DVR Chatter

Welcome back, and congrats on the new baby (I read the other threads you posted in). 

I hope you don't get 90% negative comments about OnDemand!  It's actually grown on me since the last time you were here.  I'm sure it's the same for others. I find myself in the section with all the "basic cable" shows (E!, VH1, etc) more often these days than before.  I also enjoyed the bits of the Clive Davis Grammy Party that wound up OnDemand. 

I'm sure navigation will be a hot topic here.  That's the downer about OnDemand in my book.  FF/RW/Pause, etc.  And I have to admit I have doubts about using the limited resources available to archive CBS/NBC shows.  In my mind, seems like a no brainer to push people to getting DVR service where they can record these shows on their own (and provide a sure revenue stream each month) instead.

I any event, I'm sure users of this site will realize that you are here on your own time and of your own accord, and not jump down your throat with a bunch of negativity.  If I know DVRChatters, they'll be happy to interact, learn, suggest and engage in civilized debate.

My complaint is the music selection.  90% of the songs I have never heard of, & I hate Rap, & Hardcore Underground Heavy Metal Whatever.  The big hits on the radio are noticably absent from the Hits sections.

andyross wrote:

I generally have no complaints, other than the very sluggish transport controls.

  I am getting a bit worried about more and more free broadcast network content moving to OnDemand, viewable for a fee. Pretty soon, I wouldn't be surprised if they start leaving out a cliffhanger or something on the 'free' broacast and force you to watch it OnDemand, for $0.99+, with FF disabled. Add in the future with a Broadcast flag, and if you can't watch it live, be prepared to pay for every show, in glorious SD.

  Another minor complaint is that I wish Cartoon Network would update their AdultSwim series episodes (Anime like Inuyasha and similar) more often than every 2 weeks. I remember when OnDemand first was available (before it was even advertised in my area), they updated every week, or sometimes even more often.

  I also wonder how many people, despite several hundred live channels, and all the OnDemand, still can't find something they want to watch? :-) Maybe Bruce Springsteen should update his song 57 Channels and Nothing On.

These are 2 excellent points.  I happen to know some of the answers (it's rare, I know)

With the advent of video iPod, online television formats such as YouTube, and television-based outlets such as OnDemand, I find it a wild stretch for a public network such as CBS or NBC to actually cut off the end of one of their hit shows just to try to make a quick buck showing the ending in a non-linear format.  The ad revenues are the primary reason that networks are hitting non-linear, but they are far from outweighing the revenues they generate on their own airwaves during the first run of an episode.  While I hope that it will never happen, I wouldn't put it past some network like Fox that historically takes the risk of losing viewers to make a buck from an alternative means.

AdultSwim will be ramping up again later this year, but I am not sure if the frequency of updates will increase.  I do know the volume they carry will be more than it is right now.


Patrick

Christine85 wrote:

I agree with most of the stuff everyone said. It's sluggish at times and the FF/RW is one of them. I actually like the music selection like Havoc and Fuse. That's where I find most of the new music I listen too. I wish Fuse was back on the channel line-up.

What's carried as a channel lineup depends on the area of the country you are in.  We have Fuse on linear here in Denver.

The ff/rew/pause/stop function speed depends on the current system load.  I know it's less than ideal and in 68% of the uses it is more than 2 seconds to respond.  My only glimmer of hope here is that there's a system-wide upgrade occuring over the summer which should afford more bandwidth per user and hopefully speed some of this response time up.

I can't contribute to this thread other than to say that we still do not
have OnDemand in our city. (well city is pushing it.....our TOWN).  Even
though the service trucks advertise On Demand  on them.

Personally, I enjoy finding the more obscure music video selections found in the OnDemand area (when I actually get to the music video selections, which is "rarely.")  I can DVR two hours of MTV Hits if I want "the big hits on the radio."

frank wrote:

Personally, I enjoy finding the more obscure music video selections found in the OnDemand area (when I actually get to the music video selections, which is "rarely.")  I can DVR two hours of MTV Hits if I want "the big hits on the radio."

I do this myself.  Unfortunately, Music Choice decides what they want to give Comcast for their content.  I will say that Music Choice is in system test with a few new things that will (in their words: likely) make their product more attractive.  While the full system is under a field test in Richmond, think of *playlisting through OnDemand.  They'll also be shifting into some new menu categories in June or July.

shameless bump

are there any new issues or questions I can answer?

LowLight21 wrote:

Minneapolis/St. Paul recently had a restructuring of the HD On Demand section, and includes a Network Primetime submenu with no content yet.  Will the CBS shows that are available On Demand (CSI, for example) be available On Demand in HD come fall?

Actually, you shouldn't be seeing that folder yet if it's empty.  But what it alludes to is what you said.  HD On Demand is going to rework itself so that CBS and NBC (where they are owned and operated markets) as well as other networks who want to play ball will have their content in those folders.  Right now CBS in HD is under it's regular menu position.  I know Comcast is adding a very large amount of HD to the OnDemand package over the next 6 months.  What's going on with CBS and NBC is just the beginning.