The Criterion Channel -- Technical Issues and Questions

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Trace17
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2020 9:24 pm

Re: The Criterion Channel -- Technical Issues and Questions

#226 Post by Trace17 » Mon Jan 06, 2020 11:10 pm

My fire stick wouldn't work until I cleared data/cache and rebooted. The last time I used it, it was probably on the "leaving December 31" screen and I wonder if that had any impact. Working fine now though.

jtarvainen
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Re: The Criterion Channel -- Technical Issues and Questions

#227 Post by jtarvainen » Sat Feb 01, 2020 10:02 am

I noticed the iOS app was updated on January 20 to version 5.302.2. Could someone with this version check if the stuttering issue is still there?

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willoneill
Joined: Wed Mar 18, 2009 10:10 am
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Re: The Criterion Channel -- Technical Issues and Questions

#228 Post by willoneill » Sat Feb 01, 2020 2:46 pm

The stuttering was still there for me last night, sadly. At this point I’ve just gotten used to it; I only use the iOS app on planes.

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DarkImbecile
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Re: The Criterion Channel -- Technical Issues and Questions

#229 Post by DarkImbecile » Sat Feb 01, 2020 10:44 pm

I just bought two 4K Apple TVs to connect to both a newer and older model LG OLED 4K last month, and I’ve yet to see any stuttering/frame-dropping within the app; is there any chance it has more to do with the TV (or the pairing of TV and streaming device) than the streaming device alone?

JakeStewart
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Re: The Criterion Channel -- Technical Issues and Questions

#230 Post by JakeStewart » Sun Feb 02, 2020 8:59 am

Godard's Made in U.S.A collection does not have the actual film as an option to watch. I suppose it's possible this isn't a mistake, but it seems strange to have a film collection without the movie.

Also, in the Pierrot le fou collection you have to select the trailer to watch the movie.

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willoneill
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Re: The Criterion Channel -- Technical Issues and Questions

#231 Post by willoneill » Sun Feb 02, 2020 10:15 am

DarkImbecile wrote:
Sat Feb 01, 2020 10:44 pm
I just bought two 4K Apple TVs to connect to both a newer and older model LG OLED 4K last month, and I’ve yet to see any stuttering/frame-dropping within the app; is there any chance it has more to do with the TV (or the pairing of TV and streaming device) than the streaming device alone?
I’ve never experienced the stuttering issue on my AppleTV, only on my iPad and iPhone.

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Bumstead
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Re: The Criterion Channel -- Technical Issues and Questions

#232 Post by Bumstead » Mon Feb 03, 2020 3:58 pm

I like to download movies to my iPad (iOS) for offline viewing. It's been months, and I can't be the only human still experiencing offline video freezing up every 15-20 mins? It is torture pressing play/pause over and over again. Streaming when connected to Wifi is fine for the most part. Some of us actually enjoy NOT being connected to the internet all the time, you know...

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fdm
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Re: The Criterion Channel -- Technical Issues and Questions

#233 Post by fdm » Mon Feb 03, 2020 5:24 pm

Pretty sure streaming services are not meant to be viewed offline.

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jsteffe
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Re: The Criterion Channel -- Technical Issues and Questions

#234 Post by jsteffe » Mon Feb 03, 2020 5:24 pm

I noticed the stuttering issue on my Apple TV 4K and ended up cancelling my Criterion Channel subscription because I couldn't find a way to fix it. It was the only channel so far for me that had that problem.

In fact I really don't like the slick-looking but frustrating remote for the Apple TV and will switch back to Roku eventually. I'll re-subscribe to the Criterion Channel then, since they do have terrific content. I would like to hear if someone comes across a solution, in the meantime.

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Bumstead
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Re: The Criterion Channel -- Technical Issues and Questions

#235 Post by Bumstead » Tue Feb 04, 2020 7:04 pm

fdm wrote:
Mon Feb 03, 2020 5:24 pm
Pretty sure streaming services are not meant to be viewed offline.
Netflix doesn't seem to have a problem with that.

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fdm
Joined: Fri Apr 21, 2006 1:25 pm

Re: The Criterion Channel -- Technical Issues and Questions

#236 Post by fdm » Wed Feb 05, 2020 4:49 am

CC aint netflix.

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Lowry_Sam
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Re: The Criterion Channel -- Technical Issues and Questions

#237 Post by Lowry_Sam » Wed Feb 05, 2020 5:16 am

Bumstead wrote:
Tue Feb 04, 2020 7:04 pm
fdm wrote:
Mon Feb 03, 2020 5:24 pm
Pretty sure streaming services are not meant to be viewed offline.
Netflix doesn't seem to have a problem with that.
Criterion Channel also didn't used to have a problem with it. I downloaded several films to my iPad to watch while traveling and had no problems until my last trip where I noticed several unwatched films disappear, but no problems with playback.

