HD On Demand on Multiople TVs

[bjrichard]

Whenever we try to wath an On Demand HD program on more than one TV at a time the picture goes bad on both sets.  For example the Den STB is set to view a Cinemax On Demand Movie in HD and it works fine.  When I try to view a another ON Demand HD movie in the Living Room both signals go bad. The effect is I believe postage stamping.  This only happens when trying to watch On Demand HD.  We can wath HD channels on multiple TV but not ON Demand. Cables are all new RG6 and all connections are tight. Any thoughts.

[matcarl]

Two simultaneous HD VOD streams are currently not supported.

[prisaz]

I know VOD uses the Internet Protocol IP. When you watch a VOD program it is my understanding that an extra 10mbps bandwidth is allocated to your connection. When you attempt to view two HD progarms it might exceed that allocation and may cause the symptom your are having. If you have Internet service it is my understanding that it will use part of that bandwidth. If you don't have internet service, it does not have anywhere else for the data to come from. Anyone else have ideas?

Message Edited by prisaz on 03-01-2009 08:39 AM

[prisaz]

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@matcarl wrote:
Two simultaneous HD VOD streams are currently not supported.

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Is this an offical statement from Verizon?

[bjrichard]

I went to Verizon Tech Support through an on line chat.  I asked them if simultaneous HD VOD was supported and I never got and answer.  The are sending me a new router.  Although they didn't directly address my question, they stated that the network should handle it.  Also I do have Internet Sevice from FIOS. 

[matcarl]

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@prisaz wrote:

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@matcarl wrote:
Two simultaneous HD VOD streams are currently not supported.

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Is this an offical statement from Verizon?

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Yes, it's official, don't ask me to find it, but I know 100%

[psumatt1]

I can back up Matcarl - right now, 2 HD streams cannot work without massive picture breakup and audio loss.

[prisaz]

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@psumatt wrote:
I can back up Matcarl - right now, 2 HD streams cannot work without massive picture breakup and audio loss.

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Cool. I just never tried it. I guess a new router will not solve the problem. I only have one HD box and never looked that close.

Thanks for the info. I guess the support rep is sending them after wild geese.

Message Edited by prisaz on 03-01-2009 01:36 PM

[skottey]

This is one of the biggest flaws of the architecture of FIOS. Simply put, they screweed up. As it was explained to me by a higher end engineer, they never intended on HD VOD, which uses much more bandwidth than SD VOD. The design has VOD and the guide using the Internet bandwidth, with dedicated for video or shared with the Internet you are paying for. If you don't buy their Internet service, you still have an Internet router/modem in your home. When the VOD uses more bandwidth than is allocated for video services, it does in fact dip into your Internet bandwidth. HD VOD uses about 16Mbps in bandwidth as opposed to 4 Mbps for SD VOD. They only have like 10 Mbps allocated for Video. So if you have a 20Mbps Internet service (total of 30Mbps) and try to watch 1 HD VOD, it is dipping into that 20 MBps to the tune of 6Mbps. Try to watch two? Well, that would be 32Mbps and it is only burstable in some markets to 30, hence the reason we cannot watch two HD VODs at the same time. Some markets have 50Mbps, I have heard. I have gone 'round and 'round with FIOS when I first signed up last fall. It took several hours of phonecalls and service calls to get an answer. The lower end techs will tell you that you should be able to play 5+ VODs at the same time. What they don't understand is that that would be 5+ SD VODs at the same time, not 5+ HD VODs. The service techs that come out think it should work too. It was only my speaking to a higher up engineer that got me this answer. They certainly don't advertise this flaw in their design. The good news (I think) is that they are working on fixing the problem (maybe it would require another circuit?) My biggest beef with the whole thing is that I feel that if I am paying $17 a month for each fo two HD DVRs, they should each be able to do everything that they are designed to do, at the same time as each other. If the wife wants to watch a romance move on Cinemax HD VOD and I want to watch an action flick on Starz HD VOD in the other room, we should be able to! That is what I am paying for! But nope, it doesnt' work.

Just for the record, before switching to FIOS, I had cable. With cable, I was able to watch two HD VODs at the same time and my Internet bandwidth was untouched. Different design. But FIOS should have put more consideration into futre technologies. They have practically unlimited bandwidth (limited by the circuits they run to your house). Cable on the other hand is the one with the bandwidth limitations, yet you can watch two HD VODs at a time, because it was designed differently. 

Here's to hoping FIOS fixes this problem soon. 

[bjrichard]

Well put skottey.  I got the new Router and it made no difference.  No surprise. I too had Cable before FIOS with several HD boxes and no problems with simultaneous HD VOD.