Forum Discussion
Playon having issues with slow download speed?
I have tried to find a solution to actually be able to use our HNS service for something other than just emial and very light browzing (no videos). It was suggested here that Playon could be a solut...
oh, I think I found that the older version of Playon may have had you watching the channel while recording...was that the case?
Now that doesn't happen unless you have visible.mnt in the Playon folder...they use this for troubleshooting.
You may want to look into running an Android emulator on your PC so that you could use the PlayOn Cloud app.
Thanks. I think I will wait for Playon to suggest moving to the cloud. I see that they have a sale right now - 365 dowloads for $45. I got the desktop lifetime unlimited app on sale for $19.95. That was a deal...and it is for most downloads (Netflix, CBS, Youtube and PBS so far have worked pretty much fine).
I think the problem is again the latency and the slow download speeds from HNS causing Amazon Prime to kick me out. That is what happened during my testing today...During the first minute of the download a popup says the download is taking too long and it asks me to chose to stop or continue. I can't answer that question at 3am during off peak recording, so it times out and kicks me out. That process takes about 2 minutes which is how long my failed videos are.
Let's me stand back and see what I am doing. I could need more software (Android emulator) with a cloud app for a PC or a cloud app on a phone to download shows to be able to watch videos because my internet service provider can't perform that function. They "might" work. I have also been told Gen 5 "might" work. Am I headed down another rabbit hole? Time will tell...
spydermike wrote:I think the problem is again the latency and the slow download speeds from HNS causing Amazon Prime to kick me out. That is what happened during my testing today...During the first minute of the download a popup says the download is taking too long and it asks me to chose to stop or continue. I can't answer that question at 3am during off peak recording, so it times out and kicks me out. That process takes about 2 minutes which is how long my failed videos are.
It may very well be the reason. PlayOn Cloud completely eliminates this issue, which is why it's the one we always recommend. Don't get me wrong, there are some people out there who use PlayOn Desktop with HughesNet, but I just mean that Cloud isn't susceptible to the same issues, as with it you're just downloading a file.
For reference, I think you could probably even use an old, decommissioned Android based Smart Phone, as I think you can still use the Android things via WiFi without it having actual phone service. I'm going to dig out my old Tracfone and see if I can do this, though I can't remember the Android version on it.
Thanks. The closest cell signal is 7 mile away, so anything cellular won't work. So from cloud to android phone, phone to PC, then PC to USB stick then USB stick to TV. Hmmm. Or use my cell phone as a USB stick. Hmmm...
Will Playon Cloud allow the scheduled downloading at Bonus Zone times then like the Desktop version does?
Ha, trying to download the cloud app onto my phone using my blazing HNS internet. So far 10 minutes to download 6MB...fingers crossed...only 56MB more to go!
spydermike wrote:Thanks. The closest cell signal is 7 mile away, so anything cellular won't work. So from cloud to android phone, phone to PC, then PC to USB stick then USB stick to TV. Hmmm. Or use my cell phone as a USB stick. Hmmm...
The cell phone would simply be used for the app, and you could use your HughesNet WiFi for the connection, so you wouldn't need to connect to your actual cell service to use it. You'd set up the recordings with the phone. If you download item(s) automatically or by schedule, then yes, they would need to go directly to the phone, and then you would have to transfer them off of the phone to use them, unless you wanted to watch them on the phone (not likely). If you want to manually download the item(s), you can do so via the link they send to your email, and with your computer. Downloading them manually is what I normally do, but I tend to up later than most people so I can do so during the Bonus Zone.
Granted, it is a bit of a convoluted way, especially if you download the items directly to the phone, but in the end you'll have them without any of the buffering and no wasted data.
I just downloaded two more movies from PlayOn Cloud last night. :) I bought a bunch of credits during a couple of really good sales a while back and still have 286 left. They were about 10 cents per at the time. They sometimes have really good sales on them.
okay, 30 minutes into the download and 36MB downloaded...26MB to go. I might acutally get this app installed!
40 minutes and 47MB downloaded....15MB more to go!
spydermike wrote:40 minutes and 47MB downloaded....15MB more to go!
Eek. The Play Store is always slow for me too.
Okay, so I also tried Playon Cloud and it is not working very well...yet another support ticket for that. The cloud records fine, but my downloads fail. Hmmm, unstable internet connection? Fun Fun Fun.
spydermike wrote:Okay, so I also tried Playon Cloud and it is not working very well...yet another support ticket for that. The cloud records fine, but my downloads fail. Hmmm, unstable internet connection? Fun Fun Fun.
Yeah, that definitely sounds like a HughesNet issue.
If you've had need to, have other sizable file downloads been successful, even if not speedy? Not necessarily Microsoft related downloads, as those seem to be wacky for a lot of people, including myself, but other kinds.
Other downloads in the last two days have included attempts at Playon desktop downloads during Bonus Zone time - those are failing too due to Amazon detecting an "unstable internet connection".
We don't download much at all due to continually slow and bad internet service. We are down to just light browsing, no videos at all, and email. Kinda sux.
Hopefully between the two of them (PlayOn and HughesNet) whatever is happening can be figured out. Slow speed and/or buffering is one thing, but file downloads shouldn't be flat out failing.
Something is definitely not right. :(
I don't see Hughesnet doing anything to help. They gave up a while ago...offering a trite $20 monthly discount for 6 months for our "patience and understanding".
