UPC On-Demand (was RTÉ Player etc) [Merged]

starviewadams

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056587272

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=78669254&postcount=75

Turbine

I'm pressing the on demand button on the remote like it says, but it just keeps saying its unavailable.

Anyone else (who got the e-mail) having the same problem?

Eamo71

starviewadams wrote: »

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056587272

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=78669254&postcount=75

Might want to move this thread into he other ...?

lauraww

hi there,i pressed the red button while RTE one was on and a red button image appeared on screen,then a message came up on screen saying this service is not available same thing happened on TV 3

i would imagine that on demand will be available soon if this is happening to those of us who didnt get selected for the on demand trial

icdg

Thread merged, renamed, and stickied. Please don't start more threads.

IrlJidel

I've been selected as well. Looks great.

Is it a free trial? ie will I still have to pay for the on-demand movies?

If not - if they want people to trial it extensively they should at least give the users some free credit so they can 'play' with the system.

Turbine

IrlJidel wrote: »

I've been selected as well. Looks great.

Is it a free trial? ie will I still have to pay for the on-demand movies?

If not - if they want people to trial it extensively they should at least give the users some free credit so they can 'play' with the system.

From talking to UPC, what's available depends on what package you're on. Assuming you're on the DigitalMax package, everything's free apparently except the movies. They get new movies the same time as Xtra-Vision, and there's different prices for HD movies. You get to watch them as many times as you like for 48 hours.

paddyk

Have the Red button function working with RTE player etc. Just a question, Will what I watch via the Red Button come from my Internet allowance or is this totally separate?

swampy353

paddyk wrote: »

Have the Red button function working with RTE player etc. Just a question, Will what I watch via the Red Button come from my Internet allowance or is this totally separate?

Totally separate. UPC don't have down load limits

zg3409

swampy353 wrote: »

UPC don't have down load limits

Yes they do. Normally it's 500GB per month.


http://support.upc.ie/app/answers/detail/a_id/280/p/5

If they start offering a streaming TV service, without counting the traffic as internet traffic then that gives them an unfair advantage over other streaming TV providers such as Netflix, apple TV etc.

Eventually as streaming TV catches on more and more, people will start to hit the cap more and more and so they will be prevented from watching non UPC providers. It's not a big problem at the moment as most people don't watch the majority of their TV on demand, but with more and more people going for non TV internet only packages this will become a factor.

If indeed UPC's streaming service is not counted on their cap this is not fair. Remember the data is still coming down the same cable over the same internet service that is capped for other companies.

The main reason for having a cap, is not that the data costs money, is that the network between your home and the Fibre connection is shared between every user in your area. If every user was to download at exactly the same time then speeds would be affected. This is the only reason for having a cap.

Other providers have a cap just to charge heavy users extra, but on a phone line, generally, there is no valid reason to have any cap.

swampy353

zg3409 wrote: »

swampy353 wrote: »

UPC don't have down load limits

Yes they do. Normally it's 500GB per month.


http://support.upc.ie/app/answers/detail/a_id/280/p/5

If they start offering a streaming TV service, without counting the traffic as internet traffic then that gives them an unfair advantage over other streaming TV providers such as Netflix, apple TV etc.

Eventually as streaming TV catches on more and more, people will start to hit the cap more and more and so they will be prevented from watching non UPC providers. It's not a big problem at the moment as most people don't watch the majority of their TV on demand, but with more and more people going for non TV internet only packages this will become a factor.

If indeed UPC's streaming service is not counted on their cap this is not fair. Remember the data is still coming down the same cable over the same internet service that is capped for other companies.

The main reason for having a cap, is not that the data costs money, is that the network between your home and the Fibre connection is shared between every user in your area. If every user was to download at exactly the same time then speeds would be affected. This is the only reason for having a cap.

Other providers have a cap just to charge heavy users extra, but on a phone line, generally, there is no valid reason to have any cap.

