calscot 0 Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 I tried to watch the 90 in 90 on Rangers TV on my smart phone but was once again reminded that their videos are still in the now defunct technology of Flash. This has never been supported in IOS devices and has not been supported in Android since 2011. Even desktop browsers are increasingly switching off plug-ins which means you have to configure them and then click yes to the warnings, and soon they will not support them at all. Youtube have been providing HTML5 alternatives for many years and fully switched to that technology in 2015. It hasn't been supported properly for years and is fully of security holes, and is a big cause of devices crashing, and it crashes itself quite a bit. So come on Rangers TV, what are you playing at? [a bit technical] I used to be a Flash developer, but even about 5 or 6 years ago, we new it was coming to an end due to Apple, and spent a couple of years trying to decide what to switch to. It took that long for the favourite, HTML5, to become mature enough and browsers to actually support it. We switched to that technology in late 2012 and have been converting Flash assets ever since as well as developing new stuff. But the things is, streaming video doesn't require any code conversion - in fact it just means encoding it in the MP4 container to start with instead of FLV - and the normal H.264 codec in MP4 is far higher quality than the usual VP6 used in FLV. The whole point of HTML5 Video is that there is not much coding to do to stream it. [/a bit technical] So I can't think of much excuses except for a lack of professionalism - or just common sense. [a bit of a rant] Whatever is lacking it permeates throughout the start, starting with the totally illogical and unfathomable navigation. Just try finding highlights to the latest match and it's not easy - and you'll click on the most obvious links and get taken nowhere sensible. This ignore the fact that by midnight there should be plenty of time to do 30 minutes of extended highlights - as who is going to watch the whole game till about 2:30 am? And I really mean 2:30 if you start at 12:01 as it takes a while to get it going, get past the incredibly annoying (and totally out of order for a paid service) commercials, then have it crash, so you start again, and have to go though the adverts again - and then past all the fluff of the introduction. Fast forwarding though that and half time etc, isn't exactly facile either, and you end up crashing and running into the same problems as the start. Then to cap it all, they can't even do the simple, simple stuff right - and that is to tell us the correct time that the games are available. Instead you faff around for half an hour, trying to get it to work as it says it's available after midnight and then gives you a non-informative error - usually that you are not authorised to view it. You complain and find out that it's not available until something like one and a half days later due to the SFA and so it out with their control. BUT telling us is entirely within their control. I really want to continue to subscribe but it's really, really not fit for purpose, and very expensive when you see the quality of picture and service, and compare it to similarly priced services like Netflix and Amazon Prime. It even makes the TV licence look cheap. I know the money goes to Rangers but it's 60 quid a year, which might not sound that much but who would want to pay that premium to Rangers for a football top if we were getting a fair share for it - so say 80 quid when you start to add in the cost and profit to the producer and retailer? (By the way, I've already told them all this, obviously to no avail.) [/a bit of a rant] Time for them to get their act together. [What I'd like to see] 1. Switch to HTML 5 and increase the quality with H.264 2. Remove all adverts from video - download bandwidth is precious and so is our time - and when it breaks you see it again and again. This is incredibly insulting to subscribers - more fair for free content but still it makes for a poor and unreliable service - just try watching All4 compared to Channel 4 stuff on Netflix. 3. Make it reliable 4. Good 30 minute highlights - should be easy to do, just cut out most of the stuff where the ball is not in play plus some of the boring spells. Or just do the former even if it's down to about an hour. I'm also wondering that if they do highlights they could possibly negotiate to make it available a bit earlier - even say 11pm, and so watched by midnight. 5. By the next day they could have a programme on the analysis of the game by pundits - like they had on Rangers TV on Setanta (with live games on proper TV for just 40 quid more a year). 5. Simple navigation that is intuitive and pretty much does what it says on the tin 6. Accurate information on when footage is available - no brainer 7. Easier to switch to full screen (no adverts would help this) 8. Allow download like Amazon and iPlayer do, giving you a certain amount of time to watch it - requires an app but probably off the shelf these days. This means that if their servers are not coping or your internet is slow, you just wait a while and then watch it without stuttering or frequent buffering - and crashes. [/What I'd like to see] 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankie 8,308 Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 I'm not an expert but the platform does appear dated. I think the issue is that clearly the channel needs investment but, as far as I know, it's already a subsidised project so it may be low priority. In the days of digital delivery that surprises me but with Kodi and other pirate streaming sources, the club may rightly ask if its worthwhile. PS: Given you're clearly knowledgeable on the subject, I'd be happy to carry an article on the issue if you've time to put something together. I know the digital lads welcome constructive feedback and perhaps an article with suggestions and advice may provoke more discussion on what is (and isn't) possible. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
calscot 0 Posted August 10, 2016 Author Share Posted August 10, 2016 PS I forgot to say that you can actually use Puffin on Android devices to watch it, but not many people know about that, and it's a faff. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
