Why is RTE streaming so bad?

Samsonsmasher · 05-01-2021 11:18am

RTE should just put their content up on youtube

emmalynn19 · 05-01-2021 11:25am

Wanderer78 wrote: »

its important to remember, all of these corporate monopolies use and support each others systems and networks, as its mutually beneficial for sharing data, this data is the backbone of their business models, and is where the majority of their wealth comes from, from buying and selling this data to each other. of course rte could use amazons servers, but that would probably mean easier access to our data, to be used for whatever purposes amazon wish to use it for.

If you build an application on AWS, Amazon has no access to your or your customers' data. If this was the case the public cloud would fold overnight.

dasdog · 05-01-2021 11:26am

Wanderer78 wrote: »

its important to remember, all of these corporate monopolies use and support each others systems and networks, as its mutually beneficial for sharing data, this data is the backbone of their business models, and is where the majority of their wealth comes from, from buying and selling this data to each other. of course rte could use amazons servers, but that would probably mean easier access to our data, to be used for whatever purposes amazon wish to use it for.

RTE are using AWS for hosting content. AWS make money by selling compute, storage, throughput and other cloud services. There are very strict privacy laws they must adhere to for hosting customers content.

05-01-2021 11:46am

dasdog wrote: »

RTE are using AWS for hosting content. AWS make money by selling compute, storage, throughput and other cloud services. There are very strict privacy laws they must adhere to for hosting customers content.

I think that poster is confusing Amazon and AWS.

dasdog · 05-01-2021 12:02pm

It seems the player was designed and developed by an Italian company.

https://www.finconsgroup.com/case-histories/rte-on-the-go-the-next-generation-rte-player.kl

To respond to the changing demands of the Irish public, RTÉ wanted to develop a best-practice, multiplatform service that could be customised both live and on-demand with cutting edge features such as restart and auto-play. Viewers will not only be able to continue watching RTÉ programming, but will also be able to access box-sets and catalogues packed with hundreds of films, TV series and short-form videos. The new Player is available on the web, on iOS, Apple and connected TV as well as overall OTT services including Saorview, Chromecast, Android TV and Apple TV.

A successful project, the player is the result of the combination between Fincons’ design and system integration with 24i’s experience in integrated front-end user interfaces, Comcast Technology Solution’s reliable OVP platform and Contentwise’s skills in content recommendation engines.

05-01-2021 12:10pm

dasdog wrote: »

It seems the player was designed and developed by an Italian company.

https://www.finconsgroup.com/case-histories/rte-on-the-go-the-next-generation-rte-player.kl

"With cutting edge features such as restart and autoplay".

LMAO.

The Black Oil · 05-01-2021 2:20pm

I think Killing Eve was the last thing I watched on the Player (LG TV app) The ad breaks were annoying because of a technical issue - whenever there was a break it would cycle through the same ads twice. :rolleyes:

corks finest · 05-01-2021 2:35pm

The Black Oil wrote: »

I think Killing Eve was the last thing I watched on the Player (LG TV app) The ad breaks were annoying because of a technical issue - whenever there was a break it would cycle through the same ads twice. :rolleyes:

Let's be honest the brits do things right ref TV, drama, films, player, we're ****in neanderthal compared to them in that regard,
TG4 are great for docs etc, RTE are threading water regarding it for over a decade

corks finest · 05-01-2021 2:35pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

"With cutting edge features such as restart and autoplay".

LMAO.

Designed around the same time the wheel was invented

Dinarius · 05-01-2021 7:56pm

Coincidentally, a raft of letters about RTE in today’s Irish Times, headed “RTE - Public Service or Public Insult?”

However, they’re about that now infamous comedy sketch and not about their app.

D.

jimmycrackcorm · 05-01-2021 8:03pm

Dinarius wrote: »

I watch RTE, Netflix and YouTube on my TV via a (€35) Google dongle, which is controlled/accessed from an iPad.

So, the setup is identical for all three, but RTE is unwatchable.

