Problems with Ultraviolet locker and collections more the 1000 movies/TV

[Ruinit]

Re: Problems with Ultraviolet locker and collections more the 1000 movies/TV

and limiting our available devices on an account to only 5(which I think they've said is demanded by the studios, not them).

You know this is just crap! Who else has such a low limit, not amazon, m-go, netflix, etc etc etc

[Adam_ME]

Re: Problems with Ultraviolet locker and collections more the 1000 movies/TV

I don't even bother with Flixster anymore, aside from when I have to redeem a UV code on their site(and even that can be a chore). Their app takes forever to load and on those rare occasions it does successfully pull up my collection, it crashes 90% of the time I try to play a movie.

Cinemanow is a little bit better. The site is useless in terms of loading my entire collection, but the app is a lot quicker and actually allows me to play movies most of the time(but not TV shows unfortunately). The video quality is vastly inferior to VUDU though. The real problem I have with them is their search feature doesn't work. You can pull up the title, but it doesn't show whether or not you own it.

VUDU is by far the gold standard. The only real complaints I've had with them are the wrong aspect ratio for some movies, the lack of certain UV titles being available on their site(which is improving with Shameless and Person of Interest recently being added), and limiting our available devices on an account to only 5(which I think they've said is demanded by the studios, not them).

[LuzRinggold]

Re: Problems with Ultraviolet locker and collections more the 1000 movies/TV

The thread was deleted by the moderator. Not sure why.

We have had the same thing happen to us on numerous occasions! It seems that asking questions that make them feel a little uncomfortable will cause them to just delete the thread or post without any explanation. Avoiding questions instead of trying to answer them is very poor customer service and causes distrust or at the least uncertainty.

[Walter-S_North_Carolina]

Re: Problems with Ultraviolet locker and collections more the 1000 movies/TV

though sometimes I get the feeling that Vudu may be understaffed.

I did a thread about two months ago that had a link to open positions at Vudu. They were on a hiring binge.

The thread was deleted by the moderator. Not sure why.

Anyway, like any company dealing with success, they have some growing pains. Once one of these seasoned iVoD programmers is hired, it takes awhile for them to be incorporated into the teams.

[echopulse]

Re: Problems with Ultraviolet locker and collections more the 1000 movies/TV

The rovi system seems to be great at identifying discs. Maybe vudu could even buy it, it's for sale.

[MoWeb]

Re: Problems with Ultraviolet locker and collections more the 1000 movies/TV

Unfortunately, all the companies mentioned use third-party providers to identify content. It's my guess that Gracenote's database is the problem and to get things fixed Vudu has to submit the info to them. Also, that without a Database update from the third-party no new titles or corrections can be made. Not to say new D2D titles can't be added without an update to the Gracenote DB, but it must be a title for which we would previously have gotten the 'This title xxxx is not eligible for Disc to Digital' message, not a 'can not be verified' message. I hope it is the third-party problem, more than a Vudu staff problem, though sometimes I get the feeling that Vudu may be understaffed.

I don't think it's Vudu staffing. I've contacted them on several occasions and each time the response time was very reasonable and they have always solved my problems to my satisfaction. Maybe it's time to tell Gracenote get it in gear or ditch them.

[Speedaddict81]

Re: Problems with Ultraviolet locker and collections more the 1000 movies/TV

I don't think it's because of the blu ray's. I would agree with that but the software doesn't do DVD's very well either. Every DVD that I've tried which doesn't work with the Vudu app is at least read correctly with the Cinemanow and Flixster apps. This works even if they're not eligible for conversion at those services. I just don't understand how Vudu can have an excellent staff, website, and collection of movies/TV shows but can't make the app work or correct some of the reported failures.

Unfortunately, all the companies mentioned use third-party providers to identify content. It's my guess that Gracenote's database is the problem and to get things fixed Vudu has to submit the info to them. Also, that without a Database update from the third-party no new titles or corrections can be made. Not to say new D2D titles can't be added without an update to the Gracenote DB, but it must be a title for which we would previously have gotten the 'This title xxxx is not eligible for Disc to Digital' message, not a 'can not be verified' message. I hope it is the third-party problem, more than a Vudu staff problem, though sometimes I get the feeling that Vudu may be understaffed.

[MoWeb]

Re: Problems with Ultraviolet locker and collections more the 1000 movies/TV

I think that the only reason it is more stable and reliable is because they don't offer the D2D for blu-ray disks. If they did, it may be as unstable as Vudu.

I don't think it's because of the blu ray's. I would agree with that but the software doesn't do DVD's very well either. Every DVD that I've tried which doesn't work with the Vudu app is at least read correctly with the Cinemanow and Flixster apps. This works even if they're not eligible for conversion at those services. I just don't understand how Vudu can have an excellent staff, website, and collection of movies/TV shows but can't make the app work or correct some of the reported failures.

[lujan]

Re: Problems with Ultraviolet locker and collections more the 1000 movies/TV

First off, thanks to everyone for their input.

