DISH Makes Expansive HBO Content Available On Demand for Home TV Viewers

[FitzAusTex]

I just checked, and I'm also not getting all the episodes for all HBO series on my 622. Looks the same as it has since I first got access to this feature. Dish seems to put up a smattering of episodes for a smattering of HBO series. They seem to remove/rotate/replace episodes in the series folders. No Big Love, Six Feet Under, etc., for example. I clicked though all HBO series folders, and all series have one season or less. Sex in the City has two episodes period.

For Boardwalk Empire, there are 22 episodes listed in that folder today (1/25/12). What's there is Season 2 only, and half of the 22 episodes available are SD, and half are HD. The 22 episodes there should really be 24 since there are 12 episodes in Season Two. For the Season Two episodes in the folder, Episode 19 is missing the SD version, and Episode 21 is missing the HD version.

I have 10mbps internet, and it has varied as to how soon I can start an episode after pressing "Watch", but it generally seems to be a few minutes. Since the GUI is so terrible, and since not all episodes of all series are available, I just watch on my Roku.

 

[GaryPen]

Doesn't work for me on my PC, just get the "Required Plugin : Dish Online Video Optimizer" error.

We are not talking about viewing on PC, DishOnline, etc.
We are referring to the streaming programming available through the DVR by going to MyDVR, My TV Shows, Browse By Network, HBO

 

[cosmo_kramer]

I have this strong feeling that when it comes to this Dish-HBO offer it's WWSIWWG.

It's really going to be nothing more than we have had all along...

 

[GaryPen]

That would bite the proverbial big one.

 

[Yespage]

I have this strong feeling that when it comes to this Dish-HBO offer it's WWSIWWG.

It's really going to be nothing more than we have had all along...

This is a theme with Dish... do a press release, let it fester, and no matter how nice the improvement is, there is disappointment. I'd rather they synchronize the press release with the upgrade.

 

[GaryPen]

This is a theme with Dish... do a press release, let it fester, and no matter how nice the improvement is, there is disappointment. I'd rather they synchronize the press release with the upgrade.

Any normal person would prefer that. But, marketing people aren't normal, and have no idea how normal people think. They're tuned to an entirely different wavelength, in another dimension.

 

[JayStil]

I just checked, and I'm also not getting all the episodes for all HBO series on my 622. Looks the same as it has since I first got access to this feature. Dish seems to put up a smattering of episodes for a smattering of HBO series. They seem to remove/rotate/replace episodes in the series folders. No Big Love, Six Feet Under, etc., for example. I clicked though all HBO series folders, and all series have one season or less. Sex in the City has two episodes period.

For Boardwalk Empire, there are 22 episodes listed in that folder today (1/25/12). What's there is Season 2 only, and half of the 22 episodes available are SD, and half are HD. The 22 episodes there should really be 24 since there are 12 episodes in Season Two. For the Season Two episodes in the folder, Episode 19 is missing the SD version, and Episode 21 is missing the HD version.

I have 10mbps internet, and it has varied as to how soon I can start an episode after pressing "Watch", but it generally seems to be a few minutes. Since the GUI is so terrible, and since not all episodes of all series are available, I just watch on my Roku.

Yeah, I've been making my way through the episodes and came to #21 last night. Couldn't believe I had to watch it in SD.

There's also some weirdness in "My Rentals" from time to time. Have done at least a couple of episodes as "Watch Later". When I go into "My Rentals" the next day, sometimes the episode isn't there. Even though it says it will be available to watch for "4 days", etc.

It's also dumb how they list the episodes once you get into the folder. Before the graphic fills in you can see the episode number in the list on the left. Once the graphic comes up it covers the number and they all look the same. Have to get the Episode # from the large info box on the right.

 

[GaryPen]

After viewing the HBO On Demand promo that Dish DL'd to My Recordings folder, I'm more convinced than ever that what they were talking about in the press release is just the standard HBO On Demand, which is, basically, a smattering of HBO's programming, and what we've had already. (Cosmo wins. Choose anything from the middle shelf.)

The promo specifically states 140 shows, which is identical to the description on HBO's On Demand website. It also calls it "HBO On Demand", which is what scientists refer to as "the clincher".

