FilmOn & BBC 1

Smiley G · Post by **Smiley G** » Sat 24 Oct 2015 22:30

Did anyone have a problem with FilmOn on Saturday evening?
Strictly Come Dancing started at 7:35pm and very shortly after that we had severe buffering and picture freezes.
The problems were on BBC1 only because I channel-hopped to ITV1, BBC2 etc. and the TV picture was fine on all other channels. A speed test showed NO deterioration in download speed and the My Livebox app. Diagnostics were all O.K.
Has anyone got an answer? The only things I can think of are;
A BBC problem or
Too many people wanting to watch a popular programme via the Internet.
Equipment: iPad Mini/FilmOn App./AV connections to TV via HDMI cable.

lonesome paddy · Post by **lonesome paddy** » Sun 25 Oct 2015 11:16

Just to say that the wife watched Strictly Dancing on TV thru the old Sky digibox on Free to Air and she said the reception was fine and a friend said they watched it on Filmon using an Android TV box connected to the TV by the old white, yellow & red connections and it too was fine

Nigel · Post by **Nigel** » Sun 25 Oct 2015 11:32

We watched Strictly last night on our Freesat box ....perfect pic and sound

Boomshanka · Post by **Boomshanka** » Mon 26 Oct 2015 10:41

To put it as simple as possible the buffering is caused by server overload.
Too many people trying to access the same server stream, there is only so much bandwidth available on the server. It would not matter if you have a giggabit of download as the problem is at the other end.

That is an increasing problem for a free service. This is why we provide a multi source service, if one stream does not work others will.

Currently we have a minimum 10 sources of BBC 1 in both HD and SD so you should never lose out. Can't miss Strictly can you. Oh if you do we also have it on catch up.

neil mitchell · Post by **neil mitchell** » Mon 26 Oct 2015 12:27

Actually, isn't it true to say that BBC tv has only one source, the BBC and all other sources (including FilmOn and the one which I use) are illegal rip-offs?

Boomshanka · Post by **Boomshanka** » Mon 26 Oct 2015 14:15

BBC used as an ILLUSTRATION!! can't anyone say anything on here to help others without someone being petty and nit picking!

The point is called server overload and that's why it buffers. Whatever service online you use it can suffer from server overload (paid or free) if the provider has not enough server bandwidth, no matter what speed you have.

neil mitchell · Post by **neil mitchell** » Mon 26 Oct 2015 16:01

This is a discussion forum and my point is neither petty or nit picking. We all use some kind of IPTV to watch BBC and a many others too. At the lowest end of the scale of illegality is using a VPN or Smart DNS to access geo- blocked sites. At the highest end of the scale is re-packaging and re-selling them. I think it is fair to comment that we are all exposing ourselves to some degree and that by implying that it is perfectly alright to have "at least 10 different sources" in an attempt to sell an IPTV system you are being disingenuous.

Allan · Post by **Allan** » Mon 26 Oct 2015 20:25

Boomshanka wrote:To put it as simple as possible the buffering is caused by server overload.
Too many people trying to access the same server stream, there is only so much bandwidth available on the server. It would not matter if you have a giggabit of download as the problem is at the other end.

That is an increasing problem for a free service. This is why we provide a multi source service, if one stream does not work others will.

Currently we have a minimum 10 sources of BBC 1 in both HD and SD so you should never lose out. Can't miss Strictly can you. Oh if you do we also have it on catch up.

What a complete pile of nonsense. Filmon, BBC and other major providers use content delivery networks with hundreds of distributed servers. You can't seriously believe that millions of subscribers are all linked to the one server.

When a user encounters buffering it is usually because there is a bottleneck somewhere between them and whichever server they are connected to.

I don't want to knock your service but please don't invent technical explanations to try and sell it.

Boomshanka · Post by **Boomshanka** » Tue 27 Oct 2015 10:22

I try to explain a buffering issue in the simplest no technical terms and all you can do is Troll.