calscot 0 Posted August 10, 2016 Author Share Posted August 10, 2016 I'm not an expert but the platform does appear dated. I think the issue is that clearly the channel needs investment but, as far as I know, it's already a subsidised project so it may be low priority. In the days of digital delivery that surprises me but with Kodi and other pirate streaming sources, the club may rightly ask if its worthwhile. Maybe I'm naive in thinking that if they did this well it would make money instead of being subsidised. The costs are mostly fixed and so becomes much more viable and profitable with greater numbers of customers - although an increase in viewers means more server bandwidth required, but the cost is low compared to the increase in subscriptions. I think it's actually a different niche to live streaming and so could easily compete in its own domain with pirate websites as long as the quality and quantity is high enough and cost low enough. Whether there is enough market penetration to make a profit is something I don't know - but I'm interested in such a service. One of the most annoying things about streaming is that you can't record it and so have to eschew Saturday or Sunday prime daylight hours or a Friday night to watch it. That's ok now and again but not every week for me when it's not actually attending the event and so time becomes fungible. So good highlights that let you see how the team played without seeing all the faff, is something really I miss, and seems to have fallen off the radar of the media providers. I just want something like the old SportScene or ScotSport (without the shitty presenters), available by about 10:30 or 11pm. I'm sure many others must think the same (of an age to remember it). But outwith that they've made a service which is just too annoying to bother with at all. You don't pay for stuff you don't use, and are more likely to say pay over the top for something that is actually useful and enjoyable. If nothing else, there is no reason not to give a decent service to fans that at least breaks even, if there is the demand. Keeping fans engaged with the club is something that pays long term dividends. PS: Given you're clearly knowledgeable on the subject, I'd be happy to carry an article on the issue if you've time to put something together. I know the digital lads welcome constructive feedback and perhaps an article with suggestions and advice may provoke more discussion on what is (and isn't) possible. I'll see what I can do but I usually write fast, so writing well takes a lot more time... It's also a subject that's difficult to make very interesting reading - I read the op back to see if it made sense and it did seem a bit dull... Thanks for the interest. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waltersgotstyle 297 Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 I use it pretty regularly and most "non live" videos use HTML5 and thus I am able to watch it on my iPhone. They are improving the service all the time. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
calscot 0 Posted August 10, 2016 Author Share Posted August 10, 2016 I use it pretty regularly and most "non live" videos use HTML5 and thus I am able to watch it on my iPhone. I've stopped subscribing so no idea about what's in HTML5 but it never used to be and I tried to watch the 90 in 90 last night, and it was a Flash error. I could have watched on Puffin but it's a faff when you're already in bed and tired. They are improving the service all the time. They might be, but I've listed the improvements I'm looking for and I don't think they are unreasonable or infeasible. In fact I think most of it wouldn't take much effort at all - some of it less (like not adding adverts). 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig 5,199 Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 Get the puffin browser and all is solved. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig 5,199 Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 PS I forgot to say that you can actually use Puffin on Android devices to watch it, but not many people know about that, and it's a faff. Puffin isn't a faff at all. That is a fallacy. Download puffin type in RTV website Watch game How is that a faff ? 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig 5,199 Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 (edited) Maybe I'm naive in thinking that if they did this well it would make money instead of being subsidised. The costs are mostly fixed and so becomes much more viable and profitable with greater numbers of customers - although an increase in viewers means more server bandwidth required, but the cost is low compared to the increase in subscriptions. I think it's actually a different niche to live streaming and so could easily compete in its own domain with pirate websites as long as the quality and quantity is high enough and cost low enough. Whether there is enough market penetration to make a profit is something I don't know - but I'm interested in such a service. One of the most annoying things about streaming is that you can't record it and so have to eschew Saturday or Sunday prime daylight hours or a Friday night to watch it. That's ok now and again but not every week for me when it's not actually attending the event and so time becomes fungible. So good highlights that let you see how the team played without seeing all the faff, is something really I miss, and seems to have fallen off the radar of the media providers. I just want something like the old SportScene or ScotSport (without the shitty presenters), available by about 10:30 or 11pm. I'm sure many others must think the same (of an age to remember it). But outwith that they've made a service which is just too annoying to bother with at all. You don't pay for stuff you don't use, and are more likely to say pay over the top for something that is actually useful and enjoyable. If nothing else, there is no reason not to give a decent service to fans that at least breaks even, if there is the demand. Keeping fans engaged with the club is something that pays long term dividends. I'll see what I can do but I usually write fast, so writing well takes a lot more time... It's also a subject that's difficult to make very interesting reading - I read the op back to see if it made sense and it did seem a bit dull... Thanks for the interest. I have serious doubts on whether they would actually make money simply by upgrading the viewing experience. Most users of RTV (for games at least), I would contend are overseas users - and we will use the official stream no matter what eg, although Flash is outdated the reality is that the RTV website uses that platform... and when I tried to view last night but couldn't gain access I realized my annual subscription had expired - 2 minutes and 200 quid later I was watching the game - didn't matter to me what the platform was, only that I could view the game. Edited August 10, 2016 by craig 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
der Berliner 3,472 Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 I take it, calscot, that you put all this into an e-mail and sent it to Rangers / RTV too? 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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