Spark Sport: Rugby World Cup 2019

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#2331954 7-Oct-2019 15:21

mattwnz:

richrdh18:

Spark Sports should have developed a simple top set box or something similar that they could have rented out for the duration of the RWC or permanently owned be individual, just to eliminate any hardware issues with the stream. Hindsight is fine now but going forward, streaming of live events is going to be the norm.

Since the fist game with SA and Japan, once I'd figured that you have to log out of the app each time you want to exit, change channel or go back to normal tv, the apps been fine..

People / the media, don't complain about the performance of netflix though, and that is a BYOD system. Likewise there are lots of live ondemand services already, so it is now quite a mature technology, especially systems like youtube.

My issue is that the free to air coverage isn't available on TVNZ streaming services, considering many people have done away with UHF , or can't get a good signal. So on these ondemand boxes, people can't get the coverage unless they subscribe to the package, or they buy a UHF aerial, which is a bit like going back to a landline for many.

To compare Netflix and YouTube with Spark Sport is crazy. It is better to compare it to TVNZOD/ThreeOD.

There is the Dish Box Super Box A2 that Spark had on offer with a discount code, but oddly enough I suspect the people complaining didn't take that offer up.

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#2331972 7-Oct-2019 15:42

mattwnz:

People / the media, don't complain about the performance of netflix though, and that is a BYOD system. Likewise there are lots of live ondemand services already, so it is now quite a mature technology, especially systems like youtube.

uhh what???? try googling "youtube streaming issue" or "netflix issues" you will be amazed at the amount of complains :) even within NZ.

helping others at evgenyk.nz

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#2332017 7-Oct-2019 15:47

kobiak:

mattwnz:

People / the media, don't complain about the performance of netflix though, and that is a BYOD system. Likewise there are lots of live ondemand services already, so it is now quite a mature technology, especially systems like youtube.

uhh what???? try googling "youtube streaming issue" or "netflix issues" you will be amazed at the amount of complains :) even within NZ.

Generally if someone has a good internet connection, then people shouldn't have many issues with those services. I have watched a lot of both services in the past, whether they are in the background while working, or watching directly, and generally there haven't been many issues, but there was when I was on a poor connection. Occasionally you may get a drop in the quality, but often that is wifi related.

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#2332022 7-Oct-2019 15:51

BarTender:

To compare Netflix and YouTube with Spark Sport is crazy. It is better to compare it to TVNZOD/ThreeOD.

There is the Dish Box Super Box A2 that Spark had on offer with a discount code, but oddly enough I suspect the people complaining didn't take that offer up.

It should be a far better service and a far more robust system, than the free providers. It depends on who their upstream providers are providing the technology and streams. I constantly have problems with both TVNZ and TV3 ondemand services, although they are better than they used to be. TV3 for example wouldn't work with chromecast last night, it just displayed a blank screen..

I have one of the Dish ondemand dongle things, and it is pretty poor. Keeps locking up and the quick launch icons for the channels no longer works. So I am going to return it and may look at one of the vodafone boxes to see how they go. I can see it being very difficult for a provider to provide hardware specific to a service, beucase people don't want multiple devices to plug in, it is a capital cost that someone has to pay for, and they have to be supported with hardware/software patches. Many TVs I have noticed also only come with 2 HDMI ports on the back in order to cut costs, which creates a problem if you already have a PVR or bluray player and a chromecast/ apple tv etc.

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#2332112 7-Oct-2019 18:34

mattwnz:

BarTender:

To compare Netflix and YouTube with Spark Sport is crazy. It is better to compare it to TVNZOD/ThreeOD.

There is the Dish Box Super Box A2 that Spark had on offer with a discount code, but oddly enough I suspect the people complaining didn't take that offer up.

It should be a far better service and a far more robust system, than the free providers. It depends on who their upstream providers are providing the technology and streams. I constantly have problems with both TVNZ and TV3 ondemand services, although they are better than they used to be. TV3 for example wouldn't work with chromecast last night, it just displayed a blank screen..

I have one of the Dish ondemand dongle things, and it is pretty poor. Keeps locking up and the quick launch icons for the channels no longer works. So I am going to return it and may look at one of the vodafone boxes to see how they go. I can see it being very difficult for a provider to provide hardware specific to a service, beucase people don't want multiple devices to plug in, it is a capital cost that someone has to pay for, and they have to be supported with hardware/software patches. Many TVs I have noticed also only come with 2 HDMI ports on the back in order to cut costs, which creates a problem if you already have a PVR or bluray player and a chromecast/ apple tv etc.

I dont say you dont have issues, but if your CC didnt work last night but it did the night before, and tonight?, would Free OD be at fault?

