Watch from start issues

[Ed.B.]

Ted 2 is on Sky 1 right now. If I press 'watch from start' it says I need to upgrade my subscription. 

So it's presumably trying to play Ted 2 from sky cinema rather than actually going back to the start of what I'm watching. 

I believe the technical term for this is [removed]

The same happens on sport channels all the time - you press 'watch from start' but instead of going back to the start of the broadcast it often chooses a different channel playing a totally different event. 

I believe the technical term for this is [removed] 

Moderator Notes: Removed inappropriate language and retitled to removed inappropriate language

[MarkGoldsmith · Accepted solution]

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@Ed.B. wrote:

Ted 2 is on Sky 1 right now. If I press 'watch from start' it says I need to upgrade my subscription. 

So it's presumably trying to play Ted 2 from sky cinema rather than actually going back to the start of what I'm watching. 

That sounds correct to me, based on how it used to work with Sky Showcase.

Sky 1 has essentially taken over what was Sky Showcase, where they are showcasing premium content at times with Sport content from Sky Sports and films from Sky Cinema, which is essense can only be watched live as the full range of access is locked behind with a Sports or Cinema subscription ( due to the relevant content being designed to be watched only on those tiers).

[meherenow2]

Lol, the above is NOT an answer or an explanation.

More of a fanboyish shrug of the shoulders.

Absolutely no reason why playing from the start shouldn't play the channel you are watching.

Same with the darts. I pay for UHD and if I am trying to play from the start, apart from the fact I've got to do a rain dance to avoid the live score, even though I have it playlisted, it always insists on playing the HD feed, not the UHD one.

Useless.

[MarkGoldsmith]

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@meherenow2 wrote:

Lol, the above is NOT an answer or an explanation.

More of a fanboyish shrug of the shoulders.

Absolutely no reason why playing from the start shouldn't play the channel you are watching.

Same with the darts. I pay for UHD and if I am trying to play from the start, apart from the fact I've got to do a rain dance to avoid the live score, even though I have it playlisted, it always insists on playing the HD feed, not the UHD one.

Useless.

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The above answer is the reason as to why “watch from start” doesn't work on sports or film content on Sky One. As that content is out on Sky One as a marketing ploy essentially to encourage subscriptions for sky sports and sky cinema. So for that type of content if you are not a subscriber to those services but want to take advantage of it being broadcast on sky one “for free” you need to watch live.

Nothing about being a “fanboy” just an explanation as to the purpose of Sky showing these premium content events on Sky One

[meherenow2]

Again, NOT an explanation.

[oj01]

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@meherenow2 wrote:

Again, NOT an explanation.

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I don't know how much clearer you want the explanation to be. Without a Sports or Cinema subscription you can't watch Sport or Movies 'On Demand'. Watching From Start is exactly that, it pulls in the On Demand version.

[satellitebadger]

I agree with @Ed.B. . If my subscription includes Sky One, I ought to be able to use Watch from Start on all programmes on Sky One. I don't think that's an unreasonable expectation. Why should I have to consider whether the content is also being broadcast on some other channel to which I don't subscribe in order to plan my viewing? Why does Sky have to make this hard for customers?

[Ed.B.]

If you're watching a broadcast and there's an option to watch from start, you should be able to watch from the start. Anything else is [removed]

Moderator notes: removed inappropriate language

[MarkGoldsmith]

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@satellitebadger wrote:

I agree with @Ed.B. . If my subscription includes Sky One, I ought to be able to use Watch from Start on all programmes on Sky One. I don't think that's an unreasonable expectation. Why should I have to consider whether the content is also being broadcast on some other channel to which I don't subscribe in order to plan my viewing? Why does Sky have to make this hard for customers?

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I don't think Sky are making it difficult. When they chose to broadcast premium content on Sky One, for example the "free weekly Sky VIP film", they are doing it as a benefit for those that don't subscribe to the premium content, so that if they chose they can turn on Sky One at that time and watch the film.