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fdm
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Re: The Criterion Channel -- Technical Issues and Questions

#238 Post by fdm » Wed Feb 05, 2020 12:55 pm

News to me, but then I find it nearly impossibly to watch anything more than a few minutes long on my Mac as it is (unless absolutely necessary), and am even less likely to watch anything at all on an iOS thingy.

zombie.modernist
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Re: The Criterion Channel -- Technical Issues and Questions

#239 Post by zombie.modernist » Fri Feb 07, 2020 8:56 am

DarkImbecile wrote:
Sat Feb 01, 2020 10:44 pm
I just bought two 4K Apple TVs to connect to both a newer and older model LG OLED 4K last month, and I’ve yet to see any stuttering/frame-dropping within the app; is there any chance it has more to do with the TV (or the pairing of TV and streaming device) than the streaming device alone?
You may not notice it. Not everyone does, and it’s not perceptible in static shots or during cuts. You’ll see it in pans and personally I do notice frame rate stuff more on OLED due to the nature of the panel tech, but it’s good for you if you don’t. At this point I try too look past it as I’m not sure if it’s Apple’s 24.00p problem or CC’s internal issue.

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Guido
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Re: The Criterion Channel -- Technical Issues and Questions

#240 Post by Guido » Fri Feb 07, 2020 11:34 am

Criterion/VHX have assured me they're still looking into the stuttering issue, but at this point, I have little faith it'll get resolved. Which brings me to my main question: do folks have recommendations for another piece of hardware that matches the quality of an Apple TV 4K? I picked up an Amazon Fire Stick 4K and was dismayed to see just how horrible the picture quality was in comparison: motion issues galore, not to mention the extreme digital blocking/noise and saturation/brightness issues I saw in every app I tried.

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fdm
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Re: The Criterion Channel -- Technical Issues and Questions

#241 Post by fdm » Fri Feb 07, 2020 3:23 pm

Roku (Ultra) works fine for me, on a plasma. No stuttering, picture quality and audio quality is limited only by what CC is providing, it seems to me. That's all I ask, aside from CC's audio weaknesses, they really need to bump it up to Filmstruck levels at least (which did DD 5.1 just fine). Prime is surprisingly good, pq and aq (DD+). (No 4K set so any 4K issues you would have to find for yourself.) Try a Roku, return it if you don't think it does better.

My Apple TVs have been a waste of money, never end up using them for much of anything, and the stuttering with CC (and with Filmstruck on and off (mostly on) before that) ensures that will continue to be the case, at least until I end up with a 4K set. They've had almost a year to resolve the stuttering issue and still nothing.

I did try a Fire device once upon a time, but right off the bat it stuttered on the very same content (Amazon Prime no less) that my Roku 3 had no problems with, and I quickly returned it. It was an early model, though it sounds like nothing much has changed.

All these devices are/were used with wired ethernet by the way.

zombie.modernist
Joined: Fri Feb 07, 2020 8:51 am

Re: The Criterion Channel -- Technical Issues and Questions

#242 Post by zombie.modernist » Tue Feb 18, 2020 10:48 pm

fdm wrote:
Fri Feb 07, 2020 3:23 pm
Roku (Ultra) works fine for me, on a plasma. No stuttering, picture quality and audio quality is limited only by what CC is providing, it seems to me. That's all I ask, aside from CC's audio weaknesses, they really need to bump it up to Filmstruck levels at least (which did DD 5.1 just fine). Prime is surprisingly good, pq and aq (DD+). (No 4K set so any 4K issues you would have to find for yourself.) Try a Roku, return it if you don't think it does better.

My Apple TVs have been a waste of money, never end up using them for much of anything, and the stuttering with CC (and with Filmstruck on and off (mostly on) before that) ensures that will continue to be the case, at least until I end up with a 4K set. They've had almost a year to resolve the stuttering issue and still nothing.

I did try a Fire device once upon a time, but right off the bat it stuttered on the very same content (Amazon Prime no less) that my Roku 3 had no problems with, and I quickly returned it. It was an early model, though it sounds like nothing much has changed.

All these devices are/were used with wired ethernet by the way.
Thanks for the tip. I grabbed a cheap Roku Streaming Stick+, for the price of one CC BR, it gets the job done without frame drops. Besides the framerate issue, the ATV has far better UX and upscaling 1080p to 4K, but the Criterion Channel is pretty much broken on it.

bluejaysam
Joined: Wed Mar 18, 2020 7:03 pm

Re: The Criterion Channel -- Technical Issues and Questions

#243 Post by bluejaysam » Wed Mar 18, 2020 7:20 pm

Has anyone been having problems after a recent Microsoft Edge update?

