Thread: Playback performance problems of downloaded HD movie on 722k reciever

Hi all. Yesterday I downloaded the HD version of Star Trek HD using Blockbuster Movie Pass menu on my Dish Network 722k HD DVR. To day I tried to play it. Wow, the picture stutters ever half second with is totally distracting on any space scene. The images are all HD and clear but explosions and anything on screen with a moderate motion are not smooth playing. Ships that should be smoothly gliding across the screen jerk along like they have a catch in their clutch. It's like every half second there are dropped frames. So I noticed today that channel EPIX1 was also running Star Trek HD and I decided to switch to the satellite channel and compare it. No stuttering at all. Ships and explotions move smoothly. After noticing this I called Dish Network. They gave me the runaround and told me to hang up and call Blockbuster. By the way, this first Dish support peson was a little hard to understand. I didn't really recognize their accent, but they were very polite. However they were also wrong in directing me to Blockbuster which I told that that sounded wrong, but they didn't believe me. So I called Blockbuster and explained the situation and they told me that downloadable content support through the DVR is handled by Dish, like I though. The Blockbuster support person was very professional and even forwarded my call back to Dish so I didn't have to redial a phone number. Cudos to Blockbuster for that. Anyway, after getting back to Dish support (again an accent I didn't recognize), I explained the situation again and this time was transferred to someone else who tried to tell me that the playback performance was due to buffering issues. Dumb, since it completely downloaded yesterday. I told the tech that it could not have anything to do with my current internet speed because it had already downloaded. I even unplugged my ethernet from the back of the unit (I don' use wifi) and played the movie to prove that my current internet proformance has nothing to do with already downloaded content I wante to know whether this is a defective unit (just installed 3 weeks ago), or if shoddy jerky playback is the norm for Blockbuster movie pass downloads. They filed a trouble ticket and told me soneone would call me back within 2 days. TWO DAYS! In the mean time, I got out my Sony TVR digital camcorder and recorded a clip of the movie at the point just after Kirk is in the shuttle about to board the Enterprise for the first tie. I captured the clips both from the satellite broadcast and the downloaded content. It's clear as day to anyone who's looking. I hope this is just a defective unit that can be swapped out. Otherwise, Blockbuster downloaded content is of no uses for me at all. It is too distracting for me to want to watch, and after only 5 minutes it was giving my wife a headache.

I have never experienced the mess you saw with that BBMP rental. (Of course mine disappear overnight so I couldn't reproduce your problem at all.) When it plays, it plays flawlessly and IMHO even the SD programs look darn good. (722 w/L722 firmware)

I think this has got to be a problem with that particular movie. Can you try some others?

I'm debating whether I should cancel Netflix and go with the Blockbuster Movie Pass. Stories like this are keeping me from committing. Are there any users who are having a positive streaming experience? How does it compare to Netflix streaming?

Originally Posted by jfinnivan

I'm debating whether I should cancel Netflix and go with the Blockbuster Movie Pass. Stories like this are keeping me from committing. Are there any users who are having a positive streaming experience? How does it compare to Netflix streaming?

It doesn't compare to Netflix streaming because BBMP streams only Epix, Retro, and the other Platinum channel movies. Blockbuster has absolutely nothing to do with the streaming available in BBMP, despite its name implying otherwise.

Do not drop Netflix for BBMP if you want to be able to stream a lot of video content. BBMP is only comparable to Netflix as far as DVD mailings go. And while not as fast as Netflix, they do offer Blu-ray and video games, where Netflix charges more for Blu-Ray and they don't have video games at all.

I have had outstanding performance from BBMP streaming yet I can still say that you should most definitely not drop Netflix for it. It is a great enhancement...but that is all. The discs by mail, however, did replace Netflix for me, and with the in-store exchange it is much better than Netflix (again, for me...not everyone shares that opinion).

Besides if the only streaming you had was on the BBMP interface that looks like it belongs several decades back...you'd not be a happy camper.

BBMP is very nice as a total package...but still a work in progress that needs a lot of refinement. Do NOT drop your Netflix streaming.

Thanks. My other option is to drop Netflix streaming and use free Amazon Prime video streaming. Unfortunately, the interface for that is horrible.