I don't see it as unfair at all. UPC aren't precluding other providers from using their network. For the on demand service you can be fairly sure that UPC will have improved the infrastructure between their network and rte.
It's up to UPC how they use their network and once they are not been anti competitive and blocking other services then what harm?

zg3409

swampy353 wrote: »

I don't see it as unfair at all. UPC aren't precluding other providers from using their network. For the on demand service you can be fairly sure that UPC will have improved the infrastructure between their network and rte.
It's up to UPC how they use their network and once they are not been anti competitive and blocking other services then what harm?

The bottleneck is not between UPC and RTE. The only bottleneck is between your house and the nearest Fibre Headend. This is what causes contention and slows the network down.

For that reason UPC should consider any traffic from your home as being part of the 500GB limit, no matter which company you go with.

For example they could make it so that Netflix does not work, unless netflix pay them extra. This is the whole network neutrality debate. For example they could make sure Skype does not work so they make more money on phone calls etc.

BT have a TV service in the UK, which runs over phone lines only. So any TV shows you watch via the system as such are being downloaded. If they counted that traffic as being internet traffic then everyone would breach the caps.

So BT's TV service has an unfair advantage over other companies that want to provide TV service via the internet.

For example if UPC's download limit was 2GB per month then Netflix would not be available, but at the same time their streaming service would.

When I want an internet service all I want is a pipe between me and the internet. If they chose to add phone and streaming services, they should be available to everyone no matter which internet provider they have.

I would prefer if internet providers were only allowed to provide internet, and that their phone services, streaming TV services etc. needed to be provided by another seperate company. That way you would need to chose a seperate phone provider, and the internet provider would have no incentive to favour one companies service over anothers.

At the moment I have Sky go, netflix and UPC broadband. UPC streaming should come out of the same allowance. UPC streaming should also be available to anyone in Ireland who has a good enough internet connection. Ideed I should be able to get TV via magnet but I cannot as they only offer it to customers of their broadband service.

It may not be much of an issue at the moment but more and more people will be expecting on demand HD quality streamed content. Then caps will become an issue.

Another unfairness may be that UPC "on demand" may be available to customers that have not subscribed to broadband. Even though the system works via your broadband connection, they may offer this service to those who are not paying for broadband. Again see how this would affect other companies trying to compete?

swampy353

zg3409 wrote: »

swampy353 wrote: »

I don't see it as unfair at all. UPC aren't precluding other providers from using their network. For the on demand service you can be fairly sure that UPC will have improved the infrastructure between their network and rte.
It's up to UPC how they use their network and once they are not been anti competitive and blocking other services then what harm?

The bottleneck is not between UPC and RTE. The only bottleneck is between your house and the nearest Fibre Headend. This is what causes contention and slows the network down.

For that reason UPC should consider any traffic from your home as being part of the 500GB limit, no matter which company you go with.

For example they could make it so that Netflix does not work, unless netflix pay them extra. This is the whole network neutrality debate. For example they could make sure Skype does not work so they make more money on phone calls etc.

BT have a TV service in the UK, which runs over phone lines only. So any TV shows you watch via the system as such are being downloaded. If they counted that traffic as being internet traffic then everyone would breach the caps.

So BT's TV service has an unfair advantage over other companies that want to provide TV service via the internet.

For example if UPC's download limit was 2GB per month then Netflix would not be available, but at the same time their streaming service would.

When I want an internet service all I want is a pipe between me and the internet. If they chose to add phone and streaming services, they should be available to everyone no matter which internet provider they have.

I would prefer if internet providers were only allowed to provide internet, and that their phone services, streaming TV services etc. needed to be provided by another seperate company. That way you would need to chose a seperate phone provider, and the internet provider would have no incentive to favour one companies service over anothers.

