I'm sure this is a problem we'll be hearing more about in the future. My sense
is, given that buffering problems vary greatly among the different TV portals,
and vary greatly from just one ad to the next, I'm fairly certain that they lie
with the CDN and not so much your link speed or other ISP-related factors.
For example, a constantly recurring problem with abc.com is ads that play for a
second or less, then freeze for many seconds, then play for a second or less,
and repeat this agonizing process throughout the whole ad. Not all ads, just
some. I wrote to them. They said they had duplicated the problem, it got fixed,
and then last time I went to abc.com, there were still one or two ads that had
this problem.
Imagine encountering such an ad in every ad break. Happens often on abc.com,
although in fairness, I haven't tried lately.
Last night, one cbs.com ad had the same problem. Very unusual in cbs.com ads. I
wrote to them even while the ad was busy pissing me off. An advantage of
watching TV on a PC. Other sites seem to have big problems in general, even
with the actual program stream.
Most buffering problems I've encountered are with ads. Occasionally, but not
lately, also buffering in the early parts of a show, as if the system is having
a hard time settling in on a good streaming speed. To me, these are problems
caused by lack of self-monitoring, have solutions, and are allowed to persist
only because the service is not taken seriously yet.
Bert
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http://www.tvtechnology.com/news/0002/half-of-streaming-consumers-experience-buffer-rage-per-ineoquest/278176
Report: Half of Video Streamers Experience ‘Buffer Rage’
A First World problem
March 17, 2016
By Michael Balderston
BOSTON—If you have ever wanted to throw something when that infamous spinning
buffering wheel appears while you’re trying to stream a TV show or movie,
you’re not alone. A recent study by IneoQuest Technologies, a media company and
service provider on video quality and audience behavioral intelligence, has
revealed that 51 percent of streaming viewers experience “buffer rage.”
IneoQuest defines buffer rage as a state of uncontrollable fury or violent
anger induced by the delayed or interrupted enjoyment of streaming video
content from OTT services.
While 51 percent is the overall number of consumers that have experience buffer
rage, 66 percent of respondents claimed frustration when a video buffers; 21
percent of those reported “severe levels of irritation.” For consumers under
35, 34 percent say they suffer from buffer rage more often than road rage.
One of the biggest causes of buffer rage appears to be not being able to start
a piece of content. Up to 27 percent of respondents said buffering most often
occurs before a video starts, while 34 percent experience buffering within the
first 15 seconds of the video. This causes a negative reaction for many
viewers, with 40 percent saying they only wait 10 seconds before clicking out
of a buffering video, and nearly 40 percent of those respondents claim they
will never attempt to re-watch the video.
Interruptions during live sporting events, watching content on mobile devices
and mid-video buffering are other big factors in inducing buffer rage,
according to IneoQuest.
Respondents said that buffering was a regular issue; 34 percent encounter it
once in every three videos, while 24 percent experience it once in every five.
“This data shows that OTT service providers need to do more to ensure the
delivery of a more reliable, consistent, enjoyable viewing experience to
consumers in order to prevent a rampant buffer rage epidemic,” said Kurt
Michel, senior marketing director at IneoQuest.
IneoQuest commissioned Research Now to conduct the study of 1,000 consumers. To
see more on the study, click here.
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