Spark Sport: Rugby World Cup 2019

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#2332143 7-Oct-2019 19:09

Handle9:

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).

Horses, water, drink etc...

I never said they didnt make an effort. I was merly pointing out that something like this would be very useful to educate users and help diffuse much of the hatred towards them and their service currently. While some are facing issues, a lot is also confusion. Its incredibly challenging when there are so many variables at play.

-- opinions expressed by me are solely my own. ie - personal

Crowbar

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#2332145 7-Oct-2019 19:13

tdgeek:

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 :-)

I your streaming device is wired, you're already more homebrew that the average person subscribing to SparkSport for the RWC :D

tdgeek

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#2332147 7-Oct-2019 19:19

Jiriteach:

Handle9:

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).

Horses, water, drink etc...

I never said they didnt make an effort. I was merly pointing out that something like this would be very useful to educate users and help diffuse much of the hatred towards them and their service currently. While some are facing issues, a lot is also confusion. Its incredibly challenging when there are so many variables at play.

So, you reduce the variables. We are ok to subscribe to Sky at $100 per month, pay $99 install if no deal, pay what is $20 per month for the MySky, but we would rather cobble a laptop browser to the telly, buy a CC and cobble that etc than buy a reputable and supported STB, with a remote, and a one off cost?

Yes, hindsight, and yes IMHO Spark should have PUSHED the simpler foolproof options such as ATV4 and VU, to get more of the IT challenged over that hurdle.

Its not like most of us are having some issues every week. I see the media, and I see myself watching 7 to 8 hours of F1 every two weeks with no issue. RWC has been the same apart from the two issues Spark did have

tdgeek

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#2332152 7-Oct-2019 19:25

Crowbar:

I your streaming device is wired, you're already more homebrew that the average person subscribing to SparkSport for the RWC :D

Most people could be wired? My last house the ONT and router was installed behind the TV. My daughter had hers done that way just days ago. Where I live now, the ONT/router is in a patch panel, wired to all rooms, so yes thats a bit good, but most installs I would have thought have the router near the TV. If I used wifi, well thats faster then my fibre. 878mbps right now.

larknz

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#2332158 7-Oct-2019 19:38

I'm surprised that no enterprising individual hasn't jumped at this opportunity to set people up properly. I'm sure many people would be happy to pay for such a service.

tdgeek

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#2332161 7-Oct-2019 19:43

larknz: I'm surprised that no enterprising individual hasn't jumped at this opportunity to set people up properly. I'm sure many people would be happy to pay for such a service.

Bit late now but Im sure many have. Many people who are not IT literate have a "computer guy" Im sure they have helped a lot.

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old3eyes

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#2332178 7-Oct-2019 19:48

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)

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.

What version of Chromecast? I had real problems like you say with my CC 1 original version but after updating to a Chromecast Ultra its been rock solid.

Regards,

Old3eyes

Crowbar

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#2332195 7-Oct-2019 20:26

Unsure which, there's two in the house and on the lounge TV we're often streaming all sorts without any problems.

Yes, hindsight, and yes IMHO Spark should have PUSHED the simpler foolproof options such as ATV4 and VU, to get more of the IT challenged over that hurdle.

Chromecast is about as foolproof as you can get...

mdav056

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#2332220 7-Oct-2019 20:45

old3eyes:
Crowbar:

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

What version of Chromecast? I had real problems like you say with my CC 1 original version but after updating to a Chromecast Ultra its been rock solid.

Yes, there are. And it's not the Chromecast -- I have an original one (cast from an old Samsung tablet on wifi) and everything has worked absolutely perfectly since day 1

gml

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#2332224 7-Oct-2019 20:52

Crowbar:

Chromecast is about as foolproof as you can get...

Only as foolproof as the fool installing it though...

If your to opt to stick it on wifi that suffers from alot of jitter (eg basically any 2.4ghz or 5ghz in nonoptimal situations) then it's always going to fail.

Personally i'd love to have a stream that's like a "test stream" that pumps a higher bitrate and a low buffer to purposefully push the worst of the situations.

that would make it quite easy to benchmark as an end user if your setup is good.

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

NzBeagle

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#2332234 7-Oct-2019 21:02

tdgeek: then people use Gen 1/2 CC

I didn't go looking too hard but I only found out here that my CC2 was going to be inadequate, was this widely available information?

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#2332303 8-Oct-2019 02:31

RE Chromecast

There is Gen 1 ,Gen 2, Gen 3, and Ultra. Then there is older tv's with various older generation chromecast functions "built in"

The gen 3 came out in 2018.. its 1080 only but the only one other than the Ultra that can do 1080 in 60 FPS..

Got a tv with chromecast built in? what generation is it?

So I wonder how many people have internet connected "smart tv's" with internal chromecast ability that have never had an online firmware update. Something for geekzoners with tv's with built in chromecast to check out?

tdgeek

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#2332318 8-Oct-2019 07:07

NzBeagle:
tdgeek: then people use Gen 1/2 CC

I didn't go looking too hard but I only found out here that my CC2 was going to be inadequate, was this widely available information?

When the 30fps issue got traction the supported devices list was updated to exclude them from 60fps I think. Users would need to check that

Jiriteach

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#2332320 8-Oct-2019 07:12

Mentioning that Spark should issue simple some tips etc. for users to help - I see they have the now.
Buried in the article but is there - https://i.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/115664177/communityowned-lines-companies-are-giving-their-highest-paid-staff-big-pay-rises?cid=app-iPhone

Hopefully this is a start for helping users help themselves. Those that can anyways.

-- opinions expressed by me are solely my own. ie - personal

tdgeek

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#2332321 8-Oct-2019 07:14

Crowbar:

Chromecast is about as foolproof as you can get...

I bought a CCu just to test Spark Sport, it worked great, same as Airplay. Didnt use it for a few weeks, thought Id try again, no go.I called the helpdesk who were useless. We concluded the issue was 5Ghz, it worked on 2.4, but instead of fixing that, she insisted there is no fault as it works on 2.4, GRRR. never fixed, on the phone for an hour

The fix was to factory reset it. But you need to disconnect all devices, and she only said to disconnect the iPhone, not the iPad, which we also tested with, so the reset never worked. Poor support but when she told me its not faulty as I can use 2.4, and there are 12 or so I can see, that was it. I need to call my ISP to resolve the 5Ghz issue, even though as I told here, everything else in that living room uses 5Ghz

Not foolproof, not when its a computer

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