AppleTV and 24 Hour Viewing Window

[MaxH]

Re: AppleTV and 24 Hour Viewing Window

Then when you decide to watch it and press play, it will then ask if you want to purchase (really means rent) the movie. If you select yes, then it uses the broadband connection to pay for it and then the movie starts.

Then you have 24 hours to watch it. The 24 hours doesn't start after you record it, but after you start watching it from your DVR.

It sounds like a different business model, but with the same viewing limitations. In both cases, the 24-hour clock is started when you start watching it. The recording part is kind of like renting is on Vudu, in that it places it on your movie list, you just pay at a different place in the process. Maybe this is DirecTV's way of trying to give you instant viewing, letting you choose movies to download completely instead of using headers. With Vudu, though, the download step is superfluous.

[redwein]

Re: AppleTV and 24 Hour Viewing Window

It sounds like a different business model, but with the same viewing limitations. In both cases, the 24-hour clock is started when you start watching it. The recording part is kind of like renting is on Vudu, in that it places it on your movie list, you just pay at a different place in the process. Maybe this is DirecTV's way of trying to give you instant viewing, letting you choose movies to download completely instead of using headers. With Vudu, though, the download step is superfluous.

I think it's a bit different. With DirecTV PPV, don't you only have fixed times you can record it. That means that you would almost always start recording it before you start watching it, thus giving you less than 24 hours to finish once you do sit down and actually push "Play".

[HeadHodge]

Re: AppleTV and 24 Hour Viewing Window

I think it's a bit different. With DirecTV PPV, don't you only have fixed times you can record it. That means that you would almost always start recording it before you start watching it, thus giving you less than 24 hours to finish once you do sit down and actually push "Play".

"If you are not sure you will be able to watch your selection within the 24 hour viewing period, use your record/buy later function available on DIRECTV Plus DVR or DIRECTV Plus HD DVR receivers."

It use to be the way you describe and still is (I think) for non-DVR receivers, because they inherently can't record.

But with DVR receivers there is now 2 buttons when you select a PPV movie. One to pay and watch, and the other to record and watch later. You only have to pay when you decide to watch the movie (and thus kick in the 24 hour viewing period).

Typically I use their web site to pick movies I want to watch. When I select a movie I want, if it's a PPV as opposed to a VOD movie, it will give me a list of times when it's available to be recorded. Then I pick the one I want and tell it which receiver to record it to, and then it push's the movie to my receiver when it's available from the Sat. If it's a VOD movie, it starts downloading immediately via broadband.

In the VOD case it's being streamed and available to watch in a view minutes without interruption.

In the PPV case it's push'd to the receiver in real time (i.e. a 90 minute movie takes exactly 90 minutes to download). Once it starts downloading, you can watch the movie without interruption. The big downside to PPV of course is that you can only record it when it's available and the selection is limited to about only 20 titles at a time. The upside is that most of them are in HD with DD5.1 and the picture quality is pretty good too for $4.99 a pop.

Regards

[redwein]

Re: AppleTV and 24 Hour Viewing Window

Typically I use their web site to pick movies I want to watch. When I select a movie I want, if it's a PPV as opposed to a VOD movie, it will give me a list of times when it's available to be recorded. Then I pick the one I want and tell it which receiver to record it to, and then it push's the movie to my receiver when it's available from the Sat. If it's a VOD movie, it starts downloading immediately via broadband.

In the VOD case it's being streamed and available to watch in a view minutes without interruption.

In the PPV case it's push'd to the receiver in real time (i.e. a 90 minute movie takes exactly 90 minutes to download). Once it starts downloading, you can watch the movie without interruption.

That's exactly my point. You still have to pick a time to record the movie, which at best starts on the hour or half hour slot. Once your DVR starts recording it the 24 hour clock starts. If you were really going to be ready at exactly that time you wouldn't have needed to record it in the first place. So you can assume that the recording (and 24 hour clock) will start sometime before you start to watch it. It may be minutes or an hour, or even longer, if something came up that stopped you from watching it.

With Vudu, when you comit to renting it, it just downloads and the 24 hour clock doesn't start until you actually sit down to watch the movie. With Vudu you get a full 24 hours from when you click play. With DirectTV you get 24 hours from the time you tell it to record at which, unless you plan to sit down at exactly the same time to watch it, will be some time earlier than you actually watch it.