At the moment I have Sky go, netflix and UPC broadband. UPC streaming should come out of the same allowance. UPC streaming should also be available to anyone in Ireland who has a good enough internet connection. Ideed I should be able to get TV via magnet but I cannot as they only offer it to customers of their broadband service.

It may not be much of an issue at the moment but more and more people will be expecting on demand HD quality streamed content. Then caps will become an issue.

Another unfairness may be that UPC "on demand" may be available to customers that have not subscribed to broadband. Even though the system works via your broadband connection, they may offer this service to those who are not paying for broadband. Again see how this would affect other companies trying to compete?

I do understand where you're coming from but the fact is UPC is a private company who has built the infrastructure to deliver the service. They are taking the gamble that their network is able to handle the stresses that the on demand system places on it will be manageable. If it does impact on their broadband offering then they will lose customers.
Sky offers anytime and to get included in the system the tv companies have to pay a high price. While its not the same as in it's not ip tv, sky are choosing how to use their bandwidth to provide an additional service for customers.
The one thing I strongly disagree on is the way that you are saying that a company should only be allowed to provide single services. If this was the case then all services would be vastly more expensive due to the fact the same infrastructure is been put in (multiplied by the number of companies) without the ability to leverage the cost over several services. This would completely halt any innovation or network improvement as the return on investment would take decades. It may stop one player been dominant but at what cost in the long run.

Dodge

zg3409 wrote: »

If they start offering a streaming TV service, without counting the traffic as internet traffic then that gives them an unfair advantage over other streaming TV providers such as Netflix, apple TV etc.

It gives them an advantage. Which is the point of business

They CAN'T count it toward download limits as not all TV customers will be broadband customers.

who is this

Dodge wrote: »

It gives them an advantage. Which is the point of business

They CAN'T count it toward download limits as not all TV customers will be broadband customers.

Exactly. The VOD isn't a broadband-customer addon. It's a TV. Counting it against the broadband allowance would be illogical.

If they did that, then customers who don't get broadband have nothing to worry about since they don't have a UPC internet package to eat up.

While those paying for UPC's broadband would be paying for the privilege of getting their VOD cut off if they use the internet too much and vice-versa.

This isn't a net-neutrality issue at all. Net-neutrality would only come into play if they offered something like what Sky do (you can watch it on your computer, Xbox etc.) and didn't count THAT towards your allowance.

Eric Isherwood

Email from UPC

Thank you for contacting UPC Customer Care.
We intend launching innovative new TV service later this year and we're confident that these will delight our customers

We are carrying out a trial now ,where we invited customers in Dublin to try out a number of potential new TV service

This trail is the first step towards the launch if these new services

There is no launch date announced yet but we provide more details after the first trial

For more helpful information or to contact us again please visit the Customer Support section of our web site

Kind Regards,

UPC Customer Care Team

zg3409

Whether they provide the box, or you provide the PC the results are the same:

RTE player via PC:Counted in allowance
TV3 player via PC:Counted in allowance
Sky streaming: Counted in allowance
Netflix:Counted in allowance
Apple TV:Counted in allowance
etc

UPC's own movie service: Not counted

All the above services can be watched on a TV, which I do, not necessarily a laptop.

By not counting the traffic, which does affect internet users, it's providing an unfair advantage over other companies that want to provide a service to me.

UPC's & Magnets service is currently limited to their own network. Sky's go is available to anyone with any provider, similar to Netflix. They are attempting to compete, while UPC seem to be favouring their own services over everyone else. The only reason for a limit should be that the network is shared and of limited capacity, not which device you use to view the content.

antodeco

Can those who got setup on the trial post what box they have and the general area?

IrlJidel

antodeco wrote: »

Can those who got setup on the trial post what box they have and the general area?

box: Silver Thompon DCI62UPC
area: Firhouse D24

Dodge

Again, its an advantage. ONe they're entitled to use

Just like Sky's reluctance to allow 3rd parties use their red button services

Just like Eircom's hotspots are available to their customers only

How can you seriously suggest companies should not be competing with each other?