I suppose it is easy to bully anyone from behind a keyboard.

Even accusing me of being dishonest, deceitful, underhanded, duplicitous, insincere, false, lying and untruthful in my response just to sell an IPTV system!

Will this stop me from trying to help others - no it will not -

Many customers say that the opinions given in the forum are OK as long as you have a strong knowledge of the subject so i try to keep it simple and easy for normal people to understand but that also is wrong with some members.

Some of you even took to abusing a customer when they gave an opinion in an earlier post just because she said she liked what we did. WTF!! Does nobody have that right of expression.
I have apologized to her for the comments that others had made, she was very hurt by the reaction she received.

Ok so i mentioned we use a multiple source approach, you all can do that without me as you all clearly have the knowledge to do this but not everyone has.

So again to answer the gentleman’s question in a simple way:

it buffers because too many people are trying to access the stream from whatever source you are getting it from. It is not a problem at your end with the speed, please do not go and buy further download speed as this will not solve your problem.

Hope this is allowable

Admin - if my comments are not correct or inappropriate please feel free to remove this post. Not being able to post due to the fear of this type of response is not good for anyone looking for answers to questions.

Allan · Post by **Allan** » Tue 27 Oct 2015 10:37

Boomshanka wrote:I try to explain a buffering issue in the simplest no technical terms and all you can do is Troll.

I suppose it is easy to bully anyone from behind a keyboard.

Even accusing me of being dishonest, deceitful, underhanded, duplicitous, insincere, false, lying and untruthful in my response just to sell an IPTV system!

Will this stop me from trying to help others - no it will not -

Many customers say that the opinions given in the forum are OK as long as you have a strong knowledge of the subject so i try to keep it simple and easy for normal people to understand but that also is wrong with some members.

Some of you even took to abusing a customer when they gave an opinion in an earlier post just because she said she liked what we did. WTF!! Does nobody have that right of expression.
I have apologized to her for the comments that others had made, she was very hurt by the reaction she received.

Ok so i mentioned we use a multiple source approach, you all can do that without me as you all clearly have the knowledge to do this but not everyone has.

So again to answer the gentleman’s question in a simple way:

it buffers because too many people are trying to access the stream from whatever source you are getting it from. It is not a problem at your end with the speed, please do not go and buy further download speed as this will not solve your problem.

Hope this is allowable

Admin - if my comments are not correct or inappropriate please feel free to remove this post. Not being able to post due to the fear of this type of response is not good for anyone looking for answers to questions.

Firstly your explanation is simply wrong and secondly you try to use a problem that someone was having to promote the 'benefits' of your system.

One minute you say that you don't provide content, merely access to it, the next you are claiming that you have multiple servers so your system must be better.

I don't think it is trolling to be constantly offended by your attempts to use the forum to promote your product. Clearly others feel the same way, hence the deep suspicion at the glowing review of your system which I am happy to believe was genuine.

If I look at your website, I see you are offering XBMC or Kodi based apps to access the same services as other people, is your BBC iPlayer or Filmon magically superior in its connectivity - I don't think so.

neil mitchell · Post by **neil mitchell** » Tue 27 Oct 2015 11:11

"dishonest, deceitful, underhanded, duplicitous, insincere, false, lying and untruthful". My, what a lot of words you know and not one of them in any previous post.

Just an observation. Nobody else is ever received in the way that you are in this forum. What do you think that this tells us? That the problem is with everyone else? I think not.

martyn94 · Post by **martyn94** » Tue 27 Oct 2015 11:27

Not quite: I can remember at least one other person getting a similarly hard time for essentially the same reason.

But you can see how passions run high: it's not for nothing that French public buildings say "Liberté, Égalité, Strictlé".

Boomshanka · Post by **Boomshanka** » Tue 27 Oct 2015 11:43

neil mitchell wrote:"dishonest, deceitful, underhanded, duplicitous, insincere, false, lying and untruthful". My, what a lot of words you know and not one of them in any previous post.