[HeadHodge]

Re: AppleTV and 24 Hour Viewing Window

That's exactly my point. You still have to pick a time to record the movie, which at best starts on the hour or half hour slot. Once your DVR starts recording it the 24 hour clock starts.

Yes your'e absolutely right, that PPV has limited windows of opportunity to record content and thus very inconvient compared to VUDU or any other VOD service. Like taking Viagra for the right reasons but at the wrong time.

But you're wrong about the 24 clock. It doesn't start when the DVR starts recording the movie. The clock starts when you select the PPV movie that's being or has been recorded on your DVR only after you select the recording on the DVR and agree to watch and pay for it. This could be days or weeks after you record it (depending on available disk space). I recorded Game Plan last week (via the Internet), but didn't pay for and watch it until last night. As soon as I paid for and starting watching it, the 24 clock kicked in. BTW Game Plan is "definitely" a kids flick, I couldn't make it through the whole movie.

One wierd anomally from this, is that when you select the movie that you have recorded on your DVR, it starts playing the movie while asking you if you want to pay for it. So it's kinda neat in the fact that you can watch about the first minute or so of the movie before you have to decide whether you want to pay for it or not. After several minutes, if you don't pay for it, the screen goes blank. But it's kindof like watching a movie trailer before buying. I don't know what you would call it though, because it shows the beginning of the movie not the trail.

Regards

[redwein]

Re: AppleTV and 24 Hour Viewing Window

Ok. It sounds like I misunderstood. I thought you had to purchase it to record it. But you are saying that you can record it, leave it sit for days, then purchase/watch it.

[HeadHodge]

Re: AppleTV and 24 Hour Viewing Window

Ok. It sounds like I misunderstood. I thought you had to purchase it to record it. But you are saying that you can record it, leave it sit for days, then purchase/watch it.

Right on the money. Wish I could have said that in 3 syllables or less like you just did.

[Nded]

Re: AppleTV and 24 Hour Viewing Window

Right on the money. Wish I could have said that in 3 syllables or less like you just did.

+1

[NA9D]

Re: AppleTV and 24 Hour Viewing Window

I understood grumps the first time around.

[HeadHodge]

Re: AppleTV and 24 Hour Viewing Window

+1

Damn You Brain!!!!

Actually I'm kind of disappointed in you. I saw that one coming from a mile away about 3 hours ago before I even hit the save button.

Your tail is perhaps getting a little rusty??

[Rusdude]

Re: AppleTV and 24 Hour Viewing Window

The way Robert talks about DTV, I am starting to suspect he might be somehow involved in Dish's failed satellite launch.

[HeadHodge]

Re: AppleTV and 24 Hour Viewing Window

The way Robert talks about DTV, I am starting to suspect he might be somehow involved in Dish's failed satellite launch.

No... Actually I work for the Navy and we're always looking for good target practice! Funny how those opportunites arise, huh?

[HeadHodge]

Re: AppleTV and 24 Hour Viewing Window

No... Actually I work for the Navy and we're always looking for good target practice! Funny how those opportunites arise, huh?

Oh... I forgot to mention in my last post.

The Dish Sat is now orbiting in "safe" low earth orbit.

The term safe is a real misnomer. It doesn't mean that the Sat is safe, it actually means that it's safe to blow the crap out of it!

(stay tuned for coming updates, the next status for this Sat is expected to be: suddenly MIA)

[redwein]

Re: AppleTV and 24 Hour Viewing Window

The term safe is a real misnomer. It doesn't mean that the Sat is safe, it actually means that it's safe to blow the crap out of it!

More target practice for the Navy?

[HeadHodge]

Re: AppleTV and 24 Hour Viewing Window

More target practice for the Navy?

Yes!! Sounds like maybe someone hasn't been keeping up with the news.

Last week (or so) the USS Indiana, in the South Pacific, modified and launched one of our missle defense shield rockets to destroy an errant non-operational U.S. spy satellite destined for Earth entry on a decaying orbit.

They showed pictures of the launch and subsequent destruction of the Sat. It was (too me) fairly spectacular.

They had 3 rockets to try if needed but killed and obliterated it on the very first try. It made our boys proud!

(they also reported last week that there is strong evidence that (someone I can't mention here) has a bad case of camel-toe!! Not to be confused with the more commonly found missle-toe)

Regards