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YouTube Accuses T-Mobile of Downgrading All Video With Binge On Program
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So as a developer, I would now have to potentially make changes to my application in order to have it meet the requirements for BingeOn, and I only have to do it for this single cell phone provider. If I'm a one-man-operation or don't have the time/skills to make the changes to meet the guidelines, then my app will not be supported with BingeOn.
That's the entire "pain point"... There's all this great video content out there, but no realistic way to watch much of any of it on a 300 meg, 1, 2, or 3 gig plan, and have data leftover to support non-video content. If you're with ATT or VZW you have to either swear off video entirely, watch it extremely sparely, buy a very expensive large data pool, or accept overages. If you buy a 15Gig or XXL data plan and don't constantly use that much data you're wasting money.Still not seeing how the customer is saving money .... Oh I know!!! Those customers who have extremely limited plans... and are not likely to be streaming anyway.
Sorry, not seeing your point.
By not needing to purchase as much data? You can be sure ATT and VZW wouldn't provide this even as an option. They want all that 1080p or 4K video just guzzling and spinning your data meter at lightspeed.
If you're on a tiered plan, you're using 3x less data, saving you data for whatever else. If the quality difference is really hugely noticeable to you, then you can leave Binge On off normally, but flip it on when you intend to binge watch zero-rated (data exempt) video from Netflix or Hulu or whatever. Myself, I can maybe see a little bit of difference, but not enough that I'd turn it off.Scenario 1 - I have a TMo with unlimited data
Scenario 2 - I have TMo with a limited amount of data and elect to use Binge but only for a select few streaming sites.
Specifically, if you were paying for unlimited data before because you watched Netflix or Hulu, using cellular data, all the time then, it's conceivable then that you could drop down a tier or two and just take advantage of BingeOn.
I'm on a tiered data plan, so maybe this is the difference, but I'm not able to recreate the 'buffering' on HD YouTube video content.
First, TMo doesn't have to "offer" you membership, nor do you have to pay. Second, your sensibilities may be offended, but do you really want to alienate any portion of your already paying or potential customers? They may find "binge quality" perfectly acceptable in return for not being charged cellular data. Besides, you probably already dynamically adjust the resolution and bitrate of your content based on the customers bandwidth already anyway and the videophiles themselves are likely viewing using PC or set-top box (ala AppleTV or Roku-ish device) or "smart" tv app or whatever.
Great replies - thanks for taking the time to respond. btw - none of my sensibilities are offended
First I am not a TMo user - they don't provide the coverage I need for personal / business.
My daughter was a TMo user. She dropped after one too many times messing up her bill and then having TMo play games on an upgrade (yes - she was one of those who listened instead of reading). She's now on another carrier.
Aside from the detail, I don't watch a lot of video on LTE but when I do I prefer hd or better depending on what I am watching. An all or nothing solution is lame at best and not in the best interest of the customer - they are being forced to choose always crappy or paying more / watching data usage. Very poor (read cheap) solution offering from TMo in my opinion. It would not be that difficult to allow the option of setting Binge = Low Res if on and Low Res all as an option. I have to ask myself why didn't TMo offer this. It reeks.
After reading your response, I still fail to see where it saves the customer any cash. As a customer I figure my usage and sign up the plan that best fits my use. Going down a step by optioning for low res tells me this plan is targeted at low income folks who are generally taken advantage of with wishy-washy deals. "Here!!!! Get a new GS6 or Note 5 or G4 or Z3 or 6S+ and sign up" ... for the crappy resolution plan.
Either way, by allowing no selective options and repurposing video resolution (basically hijacking it) TMo deserves to be called to task on this. I bet most BInge users don't realize that if on it affects all video, not just Binge partners.
Anyway, have a great Holiday Season.
Your app? No. Your server? Maybe. But that's business. There are similar examples of this sort of "tailor fitting" that happen in the market daily (not just software) and nobody bats an eye.
FYI, and aside from the neutrality issues here, I just so happened to be surveyed by TM today about my feelings after six months on the network - by a very nice, and very knowledgeable employee - i.e., obviously not contracting an outside phone bank for rent company to run a survey from a script - and she acknowledged that the Binge on option is enabled by default - even on phones with unlimited plans - and you have to opt out whatever plan you're in.
She also definitively (and freely) said that the plan does change the default video across all video feeds to 480 p, including HD content, not just the ones in the plan.
There are other bennies/trade-offs in the Binge On plan, though....
.....1) a free movie rental from Vudu once a month - like a $5.00 value or so.... ...so check your plan and usage to see if you might want to turn it off or not.....
.....2) the Binge plan keeps heavy, heavy video users from being throttled to 2G speeds if they go beyond the max of 27 GB of LTE/month of all mixed data on the top plan (or, more likely, their lesser allotment on a 3, 6, or 10 GB plan - and it is easy to shoot past 6 GB)...
