topic Re: Sky Playlist not functional in Sky Stream

Sky Playlist not functional

Nick-1978 — Thu, 16 May 2024 18:56:42 GMT

Hi,

I've had Sky Stream for a few months now, and though I generally like it (despite some audio challenges), i'm finding the playlist very frustrating.

Content doesnt 'record'. Content disappears.

For example, currently recording Giro D'Italia on Eurosport. Half the time the recordings are three days behind, some recordings connect to the wrong channel, and then certain shows get missed altogether.

Is Playlist functionality just total garbage? Or am I missing something? I know this is not like normal sky recordings on a local hard drive, but this is borderline useless.

any advice?

thanks

Nick

Re: Sky Playlist not functional

Panmat — Thu, 16 May 2024 19:33:19 GMT

No I have the concerns too with the playlist feature, have already contacted sky about this. But, I know the same will happen again tonight with the tennis. The guide will tell the playlist that coverage will end at 22:00, however the semi final will have only just started, so unless you are watching it live you will not be able to see the end.

This as been the same every night for this tournament and indeed it was the same for the previous tournament.

An absolute disaster.

Re: Sky Playlist not functional

Fothergill1 — Thu, 16 May 2024 19:35:25 GMT

Hi @Nick-1978 Generally the playlist seems to work just fine but I am also having a few issues with the Giro.

If I look at it in the playlist I find for some reason I have series 1, series 2 and Other. The various stages are dotted between these 3 folders and it can be recorded from Eurosport or DMAX at random (I recall it did this last year as well). Just to confirm I am watching the highlights programmes and not the full 5-6 hours of the race.

How long programmes of any sort stay in the playlist is dependent on the streaming rights and can be anything from a month to more than a year.

With regards to you comment about audio challengers, at. guess if it is lip sync that is causing you a problem then Sky have advised changing the audio settings to PCM or Passthrough whilst the find a permanent solution.

Re: Sky Playlist not functional

Panmat — Thu, 16 May 2024 19:41:06 GMT

Agree the playlist functions quite well for the majority of the time but it's when it comes to live sport without a specific end time, it falls very short of being usable.

Re: Sky Playlist not functional

Nick-1978 — Thu, 16 May 2024 20:15:34 GMT

Exactly this... same unpredictable representation on the content on Eurosport or DMAZ. Also, recording Eurosport 1 and 2 (giro highlights) becomes blended, with no ability to chose between the two. It's a real mess. Ironically, the live works better, but that decided to stop recording... or only record bits.

as for the sound, there was lip sync issues on BBC, but then there would be an intermittent scratching/popping when the audio wasn't to auto. When I then set to Dolby/Plus, lip sync crept in. Now on PCM and it seems fine.

surprising how this product came to market with so many flaws....

Re: Sky Playlist not functional

Panmat — Thu, 16 May 2024 20:35:37 GMT

Back in the 80's recording on my VHS it used to have PDC (programme delivery control) so a recording never missed the ending. Those were the days. How things have progressed, don't think I had lip sync issues either.

Re: Sky Playlist not functional

Ed.B. — Thu, 16 May 2024 21:27:44 GMT

Playlist is not fit for purpose if you are hoping to use it as a replacement for a hard disk.

If you playlist a movie on Film 4, for example, it will 'record' something on sky movies or paramount so you can't watch without a subscription.

Eurosport - don't even bother. The skiing can only be watched live, because there's absolutely no telling what will appear in playlist, apart from the fact it won't be the latest race.

Re: Sky Playlist not functional

Ed.B. — Thu, 16 May 2024 21:29:16 GMT

@Fothergill1 wrote:
Hi @Nick-1978 Generally the playlist seems to work just fine but I am also having a few issues with the Giro.

If I look at it in the playlist I find for some reason I have series 1, series 2 and Other. The various stages are dotted between these 3 folders and it can be recorded from Eurosport or DMAX at random (I recall it did this last year as well). Just to confirm I am watching the highlights programmes and not the full 5-6 hours of the race.

How long programmes of any sort stay in the playlist is dependent on the streaming rights and can be anything from a month to more than a year.

With regards to you comment about audio challengers, at. guess if it is lip sync that is causing you a problem then Sky have advised changing the audio settings to PCM or Passthrough whilst the find a permanent solution.

On one of the last releases if you had a delay set in sound options you didn't get the commentary on sports. I ended up using pcm as a workaround.

Re: Sky Playlist not functional

MarkGoldsmith — Thu, 16 May 2024 21:38:45 GMT

@Ed.B. wrote:
Playlist is not fit for purpose if you are hoping to use it as a replacement for a hard disk.
If you playlist a movie on Film 4, for example, it will 'record' something on sky movies or paramount so you can't watch without a subscription.

Not quite correct. If the Film being broadcast on Film 4 is also available on the C4 app then the playlist will provide the link to the C4 app viewing as well. I've seen films on a playlist be playable from 3 different streaming sources as all 3 had the rights to it. You just need to scroll a bit further down the film's programme page, to Available Now and and you will see numerous Play buttons for each of the services the film is available on.

For example World War Z is currently on C4 app and Paramount +, so whilst the default play option is Paramount +, as that is the permanent home of the film, scrolling down to Available Now on the film's programme page will show the "Play on Channel 4" button.

Re: Sky Playlist not functional

Nick-1978 — Thu, 16 May 2024 21:40:07 GMT

Surely they can't continue advertising this as a service if it's not fit for purpose? Crazy really.

