On Demand commercials are cutting off part of shows

[crego]

When watching shows on OnDemand they are getting cut off early by commercials. Missing up to 60 seconds or so when commercial breaks start (sometimes interrupting mid sentence) then after commercials end, show starts back up after something has obviously been skipped. Happened when watching Better Call Saul tonight and Fear the Walking Dead the other night so it's not just a one time fluke. Considering what I'm paying for service, it seems I should be able to watch the whole episode of shows that are available for later viewing. Anyone else dealing with this issue? When I did a quick search of the forum the only info I found was from 2014.

[seansranch]

Yeah, it's happening with Turn: Washington's Spies as well.  Totally lame.  

[ellgee_49]

Yeah, been complaining about this. They seem to think taking the episode down and putting it back will help when, in fact, it does not.

[andyross]

The problem is that more and more commericals are inserted automatically. They are not part of the recording. If the timing codes are off, you end up with them inappropriately placed.

[Bulkington]

Interesting all the examples are AMC shows - which is where I've experienced the same when watching a "time-compressed" episode.  I don't recall having this problem when watching a full length show (usually) within a week of the air date.

ComcastAmir: I do not appreciate that you locked ellgee_49's Turn 402 thread before the issue was resolved. 

[crego]

This definitely sounds like the issue! Any hope Comcast is addressing it? Watching these shows when they originally air is rarely an option for me. If I can't watch the full episode later, Comcast is quickly becoming less of a valued resource.

[embersNburls]

I'm experiencing the same thing with both Better Call Saul & Fear the Walking Dead. So frustrating!

[Tonyandmaggie]

Anthony

[brpike]

I'm seeing the same thing. It is incredibly frustrating to have this happen. Makes one consider cutting the cord.

[Bulkington]

Another program to add to the list: SYFY's time-compressed Dark Matter 302, though the issue isn't as bad as with the AMC shows.

Time-compressed Dark Matter 303 is fine.

[cvnk]

Yeah I experienced this for the first time last night while trying to watch the Better Call Saul finale. So frustrating I wanted to throw the remote through the TV.

I'm not even sure why I pay for TV anymore. Even without issues like this the X1 platform is garbage and not worth the money. I'll be scaling back to the basics I think.

[ComcastAmir]

Hello all, I understand that missing part of your show isn't ideal I have alerted my on demand team to investigate this issue to make sure you don't miss any of the action. This issue can also be remedied by recording the show/content desired, when you set a show to record you have other options to adjust the recording time to start early or end later than the allotted time. This will help prevent commercials cutting off your show, for more information on how to manage your recordings please click on this link. 

[Gary1235]

I've missed several key scenes in Preacher and Better Call Saul because the commercials come in too soon. What is Xfinity doing to address this issue? It's very anoying!

[WHYYYYY]

Why the need to play commercials during scenes- can they not be placed at breaks? Also being forced to watch the same commercial over and over and over again DURING your show (and missing parts of the show) is maddening. DO BETTER COMCAST.

[kuhnj1]

This is a TV problem, at least for me. Watching online was not affected the same way. Of course watching on a phone, tablet or computer is not at all the same experience as watching on a big screen TV.

Specific shows I can say are affected by this issue are the season finale (310) of "Better Call Saul" and episode 402 of "TURN: Washington's Spies."

However, reports of this problem have been in various forums for years. None of them seem to have any successful resolution, including this one begun in September 2016.

Here's a link to an even older one: http://forums.xfinity.com/t5/On-Demand/Show-On-Demand-Getting-Cut-Off-By-Commercials/td-p/2365501

Here's one created last month: http://forums.xfinity.com/t5/On-Demand/On-Demand-commercials-are-cutting-off-part-of-shows/td-p/2921...

Those are the ones I found, there may be others. This problem has been happening for at least two and a half years with no apparent information or reason, let alone a fix. Cable service is expensive and growing more so all the time. "On Demand" service is highly touted as a convenience and benefit to customers. Yet it's as good as worthless if you don't provide the entire show; and it's unconscionable that this problem has existed for so long.

[kuhnj1]

This is a TV problem, at least for me. Watching online was not affected the same way. Of course, watching on a phone, tablet or computer is not at all the same experience as watching on a big screen TV.