Just an observation. Nobody else is ever received in the way that you are in this forum. What do you think that this tells us? That the problem is with everyone else? I think not.

Quoted from previous post

"at least 10 different sources" in an attempt to sell an IPTV system you are being disingenuous.

adjective: disingenuous

not candid or sincere, typically by pretending that one knows less about something than one really does.

synonyms: dishonest, deceitful, underhand, underhanded, duplicitous, double-dealing, two-faced, dissembling, insincere, false, lying, untruthful, mendacious

That is exactly what you have accused me of and that is slander especially as you have published it in a public forum.

There are about 4-5 people who have a nasty response to anything i post but that is just a tiny minority of the good people in the PO.

Boomshanka · Post by **Boomshanka** » Tue 27 Oct 2015 11:58

Allan

I said sources not servers - two different things altogether. Please quote me correctly.

To keep it short we use a Kodi Isengard platform with our own bespoke Python back room coding to create a simple to use interface.

We use multiple types of Filmon (there is more than one) we also you other sources of UK FTA TV both in SD and HD we have over 10 extra sources and more are added all the time.

We do not use iPlayer as that requires a VPN. Catch up is available from many other sources without Geo blocking

Sorry to mention what we do but it was as an example of why certain sources are causing such buffering issues and shows why we do not have this problem as alternatives are available and already inbuilt.

neil mitchell · Post by **neil mitchell** » Tue 27 Oct 2015 12:29

Well why didn't you say, I'll have two.

Post by **Kate** » Tue 27 Oct 2015 12:42

Boys, boys....
Boomshanka, please think before you write. Your style tends to be somewhat confrontational.

martyn94 · Post by **martyn94** » Tue 27 Oct 2015 12:59

Boomshanka wrote:[quote="neil mitchell

That is exactly what you have accused me of and that is slander especially as you have published it in a public forum.
.

Just to be picky, no. Slander is spoken; libels are written. Defamation covers both.

Boomshanka · Post by **Boomshanka** » Tue 27 Oct 2015 13:08

And why is the abuse not stopped or mentioned even though it has been highlighted!!

martyn94 · Post by **martyn94** » Tue 27 Oct 2015 13:39

Boomshanka wrote:And why is the abuse not stopped or mentioned even though it has been highlighted!!

It is a matter of judgment whether these comments are abuse. But I don't think there is much doubt that your contributions are "Advertising", which is not permitted: see here
http://forum.anglophone-direct.com/ftopic11601.php

The forum's managers dislike it because it undermines P O Life's business, and I sympathise with that. But I suspect that the rest of us resist it because it's a pain in the neck. Hence the unfriendly responses you tend to get.

I am, perhaps, one of the few people here who approach this with a degree of detachment. I think anyone here who watches UK TV is either breaking the providers' terms and conditions, or abetting someone who has already done so, "upstream". So I don't think any of us has the moral high ground. I am entirely prepared to do so myself, and have equipped myself with about 5 different ways of doing it (mostly because it seemed an interesting technical puzzle). But in practice I find that I can never be bothered.

Boomshanka · Post by **Boomshanka** » Tue 27 Oct 2015 14:02

Martyn

I do agree with you and i only tried to offer advice to someone.

The abuse part was

"Just an observation. Nobody else is ever received in the way that you are in this forum. What do you think that this tells us? That the problem is with everyone else? I think not."

This is off topic and can be taken as a personal attack. This is not a correct way of acting as it could send someone over the edge and lead to who knows what, it causes people to think of themselves as worthless and a bad person as they are the only one who is wrong. All this from offering help.

If i mentioned what we do it is indirect and not going against the forum rules. Yes direct advertising is wrong as the ads in PO are not cheap. If it was a free for all then we, the paid advertisers, would go elsewhere removing the revenue streams for the site which is what nobody wants.