Gnatevil,

Doesn't Vudu's ability to provide such a great website over the others make you wonder how in the world Cinemanow and Flixster have a far more stable and reliable in home D2D app over Vudu.

I think that the only reason it is more stable and reliable is because they don't offer the D2D for blu-ray disks. If they did, it may be as unstable as Vudu.

[MoWeb]

Re: Problems with Ultraviolet locker and collections more the 1000 movies/TV

I'm sitting at 750+ and the only place I can see all without waiting 10 - 15 minutes for an incomplete list is Vudu. They show all and it's pretty much instant. Flixster blows balls and uvvu sucks em. I haven't tried cinemanow but I'm sure it isn't up to snuff either.

First off, thanks to everyone for their input.

Gnatevil,

Doesn't Vudu's ability to provide such a great website over the others make you wonder how in the world Cinemanow and Flixster have a far more stable and reliable in home D2D app over Vudu.

[bjeong1381]

Re: Problems with Ultraviolet locker and collections more the 1000 movies/TV

I've got a little over 1,100 movies. And I don't even bother trying to use Flixster, CinemaNow, or the UV site. Those sites will spend 10+ minutes trying to load my collection. They're basically unusable.

I came to this conculsion before I even got to 1000. I stopped when I was around 600 as those sites are just useless. Vudu is the only one I use now but I hope Walmart doesn't kill it like they did their mp3 service.

[Walter-S_North_Carolina]

Re: Problems with Ultraviolet locker and collections more the 1000 movies/TV

Vudu is the only one working properly.

I'm told new software in place shortly to handle everything properly on the back-end. We just need to be patient...I don't think they anticipated how avidly people would adopt Ultraviolet.

-- John

I think a bit of history may be helpful here. I know I am just a voice from the nameless legion of folk in the low triple digits, but I have done my time in the research corner.

The initial inception of the UV/Flixster marriage was so folks could have a digital copy or two from new releases toting around on their iPhone without the studios shelling out six figures to Apple, Corp.

In that model, their systems work good. They are superficially sound and have the appearance of cosmetic touches to wow one's friends at being able to watch a movie on your phone.

Although the DECE systems were designed with a very ambitious big picture in mind, this initial deployment was what was technically architected.

scene two:

At the same time as this, people were putting Blockbuster Video out of business from adoption of NetFlix for in home watching. A small player in this emerging market segmet that had a set-top box to provide owned content via over-the-top internet bandwidth was bought by Wal-Mart Corp.

A chemical witch's brew emerged.

Utilizing UV to wow your friends at being able to watch a movie on your iPhone changed to iVoD with an amazing consumer acceptance.

Folks were now piping in 1080p onto their ubiquitous flat screens.

Wal-Mart decided to throw some gas on this already out of control fire by letting folks convert their collections of physical media onto their new iVoD system. The cost they charged was speculatively at or below cost, obviously meant as an incentive offer to jump start consumer acceptance.

This is known as a disruptive technology and a paradigm shift ensued (we are still in the midst of it really).

While Vudu took off using the venture capital of the likes of their new daddy which dwarf all but a handful countries on the planet, Flixster and CinemaNow remained all but static with an architecture designed to host the old model.

So, yes

Flixster blows balls and uvvu sucks em.

, but there is a history lesson which can explain why that is.

I am confident the DECE member's systems will adapt to the new iVoD model blazed by Vudu. It will just take time for the new paradigm to be digested.

[echopulse]

Re: Problems with Ultraviolet locker and collections more the 1000 movies/TV

Vudu is the only one working properly.

I'm told new software in place shortly to handle everything properly on the back-end. We just need to be patient...I don't think they anticipated how avidly people would adopt Ultraviolet.

-- John

If that's the case, then the updated software is likely to inprove not just UltraViolet's site, but Flixster and CinemaNow as well. That will be a great thing, because so many people bash UltraViolet because Flixster is slow. I can't wait for that issue to go away. I bet a lot of poeple who signed up for UV gave up on it because of that. If it's fixed, I bet UV would grow even more rapidly.

[wildside]

Re: Problems with Ultraviolet locker and collections more the 1000 movies/TV

Vudu is the only one working properly.

I'm told new software in place shortly to handle everything properly on the back-end. We just need to be patient...I don't think they anticipated how avidly people would adopt Ultraviolet.

-- John

[Gnatevil]

Re: Problems with Ultraviolet locker and collections more the 1000 movies/TV

I've got a little over 1,100 movies. And I don't even bother trying to use Flixster, CinemaNow, or the UV site. Those sites will spend 10+ minutes trying to load my collection. They're basically unusable.

I'm sitting at 750+ and the only place I can see all without waiting 10 - 15 minutes for an incomplete list is Vudu. They show all and it's pretty much instant. Flixster blows balls and uvvu sucks em. I haven't tried cinemanow but I'm sure it isn't up to snuff either.