How often do you watch ON DEMAND programming?

[yoda313]

I thought a spin-off from the last poll would be interesting.

How much do you watch ON DEMAND programming? What types? Do you even have access to it with your current service?

I have ON DEMAND through COMCAST. I like that I can get some in HIGH DEF through my HD DVR.

As I've complained in the previous poll there are a few gripes with the layout of the menus and such. But the service itself is very nice. NOw I don't rent any movies because I don't like paying 6.00 for JUST A MOVIE when I can get the DVD or BLURAY with all the bonuses for the same price or less at Blockbuster. I actually don't have their online rental plan I still go to the store. I still like using discs for movies I want to delve into more like commentaries and featurettes, etc....

BUt I do like that I've got the G4 game channel recaps and even Sports replays on the ON DEMAND menus. I also like the VH1 classic video package. I don't subscribe to VH1 classic but I can get a handful of their videos. The other week I watched a bunch of the old Michael Jackson videos. It turns out I had never seen the full THRILLER video! Hah! (I didn't have cable in the 80's so I don't see many music videos).

SO do you watch ON DEMAND? Do you have ON DEMAND at all?

[gadgetguy]

I'm strictly OTA now, so my on-demand programming is on the DVDs that I own.

[highvolumeJP]

I use it a lot - Our cable provider offers a very extensive VOD that works not only for movies, but playing missed TV episodes, music videos and much much more, FREE ! So if I want to watch the news that I missed at 6PM, I use it to watch the news, or watch investigative news reports like 20/20, 5th estate like shows, etc I don't use it for movies because I rent them on DVD they are MUCH better quality viewed from a DVD than VOD.

[edDV]

I force myself to look through it from time to time.

The selection keeps growing. I make a list for anything special.

Then I forget for awhile, then start watching in order of expiration date, sometimes staying up late on the last day.

Then a month later the sequence repeats.

It's similar to Netflix. I need to watch it and get it in the mail or the next selection won't come.

VOD somehow creates a sense of urgency.

[highvolumeJP]

Actually our cable providers archives VOD shows, they are usually available on their servers for a very long time - as to Netflix, I've heard only but bad things about those flat fee unlimited DVD rental services, so I prefer going in person renting the DVD.

[MOVIEGEEK]

I have Comcast and I use OnDemand every week when it works,sometimes I get a communication error.
Note to Comcast:I want more HD programming.

[mazinz]

I have time Warner and they have a ton of free on demand programming that I am finding more enjoyable to watch then the regular stations. It also seems to be growing with new addtions and channels on a somewhat steady basis. They now have a generic movie on demand rental that spans a few channels and those rentals are only 1.99 or less

[highvolumeJP]

I have Comcast and I use OnDemand every week when it works,sometimes I get a communication error.
Note to Comcast:I want more HD programming.

You might want to check your signal levels to see that they are within specs. When you have problems with your Rx/Tx and return signal levels it will affect VOD - if you have too many splitters or bad connectors and/or cables it will affect signal.

[FulciLives]

I use ON DEMAND via comcast cable sometimes but only for free stuff.

However one thing pisses me off ... I started watching CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON in HD the other day ... I had seen it once a long time ago ... but 25 minutes in I was bothered by the fact that is was filling up the screen. I checked on line and sure enough it is 2.35:1

So I stopped watching it. Sure it was free and in HD but no OAR no watchie for me.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[jagabo]

I watch On Demand occasionally but only the free stuff.

[Seeker47]

I record movies from it occasionally -- usually when the regularly-scheduled times are not convenient, or it is something fairly rare where I'm concerned about getting another good shot at it, or the "window" on its availability is about to expire and ditto. So far, I've not been blocked from being able to record them. (Expect that to change at some point, though. Chances are the next Congress is gonna give us a royal reaming !)

Aside: If you happen to get HD-Net on your service, you might want to keep a lookout for brief, early windows on certain things. Same ownership as Magnolia Pictures and at least one other indie distributor. There have been some good documentaries and dramatic features that actually debuted there either before or at the same time as they were in theaters, and you could have caught them at home over a service you might have been getting anyway. And, like FLIX, they also show some interesting titles I don't see turning up on other channels.

[edDV]

OnDemand is good for catching up on cable TV Series. CBS has a good selection but ABC and NBC are mostly missing. I like that you can watch movies at your own pace and at your own start time.

[guns1inger]

Over here we are blessed with a single pay television provider who charges far too much for far too little, including ads throughout (I thought ads paid for FTA TV), constant repeats of second rate rubbish, and we still have to put up with a 12 month or longer delay for things like Dexter. So far I have not seen anything advertised, ever, that would entice me to pay for the service.

For television shows, t*%%#@t has become my on demand channel of choice

[edDV]

Your "single pay television provider" needs 3 competitors minimum.

[guns1inger]

We don't have a population big enough to support them.

This tells the sorry story : http://www.afc.gov.au/gtp/wptvsubsxops.html

Foxtel is the only major player left, with Austar basically packaging a subset of Foxtel for satellite subscribers unable to get Foxtel locally. Likewise, Optus also simply repackage Foxtel, but currently don't offer the full HD (so-called) content or IQ service. While the providers claim to have a reach of over 70% of the population (probably higher with Austar included), they have a subscriber base closer to around 12%.

Unless you really love sport, or have to watch Scooby Doo re-runs around the clock, they offer a lot less than something like Netflix, and at higher cost.

[Epicurus8a]

Once in a while. ABC, CBS, HBO, Discovery, free stuff.

[disturbed1]

We get Starz on demand for free, along with a host of other on demand stuff. 99% of the on demand stuff besides Starz is just fluff, not worth watching. Starz on demand is decent in that they show a good mix of new and old movies. We watch 2 or 3 movies a month depending on the weather.

The non-free on demand movies are $0.99 to $3.99.

[Conquest10]

as to Netflix, I've heard only but bad things about those flat fee unlimited DVD rental services, so I prefer going in person renting the DVD.

Netflix is great. Didn't have a problem with them until recently. Apparently they think I receive too many movies per month. They've started a practice of skipping DVDs on my queue for DVDs that would have to ship from other cities (which adds a day to processing and another for shipping). So now if they get one of my DVDs on a Monday, the next one doesn't ship until Tuesday so I receive it on Thursday evening (that's for a DVD that I sent back on Thursday evening). Tiny positive is that they are offering more streaming movies. Negative is that I do not have the box so I have to watch them on my computer. Another negative is that Netflix.com seems to be down a lot while I'm trying to watch online.

[Joshua P]

I sometimes do it everyday, but they're always free