I have no idea of the technology involved. I'm presuming it's down to lack of signal strength. But, whatever the reason is, is it really a question of not being able to compete with the likes of Netflix money and tech? I wonder.

D.

Netflix for example runs on Amazon cloud similarly youtube is using Googles own cloud infrastructure. RTE on the other hand has a couple of media servers running in Montrose with limited bandwidth out to the world.

corks finest · 06-01-2021 8:16am

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

Netflix for example runs on Amazon cloud similarly youtube is using Googles own cloud infrastructure. RTE on the other hand has a couple of media servers running in Montrose with limited bandwidth out to the world.

You'd never guess

riclad · 06-01-2021 5:12pm

In my experience the rte player app on android is better than going to rte.ie player on a web browser,on a pc
use chrome or firefox and make sure the browser is updated .
is funny how the ads work even if the actual program does not play the video properly.
i think they should put up old programs , more than 2 years old, on youtube.ie .
the taxpayer has paid for those programs, any irish person should be able to view them.
maybe rte does not work on chromecast due to drm.
i just installed the brave browser today on my pc , and the rte player works fine on it .
i think some smart tv s might not work properly as there may be no way of updating the app or the browser after buying the tv.

i running an old version of chrome, the rte player does not work at all , it just shows a blank black box.
i use brave browser if i want to watch rte on my pc.

Dinarius · 06-01-2021 5:26pm

I have no problems with RTE on a PC, because my connection is so good and it's connected by cable, not WiFi.

My problems are only with my iPad > Google Chromecast > TV combination, which is unusable.

I will try replacing the iPad with my wife's Android phone and report back.

D.

Dinarius · 06-01-2021 5:30pm

Ps. You have to wonder if the RTE Player app, which is a joke, is a form of legal-loophole closing so that a license fee can be charged not just for watching RTE via a TV, but via any streaming medium too?

Without the RTE Player app, you could own a TV, subscribe ONLY to Netflix, for example, and not pay a TV license. I wonder?

Financially, RTE are screwed. But, they're not gaining any sympathizers with an app like this.

D.

riclad · 06-01-2021 5:52pm

I mostly watch rte tv on a pc using a browser.
i used the app on a phone 3 times
if you have a pc or a laptop and can install a browser there no need to use the app at all.
To use the bbc iplayer all users have to register ,i think they have to prove they have bought a uk tv license .
And its only avaidable to users in the uk.
rte app works fine on my android phone , my phone is about 3 months old.
netflix will work on a pc or a laptop , or ps4, xbox console connected to a pc vga monitor.
if i website or tv service does not work ,i find it works ok if i install the brave browser.

https://brave.com/

i just tried it on firefox, the page loads up,menu loads , i can see all the menus, program list etc if i click on watch a program, it says error ,response,
eg i,m using an old version of the firefox browser
so i did not expect it to work

i think the app is purely to allow people to watch rte tv on tablet,s ,phones, android and apple devices .
i watched a 30 minute program using the brave browser, it was fine,
the strange thing no ads appeared at all.
just the program .
i installed brave browser about 3pm today on my pc
any time i used the android app i find it works fine .
on phones or tablets .

06-01-2021 6:56pm

If you have a firestick check the firestick threads for a link to an old rte player version that for some reason plays with no adverts on the firestick

it actually works well - maybe the ads are causing some of the issues...

riclad · 06-01-2021 10:11pm

My experience is rte works fine on 3g android , or wired pc, laptop
As long as the browser is up to date,
i always hear people have problems with smart tv,s ,.
say your tv is using browser, or app, version21035.12
and the video streaming app is version 21035.14 the app may not work properly.
do smart tv,s update apps ,i dont know .i dont not have one .
like some tvs have an old version of youtube app that no longer works .
most people have a tv for at least 4 years .

lertsnim · 07-01-2021 3:35pm

I usually have no problems with the RTÉ Player on an Android phone. On Android TV it can be problematic. I've given up on using the website as it's a disaster. The older ad free version of the app mentioned above works great on a firestick. It's worth checking out. Someone shared a link to it on this site somewhere.

