Streaming with Blockbuster Thread

[SQUEEZON]

I am thinking that Blockbuster was bankrupt. Dish bought them and they will not have all of the TV or movies yet in their listings. Good grief its only been 2 days! As for access no problem with viewing the "freebies" but searching for them is really time consuming with Dish-After setting genre, year, star rating, etc then you have to go down the list that comes up which takes a long time....However my point is its way to early to start complaining. Wait a month and lets see what happens?

 

[SQUEEZON]

You are right. But its early. lets wait and have Dish digest all of this and see if they respond. There is no question they rushed to get this thing going.

 

[EmpireState]

I have "streamed" several movies just to check this out. So far result has been no problem. The streaming part is not a problem as far as I can see.. THe elephant in the room for me is the interface. Clunky, Slow, almost unbearable to find something I want to watch. Time for a new GUI on this one as far as I am concerned.. Two Thumbs down here..

Yes, they should probably rethink the steps necessary to stream a movie. I also think simply providing a better looking interface would do wonders to enhance the user experience even if it didn't change the steps necessary to stream a movie. On my 722 it just looks so old and nasty, and yet I realized many of the filtering options are fairly useful. I hadn't really bothered with it much in the past because of the content (which hasn't improved) but my renewed interest this weekend made me filter by HD only and New Releases and I found 3 movies I had thrown in my Blockbuster Queue and don't need discs for now. It would just be a lot more fun to use it if looked more modern.

 

[TG2]

Thanks a lot for the information dangue.

You're right...that is not what I wanted to hear. I was hoping that Blockbuster streaming would work similarly to the way Netflix streaming works on my media player. I have absolutely no interest in streaming pay per view movies.

Just a point of note.. Blockbuster Streaming *does* work similarly to Netflix ... *but* Dish BlockBuster Movie Pass does not, currently.

There's a thousand different apples in the world.. anyone that tells you a Red Delicious tastes exactly like a Golden is "tone deaf" (taste-bud 'deaf'). They're both apples but both very different types.. As is Dish Blockbuster Movie Pass ... from Blockbuster On Demand... as from Block Buster Total Access.

Will they merge in some way or offer an upgrade from one package to another .. possibly .. someday ... but lets be honest.. dish is moving at a million miles per hour forward... while Dish TECH is only capable of moving at 256k miles per hour.. Dish Marketing is writing checks that Dish's Technology can't cover ...
Prime Examples:

• 922's can't do BBMP (Block Buster Movie Pass) yet.
• 922's took more than a year to enable the TV2 outputs
• Sling Extender is where?
• Who has sling error codes? and when did they finally get them (after how many months)?
• Whole Home HD DVR / 813 is due when?
• etc

 

[Yespage]

Is there any plan to offer Blockbuster movies for streaming as part of the BBMP? Right now it is "just" Platinum/Premium channel streaming. Will anything from the BB catalog be available for streaming or was that never supposed to be part of this?

 

[KAB]

Is there any plan to offer Blockbuster movies for streaming as part of the BBMP? Right now it is "just" Platinum/Premium channel streaming. Will anything from the BB catalog be available for streaming or was that never supposed to be part of this?

There are supposed to be, according to the press conference presentation.

 

[bradfordj]

the press conference video showed the blockbuster moviepass on-demand being done on a 922. How can it not be available? It's their biggest receiver and the blockbuster online streaming isn't ready. They should've waited til everything was ready. I'd be pissed if I were a new customer signing up for Dish+Blockbuster moviepass and finding out nothing worked.

 

[Laddyboy]

the press conference video showed the blockbuster moviepass on-demand being done on a 922. How can it not be available? It's their biggest receiver and the blockbuster online streaming isn't ready. They should've waited til everything was ready. I'd be pissed if I were a new customer signing up for Dish+Blockbuster moviepass and finding out nothing worked.

It was probably 922 betaware not quite ready. I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that the 722k, 722, and 622 receivers comprise the bulk of Dish's eligible receivers and that the software for those was first priority. There is no doubt Dish is trying to capitalize on some people's unhappiness with Netflix's recent actions and get them on board the Dish Train. I'm guessing this is what pushed this promotion out the door so quickly. The 922 may be Dish's flagship receiver, but I'll wager its installed base is fairly small due to the cost of the receiver to subs.

 

[KAB]

the press conference video showed the blockbuster moviepass on-demand being done on a 922. How can it not be available? It's their biggest receiver and the blockbuster online streaming isn't ready. They should've waited til everything was ready. I'd be pissed if I were a new customer signing up for Dish+Blockbuster moviepass and finding out nothing worked.

The 922 turned out to be the least big receiver. It bombed!!