Everyone has the right of opinion but when the opinion turns to online abuse the admins should ensure this is tackled appropriately.

Santiago · Post by **Santiago** » Tue 27 Oct 2015 14:33

Andrew,
Our problem is that nobody is allowed to use this forum to discuss the topic of internet TV without having you ramming your product down our throats.

Allan is a guy who has been incredibly helpful in explaining what is a confusing technology. Thanks mainly to him I have a very nice solution for watching TV from a number of sources in high resolution and without the breaks in service or lag that people get using rebroadcasters like Filmon or UKTV. He did all that for nothing. You call him a troll.

You get away with the hard-sell because you pay PO Life to advertise.

However, you might want to try to separate advertising from helping people with knowledgeable advice. There are lots of members of this forum and the associated FB group who have businesses and advertise with PO Life but they are able to join in without a blatant attempt to sell their service or product, claiming it is better than anything else.

My advice, as someone who's used this forum for over 10 years, is to take a step back and use it like most other people do and lay off the incessant promotion of your business. I honestly think you would be more successful that way, as well as avoiding the unpleasant responses to your posts.

martyn94 · Post by **martyn94** » Tue 27 Oct 2015 14:52

Boomshanka wrote:Martyn

I do agree with you and i only tried to offer advice to someone.

The abuse part was

"Just an observation. Nobody else is ever received in the way that you are in this forum. What do you think that this tells us? That the problem is with everyone else? I think not."

This is off topic and can be taken as a personal attack. This is not a correct way of acting as it could send someone over the edge and lead to who knows what, it causes people to think of themselves as worthless and a bad person as they are the only one who is wrong. All this from offering help.

If i mentioned what we do it is indirect and not going against the forum rules. Yes direct advertising is wrong as the ads in PO are not cheap. If it was a free for all then we, the paid advertisers, would go elsewhere removing the revenue streams for the site which is what nobody wants.

Everyone has the right of opinion but when the opinion turns to online abuse the admins should ensure this is tackled appropriately.

I see how you are taking it, but I don't hear anyone saying that you are worthless or a bad person, simply that you have been posting in a way that has irritated some of us, and you are the only person, for the moment, who is posting in quite that way. You say, and I don't doubt your sincerity, that you are offering help. But you are also selling help at €279 a pop. The rest of us try to offer help with no financial interest at stake; and we also ask for help expecting that the responses will be disinterested.

I don't see any magic answer: you have a living to make, and also have expertise to share. Perhaps we should all, not least me, just reread our posts before pressing the send button.

Post by **Kate** » Tue 27 Oct 2015 18:18

I did already post a 'cut it out please boys' plea but it seems to have disappeared.

For information, I do allow people who advertise in POL to mention their product on the forum as I feel that the site must support those who pay for advertising and therefore make the design and printing of the site and mag possible.

On the other hand, there are perhaps more subtle ways of presenting oneself and getting into a spat, whoever is at fault, will not advance that presentation.
Personally, I think it's six of one and half a dozen of the other. It all seems to be very personal.

May I suggest that it is apero time, and those who are cross and frustrated go and pour themselves a drink, relax and try and see the funny side of getting so arsy with people you don't even know....when you probably have plenty of family and friends that you DO know to get arsy with!

Santiago · Post by **Santiago** » Wed 28 Oct 2015 12:35

Correct me if I'm wrong but Moochie is basically a typical set top box loaded with an app called Kodi, which is a media controller for various streaming services, known as add-ons.

These add-on streaming services provide links to servers where TV series, live TV rebroadcasts and films have been uploaded. In many cases they are copyright infringement sites.

Often you find is that the series will be incomplete. It also takes a long time to drill down to the thing you want to watch. So on the whole its a very unsatisfactory way of trying to watch "Breaking Bad" or "Game of Thrones" for free. e.g http://www.icefilms.info/ip.php?v=164107&

However, if you have no scruples about streaming copyright infringement content, you can download the Kodi app on any PC or Android device, add the add-ons and watch the stuff on your TV via Chromecast or an Android HDMI stick.