....3), this also comes into play if you use your phone as a hotspot a lot... ....much less likely to blow past the limits.......
.....4) faster performance and less glitching in marginal signal areas by decreasing bandwith needs.
So, yeah, makes some sense to me.
PS: I haven't noticed any change in resolution on my 4.7" 720 p screen Moto X since they phased it in. Never would've known if I hadn't read this article hours before she called.. ...and for now, leaving it on.....
BTW, she never tried to sell me anything, took time to address my feedback and concerns - talked about how the company manages her shop, answered one tech question, sent me links on another later, and is having a free signal extender kit to get better signal in my back upstairs bedroom shipped to my remote location....
She also told me John Legere has personally visited their call center - and most or all T-Mob facilities - and met many or all of the staff on recurring basis. I really dig his unorthodox style for the industry. Customers of all of the big four owe him a debt for breaks we're getting we wouldn't otherwise.....
[FWIW, I think he's young enough still that you have to consider him at least a candidate for the top Cupertino job if Apple ever wants to go outside the company and shake up its culture down the road. Wouldn't be boring or colorless for sure.]
This is so unlike my 20 years of Verizon experience..... ...not only the uncarrier, also the "uncompany"..... ...more glad I switched every day.
And told her to tell John "hi" from me. She laughed and promised she would....
She also definitively (and freely) said that the plan does change the default video across all video feeds to 480 p, including HD content, not just the ones in the plan.
There are other bennies/trade-offs in the Binge On plan, though....
.....1) a free movie rental from Vudu once a month - like a $5.00 value or so.... ...so check your plan and usage to see if you might want to turn it off or not.....
.....2) the Binge plan keeps heavy, heavy video users from being throttled to 2G speeds if they go beyond the max of 27 GB of LTE/month of all mixed data on the top plan (or, more likely, their lesser allotment on a 3, 6, or 10 GB plan - and it is easy to shoot past 6 GB)...
....3), this also comes into play if you use your phone as a hotspot a lot... ....much less likely to blow past the limits.......
.....4) faster performance and less glitching in marginal signal areas by decreasing bandwith needs.
So, yeah, makes some sense to me.
PS: I haven't noticed any change in resolution on my 4.7" 720 p screen Moto X since they phased it in. Never would've known if I hadn't read this article hours before she called.. ...and for now, leaving it on.....
BTW, she never tried to sell me anything, took time to address my feedback and concerns - talked about how the company manages her shop, answered one tech question, sent me links on another later, and is having a free signal extender kit to get better signal in my back upstairs bedroom shipped to my remote location....
She also told me John Legere has personally visited their call center - and most or all T-Mob facilities - and met many or all of the staff on recurring basis. I really dig his unorthodox style for the industry. Customers of all of the big four owe him a debt for breaks we're getting we wouldn't otherwise.....
[FWIW, I think he's young enough still that you have to consider him at least a candidate for the top Cupertino job if Apple ever wants to go outside the company and shake up its culture down the road. Wouldn't be boring or colorless for sure.]
This is so unlike my 20 years of Verizon experience..... ...not only the uncarrier, also the "uncompany"..... ...more glad I switched every day.
And told her to tell John "hi" from me. She laughed and promised she would....
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It also varies depending on what quality a DVD was encoded if you want to be pedantic. There are some very poorly-encoded, low bitrate DVDs out there too.
How does it save the customer money? I can see it saving TMo money.....
Scenario 1 - I have a TMo with unlimited data
Scenario 2 - I have TMo with a limited amount of data and elect to use Binge but only for a select few streaming sites.
Lastly - lets say you owned a video streaming service and provided your subscribers with 1080 video 24/7. TMo comes by and offers you to be a part of Binge. You decline due to the dislike of 480. So now for any Binge user, TMo re-resolutions your video which you declined from, doesn't ask for permission and could care less when you start getting crappy reviews.
Still not seeing how the customer is saving money .... Oh I know!!! Those customers who have extremely limited plans... and are not likely to be streaming anyway.
Sorry, not seeing your point.
Scenario 1: fair point
Scenario 2: mobile optimizing the video saves you money because the video isn't using as much data as an optimized version giving you more data to use. That's basics.
On "2" I think we will have to agree to disagree.
I see it as you define what you need then get the plan that fits those needs. If money is tight then you get the cheaper plan. Binge is an option for that. It's not saving you any money it is however giving users more options.
Just MHO
Just turned off binge on. Glad I got grandfathered in to data stash. There is no situation where I want to sit down and watch a long form show on my phone. It was making all my imbedded videos unwatchable since they stream at 1080p. Good riddance.