HELP: VOD Downloads Slowly (Can't Watch in Real Time)

[czerpa]

Hi all.

Any insight into why VOD downloads might be so slow?

These are the facts:

1) I have an HR24/200 connected through the DTV Cinema Box (which is directly connected to my router via ethernet cable).

2) I run internet speed tests from my computer and get ~20 Mbps, on average, for downloads.

I can't realy watch anything in real time as it always keeps stopping and "re-buffering".

Thanks for your help!

 

[jdspencer]

Your internet speed test isn't the whole story.
DirecTV's servers don't provide the content at your speed, but what they can handle based on the demand.

And, you wouldn't want them do that, as your other internet usage would suffer.

 

[czerpa]

Thanks jdspencer.

So are you saying it's unlikely I will be able to watch VOD in real time? I know Time Warner Cable didn't have that issue (I was able to click watch and just watch it).

Is this the general performance everyone gets with VOD? (i.e. not being able to watch in real time)

Thanks.

 

[jdspencer]

I only have a 3 Mbps DSL line and I don't expect to be able to watch in realtime. I just start the download and watch the status bar for it to go yellow. This means that you can start watching.
Usually, I just wait until much later to watch as it isn't necessary to watch it NOW.

Of course, it takes long to download HD vs SD.

 

[Jimbo]

Thanks jdspencer.

So are you saying it's unlikely I will be able to watch VOD in real time? I know Time Warner Cable didn't have that issue (I was able to click watch and just watch it).

Is this the general performance everyone gets with VOD? (i.e. not being able to watch in real time)

Thanks.

Cable system use an entirely different type of system to run thier VOD.

 

[ClemSole]

You will never be able to watch a VOD in "realtime". When it has downloaded around 50% or so it will show that you can then start watching it.

 

[johns70]

Directv is trying to make VOD available for the whole country at the same time. Cable TV VOD comes from your local city cable company.

 

[marquitos306]

My is pretty fast but this is not VOV like the cable. We are lucky that atleast we got something

 

[Rattler94]

Hi all.

Any insight into why VOD downloads might be so slow?

These are the facts:

1) I have an HR24/200 connected through the DTV Cinema Box (which is directly connected to my router via ethernet cable).

2) I run internet speed tests from my computer and get ~20 Mbps, on average, for downloads.

I can't realy watch anything in real time as it always keeps stopping and "re-buffering".

Thanks for your help!

Thanks for sharing, I was thinking of switch to cable internet 5Mb up and 30Mb down. Currently have 3Mb (DSL). I was wondering if I would get an improvement with DTV downloads. Interesting to know that DTV have so so performance on their back end.

 

[johns70]

I think DIRECTV limits the transfer rate to 6 Mbps or something like that.
Switcing your home internet to 300Mbps won't really do much for you past 6 Mbps.

 

[JerseyMatt]

You will never be able to watch a VOD in "realtime". When it has downloaded around 50% or so it will show that you can then start watching it.

That's not true at all. I have a 6Mbps fiber connection, and I can initiate the download then hit play immediately and (as long as I am not using the connection for anything else) it will keep up just fine. I have never needed to wait till it was 50% done. When I first got DirecTV installed, I had 1Mbps, which didn't cut it. I had to let it buffer for 5-10 minutes to avoid freezes, but 5 minutes is nowhere near 50%.