VOD : HD Catch Up being removed from V+/VHD

[Mr K]

HD programmes have gradually been removed from the V+ & VHD. At first VM blamed the BBC for it (shades of blaming them for iplayer buffering when it was VM's network capacity all along !). However they have now admitted on their forum that it's a deliberate policy to remove the HD programmes. They say its to increase the amount of SD content but sounds to me like they are trying push everyone onto TiVo. Problem is iplayer on Tivo is flawed and will get worse if everyone does switch.

What annoys me is the underhand way they've done it, gradually, hoping no one will notice. No announcement to customers about this downgrade of service and no consultation with them , plus of course the initial lies about why its happening.

[Mad Max]

Hm, that's not good!

[fredtheted]

Originally Posted by Mad Max

Hm, that's not good!

But very true.

[japitts]

Originally Posted by Mr K

HD programmes have gradually been removed from the V+ & VHD. At first VM blamed the BBC for it (shades of blaming them for iplayer buffering when it was VM's network capacity all along !). However they have now admitted on their forum that it's a deliberate policy to remove the HD programmes. They say its to increase the amount of SD content but sounds to me like they are trying push everyone onto TiVo. Problem is iplayer on Tivo is flawed and will get worse if everyone does switch.

What annoys me is the underhand way they've done it, gradually, hoping no one will notice. No announcement to customers about this downgrade of service and no consultation with them , plus of course the initial lies about why its happening.

I took several complaints about BBC programs missing from V+ CatchUp and specifically the CS-processes, ultimately to CEO-office level a while back. I had to eventually conclude that it was unofficial policy to dismiss these complaints with "sorry, that's how it is" and, as you say, push TiVo. Severely irritating really, but I'd already had my TiVo installed by that point..

iPlayer on the TiVo is quite capable of working fine (we have had issues but also seen massive improvements recently), but perhaps an increase in users is the straw that needs to break the camel's back...

However, that does indeed go full circle with VM's lack of communication. The removal of series & HD-catchup (some was BBC-initiated I know), relying on complaints to come in before admitting it.. I've also had "second-line" faults-CS swearing blind to me that the national-iPlayer-TiVo fault was still ongoing when the forum team had already sworn blind the exact opposite, hence calling in. Hopefully the telephone-faults people have since been told....

It only takes one rogue agent to dismiss valid fault-reports when they're called-in...

[DVD Cinema]

BBC HD catch removal is annoyi

It also doesn't make sense that they have recently added and expanded Channel Five HD catch up, if the above is true.

ITV Player also stutters when there is too much motion in the shot, poor bitrate i assume.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by Mr K

HD programmes have gradually been removed from the V+ & VHD. At first VM blamed the BBC for it (shades of blaming them for iplayer buffering when it was VM's network capacity all along !). However they have now admitted on their forum that it's a deliberate policy to remove the HD programmes. They say its to increase the amount of SD content but sounds to me like they are trying push everyone onto TiVo. Problem is iplayer on Tivo is flawed and will get worse if everyone does switch.

What annoys me is the underhand way they've done it, gradually, hoping no one will notice. No announcement to customers about this downgrade of service and no consultation with them , plus of course the initial lies about why its happening.

I sympathise, but I think you have to accept that the V+ is 1990s technology and will now be phased out. See if you can get a better deal with VM, I'm sure it will be worth it.

[johnathome]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

I sympathise, but I think you have to accept that the V+ is 1990s technology and will now be phased out. See if you can get a better deal with VM, I'm sure it will be worth it.

That's true, but the OP said it's being removed from the VHD box as well.

VM initally said the VHD would be capable of running the Tivo software.

[nodrogd]

With the gradual proliferation of more & more "Smart" TV's capable of reproducing iPlayer HD content direct, without the need for an extra box, I wonder if there will come a day it will dissapear from all third party platform boxes. After all, it costs the BBC to provide to these multiple platforms.

[OLD BOY]

Yes, but the smart (connected) TVs give you selected features such as Netflix, but they don't give you everything. VM should, in my view, enable various different streaming services so that you can just use their boxes to access everything. I believe that this is the direction they are taking, but we need to move faster.

[Mr K]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

I sympathise, but I think you have to accept that the V+ is 1990s technology and will now be phased out. See if you can get a better deal with VM, I'm sure it will be worth it.

I don't have a V+ box, I have a Tivo and VHD. The VHD is a current standard box that VM sell, and they are still supposed to support it. When is that going to have an update ? It is supposed to be capable of running Tivo software, although not sure I'd want that. It's far quicker than Tivo and the SD picture quality is better.

In theory I should be able to watch HD catch up on Tivo, but as we know that has major problems with network buffering particularly at peak times with HD. This is where the VHD also beats Tivo as it's not reliant on the network - HD catchup always played perfectly - maybe this is why they've removed HD catch up on the VHD (for showing Tivo up)? Their claim it's to make room for more SD content sounds cobblers, I've not seen extra content, less if anything with many mainstream BBC SD programmes also absent according to reports on the support forum.

[Anypermitedroute]

i given up on catchup and ondemand and just use alternative solutions to watch, just too unreliable, even sky movies ondemand i now use the sky movies app instead of sky movies ondemand as the interface is far better to choose what to watch than on the V+HD

[OLD BOY]

It may be coincidence, but since we've had the TIVO update, our BBC i-Player has been operating without problems, even on HD.

Spiderplant indicated that the main problem with the BBC i-Player was congestion, but I must say that the update has resolved a number of problems for us. Hope it works for everyone when it's rolled out.

[Mad Max]

Originally Posted by Anypermitedroute

i given up on catchup and ondemand and just use alternative solutions to watch, just too unreliable, even sky movies ondemand i now use the sky movies app instead of sky movies ondemand as the interface is far better to choose what to watch than on the V+HD

Totally agree with this, it can be as frustrating as hell at times, something Virgin want to fix!

[telegramsam]

Anyone having a issue with on demand being unavailable? Getting nothing on either Tivo or v hd boxes.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by telegramsam

Anyone having a issue with on demand being unavailable? Getting nothing on either Tivo or v hd boxes.

No, but BBC i-Player has been very glitchy for the last few days.