07-01-2021 7:03pm

There is a chance that you will get it to work for programme playback

but high-demand live events like a big sports match etc have never really surpassed the dogsh1t level of service.

Dinarius · 07-01-2021 8:34pm

glasso wrote: »

There is a chance that you will get it to work for programme playback

but high-demand live events like a big sports match etc have never really surpassed the dogsh1t level of service.

True.

I tried watching the occasional Champions League match, but gave up. Hopeless.

D.

riclad · 08-01-2021 12:16am

I just use the rte app on android. If I want to use it on a mobile device. My experience is most video services won't work properly on any device if the browser is out of date. I usually watch programs
From the menu eg not live tv

BringBackMick · 08-01-2021 10:05pm

RTE PLAYER is always a joke?

Cant even stream the news when you go down to the lowest quality version

what other country would you get such ****e service?

09-01-2021 4:24pm

BringBackMick wrote: »

RTE PLAYER is always a joke?

Cant even stream the news when you go down to the lowest quality version

what other country would you get such ****e service?

it will most likely miraculously improve when the TV Licence is replaced by the RTE Household Tax

sligojoek · 10-01-2021 12:50am

I turned over to TG4 last night ans caught the end of a program I'd have watched if I'd known it was on as someone I know was in it. I said I'd try their player and within a minute I was watching it from the start. No ads, not even between Pt1 and Pt2. Pause and go to the toilet, come back and press Play and away you go again. Loads of other stuff there that I'll go back and watch another time too.

I appreciate they haven't the same demand as RTE but it worked seamlessly.

crazy 88 · 10-01-2021 1:14am

The rte secret producer gave their view on what the culture is like in there. Doesn't mention the RTE player but if it's all true, you can see why it's a crap service with no hope of improvement

https://www.reddit.com/r/ireland/comments/719cv4/ive_compiled_all_the_tweets_from_secret_rt%C3%A9/

10-01-2021 2:44pm

crazy 88 wrote: »

The rte secret producer gave their view on what the culture is like in there. Doesn't mention the RTE player but if it's all true, you can see why it's a crap service with no hope of improvement

https://www.reddit.com/r/ireland/comments/719cv4/ive_compiled_all_the_tweets_from_secret_rt%C3%A9/

sure as some employees might say to Dee Forbes

" 'tis our culture, boss "

Ten Pin · 10-01-2021 4:17pm

it will most likely miraculously improve when the TV Licence is replaced by the RTE Household Tax

That's a reasonable assumption to make but on further analysis, there would be no incentive to make it work then either....they'll have their extra revenue and won't care who can or can't watch programs online...even if they did, it would still be riddled with adverts. Financial resource availability is not the reason the player is bad...it's more likely to be just bad management still using the same strategy as they did 40/50 years ago.

How has TG4 got it right, it's not rocket science.

10-01-2021 4:22pm

Ten Pin wrote: »

That's a reasonable assumption to make but on further analysis, there would be no incentive to make it work then either....they'll have their extra revenue and won't care who can or can't watch programs online...even if they did, it would still be riddled with adverts. Financial resource availability is not the reason the player is bad...it's more likely to be just bad management still using the same strategy as they did 40/50 years ago.

How can TG4 get it right.....

when every online user is / supposed to be then a "RTE Tax" payer (household) then RTE can't be providing a service as bad as now imo

not sure what the case with TG4 is but surely has only a fraction of the demand that the RTE service experiences

could well be a better architecture also but difficult to compare that.

caze · 21-02-2021 12:31pm

OMG what a mess that RTE Player is, I haven't looked at it in ages cause it was useless back then also. Forgot about the Allstars yesterday evening, tried to watch it on the player. All the ads played perfect but soon as program starts it glitches and eventually freezes. Try to start again and watch perfect ads but program wont play.
Have used all the major ones seamlessly for last year, both free services and subscription based, all worked great.
RTE should just scrap their player if they can't be bothered to ensure it actually works

Why is RTE streaming so bad?

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