The other option would be Sky doesn't put sports or films on Sky One at all, and keeps it a full blown "entertainment" style channel, but i'd suspect there would potentially be more customers upset about that premium content no longer being brodcast on Sky One, than the ones who complain that it can only be watched "live" as its broadcast on the linear TV channel.

[Dazzasky]

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@Ed.B. wrote:

If you're watching a broadcast and there's an option to watch from start, you should be able to watch from the start. Anything else is bullshirt. 

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Unfortunately if Sky don't have the rights to that particular film to show from the start,  effectively from on demand then that is hardly their fault. I'm sure if they could allow it they would. 

[meherenow2]

Once again, not an explanation - it's an EXCUSE.

Any reasonable, rational person would expect that playlisting a movie that is on a channel they pay for should then be available for playback, at least for a reasonable time after it has been broadcast.  If it is pulling the on demand version from another channel then it isn't fit for purpose, as I've discovered with the Darts - pretty much the only reason I pay Sky the money.

This is (one of many, many reasons) why Sky Stream is a crock of steam.

A bit off topic, but I'm happy to keep banging the drum, I can go on again about the Premier League Darts, which I playlist and pay extra for UHD, yet despite being filmed and broadcast in UHD when I come to watch it at my leisure at the weekend I am only able to view the HD feed.  Not only that, whatever AI they use to cut the ads out managed to skip 5-10 minutes of one of the games the other week, just starting it in the middle of the 2nd leg!  I suppose I should be thankful that if the programme overruns then they have at least managed the simple task of ensuring the entire session is available on demand whereas last year it was regularly missing the end.

And don't get me started about the crazy bug that means if a repeat of the programme is currently airing on one of the Sports channels, as live, then the playlist will default to playing directly from that meaning you have to keep your wits about you.

Also the nonsense that the system will forget your playlist position within a series after 30 days or whatever it is is a total nonsense.  Shoddy at best, even the likes of Plex can manage to remember where you are in a programme years down the line!

Useless.

[Dazzasky]

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@meherenow2 wrote:

Once again, not an explanation - it's an EXCUSE.

Any reasonable, rational person would expect that playlisting a movie that is on a channel they pay for should then be available for playback, at least for a reasonable time after it has been broadcast.  If it is pulling the on demand version from another channel then it isn't fit for purpose, as I've discovered with the Darts - pretty much the only reason I pay Sky the money.

This is (one of many, many reasons) why Sky Stream is a crock of steam.

A bit off topic, but I'm happy to keep banging the drum, I can go on again about the Premier League Darts, which I playlist and pay extra for UHD, yet despite being filmed and broadcast in UHD when I come to watch it at my leisure at the weekend I am only able to view the HD feed.  Not only that, whatever AI they use to cut the ads out managed to skip 5-10 minutes of one of the games the other week, just starting it in the middle of the 2nd leg!  I suppose I should be thankful that if the programme overruns then they have at least managed the simple task of ensuring the entire session is available on demand whereas last year it was regularly missing the end.

And don't get me started about the crazy bug that means if a repeat of the programme is currently airing on one of the Sports channels, as live, then the playlist will default to playing directly from that meaning you have to keep your wits about you.

Also the nonsense that the system will forget your playlist position within a series after 30 days or whatever it is is a total nonsense.  Shoddy at best, even the likes of Plex can manage to remember where you are in a programme years down the line!

Useless.

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If you're not happy with the services that Sky provide, then cancel your subscription. You are not forced to have Sky, it's a choice  @meherenow2 

[meherenow2]

LOL, thanks for stating the obvious.

What I think will help others who might be thinking of taking this terrible, bug ridden and user unfriendly product is the real world testimony of end (non super) users like myself and others who report their experiences regarding the usability of the service.

You seem to think, @Dazzasky , that we shouldn't come on here to moan about paying for rubbish!  

Dear me...