IPTV and poor provider - Page 2

Often your internet provider offers boxes and installation because that's legal and often the guy who installs it can make you a deal ;-)

No still not legal, especially if they offer UK subscription channels.

Not being a killjoy as I use IPTV myself.

What Paul says is so true about Euro a I had a contract with them after 40 ish email umpteen visits to shop I found them to be a totally unreliable and couldn't care less about the customer it actually worked properly for 1 whole week out of 104 enough said

this has happened to many people with this company go to oficina de consumidor  or guardia civil

if somebody is charging for a service and advertising the same  and not providing it legal or not this is fraud

Strange how the providers always blame your internet connection when I can watch iPlayer NowTV and Amazon video without any issues? 

I can answer that to an extent. 

But my Netflix works? Aside from Netflix is too obvious for the ISP's to throttle, they carry the weight of 'being known' - so ISP's can't throttle or pull that type of trick as Netflix would know. 

Their systems of a billion dollar companies Netflix/Amazon etc work differently to smaller IP providers. Netflix have the ability to scale up and down the screen resolution 'on the fly' so when your internet drops, the picture can scale from 4k, to HD, to SD and even less. Netflix can work from 1Mbps to 20Mbs. In addition to this the server's buffer at their end *not your box or TV end, they see what you are watching and do this in advance - whilst the internet is good. This can help to an extent navigate a reasonable degree of instability with the internet. Generic IPTV providers cannot do this, when minimum speed or stability not hit, problems can start. If you drop below the stable minimum of your provider, then expect issues.

iplayer also, can go down quite low as it's down to the encoding of the content - if an IP provider needs a flat 6Mbps for specific content stream, then below that you'll have issues. If using a couple of other services - iplayer etc - encoding scales at their end and can go lower - flexible. Not fixed.

So - not like with like always with internet TV - lots of variables depending on both what systems, hardware and providers are being used. Ally this to a considerable knowledge gap in the general public opinion of how the internet works. It starts with 'my speed test says x', that tells us for 30 seconds what the ISP is doing, not ongoing stability or anything else, do people know that each device connected on their network can be monitored and throttled remotely accordingly. I'll give you 100Mbps on your laptops speed test & 1 Mbps on your TV box, then you'll drive them mad!  We partnered with an internet company for a few years, our technicians speak to their technicians - you just wouldn't believe the stunts they pull - often down to network balancing.

Of course, it can be the IPTV provider ;-) But you do need to be quite vigilant in testing devices as it may be your internet.

Another trick I discovered - when being asked by a client why multiple IPTV providers would not work in his property - he wanted me to review his internet, box, etc - I simply disconnected his box from the Telefonica connection (not working) and connected to my WiFi Hotspot connection on my phone - hey presto his 2 connected service providers worked - but connected to my mobile phone and not his Telefonica connection. This is a test anyone can make if you have a smartphone with a hotspot connection. Telefonica had the audacity to blame the router, sent a technician - when the issue was nothing to do with the router - Telefonica had blocked the client every time he tried to use a lot of data (they know for video), so everytime he tested  new provider, worked for 5 mins until they clocked it, then problems started. After the technician had it thrown right back his way - seeing it working on a mobile phones wifi hotspot connection, he put in call to higher up the chain, sorted. Or should I say - Busted. Companies pulling stunts.....

I have also left out one other point - that the ISP may be throttling the IPTV provider, rendering their service to not work properly. Why? Many ISP's have their own TV service - they can't see what your watching, but know you are watching video - strangle the connection so it's unreliable & hopefully they'll get you on the TV as well as the internet. Things are not always as they seem.

Paul

www.televisiontechnology.eu

I have FTTH broadband and can stream directly from my home NAS drive and iptv providers have still tried to blame my connection, if they can’t provide a decent service even if ISPs use ECMs then they shouldn’t bother.

The above point is not relevant to your NAS drives or the fact you have a fibre connection. 

Twice this week i've watched an episode of Netflix series, on my WiFi-connected TV, watched 1 episode, gone to watch the next - 'error'. Network issue, title not available at this time. I then boot up my playstation, also with Netflix, but now the next episode is working. A different device on the network.

Is this Netflix? Of course not, it's my ISP, dropping in and out and causing the hardware to trip - in the first instance, my TV.

This is with 100Mbps fibre connection & latest devices.  Even Netflix is not immune from ISP issues. 

The problem, as always - is when your TV goes, the first point of reference is to contact or blame the TV company, the fact the TV service is connected to the internet seems down to a general level of understanding - often does not get factored in or considered. On tests I've conducted many a time - it is a statement of fact the internet is not 100% stable and will trip up any service from time to time. 

This is not excusing a poor TV service itself, which is the other side of the coin - which I would not disagree with, plenty of poor service providers out there.

Ultimately many pay nothing - Kodi / free streaming etc or a very cheap internet type service then wonder why they don't get 4K or 100% stability - often goes back to 'you get what you pay for' ;-)

Paul

www.televisiontechnology.eu

We were fed that chestnut, " it's not the box it's your internet" they chant it like a mantra, bit like if you say it often enough people will believe it.

All I ever wanted was a system I could switch on and watch some hope.