Specific shows I can say are affected by this issue are the season finale (310) of "Better Call Saul" and episode 402 of "TURN: Washington's Spies."

However, reports of this problem have been in various forums for years. None of them seem to have any successful resolution, including this one begun in September 2016: http://forums.xfinity.com/t5/On-Demand/Error-with-commercials-So-it-s-cutting-off-On-Demand-shows/td...

Here's a link to an even older one: http://forums.xfinity.com/t5/On-Demand/Show-On-Demand-Getting-Cut-Off-By-Commercials/td-p/2365501

Here's one created last month: http://forums.xfinity.com/t5/On-Demand/On-Demand-commercials-are-cutting-off-part-of-shows/td-p/2921...

Those are the ones I found, there may be others. This problem has been happening for at least two and a half years with no apparent information or reason, let alone a fix. Cable service is expensive and growing more so all the time. "On Demand" service is highly touted as a convenience and benefit to customers. Yet it's as good as worthless if you don't provide the entire show; and it's unconscionable that this problem has existed for so long.

A number of these posts have been closed out by ComcastAmir with some BS suggestion or no real resolution at all. Again, unconscionable. If you can’t fix the problem, you should drop all the commercials and pay the networks out of your own pocket.

[kuhnj1]

This is a TV problem, at least for me. Watching online was not affected the same way. Of course, watching on a phone, tablet or computer is not at all the same experience as watching on a big screen TV.

Specific shows I can say are affected by this issue are the season finale (310) of "Better Call Saul" and episode 402 of "TURN: Washington's Spies."

However, reports of this problem have been in various forums for years. None of them seem to have any successful resolution, including this one begun in September 2016: http://forums.xfinity.com/t5/On-Demand/Error-with-commercials-So-it-s-cutting-off-On-Demand-shows/td...

Here's a link to an even older one: http://forums.xfinity.com/t5/On-Demand/Show-On-Demand-Getting-Cut-Off-By-Commercials/td-p/2365501

Here's one created last month: http://forums.xfinity.com/t5/On-Demand/On-Demand-commercials-are-cutting-off-part-of-shows/td-p/2921...

Those are the ones I found, there may be others. This problem has been happening for at least two and a half years with no apparent information or reason, let alone a fix. Cable service is expensive and growing more so all the time. "On Demand" service is highly touted as a convenience and benefit to customers. Yet it's as good as worthless if you don't provide the entire show; and it's unconscionable that this problem has existed for so long.

A number of these posts have been closed out by ComcastAmir with some BS suggestion or no real resolution at all. Again, unconscionable. If you can’t fix the problem, you should drop all the commercials and pay the networks out of your own pocket.

[wpbjim]

Sorry, but that is not an answer.  I do not have a DVR and do not record my shows.  That's sort of what "On Demand" is all about, right?

It's been going on all weekend with mostly AMC shows, but it also happened while watching an episode of Below Decks.

To have the show cut to a commerical right in the middle of important dialogue or action, is incredibly frustrating.

You folks need to fix this ASAP.

[cvnk]

I'm not sure how adding time to the beginning and end of a recording is supposed to help.  Based on that response I don't think you fully understand the problem.  We're not missing either end of the show.  It happens right in the middle of a scene, mid conversation.  And when the commercials end you've missed a chunk of the show because it doesn't pick up where it left off.

Maybe recording the show would help us avoid these OnDemand issues but I'm surprised that would be Comcast's official recommendation.

It's been over two weeks since episode 10 of Better Call Saul aired and it still has this problem so when is this going to be fixed?  Don't force your customers to look for alternative sources for the shows they pay to watch.

[Mhertz]

Yeah this is lame. It makes on-demand useless. Happening with preacher too. Dr. Who got cut off early. What's the point of Comcast service if I have to go online to the station website anyway to watch the entire show?

[coopersec]

Same thing happening on all of season 2 of the Preacher (aMc). I don't have DVR either. On Demand is supposed to take care of letting you watch a show later. The commercials are longer and cut out parts of the show before and after. I am about ready to go to the dish. Expect better than this for the high end prices I pay.