Re: Sky Playlist not functional

MarkGoldsmith — Thu, 16 May 2024 21:46:02 GMT

@Nick-1978 wrote:
Surely they can't continue advertising this as a service if it's not fit for purpose? Crazy really.

It does work on the whole, however there will always be some shows, typically due to licensing issues, that there will just be problems with.

For examples shows where legally Sky can't take a cloud recording, and perhaps that show not then ending up on a catch-up service.

There is currently an issue with the integration Discovery +, which does mean that despite a sports replay from TNT or Eurosport being available on Discovery + it doesn't show up on the playlist as a new "episode" sometimes at all, and sometimes for several days. Obviously you can just load up the Discovery + app to watch the on-demand version as a workaround. Previously this functionality and updating on the playlist from on-demand discovery + content was working fine, however in the last few weeks i've noticed it either not updating or updating several days later, most likely i'd assume related to updates on the discovery + app.

Re: Sky Playlist not functional

Ed.B. — Fri, 17 May 2024 08:14:48 GMT

Sometimes playlist is brilliant though.

For example, I was watching the US golf last night. To avoid the ads I 'watched from start' when I got home from work, then went to bed about 10.30pm when I'd caught up with live.

This morning I went into the TV guide and added the second round (starting tonight) to my playlist.

Then I went into playlist and sitting there waiting to continue from where I went to bed is the first round. There's about 2 hours left of the broadcast, and I can zoom through the ads in that.

So it's like being able to record something that happened in the past - you can't do that with a traditional hard disk system.

Re: Sky Playlist not functional

Fothergill1 — Fri, 17 May 2024 10:28:34 GMT

@Ed.B. I know not everyone has the same experience or would agree but I find the vast majority of the time the Playlist functions flawlessly but of course there are exceptions as highlighted in some of the posts above. Issues seem to be particularly prevalent with sporting events but Sky Witness also has a habit or temporarily "losing" episodes in the middle of a series (I haven't noticed this so much in the last few months though)..

Personally I far prefer the convenience of streaming over that of HDD recording and certainly would not consider going back to Sky Q now that I am used to the streaming platform and its foibles.

Re: Sky Playlist not functional

Exiled-in-HH — Fri, 17 May 2024 15:19:17 GMT

@Nick-1978 Sky can if the vast majority is subscribers only have trivial or no issues🤔

Re: Sky Playlist not functional

Js99 — Sun, 19 May 2024 09:46:31 GMT

Same issue here with Giro Highlights. Also many of earlier stages cut off before end of prog. Resolution would be good.

Re: Sky Playlist not functional

RickInNotts — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 18:59:18 GMT

Playlist is hopeless. I "recorded" a movie yesterday that was on Sky Showcase, sat down less than 24 hours later to watch it, and it's only available to me in Sky Cinema (which I don't subscribe to) for a cost. No option for 'available now', yet it shows under 'on this week' as being available on Sky Showcase next Friday??!!??

Where's the logic in that? A film on a channel I have paid for can be added to my playlist, but I can only watch it the next day on a different channel that I have to pay extra for. Unless I wait another five days to watch it again, live, on the original channel I 'recorded' it from. Which renders the playlist obsolete as i'm watching it live again.

Come back Sky Q all is forgiven.

Re: Sky Playlist not functional

MarkGoldsmith — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 19:25:59 GMT

@RickInNotts wrote:
Playlist is hopeless. I "recorded" a movie yesterday that was on Sky Showcase, sat down less than 24 hours later to watch it, and it's only available to me in Sky Cinema (which I don't subscribe to) for a cost. No option for 'available now', yet it shows under 'on this week' as being available on Sky Showcase next Friday??!!??

Where's the logic in that? A film on a channel I have paid for can be added to my playlist, but I can only watch it the next day on a different channel that I have to pay extra for. Unless I wait another five days to watch it again, live, on the original channel I 'recorded' it from. Which renders the playlist obsolete as i'm watching it live again.

Come back Sky Q all is forgiven.

Correct cloud recordings don't get taken from Sky Showcase as that channel is designed to encourage users to sign up to the other premium packs like Sky Cinema.

On the Sky streaming platform Sky Showcase is essentially just a linear channel that requires live viewing. The idea of that channel is they show sports and films that are typically only available if you subscribe to those packages so if you want to watch "for free" without paying for Sky Cinema you need to watch the film when they are broadcasting it on the channel.

Re: Sky Playlist not functional

Steve93 — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 20:38:49 GMT

Does the Playlist work well on the free to view channels, ie bbc, itv, ch4 & ch5?

Re: Sky Playlist not functional

MarkGoldsmith — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 20:50:19 GMT

@Steve93 wrote:
Does the Playlist work well on the free to view channels, ie bbc, itv, ch4 & ch5?

Yes. It works well on most channels for most shows.

Some shows will be cloud recorded (where Sky have a legal agreement to do so). Somewise it links to the on-demand app, so has most BBc, ITV and C4 content is on their apps it works well. The thing to remember is content is typically only available for a limited period of times on these apps. Usually 30 days although for films BBC sometimes have the rights to put on IPlayer for closer to 90 days.

Re: Sky Playlist not functional

Steve93 — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 21:10:21 GMT

@MarkGoldsmith

Thanks, on Apple TV when watching a series the next episode loads after the one I've watched, but The Chase puts any on but never the one that's on that day at 5pm, how does the Playlist perform in that respect?