IMHO and yes it is a capital cost but Apple TV 4 supports all NZ OD, and Im sure there are Android boxes, purchasable here, that also do. I feel they would resolve MANY issues

tdgeek

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#2332115 7-Oct-2019 18:38

mattwnz:

It should be a far better service and a far more robust system, than the free providers.

My setup is so robust its boring. I take it for granted, to me its ubiquitous. ATV4, old but awesome Panny plasma. Fibre (not that that matters), reliable wifi (Apple Extreme, cabled to router in garage, cabled to TV.

If it was me, I would PUSH this and the Android equivalent STB and sell to subscribers at a good deal

Handle9

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#2332119 7-Oct-2019 18:44

Jiriteach:

For some of them yes but I dont completely agree - There are some that are trying to dig into the detail to help users -

https://twitter.com/kimbakerwilson/status/1180729365614645248

"Last week I asked Spark if I could interview someone about the difference between the three dots of doom / the stuttering / the pretty mosaic patterns to help people understand the issues it keeps saying aren't its fault. But it refused. Oh well."

Doesn't look like Spark is keen! Something like this would be very useful to educate users.

So because Spark declined one interview they haven't made an effort?

There was a lot of publicity before the world cup (I live overseas and saw a ton of media about it).

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#2332127 7-Oct-2019 18:54

I see there's still many Spark Sport defenders here!

Yesterday I watched the game at a friends house - They had 50mb VDSL and the router was relatively close. I used my Spark Sport account via Chromecast.

It was explicitly average and absolutely not up to the expectation of the average person who subscribed to SparkSport based on their marketing of the service.

Had all three main issues:

Low-medium-high quality switching.
Three dots of death
Top half of screen completely pixelated (including during the entire last / epic try)

Edit:

It's just too soon, they really shouldn't have tried to use such a high profile event as a springboard. It's extremely useful to be able to just turn up and watch sports anywhere and their flexibility with devices is awesome, unfortunately they've just missed the mark on delivery which has put a bad taste across the entire product.

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#2332129 7-Oct-2019 18:56

Crowbar:

I see there's still many Spark Sport defenders here!

Yesterday I watched the game at a friends house - They had 50mb VDSL and the router was relatively close. I used my Spark Sport account via Chromecast.

It was explicitly average and absolutely not up to the expectation of the average person who subscribed to SparkSport based on their marketing of the service.

Had all three main issues:

Low-medium-high quality switching.
Three dots of death
Top half of screen completely pixelated (including during the entire last / epic try)

Where was this?

Crowbar

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#2332132 7-Oct-2019 18:58

Christchurch, St Albans.

tdgeek

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#2332133 7-Oct-2019 18:59

Crowbar:

I see there's still many Spark Sport defenders here!

Yesterday I watched the game at a friends house - They had 50mb VDSL and the router was relatively close. I used my Spark Sport account via Chromecast.

It was explicitly average and absolutely not up to the expectation of the average person who subscribed to SparkSport based on their marketing of the service.

Had all three main issues:

Low-medium-high quality switching.
Three dots of death
Top half of screen completely pixelated (including during the entire last / epic try)

I dont see it as defending. They say there were no issues, and that they had support calls that were in house related.

What game were you watching? It was either poor as it was poor for everybody, or it wasnt poor for every body. You used CC 3 or U?

tdgeek

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#2332134 7-Oct-2019 18:59

What TV

tdgeek

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#2332137 7-Oct-2019 19:04

Crowbar:

It's just too soon, they really shouldn't have tried to use such a high profile event as a springboard. It's extremely useful to be able to just turn up and watch sports anywhere and their flexibility with devices is awesome, unfortunately they've just missed the mark on delivery which has put a bad taste across the entire product.

IMHO, it shows that NZ is not ready for live streaming. Although mine has been excellent. They could have said too bad, buy an STB such as ATV4 or the Vu, no support for anything else. Then we would have bitched about it. So they support what they support then people use Gen 1/2 CC, side load onto imported boxes and have issues. Damned if you do, damned if you dont.

And as stated, they have been saying from day one, subscribe, there is content there, make sure it works well, so that RWC is not a bad surprise.

Crowbar

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#2332138 7-Oct-2019 19:05

All the questions more or less proves the point (I don't know what TV or ISP). Those of us in places like this forum can homebrew it and make it as _good_ as possible. Most people just subscribe and stream, like I did last night.

tdgeek

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#2332141 7-Oct-2019 19:08

Crowbar:

All the questions more or less proves the point (I don't know what TV or ISP). Those of us in places like this forum can homebrew it and make it as _good_ as possible. Most people just subscribe and stream, like I did last night.

I can home brew it, but I cant be arsed. I wanted a Sky experience. Notwithstanding some early teething issues with F1 and RWC, it now works out of the box. I have a Sky experience. Its just an ATV4, nothing fancy or trick internet, its just a basic setup.

Most days I dont need to face Mecca and close my left eye to get it going :-)

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