[Al999]

Hi,
Adding my issue to this thread. Seeing the same issue with Preacher also - lose part of a scene to the commercials and when program returns from commercial break the show picks up later -almost as if the show content is still playing but overplayed by the commercial content. Very frustrating.

We also see it with "Turn", only seems to be AMC.

Thanks,
Al

[Bam617]

This is driving me nuts. Finally get a chance to catch up and binge watch some shows and this is what I get? How hard is it to wait til the end of a scene to clip it and insert a commercial?

[Al999]

Adding a tag to thread.

[jamesd713]

I am having this problem as well. The phone rep blamed the AMC network saying that Comcast has no control over the commercial placement.
But is it not Comcast's job to contact AMC to have them fix the issue? Instead, it just seems like the reps here closed tickets as "resolved" to issues that are not. Same goes for the phone support.
It seems the brilliant Comcast rep in this thread suggests we should record an extra 30 mins before in after. We are talking about OnDemand, not DVR. The commercials for OnDemand are added by timings set by network. You are ignoring the problem and posting "resolutions" that have no merit to the thread.  #Fail  

[jamesd713]

This is a known issue that Comcast is completely ignoring. As the previous poster mentioned, this has been going on for years. Comcast is throwing AMC under the bus saying it is their issue. My thoughts are that this is intentional ignorance on behalf of Comcast to force users to purchace the non-commercial versions of the shows. It is unethical and shameful.

If Comcast wants to prove me wrong they can go ahead and fix the problem...which they won't. Instead, they will send Amir or Max here to close the thread and mark it as "resolved". Great customer service.  

[jamesd713]

All 10 threads on this issue should stay at the top of this forum board under Comcast reps show action on this. Totally unacceptable. 

[Atlpete]

Just posted the same complaint; they're tryin to get us to "subscribe"(yet more $$ for what you've already paid for) to commercial free versions. Awful!!!!!!! Possibly even illegal too.

[jamesd713]

Dude...there is like 15 open threads on this issue. Nothing is being done. You are right. It is shameful. 

[figgysnoopy]

Either fix the issue or I am cancelling my subscription. With prime, netflix, and satelite tv now available in my area, on demand is all that is keeping me a comcast customer.

[andyross]

Trying to watch "Cleverman" on Sundance and ran into this. Lost several parts, including the ending! Recording isn't nice as the linear channel is SD. OnDemand is the only way to watch it in HD.

[djkst35]

As I mentioned in a previous thread, this is happening with "Fear the Walking Dead" as of episodes 3.04 and 3.05.  I wonder if this issue exists if you watch the episode within the week of the original airdate and can't fast forward the commercials?  I've only noticed this when I'm outside of the one-week timeframe where AMC On Demand lets you fast forward the commercials.  In any case, this issue should not be happening considering the amount of money that we pay for this service.  

I can't believe that nobody from Comcast has chimed in and commented on this matter.  Is anything being done to fix this??

[djkst35]

Isn't it ironic that this new "Commerical Free" option has shown up at exactly the same time as this issue?... Hum...  

[ComcastTeds]

---

@kuhnj1 wrote:

This is a TV problem, at least for me. Watching online was not affected the same way. Of course watching on a phone, tablet or computer is not at all the same experience as watching on a big screen TV.

Specific shows I can say are affected by this issue are the season finale (310) of "Better Call Saul" and episode 402 of "TURN: Washington's Spies."

However, reports of this problem have been in various forums for years. None of them seem to have any successful resolution, including this one begun in September 2016.

Here's a link to an even older one: http://forums.xfinity.com/t5/On-Demand/Show-On-Demand-Getting-Cut-Off-By-Commercials/td-p/2365501

Here's one created last month: http://forums.xfinity.com/t5/On-Demand/On-Demand-commercials-are-cutting-off-part-of-shows/td-p/2921...

Those are the ones I found, there may be others. This problem has been happening for at least two and a half years with no apparent information or reason, let alone a fix. Cable service is expensive and growing more so all the time. "On Demand" service is highly touted as a convenience and benefit to customers. Yet it's as good as worthless if you don't provide the entire show; and it's unconscionable that this problem has existed for so long.