Turbine

zg3409 wrote: »

Sky's go is available to anyone with any provider, similar to Netflix. They are attempting to compete, while UPC seem to be favouring their own services over everyone else. The only reason for a limit should be that the network is shared and of limited capacity, not which device you use to view the content.

No it's not, you need to be a Sky subscriber to use it.

zg3409

Turbine wrote: »

No it's not, you need to be a Sky subscriber to use it.

With a Sky Go Monthly Ticket you can enjoy Sky Go without an annual contract or dish - you won't even need an engineer visit.

http://www.sky.com/ireland/tv/sky-go/get-it-now/

You do not need to be a Sky subscriber, nor have a dish. The lineup is not the same as the Sky Box. This is off topic, start a new thread if interested in it.

Turbine

zg3409 wrote: »

http://www.sky.com/ireland/tv/sky-go/get-it-now/

You do not need to be a Sky subscriber, nor have a dish. The lineup is not the same as the Sky Box. This is off topic, start a new thread if interested in it.

Can you confirm whether or not the Sky Go service is counted in the monthly allowance for Sky broadband customers in the UK?

Personally I don't see what UPC are doing wrong. They own the infrastructure at the end of the day, which they built with their own money. There's nothing to stop Sky or Netflix building their own fibre-optic network so that they can provide unlimited data for their customers as part of a monthly subscription. But they haven't, instead they piggy-back off the services of companies like UPC, eircom, and Magnet.

And as someone already pointed out, if someone just has UPC TV, how can you limit their data allowance anyway?

zg3409

Turbine wrote: »

Can you confirm whether or not the Sky Go service is counted in the monthly allowance for Sky broadband customers in the UK?

http://www.sky.com/helpcentre/tv/anytime-plus/set-up/usage-caps-for-broadband-and-anytime-plus/

Downloading programmes on Sky Anytime+ contributes to your Broadband usage cap. For complete freedom to watch as much as you want we recommend Sky Broadband Unlimited. If you are on the Everyday Lite Sky Broadband package your usage cap will be 2GB

Most Sky broadband packages (UK) are unlimited. Indeed I heard if they intend launching in Ireland they are demanding that an unlimited option be available for landline users. Landline in particular has no sharing like cable broadband.

One of the main reasons they cannot launch in Ireland is the unreasonable caps imposed by most ISPs on landlines. True Unlimited on landlines seems to be limited to business packages and all Magnet packages. Limits or throttling are necessary on 3G, wimax and other heavily shared networks.

thefishone

zg3409 wrote: »

One of the main reasons they cannot launch in Ireland is the unreasonable caps imposed by most ISPs on landlines. True Unlimited on landlines seems to be limited to business packages and all Magnet packages. Limits or throttling are necessary on 3G, wimax and other heavily shared networks.

But...if they launched a BB product in Ireland,then they would be an ISP,so
could offer all the unlimited packages they wanted or am I seriously missing
something.

Sorry,this is dragging this thread way off.

Eamo71

Just to steer the thread back on topic ;-) have any of the trial crew got any initial responses to the service? What do you guys think thus far?

icdg

I'd rather less of the back seat moderation please. But yeah, whilst Sky Go is an IPTV service, the convention is that we discuss it in Satellite because the amount of direct Sky Go subscribers is minuscule compared to those who receive it as part of a Sky Digital subscription.

Okay, this threads to talk about UPC On Demand.

JimsAlterEgo

antodeco wrote: »

Can those who got setup on the trial post what box they have and the general area?

can you request to be added

big dar

I am on the trial but still have the old small ntl pace box with no on demand feature I have the full digital package sports/movies etc could i get an upgrade of box for free or would i have to pay extra per month ?

patrickmooney

So it looks like the May launch of RTE Player as confirmed by RTE themselves is a limited trial with no date for a wider launch. It's something, but let down nevertheless.