 

[ronfelder]

My first several attempts over the past 24 hrs. to stream have been met with failure. First of all, true streaming is not being allowed, rather an instruction that the selected movie/show will be ready for viewing in x# of minutes and then an attempted download begins. I say attempted as thus far each of the selections I have chosen starts to be downloaded but the process is never completed. As such, when I pull up the selected item in "My Rentals" it is immediately deleted after indicating it could not be downloaded.

To say the service appears underwhelming would be an understatement. There is another active thread devoted to the fact it isn't really streaming anyway, but rather a download (which takes up HDD space) and watch later service.

At this point the only plus is the BB DVD plan which has been added to the Platinum tier. I suspect Dish/BB will manage to make this a less-than-optimal user experience as well.

At this point I will retain my Netflix streaming plan. Netflix has nothing to worry about specific to the competitive threat this might provide.

I have a 722 receiver and am getting Internet access via a SlingLink at my router and through the receiver's built in HomePlug-like capability.

If it isn't really streaming then why does my tv show that it's streaming. It even has the equivalent of dots telling you how good of a connection speed you have. You must be on antoher planet.

 

[ronfelder]

Ah, so i guess the instant watch is just once its downloaded enough, you can start watching it. Sounds like Directv's Cinema offering.

I can start watching the movie within about 15 seconds after picking the movie and hitting the play button.

 

[ronfelder]

It downloads fast. And you can begin watching in just a few seconds once you start it.. So in that case it appears like streaming.. But the stream is being placed on your HDD..

I suppose you could say it buffers the video on the drive rather than in memory as the Roku does.

 

[jdad11]

I'm a little confused here.. I heard that for new dish sub, you can get 12 mths (free) of Blockbuster stream and by mail (1 DVD out).
When I login to dishonline, there isn't anywhere I can see that's available.

 

[dweber]

The 722K receiver received a software update which allows the Blockbuster Movie streaming.
The 622 receivers (I own 2) still have software release 635 and do not currently offer the Blockbuster Movie streaming.

The Dish Platinum tab #3 is not the same. It includes movies from the premium channels which are downloaded to the hard drive.

My question is when the 622 will receive the software update to allow the streaming which the 722K owners can do.
Also, I have heard that the 622 receiver has limitations that may limit streaming.

If this is the case, could we upgrade from the 622 to the 722K receivers. Any comments from the DIRT team would be appreciated.

 

[mhowie]

Would be curious to learn the various broadband methods used by those who have successfully streamed BBMC content on their 722s...

WiFi using the Dish (Netgear) USB adapter? Home Powerline? Wired?

I am using a SlingLink Turbo setup, have an established Internet connection, but have not successfully downloaded any BBMC material (let alone stream). Every time the download appears to start, the "wait time before viewing" number increases, and eventually it is noted that the download cannot be completed.

Thanks.

 

[Yespage]

I have about a 10 Mbps internet connection. The 722k is hard wired (ethernet cable) to the network. I haven't done much with the BBMP as it is only Platinum Channel stuff right now, but I did watch "How to Murder Your Wife" via a stream, and it worked smoothly and immediately. I couldn't tell I wasn't watching a Platinum channel.

Now push the button Harold.

 

[long_time_DNC]

I'd like more info on the 622 as well from the DIRT team...

 

[Yespage]

There are supposed to be, according to the press conference presentation.

Is this set in stone or possibly a misunderstanding?

I'm just wondering if it will become available, when it would become available.

 

[ben-]

I'm a little confused here.. I heard that for new dish sub, you can get 12 mths (free) of Blockbuster stream and by mail (1 DVD out).
When I login to dishonline, there isn't anywhere I can see that's available.

I registered with the same question, the rep online told me to try the free trial out and its not anywhere on my account. Is that offer over or what ?

 

[stardust3]

This pretty much sums it up as far as new customers. Below is a c/p from dish's site.


[FONT=&amp]Blockbuster Movie Pass (1 disc at a time): Only available with new qualifying DISH Network service activated between 10/1/11 and 1/31/12. With a 24-month agreement and minimum of America's Top 200 programming package, for the first 12 months of your subscription, you receive a bundle of Blockbuster Movie Pass for $5/mo (regularly $10/mo) and America's "Everything" Pak for $74.99/mo, America's Top 250 for $39.99/mo, America's Top 200 for $34.99/mo, or DishLATINO Max for $34.99/mo. Other qualifying packages include 3-month bundle. Promotional prices continue for applicable promotional period provided you subscribe to both components of the bundle and do not downgrade. After applicable promotional period, then-current prices apply to each component. Requires online DISH Network account for discs by mail; broadband Internet to stream content; HD DVR to stream to TV. Exchange online rentals for free in-store movie rentals at participating BLOCKBUSTER stores. Offer not available in Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico or U.S. Virgin Islands. Streaming to TV and some channels not available with select packages.[/FONT]