---

Apologies for the issue and the experience that you described above. There appears to be a timing issue with the commercials on the shows that you referenced above On Demand. I have our On Demand team reviewing this now so that we can get this corrected. Thanks for your patience.

[jamesd713]

@ComcastTeds - I appreciate that you have CORRECTLY identified the issue (as opposed to previous online reps who blame i on the network or tell us to buy something that eliminated Ads) but this is an issue that has been reported for close to a year or longer. Most recently, there is documentation for a few months and official responses from admins that Comcast was "addressing" the issue, yet we are still dealing with this and Comcast is acting like it is a new issue, when we are all aware that it is a known issue. 

We are tired of getting the run around with this. Please fix this issue and elscalte it to the priority level it is due. For goodness sakes, this issue represents 10 of the top 14 threads currently on the OnDemand forum board! What has to happen before Comcast gives us answers?!!  

[jamesd713]

Yes...irony. Thievery comes to mind as well. 

[Preuner]

I agree and I think we should all be requesting credits to our cable bill if this is not resolved soon.  

The program has been unwatchable. 

[figgysnoopy]

They are ignoring us because they plan to price gouge us into paying for a comercial free service, that looks like what they have been planning all along. The commercial starting early is probably by design.

[andyross]

It's not just AMC. I am also seeing it on "Cleverman", which is a Sundance TV series. It seems to be part of AMC Networks, though.

[figgysnoopy]

The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. It's called capitalism out of control.

[jbrown]

i've seen this same issue on many shows via On Demand, especially the last few weeks.

[ComcastKenF]

Hello All, 

Can you please provide me with the time stamp to when these commercials interrupt the broadcast of Better Call Saul (for example)? I want to see if I can replicate the issue and then report it to our On Demand teams. 

Thanks, 

KenF

[ComcastKenF]

Hey WHYYYYY, can you provide me with the Show, season, and episode you are referring to? Also, a time stamp would be great so I can verify the early commercial viewing on my end. 

Thanks. 

[ComcastKenF]

Hello all, 

I'd like to make sure our teams have all the info needed to resolve this issue. If someone could provide me with the show, episode, season, and the time stamp where this occurs, that would be really helpful. I've seen there have been a few threads that have mentioned Better Call Saul-- are there others?

Thanks. 

KenF

[ComcastKenF]

Hello All. 

There are a few threads on forums that are reporting this issue. If you can, please send me the show title, the season, episode number, and the time stamp so I can get this info to our On Demand team. 

Thanks. 

[figgysnoopy]

Every episode of fear the walking dead season 3 for starters. episode  1 Eye of the Beholder  ,2 the new frontier  3 TEOTWAWKI, 4  100, 45 Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame ,6  red dirt, 

[ComcastKenF]

Thanks figgysnoopy. Do you have any time stamps for when the interruption happens? Is it in the beginning of each episode? Does it vary? I'd like to test. 

[ComcastTeds]

---

@jamesd713 wrote:

@ComcastTeds - I appreciate that you have CORRECTLY identified the issue (as opposed to previous online reps who blame i on the network or tell us to buy something that eliminated Ads) but this is an issue that has been reported for close to a year or longer. Most recently, there is documentation for a few months and official responses from admins that Comcast was "addressing" the issue, yet we are still dealing with this and Comcast is acting like it is a new issue, when we are all aware that it is a known issue. 

We are tired of getting the run around with this. Please fix this issue and elscalte it to the priority level it is due. For goodness sakes, this issue represents 10 of the top 14 threads currently on the OnDemand forum board! What has to happen before Comcast gives us answers?!!  

---

Apologies. I can tell you that the recent issues with AMC and IFC (they share the same parent company) have been recognized and are being addressed by them and by Comcast. We are working directly with both AMC and IFC on their specific content issues. Thanks for your continued patience.  

[andyross]

Generically, these seem to be 'older' shows that are no longer listed as having the full length (Cleverman 201 HD shows 52 minutes and is FF enabled, versus 60 minutes for episode 202, which has FF disabled, as of July 6.) It's obvious the inserts are using the 'old' template, and not updated to the shorter versions that I guess will actually run 60 minutes with the inserted commercials!

[ComcastKenF]

Hmm. After the show resumes, does it pick up from where the interruption left off?