All of this may sound complete gobbledegook to non techies which is why Boomshanka has set it all up on the boxes he sells. But if you want to see the kind of content you will be able to get, you can download Kodi for free. http://download.cnet.com/Kodi/3000-2139_4-10913726.html

martyn94 · Post by **martyn94** » Wed 28 Oct 2015 12:56

Santiago wrote:Prompted by a rather rude (and badly written) ranty email I got from one of Boomshanka's friends, I took a closer look at his product.

It's basically a typical set top box, like you can buy on Amazon for 30-50€ loaded with an app called Kodi, which is a media controller for various streaming services, known as add-ons.

These add-on streaming services, such as "ipTV Extra", IVue, "Ice Films" and "The Mutts Nuts" provide links to servers where TV series, live TV rebroadcasts and films have been uploaded. In most cases they are copyright infringement sites, otherwise known as pirate sites. Using some of the examples on Moochie Media's site, I tried to access some popular TV shows he claims are available as part of his package.

What you find is that the series will be incomplete. Only some episodes will have been uploaded. Often when you click the link, you find that it's been removed because of copyright infringement. So on the whole its a very unsatisfactory way of trying to watch "Breaking Bad" or "Game of Thrones" for free. e.g http://www.icefilms.info/ip.php?v=164107&

However, if you have no scruples about streaming copyright infringement content, you can download the Kodi app on any PC or Android device, add the add-ons and watch the stuff on your TV via Chromecast or an Android HDMI stick.

All of this may sound complete gobbledegook to non techies which is why Boomshanka has set it all up on the boxes he sells. But if you want to see the kind of content you will be able to get, you can download Kodi for free. http://download.cnet.com/Kodi/3000-2139_4-10913726.html

I had assumed that it must be like that, but thanks for taking the effort. If there's one thing that appeals to me less than watching "Strictly" for a second time, it's plodding through multiple "sources" to find the one that is not buffering tonight.

For the avoidance of doubt, I enjoyed the episode I saw, not least finding that B Forsyth was still alive. But once you have got the gag - glamourous Estonian dancer paired to retired weatherman with two left legs - I can't see why you'd want to watch it twice.

Post by **Kate** » Wed 28 Oct 2015 13:02

I think it's time this thread was ended. Jonathan, if somebody came onto a public forum and attached Domaine Treloar like that, you would be incensed, and so would I.

I have no idea how good or bad is the service that Boomshanka offers, but he is registered and legal, so isn't it up to people to make up their own minds?

Santiago · Post by **Santiago** » Wed 28 Oct 2015 13:36

Kate,
I thought what I wrote yesterday was pretty fair.

As part of the new amnesty I'm removing the unpleasant email I received.

Boomshanka · Post by **Boomshanka** » Wed 28 Oct 2015 16:53

This was not a message from me or anyone i know.

I do not condone anything like this on my behalf, i know some of us have strong feelings but let's not make personal insults.

I would not set out to character assassinate anyone or harm their business whether good or bad especially if i had not experienced their business first hand whatever it may be, that is not correct and could unfairly damage that families income. I have not tried the wine that Santiago produces - yet!

Post whatever you like but please not on my behalf or in my name.

Thanks all in advance

Andrew

Santiago · Post by **Santiago** » Wed 28 Oct 2015 20:26

Well said Andrew. Lets hope we've turned a corner here.

Kate built this forum so that we expats could ask questions, solve problems, ask for advice, give it and generally help each other.

It's been a fabulous resource and I'm sure will continue to be so, as well as the sister Facebook page.

Maybe we should delete the vitriolic stuff. I'll start.

Boomshanka · Post by **Boomshanka** » Thu 29 Oct 2015 08:21

Can't see how to delete - argh!!

No to worry but let me know if you can

Cheers

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FilmOn & BBC 1

FilmOn & BBC 1