I'm glad they offer it vs nothing. But, don't send out a press release like you're going to be getting something special, when it's just the same old HBO On Demand that's been on Cable for years, and right here on Dish for quite some time already.

I assume they'll have a better streaming menu on the upcoming Hopper. And, even if they can't match it on the older HW, they really have to do something about the horrible interface on the 622/722/k models. But, I'll bet the bulk of their programmers are working on Hopper/Joey right now. We probably won't be seeing any major updates to the current models until after the Hopper/Joey is released and relatively stable.

 

[cosmo_kramer]

This is a theme with Dish... do a press release, let it fester, and no matter how nice the improvement is, there is disappointment. I'd rather they synchronize the press release with the upgrade.

There's the rub; I don't think it's an upgrade. I think it's simply a matter of Dish publicizing a pre-existing feature that most would be considered hidden because it's not real intuitive to find. The little recording showed the same steps to get there that we have now, so if there was going to be some sort of enhancement to it, you would hope it would have been shown there. As for the content, the numbers in the press release pretty much mirror the content we currently see there...

 

[Yespage]

I'm glad they offer it vs nothing. But, don't send out a press release like you're going to be getting something special, when it's just the same old HBO On Demand that's been on Cable for years, and right here on Dish for quite some time already.

If this is it (which includes no Cinemax programming, I don't believe), then that is a "disappointment" relative to what they promised. On the other hand, still have access to HBO GO online, which I can feed to the TV, so all is well... but the press release is not remotely accurate with regards to nearly every episode of the most favorite programs.

 

[GaryPen]

If this is it (which includes no Cinemax programming, I don't believe), then that is a "disappointment" relative to what they promised. On the other hand, still have access to HBO GO online, which I can feed to the TV, so all is well... but the press release is not remotely accurate with regards to nearly every episode of the most favorite programs.

Unfortunately, my household needs closed captioning, so HBO GO is a no-go. I was really looking forward to Dish streaming an HBO GO-like selection through their HBO OnDemand, which does have CC.

Once HBO adds CC to HBO GO, I won't care about what HBO programming is available via the DVR anymore.

 

[dan188]

Is the hbo ondemand the same hbo ondemand that cable has

 

[GaryPen]

Content-wise, it appears to be. But, as hard as it might be to believe, Comcast actually has a better user interface for On Demand than Dish.

 

[Tecmo SB Guy]

I have a little off topic question.

Dish is the only pay TV. provider I've ever had.

So does On Demand with the other pay TV providers (Direct TV, Wave, Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, etc.) work the same way? Basically you use the Internet to download content from your provider?

 

[Bobby]

Comcast is not downloaded, it's just there and very fast....

 

[GaryPen]

That's because a digital cable system is actually a data network. The same goes for Verizon FIOS and ATT Uverse.

 

[dan188]

Cable boces are conected right in to content they store from the ondemand providers.

 

[SQUEEZON]

I disagree. HBO-GO is one of the reasons expanded HBO on Dish as available. If the expanded shows all of the same numbered shows of a series, then they should be there. As I said, they start disappearing after you watch them. My original question was why?

 

[GaryPen]

I disagree. HBO-GO is one of the reasons expanded HBO on Dish as available.

You are wrong. HBO GO and HBO OnDemand, the latter of which is what is available thru Dish DVR's, are two completely different things.

If the expanded shows all of the same numbered shows of a series, then they should be there. As I said, they start disappearing after you watch them. My original question was why?

I still have no idea what you are talking about. You have never adequately explained a) where you are finding these shows, and b) what list they are disappearing from.

 

[thechaz05]

I do not know about anyone else but reading here that people are seeing content in the HBO On Demand mirroring what is described in the press release leaves me wondering how. Currently listed in my HBO On Demand I have a whopping 53 titles available. This is a far cry from the 140 we are told should be there. In addition I remember seeing the words almost every show and episode, do not quote me on that, however I would hardly say that a handful of shows with only about a seasons worth of episodes is almost every show and episode. I know that we have not been verified a release date for this, I assumed it would come after the free months of HBO and Cinemax were over which for me ended last week. Anyway if what I see now is as good as it gets I will likely drop HBO and Max from my lineup. Dish conned me with BMP Streaming promises and I will not allow them to do the same with the On Demand. One more thing, didn't the release say Max On Demand availability also, or did I dream that?