video on demand delayed

[jcrandall]

Everyone fire up your MP3 player:
Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion

Summary of this thread
Nuff Said.

 

[mikew]

Well...here's the "Joe Sixpack" answer you'll recieve if you e-mail DirecTV asking about VOD>..

Thanks for writing about your account and services. In review of your DIRECTV account, I see that you have been with us for over a year now and we would like to let you know that we appreciate your continued support. I'm sorry if you were misinformed, but the Video On Demand feature is not available with our HD-DVR and/or Plus DVR receivers.

While we don't offer the same Video On Demand service like other providers, a DIRECTV Plus DVR or HD-DVR receiver alike, offers you more convenience and more control of your viewing experience for about the same price (or less) than Video On Demand from a cable provider.

With a DIRECTV Plus DVR or HD-DVR receiver, you can choose from any program in your DIRECTV service, not just specific movies. You control what you watch, and when you watch it, using easy to use functions on your remote control.

For more information and answers to all of your DVR questions, visit our web site at directv.com/plus.

However, we're always looking for ways to enhance our services, and customer feedback is very important to us. I have forwarded your comments on to DIRECTV Management.

We often make changes to our service based on customer requests, and we conduct customer surveys on a regular basis to get feedback and new ideas.

Thanks again for writing and stay tuned to directv.com for the latest news and information about our services.




So..it makes me wonder. If they haven't thought about this newfangled video on demand thing...maybe I should explain it to them...might even get a royalty fee for my idea.

 

[charper1]

I somewhat agree with other posters before and the above statement (even thought they will not stick to it). The VoD is a fad and/or buzz phrase of the moment and simply a sneaky way to make us pay for mostly rehashed material over and over again; just like buying mix CDs of material 10 - 30 years old or older. I want live or new 1st run content above all else along with my DVR, otherwise I can do a premium chnl, PPV (also with my DVR) or a DVD rental when I want to see something else in a commercial free, multi-channel audio format.

And VoD vs PPV? why do I need the ability to start the content every second, any second of the day or night, vs just doing every half or top hour like PPV now? I really don't see the huge need or advantage of VoD past being able to say "hey we offer that too just like X, Y or Z does". Especially if this costs me more in fees and hogs bandwidth and/or my DVR HDD space.

Help me out; as of now I could care less if this ever come to fruition.

 

[mikew]

What hightened my desire for VOD was seeing it at my son's house. He has Charter cable with HBO and Cinemax. It's nice to pick movies from the VOD list without having to keep several movies on your hard drive. There is the potential for resolving schedule conflicts. From what I've read in the past, NBC is online to provide some programming. Whether it is rehashes of the rehashed Law and Order franchise or new programming is yet to be seen.

 

[Brewer4]

I wanna use VOD if I miss a recording which has happened in the past (power out, local channel screwed up or signal dropped, DVR conflict or lockup, etc.). Not very often but its a nice insurance thing. I've had to go to ABC.com a few times last year but had to hook up my laptop to the TV screen to watch a few episodes. I used Xbox Live a couple of times as well and thought this is kinda cool.

 

[bonscott87]

I somewhat agree with other posters before and the above statement (even thought they will not stick to it). The VoD is a fad and/or buzz phrase of the moment and simply a sneaky way to make us pay for mostly rehashed material over and over again; just like buying mix CDs of material 10 - 30 years old or older. I want live or new 1st run content above all else along with my DVR, otherwise I can do a premium chnl, PPV (also with my DVR) or a DVD rental when I want to see something else in a commercial free, multi-channel audio format.

And VoD vs PPV? why do I need the ability to start the content every second, any second of the day or night, vs just doing every half or top hour like PPV now? I really don't see the huge need or advantage of VoD past being able to say "hey we offer that too just like X, Y or Z does". Especially if this costs me more in fees and hogs bandwidth and/or my DVR HDD space.

Help me out; as of now I could care less if this ever come to fruition.

The reason they are doing VOD can be simply because everyone else is doing it including Dish Network. Survey's indicate that people use VOD and like it. Thus DirecTV is investing in it.

I don't know how much use I'll have for it but I have a couple examples:
1) Power went out and I missed Heroes last night. I can go to NBC VOD and download/watch Heroes in full HD vs. streaming on a computer.
2) Hey that cool new movie started last Saturday on HBO but I didn't know and it's not scheduled to be on again for 3 days but I want to watch it now. Simply go to the HBO VOD channel and select that movie and I'm watching it now vs. waiting 3 days for my DVR to catch it.

So I can see some use for it. Guess I'll find out soon enough how useful it will be.

 

[vurbano]

I guess I need VOD since every time it rains here the picture flakes out. They should give it out for free in those cases.

 

[Brewer4]

I guess I need VOD since every time it rains here the picture flakes out. They should give it out for free in those cases.

You gotta be kidding me?? Unless your dish is misaligned or you get a Noreaster, you shouldnt be getting that many rain outs. If is that much of a problem, why the hell are using a sat provider. Isnt that the big pull by the cable companies that your signal always goes when it rains?

 

[bonscott87]

I guess I need VOD since every time it rains here the picture flakes out. They should give it out for free in those cases.

Get that dish repeaked as the 5 LNB is great in storms. Gotta be huge thunderheads to the southwest to knock my signal out.

 

[Brewer4]

Its gotta rain buckets here in the Northeast for me to lose signal with an AT9. My installer was incredible. He nailed every satellite at its peak. I was amazed how much better he got my traditional 101, 119, and 110.

 

[iceturkee]

Get that dish repeaked as the 5 LNB is great in storms. Gotta be huge thunderheads to the southwest to knock my signal out.

that's what it takes to knock my signal out. we're talking about torrential downpours and winds blowing up to 40 miles per hour. and its never out more than 10 minutes.

 

[Ramy]

Its gotta rain buckets here in the Northeast for me to lose signal with an AT9. My installer was incredible. He nailed every satellite at its peak. I was amazed how much better he got my traditional 101, 119, and 110.

Yeah mine too.

 

[iwc5893]

I guess I need VOD since every time it rains here the picture flakes out. They should give it out for free in those cases.

Hell, even my triple sat dish does better than that. It takes the leading edge of a hailstorm to interfere with my signal, and I've recorded wind gusts of over 90mph here with no problems.

 

[iceturkee]

listening to second quarter webcast......they are saying vod will be released in the ``next couple of months.''

 

[bonscott87]

Yep, he said the generic "fall". Makes sense as I would assume they want the CE program to pound on it for at least a month or so before going live.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I say BRING IT ON!

Can't wait to test that one.

 

[Brewer4]

I would say significant pounding too. Its not just using that feature/function but its also regression testing the units that the new software version does not hose any existing features and functions. I can imagine us beta testing it sometime before Sept 15. Just a guess.

 

[iceturkee]

i suppose it depends on your definition of a couple of months. my guess is 2 to 3, maybe closer to 3. that would be october/november. i think beta testing, at least, 2 months before would put it close to september.

 

[Brewer4]

i suppose it depends on your definition of a couple of months. my guess is 2 to 3, maybe closer to 3. that would be october/november. i think beta testing, at least, 2 months before would put it close to september.

I think the key right now for VOD isnt when they want to release it around a date, its how stable are the Living on the Edge releases and its ready to move to the next stage. It will be the next major feature for the unit. So the more small and stable CE's we see, the better VOD has a chance of showing soon.