I've been a Criterion Channel subscriber since last fall and have really enjoyed it. Just the other day my computer automatically installed an update to Microsoft Edge, and since then I've been having trouble with iTunes--but Criterion Channel won't play at all. CC's Help section says this new update is based on Chromium and "Our player currently does not support this version." I called Microsoft tech support, we tried uninstalling and system restore, but nothing worked. (I guess some updates cannot be uninstalled.)

So I tried signing in on Google Chrome and Firefox. On both browsers I got the same message: "Sorry, this video cannot be played while your device is connected to this external monitor." This is despite the fact that CC's Help section says it supports both browsers. And I installed Firefox just now for the sole purpose of trying this, so I know I have the most recent version. I contacted Criterion on their Help page, but it kind of felt like I was shouting into a black hole.

Does anyone have any ideas what I should do next? Are there any fixes coming for the Microsoft Edge issue?

Thanks.

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fdm
Joined: Fri Apr 21, 2006 1:25 pm

Re: The Criterion Channel -- Technical Issues and Questions

#244 Post by fdm » Wed Mar 18, 2020 8:51 pm

Well, Chromium is available and pretty easy to get older versions, so perhaps you can install an earlier version of Chromium. But... I suspect the error you are seeing mostly depends a lot on the computer/monitor you are using. (Mine iMac seems fine, latest version of Firefox (I had Edge installed until yesterday or the day before when I decided I didn't really want/need another Microsoft product); but when CC was first starting up (before going live) I used to get that error when I had a separate (old) monitor hooked up to a (old) Mac Pro tower. A laptop may work fine?)

Do you do backups? You could try and restore from that and disable automatic updates from Microsoft.

gmosley
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Re: The Criterion Channel -- Technical Issues and Questions

#245 Post by gmosley » Mon Mar 23, 2020 11:25 pm

Confused as to why Chromebooks aren't supported. Is this temporary or worse?

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jsteffe
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Re: The Criterion Channel -- Technical Issues and Questions

#246 Post by jsteffe » Wed Mar 25, 2020 12:22 pm

jsteffe wrote:
Mon Feb 03, 2020 5:24 pm
I noticed the stuttering issue on my Apple TV 4K and ended up cancelling my Criterion Channel subscription because I couldn't find a way to fix it. It was the only channel so far for me that had that problem.

In fact I really don't like the slick-looking but frustrating remote for the Apple TV and will switch back to Roku eventually. I'll re-subscribe to the Criterion Channel then, since they do have terrific content. I would like to hear if someone comes across a solution, in the meantime.
After perpetual frustration with the slick but useless remote, I finally dumped the Apple TV and purchased a new 4K Roku box. And I re-subscribed to the Criterion Channel (yay!). No playback issues now - the Roku simply works, no problem.

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Yaanu
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Re: The Criterion Channel -- Technical Issues and Questions

#247 Post by Yaanu » Fri Mar 27, 2020 8:51 pm

gmosley wrote:
Mon Mar 23, 2020 11:25 pm
Confused as to why Chromebooks aren't supported. Is this temporary or worse?
Chromebooks and Chrome OS use a version of Linux, which is wholly unsupported by/blocked from Criterion Channel.

bluejaysam
Joined: Wed Mar 18, 2020 7:03 pm

Re: The Criterion Channel -- Technical Issues and Questions

#248 Post by bluejaysam » Sat Mar 28, 2020 6:13 pm

Updating my comment above: Well, that was a nice couple months when the Criterion Channel actually worked.

I figured after both Firefox and Chrome gave me the same message--"Sorry, this video cannot be played while your device is connected to this external monitor"--that maybe it was time to bite the bullet and get a new monitor.

So I bought a brand new monitor. Which came with a brand new HDMI cable. And I got a brand new VGA/HDMI adapter to hook up my brand new monitor to my old tower.

And what happens? I get the same message: "Sorry, this video cannot be played while your device is connected to this external monitor."

I guess the next step is to cancel my subscription, unless anyone has any better ideas. Does Criterion have tech support? I can't find any. Thanks.

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fdm
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Re: The Criterion Channel -- Technical Issues and Questions

#249 Post by fdm » Sat Mar 28, 2020 9:05 pm

Probably your graphics card (assuming a reasonably current operating system).

bluejaysam
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Re: The Criterion Channel -- Technical Issues and Questions

#250 Post by bluejaysam » Sun Mar 29, 2020 9:37 am

I'm not sure what a graphics card is, but CC worked totally fine for me until a recent Microsoft Edge update, now I can't get it to work in multiple browsers. Their help page says they support Firefox and Chrome, but I'm having no luck there. Just seems totally arbitrary.

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