Contributor
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3.1K Messages
Why the 30 second skip no longer working for On Demand
Its bad enough we can't FF that when viewing most programs using On Demand to bypass commercials because of how networks control content but we have gotten used to that BUT not being able to use the 30 sec skip is unacceptable and why have the function if we can't use it??? We can FF thru commercials when they are recorded so this 'control ' to force us to view commercials on programs not on the DVR is archaic. I see that this was brought up years ago on the forums but its locked now I didn't see an explanation. We record so many programs and series but sometimes the 'record all episodes' does not work well or we want to view a past episode of something and to have to deal with the commercials ....grrr. This week I decided to 'trial' watch some episodes of a show on USA that I had not set to record at all and could not skip thru it and I figured it was time to ask why not? Thanks
TerriB
Contributor
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3.1K Messages
3 years ago
I posted this a long time ago and got 437 views but not one comment or reply from Comcast??? My question is valid.
Example from yesterday: There was a weather alert that lasted half way through a recorded episode of CBS I 'Heart' Abishola. I deleted the recording and went to Episodes to watch it from there and of course it was On Demand and I could not skip. Message came up on the top right of the screen that said skip was not available and gave me the minute/seconds count to when the show would resume. HUH?
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user_d741ec
Visitor
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2 Messages
3 years ago
when a show has recently aired, the on-demand version will often require you to sit through ads, but also not allow any fast forwarding at all in the more extreme cases. after enough time has passed since the initial airing of the show - i dont know the exact criteria for what is measured as "enough" time - then you can indeed fast forward through any parts of that same episode. it probably is a direct result of advertising that you are being forced to watch, presumably those sponsors pay to bring you the episode. with most shows however, you can use the big skip button, which with on-demand programs will skip ahead 10 minutes, then rewind. i hate commercials so much, that i often do this. but some shows wont let you skip forward at all - not even 30 seconds, which drives me nuts. anyway, watching forced ads and losing all FF'ing capability is the price paid for watching recently aired shows on-demand.
my guess is that it is a protocol script error of some sort - the advertisers dont care if you want to fast forward the show, they want to force the ads on you. but in some cases the show's content is not distinguished as separate from the ad content, so the FF is disabled altogether...
edit: i should make a distinction that on my remote, i have no 30 second forward button. on dvr'd shows, the up arrow button skips forward 5 minutes, and on-demand it skips forward 10 minutes (and vice versa for the down arrow button). there is a "hack" that can change my remote to a 30 second forward configuration for the up arrow button, but it did not come that way when i got it. what sucks on this newer, fancier, tinier remote is that the 19 second rewind button is gone. i havent made the time for it but plan to go back to the old bigger remote specifically to get my 19 second rewind button back..
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user_e7cb87
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1 Message
3 years ago
I have had xfinity service for a while and I believe there was a time where the On Demand content didn't have commercials. As the years progressed, this changed little by little. Some commercials appeared, but you could skip past with no issue. Now being forced to sit through the commercials is insulting.
Like many people, we subscribe to other streaming platforms:
In summary, it is clear to anyone reading through this post and others similar to it that we the consumer do not like commercials. They are antiquated advertising that doesn't seem to work in any way other than to annoy the customer. Other platforms specifically cite "commercial free" as part of their service. xfinity should evolve and remove commercials from On Demand content, or at least let the consumer skip past with no issue.
My wife and I have been looking for a reason to unplug. We're not alone in this, many friends and coworkers feel the same. With other options like Starlink being viable options in the future, platforms like xfinity will go by the way of the dodo bird if they don't adapt better and start listening to their customers. We literally only need it for internet at this point. It is clear that securing advertising as part of the On Demand content only serves to boost profits at the expense of the customer.
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