same. The fault log in my case is a different one to that given by VM Support on their forum - but the text is exactly the same, as is the (current) fix time.

I'm in North-Bristol fringe.

Maybe we are finally getting somewhere after months of problems, saying that I used the iplayer last night and it played fine even in HD

[Gavin-D]

All clear on the service status page only time will tell whether the iplayer is fixed

[Mad Max]

It's basically pretty crap imo, can only hope theses updates resolve the problems, doesn't shed a very good light on Virgin though.