IPTV freezing: I think we're closing in on the cause.

[JudyS]

The freezing seems to be a Cable Onda problem, related to an abnormal upload signal.

A Cable Onda tech came to my house tonight and checked out the problem with the freezing.  I had written an email to CO reporting a choppy spiked signal, particularly on the upload. The tech confirmed what I said about the uneven upload signal as probably the reason for the freezing.  He did some testing and found normal internet was ok, but when he did live streaming (YouTube), there was inconsistency in the upload signal, which he said was not normal.

 

He is going to report the problem to his supervisor and also said everybody who is having the same freezing problem should do what I did, send an email with screen shots attached showing the download/upload graphs.  The only speed test site that shows both graphs is Cable Onda's, so that would be the best to use.

CO Speed Test Site

 

Everybody who has been having this problem needs to write to CO at this email address:

pruebadecliente@cableonda.net 

 

Do speed tests at different times of day, particularly when you have the most freezing (most likely from 7 to 10 p.m.).  Take screen shots of the download/upload graphs and attach those to the email. The more people they hear from in the various areas of Boquete who are having this problem, the faster they will fix it.

Note:  Since this is a CO problem, it is affecting people with both Juan's and Carlos' systems.

Edited October 29, 2015 by Admin_01
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[Bonnie]

I wrote CO tonight and included a screen shot of my download/upload graphs. For those of you who may be as clueless as I usually am, these two graphs can be found by clicking "connection graph" on the screen displaying your speed test results (after you've run the speed test). This is the image you want to take a screen shot of and send to CO along with your email explaining the freezing and retrieving problems.

[JoJo]

http://www.internetfrog.com/mypc/speedtest/ shows both graphs as well.

I normally use the Ookla speed test, but I don't want to know the results to Panama City which is normally good. I want to know from the US, say New York or CA so I change it to reflect that area. I'm paying for World Wide Web, not Panama Web. After 4:00 pm good luck watching USTVNow or anything you have to download as the speed is normally under 2 mbps.

[Deborah]

Thanks for the suggestion.  I have been very frustrated with USTVnow lately on Kodi for that very reason.

[JudyS]

Deborah, it is affecting that too, only for me not as badly as the live IPTV.

[Don Ray]

Maybe it is because I am in David, but I am rarely having problems with USTVNOW on KODI here.

However, that being said, streaming media never consistent. I think a lot has to do with the source server that is being hit and how many users may be on it at the time. I usually use KODI for movies and TV series that are not currently on Amazon Prime. If Amazon Prime has it, then that is what I use.

Even with Amazon Prime. I sometimes have buffering. Normally Amazon Prime is the best. When I had NetFlix, I used it as my primary source and KODI as the backup.

I used KODI last night to watch CNBC for the debated, since I don't have CNBC on my cable. It only buffered two times during the whole debate.

Last week Deborah wanted to watch the God Father, which is a 3 hour movie. We watched it on KODI with zero buffering. It did take me several minutes to find a good server on KODI, because the initial one didn't immediately start. 

Another night she wanted another ova on KODI and it played without buffering.

On a third night we started a movie and gave up because it wanted to buffer all the time. That night nothing seemed to want to work well. 

 

[PanamaPatrick]

With all due respect to the other testing sites, I have found a site that tests multiple servers in one test and the results are pretty accurate.

 http://testmy.net/

 

patrick

[Don Ray]

I have gone for quite a while with no lag on KODI or Amazon Prime. Even USTVNOW (free) has been decent, with the exceptions of the world series. 

I have watched most of the 2015 movies and see that a bunch more have just shown up on the list.

[MarkoBoquete]

There are basically two discussions going on here:

1) What Cable Onda delivers and 

2) What happens out there on the network

1) You need to know that the 10mbps (or whatever) you signed up for with CO is SHAReD with the number of customers on your node - typically 300-500. Don't expect great performance during prime time.

2) Streaming content is seldom received from the source servers. There are millions of "caching servers" located around the world. The first person who requests a movie gets it from the source. While that is happening, a caching server in, oh say PC, or CO HQ, is also recording the movie. The next person gets it from there, not where it came from. Amazon works great because they have caching agreements and time-insensitive content. The World Series sucks because it can't be cached effectively and the is not enough global bandwidth to deliver it. 

For the rest, the cable operators have the Internet by the balls. Until you are willing to pay more than the dweebs pay for premium broadcast packages, they are keeping you on the threshold of pain and waiting for you to demand the end of net neutrality. If 50% of the CO customers volunteered to pay $150 per month for Internet, they would all of a sudden discover unlimited bandwidth available. 

Oh, and the upstream problem? Why would upstream affect downstream streaming? Unless they are trying to stick a pin in you and increase your level of dissatisfaction. Netflix probably pays CO to carry their streams - YouTube does not. Get it?

 

Edited November 4, 2015 by MarkoBoquete

[Bonnie]

Stupid question here: Since IPTV is available only through its own box, and USTVNow is available only through a box like Roku, doesn't content have to be upstreamed to those boxes from your computer?

[JudyS]

Bonnie, the box doesn't have anything to do with the computer.  It gets a wireless signal from the router, or is connected to the router by ethernet cable.  Maybe I'm not understanding what you're saying.

[Bonnie]

I'm asking whether content is "uploaded" to the Roku or IPTV box, whether from the router or the computer. [I always understood that uploading pertained solely to outgoing streams (and downloading to incoming), but your discussions led me to believe that I was misunderstanding this.]

Edited November 4, 2015 by Bonnie

[JoJo]

Stupid question here: Since IPTV is available only through its own box, and USTVNow is available only through a box like Roku, doesn't content have to be upstreamed to those boxes from your computer?

You don't need Roku to view USTVNow on your computer. I have a big screen monitor on my computer and watch TV at my desk.

[JudyS]

I used to have a laptop connected to the TV.  I would get USTVnow that way, no Roku or anything else.  Now I get it (the free version) on Kodi through my IPTV box.  If you get USTVnow on Roku, you have to pay $29/month for it.  There is no free version on Roku,.