Funny thing is, last night was the end of our last month's data cycle. While still having a gig of data to go, we decided to try to stream a show at 11:30pm...it worked flawlessly. To me this supports that they have simply oversold the capacity of their system in my area. There is nothing they can do about that. They don't offer solutions to try to help us, they just continue to try to sell the service. Our local friends get offers to join still and we advise them to stay away. They have cell service and even basic cell service kicks HNS to the curb.
We have neighbors that are putting a petition together for better internet service for safety and learning issues...the current poor cell and satellite internet optionsin our immediate area are simply not working.
I am hoping that Playon can step up with a solution on their end...for the downloading failures on the Cloud app (it failed again last night) and for Amazon recording/downloading failures on the desktop version - both seemingly due to the unstable internet service.
Why is the Bonus Zone performance as bad as during the day? Is there any way to get data from that besides doing it myself?
"Why is the Bonus Zone performance as bad as during the day? "
I would imagine because people know it's less congested, so they are flocking to it and causing congestion. The bonus zone was less congested because fewer people used it. As soon as people started using it more, the congestion grew.
So there is good cell internet service in your area? And who are your neighbours petitioning?
It would be really helpful if HNS put a congestion meter on the system so we could manage our expectations. I know I am dreaming here, but for us to spend so much effort on trying to work solutions that have no hope of working really just pushes the dagger deeper in.
The closest cell signal from us is 7 miles away. We are in rural area (the kind of area that Hughesnet was supposed to help with). Our friends live in that cellular coverage area and I am helping them with a cellular internet solution...pretty easy really. Recently, I needed to respond to someone and drove the 7 miles only to not have cellular data capability. I drove further into town and still had issues. I ended up not being able to deal with it - not sure why the data pipeline was down except for maybe the consolidation going on with two of the majors which has caused issues here recently.
The neighbors are petitioning the local and state government. It is a safety issue because we live in a rural fire zone (you saw this on national news this year where whole towns got wiped out - that was here), we can not connect with fire or law enforcement and kids are not able to learn without decent internet. Seems like a worthy cause. Basic internet service, in this day and age and country, should be as available as a utility like water or electricity...in my opinion. We are not that far from a fairly large metropolitan area and a major highway corridor. No company is yet willing to step up and provide the services, and the company(ies) that do provide a service (like HNS and some cellular providers), render the service unreliable due to whatever reason. Not enough profit in it...until the governement steps in it seems.
Not sure if the idea of a congestion meter is feasible, but it sure sounds interesting. Good to hear people are becoming engaged and petitioning the local and state government, and I hope it works!
Thanks
I have to imagine that HNS can monitor each beam's traffic as part of their normal metrics. A simple chart showing the typical beam traffic pattern that is updated once in a while would make a huge difference in helping us manage what beam width we all are fighting to use. I would think. It would keep me from posting here as much...now that would be a benefit!
From Playon regarding their Desktop app failure to record/download on off peak hours:
"It is a timing issue. The latency is so much worse than what is considered normal that adding extra steps is going to make our product worse overall. It will cause all failed recordings to be delayed."
The second part of that statement relates a question I had about a possible work around.
What happens, primarily with Amazon content, but also with Netflix sometimes, is that the download starts off soooo slow that Amazon puts up an error code 7017 called streaming delay. They ask if you want to "stop" or "continue waiting". If you select "continue waiting" the video starts playing within 10 seconds and everything seems to work. I just can't get past the error code without manually selecting "continue waiting". If this happens during off peak recording/downloading and no one is present, then about 30 seconds after the error code pops up, the attemp fails, and the effort terminates.
I asked if they could recognize the error code and auto answer with a selection of "continue waiting". That was the second part of their reply above.
Ugh.
well, after several attempts, I decided to try downloading the Playon Cloud content NOT during Bonus Zone but during the day so that I could observe. A couple fo attempts stalled out, failed and restarted. I thought the file might be corrupted somehow, so I recorded it again and tried download it again. It still failed. Finally, I mus have hit the right window of opportunity with my internet service and, although it took about 20 minutes, I got the episode down.
I will continue to try the Playon Cloud, because 1) my internet service provider can not provide this streaming service, and 2) although it doesn't work perfectly over the last few attempts, it does provide a much needed solution, and 3) I have 358 more attempts available to me (bought and paid for). I will spend more time trying to determine the origins of our download issue. It could be a phone setting, or a bug in their software, or, heaven help me, my ISP.
Interesting. I guess it goes to show YMMV. I have no issues downloading POC content, as long as I download items individually and do it before 8 am.
Not a true/fair comparison...I have seen your download speeds! Much much much much much much much better than ours. We reside in the black hole on the west coast.
spydermike wrote:It could be a phone setting, or a bug in their software, or, heaven help me, my ISP.
Are you downloading the Cloud items to your phone or directly to your PC?
It's not a comparison but a statement -- YMMV due to a great number of variables, including geography.
Sorry, part of your statement was a comparison from my viewpoint: Me saying I am unable to download reliably vs. you - "I have no issues downloading POC content...".
I think it has been demonstrated through testing and data that my HNS experience and system performance is not nearly as good as yours - not by a long shot. Nothing personal here...just facts. If we got your performance at our location, then I wouldn't be posting here on a support forum.
Yes, I agree that it is most likely due to our overcrowded beam, our lack of access to Jupiter 2, being merely Gen4, and having decided to live in the HNS black hole (and whole knows what else that has not be determined). Believe me we definitely understand that.
GabeU wrote:Are you downloading the Cloud items to your phone or directly to your PC?
Initial attemtps were via phone. The final download was to PC through the emailed link. I need to use the phone so that the scheduled download feature (the most important one in my mind) can be utilized.
