Thread: Problem with NFL SUPERCAST Adobe Air

First time on the site... hopefully this forum is the right one for this question. I am attempting to download the DirecTv Supercast feature so I can watch NFL Sunday Ticket online. I am unable to get Supercast to work via Adobe Air. When I attempt to download Supercast, I get an error message in an Adobe Air message box that states, "The application could not be installed because the AIR file is damaged. Try obtaining a new AIR file from the application author." After I download Adobe Air from the Adobe website, it installs fine; however, if I attempt to install Supercast after installing Adobe Air I get an error message in an Adobe Air message box that states, "The application could not be installed. Try installing it again. If the problem persists, contact the application author. Error 2032." I have the latest Adobe flash player. I have already viewed DirecTV online FAQs and called customer service… neither have helped resolve the issue. I have uninstalled and reinstalled all software numerous times. I have also attempted the installs with all firewalls off. Nothing has worked. I get the same problem on 4 different computers (3 running Vista and 1 running XP). Any ideas what might be the problem? Thanks.

AIR is trying to open a stream and isnt able to do so, or do so reliably. Either there is a problem with the url that the supercast app is requesting...for example if you're using a proxy server and thats changing the url...so it cant get the stream started...or there is a network issue thats preventing the request from completing or the stream from playing. Sometimes the AIR app caches some stuff locally and theres a problem with that.

Whats your network look like? Any wireless or powerline stuff or old switches/routers/??? that might not be passing all the network traffic?

Only other thing I'd try is to uninstall supercast and air and physically remove the directories they reside in to make sure theres nothing residual, then reinstall.

CFB: Thanks... that makes since. The computer is hardwired into a wireless ADSL router. I can gain access to the router software; however, not sure how to go about telling it to let the Supercast download stream through (I've reset and changed some various settings, but no luck). I've tried deleting the Adobe Air files after uninstalling also... no luck. I'm sure you are right, it's a network/firewall problem with the router (the reason all 4 computer can't access it... they go through the same wireless router). What's interesting is I downloaded it fine last year. I've looked for the Supercast download on other sites or via a bit torrent, but haven't been able to find another source. I'm running out of ideas. Any other thoughts?

Can you plug one of the computers directly into the dsl modem and bypass the wireless or is the router also the modem? One of the benefits of having a separate modem/router.

Might be something your router is discarding thats necessary for supercast to start the stream. Might also be something that your ISP is discarding...for example if its a smaller provider they might not have had any customers using supercast and might classify it as a peer-to-peer app and throttle it.

You deleted the air stuff, but did you also delete the program files/directv/supercast directory and its subs after removing the app and then reinstalling?

Only other thought to try and isolate it is to take one of your computers to a friend with a different ISP like cable or if you have a wireless laptop set up with supercast thats failing in your house, take it to a coffee shop, supermarket or other place that offers free wireless and see if you can get a stream going there. If that works, its your router or ISP.

I had the same thought. I took my laptop to a wireless coffee shop (actually 2 different locations) and attempted to download Supercast. I got the same error message. So know I'm not sure what the issue is.

One of my computers is wired into the router (however, it is a combo wireless route). There other 3 access via wireless signal.

Interestingly, when I looked for the DirecTv folder to delete after uninstalling Air, there was no DirecTv folder or Supercast folder... which tells me it's not even getting to that point of the dowload process.

I'm completely baffled now! Thanks for the thoughts and suggestions. Let me know if you think of anything else. Appreciate the help.

You're getting this error just trying to download the supercast app? I thought it was when you were trying to run the app.

Unless its still an ISP issue and both coffee shops you went to are using the same ISP that you are...

Are you doing the supercast download with IE or firefox or ??? I've done one with IE8 and one with firefox 3.5. Had a glitch on downloading on firefox the first time when it went to install the adobe air app.

You do have a login and password on the directv web site and you're logged into it when you do the download, right?

Just to be sure we're on the same page, click here


https://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/conte..._online_mobile

scroll down to where you see 'supercast' in a black box with a green bar that says 'install now'. Click 'install now' and follow the directions. For what its worth, I got a slightly newer version when I just tried it (2.06) vs the 2.05 I got last week.

I've tried IE and Firefox and Safari. I have a Directv account with Superfan and I'm logged in when trying. The link you sent is the one I'm using... and I can confirm the Supercast picture/link on that page changed slightly yesterday which I'm sure corresponded to the updated software.

It could be on ISP issue still. The locations I went to use the same ISP. It's possible the ISP is causing the problem. I'll try to see if I can find a different ISP to test. Thanks probably the next step to try and isolate.

Thanks.

Total stab in the dark but I know AIR and Flash 10 can do peer 2 peer video sharing and its not a long shot that directv implemented some portion of that to have customers share some of the burden of the video distribution of the games.

A lot of ISP's are blocking or throttling p2p traffic and if they detect something that smells like p2p trying to avoid their blocking will reject the traffic altogether.

Something else I'll have to packet sniff and see. It'd be nice if they are doing that if they told their customers about it...or maybe it was on some 5 page fine print terms of service you have to click when you sign up for supercast...