My feedback after 6 months

[dgildeh]

I use TV catchup every day as I don't have a TV here (be interested to know what the licensing implications of this service are?). While I love using it I have a few suggestions on how it could be much better:

- Streaming quality - I find a peak times the service starts stuttering and freezing making it impossible to watch shows in the evening! I appreciate different ISPs will have different quality of service, but perhaps you can automatically down grade the video quality for lower bandwidth if needed. I don't mind seeing fuzzy images as long as they don't stutter and freeze!
- TV Guide - Firstly, the program information needs to be in there so I can actually see what the show is rather than just the title, currently I have to use another service to see the program information. Secondly, this needs to be integrated properly with the player so I can see the channel guide at the bottom of the screen with whats next for each channel, similar to a Sky TV set-top box.
- Volume controls - Volume button doesn't stay the same setting when I open the player again, going from quiet to loud all the time! A least use a cookie to remember my volume settings! Also - the adverts should play at the same volume as this setting, currently when the adverts play I have no way to reduce the volume.

Ultimate: Not sure what your roadmap is, but I would LOVE to see some Tivo functionality on this so I can pause programs and schedule recoding from the TV guide. If you can get the streaming quality issues sorted, you'll probably be able to charge this as a premium feature.

Thanks,

D

[TVC_Colwal]

Thank you for your feedback D

Firstly, I think it would be wrong to not highlight the massive steps that TVC has made over the last year in bringing free TV access to people with its limited funds and because of this TVC has developed a service that is looking to the future and not old inadequate systems.

What is the point in developing something that will be superseded in six months?
The service provides many aspects of cutting edge technology and as such, it is a massive learning curve.
Indeed, no one has provided these services on such scale before with many world's firsts'.

If you have been getting a bad service for six months doesn't that tell you something in that it is time for a change? And then making your first post after six months of problems, that is just plain daft my friend!!!
These are help forums and we are here to help, but how are we to help and advise you if you have never asked for it?

Too many people sit around thinking that they can squeeze a quart out of a pint pot, which is fascicle; however, TVC does recognize that there are people who will never change and has programmed lower bandwidth streams for the future, but they will be some way off in the future.

Perhaps people should think about modernizing rather than sitting on old antiquated systems and inadequate ISP's, that's just a personal opinion by the way, and if you read the forums you would many of the your issues answered before

[happycabbage]

Hello,

These are all requests previously raised or covered here on the forum at some point. In answer to your points:

1) Lower quality / bandwidth streams are a possibility for the future while others with a very good connection have requested better quality or even HD streams which likewise may well come in due course once the current services and extras are finalised.

2) The TV guide is due for an overhaul in the near future and should appear once complete with the extras you note and more.

3) As long as you keep the player open the volume will remain consistent, however I believe this is also being looked at for a future update or at the very least will be included when the point below happens.

4) A desktop application complete with PVR functionality of recording to your computer, live pause etc is under development. No ETA on its arrival but development is indeed well underway.

[Freeview+]

Hi All,

Full review later, but would like to add my comment straight after too....

As I think its fair to say, what TVC offers, to the hundreds of thousands of users who RELY on this service daily, some take it for granted, others apprecaite how lucky they are...

I, myself am extremely grateful that I can now watch Freeview TV again, and is a fill in gap (but will still use after) until the final re-tune/roll out next year, 2012...

I am annoyed that I have had to purchase 3x Freeview Boxes because Freeview themselves are so useless, they cant STICK to a standard broadcast. Once I found this site, I was hooked on quality, and certainly the end user experience.

There are at least 3x members of staff here who have actively helped me out, and in a friendly timely manner too... - some sites offering a service can let their ego get to their heads, not here though!!

I am in ore of the iPhone App around the corner... :D

Dont get me wrong, TVC is not without its problems, but then who isnt?? Even what we rely on each day most of us, Microsoft Windows?? That has problems too, but what do we do?? We moan, we wait for a fix, and sure enough there it comes.... Nothing in life is perfect!!

What TVC does differently though, is it gives you all this for...?? FREE!!!

Well done TVC!!!

Cheers,

FreeviewTV

* this post will be tidied up when home *

[TVC_H4U]

happycabbage, read my mind with his reply.

dgildeh, at peak times the service does not start stuttering here.
This is most likely down to congestion in your area. With the addition that Virgin commonly traffic shape, resulting in a downgraded service at peak times (no matter to what "level" you subscribe to), streaming is a low priority to them compared to sending emails and browsing wikipedia.
We are far from our capacity.

Thanks for your comments and review. It goes to show we are heading in the right direction. As you can tell from replys, all your suggestions are in the works, and covered throughout the forum.

[TVC_Admin]

Hi dgildeh

As ColWal has pointed out, please do allow us to help you with the stuttering by posting some information (i.e. your isp, speed etc.). Invariably, its the ISP up to the old trick of throttling - despite us having specific agreements in place with ISPs to stop such. We will take it up with them if we can confirm a problem.

[DrSpaceMonkey]

here's my feedback

great stuff, no complaints as it's a free service so don't really see i have the right to complain

Dr. Space

[dgildeh]

Just came back to see the replies.

Firstly - I was giving my feedback in the spirit of making it a better service, I want this to succeed as much as everyone else here and I'm glad to take the time to put some suggestions, and glad they are being addressed already.

However - not really sure where all the criticisms coming from, even from the forum's admins?! If someone does take the time to put some suggestions up, when they didn't have to bother and could have just carried on using the service anonymously, do you really think your first reply should be to tell me I'm doing something wrong cause I didn't say anything the first six months and that I should be changing my "antiquated" ISP??!

@TVC_Colwal - take a lesson from TVC_Mason's response on the proper way to accept someones feedback on your service. No service became great through arrogance :p

[L.Rawlins]

...do you really think your first reply should be to tell me I'm doing something wrong cause I didn't say anything the first six months and that I should be changing my "antiquated" ISP??!

@TVC_Colwal - take a lesson from TVC_Mason's response on the proper way to accept someones feedback on your service. No service became great through arrogance :p

Hold your horses, 'dgildeh'. Those are entirely unfair remarks of a man who spends more time on these boards than the people who actually pay for them. Whether or not you were able to detect his sense of humour, or followed the logic behind what I would consider entirely reasonable queries, I cannot personally consider that judgement in the least bit accurate.

Please reconsider the context in which you appear to have read the man's message.

[TVC_Admin]

@dgildeh: Thanks for the feedback and the doubtless constructive intent behind it, which is most appreciated.

I think you are being more than a little unfair in one or two respects, we all get a little frustrated when people post up here with a problem and then don't bother to respond to us, let alone feed back information that could help other users. With respect, you point to Mason's post as an example of constructive help and yet you never once troubled yourself to respond. If we get frustrated at times, then I can think of no better example as to why.

Next time you post up a problem, how about posting in the right place, checking for a reply the next day, and not returning twelve days later to roast those who were only trying to help you get a better service?

We are all trying to make this the best possible site for us all to enjoy, and few - if any - people work harder than Colin around here to make that so. All constructive feedback is read and carefully reviewed, and it is only with the help of our Members that we can improve the site.