4oD archive coming soon on Channel4.com
17 Comments
In a few weeks – around 25th June - we’ll begin adding programmes from the Channel 4 archive to the 4oD flash-streaming service on Channel4.com.
As we’ll soon be making ‘000s of hours of content available on a free, streamed basis to Mac and Linux as well as Windows PC users via the web site, we’re going to close the venerable 4oD Application in July.
There’ll be lots more to come in the next release of Channel4.com – some of it influenced by the Comments on this blog. But, for now, it’s heads down on IA changes and preparing as much content as possible in time for launch.
Comments
June 8, 2009
This is fantastic news! It’s great that I can already watch the last 30days of stuff on Ubuntu now, but it’s going to be even better now the archived stuff is available to Linux users too!
June 8, 2009
So the 4oD application we’ve downloaded will no longer work?
Shame, although there are some advantages to the browser version, personally I’d always had less issues with the application, and find it easier to search.
June 10, 2009
Why do away with WMV based downloads though? How about doing the same as the BBC
do with the iPlayer website, and offer downloads alongside the Flash based streaming?
They offer WMV downloads (complete with the usual DRM gubbins) via the browser
as an alternative to the recently launched Adobe AIR based iPlayer Desktop app.
I personally prefer the WMV downloads option from BBC iPlayer, as I can stream them
to my XBox360. If 4OD is ditching WMV downloads as an option, I shall have to look
elsewhere to get Ch4 programs on Demand, even if that means using torrents.
June 10, 2009
While I applaud Channel 4’s decision to make their archives freely available I’m a lot less happy about the prospect of not being able to download programmes and having to watch via streaming only. Maybe it’s my internet connection or something but I’ve always found streaming to be very slow with frequent pauses while more content is downloaded…
June 10, 2009
@Simon, @ Greg. I wish we could do everything (download and streaming) but sadly we don’t have the same resources as the BBC. As only very few people download programmes as opposed to streaming and a very large number of people can’t use the App at all (all Mac and Linux users, for example), we’re trying to please most of the people most of the time.
I realise it’s annoying for those of you (including me actually!) who did download programmes.
Another aspect of allowing downloads is that it’s not currently possible to insert and count the viewing of adverts within them . Since advertising is our business model and pays for the programmes (unlike the BBC which is funded by the license fee), that poses a bit of a conundrum. I know that’s our problem and not yours but I thought you might be interested to know.
Still .. thank you for your Comments. Perhaps Downloads is something we will get back to some time (along with all the other things we would like to do!). I hope you enjoy the Streaming service in the meantime. And don’t forget that you can legally download and own programmes via iTunes.
June 10, 2009
Well from where I’m sitting this is terrible news as I still can’t get the 4oD catchup service to work on our university network (with two separate machines). I have tried contacting the support team about this but after replying to a question about my IP address I never heard anything back (this was back in April). I have also raised this issue on this blog several times without result. I assume it’s a proxy server issue as we at Nottingham University (like most campuses in the UK) don’t access the internet directly but go through JANET.
I can use the old 4oD (and could use the old WMV channel 4 catchup) perfectly, as well as iplayer, ITV catchup and demand five. However 4oD catchup just doesn’t work.
It used to just load the ads then give me an unspecified error message. Now it simply displays “loading content” in the bottom left corner and never gets any further (even if you leave it for many hours) – no adverts, nothing.
Please, I beg you, put more resources into fixing such problems with accessing 4oD catchup (which I understand are common for a fair few) before you yank away our only working alternative.
I also have to say I also feel sorry for your ROI users, who are not geographically eligible to access 4oD catchup but have always been able to use the 4oD program (evidently this is a licensing issue, but why media rights would be a problem when you have been offering a parallel program with the same content that is accessible to this region is beyond me, despite being a law student studying intellectual property). Whilst the new service may have brought in mac and linux users, the loss of an entire country’s users as a trade-off is a bit extreme! Although I concede this is probably much more justified than the loss of those who simply can’t access the new service due to mere technical problems.
Thanks for your time,
Dav
June 11, 2009
It’s a shame that downloads will be lost – streaming is fine when it works, but you can’t use it on the train to and from work (unless you feel like paying through the nose for 3G data charges!) and for the huge majority of people who do not yet have fast broadband connections, there is no way to watch a high quality download.
The current system works pretty well for a lot of people other than the extremely vocal minority of Mac and Linux zealots (I use Ubuntu on my Netbook too, but I knew up front that I should not expect everybody to support such a niche operating sytem – I made my choice and have to live with the disadvantages).
You say that people who download are in a minority – is this a minority compared to people who _only_ have access to a Linux or Mac machine? Otherwise, it would seem to be much better to continue with the existing system as it caters for both those who wish to stream and those who wish to download and it only inconveniences a small minority of users who do not have access to at least one machine which can run Windows.
June 12, 2009
@Steve. Hi. Although Downloads are available in the 4oD App, they account for a tiny % of overall views. So, while it’s going to be inconvenient for those of us who did use them, it’s a relatively small price to compared with the benefits of the Flash streaming service.
June 12, 2009
I have no problems getting 4OD but when I try to watch channel4.com, I get an error message. Does this mean that thats the end of watching 4 online for me, or can you tell me how to fix this problem.
Thank you
June 12, 2009
@Viki. Hi. Try installing Flash 10. http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/
June 12, 2009
“As only very few people download programmes as opposed to streaming and a very large number of people can’t use the App at all (all Mac and Linux users, for example), we’re trying to please most of the people most of the time.”
Once again the views of the 80-90% of people who use Windows are forsaken for the 10-20% who use other systems. I know it’s not a C4 issue, or for any broadcaster at all, but it’s about time Apple and Microsoft found a solution that addressed this problem for Mac users. At the end of the day, it’s Microsoft losing out from numerous sites switching to Flash.
I’m in the same position as the others – generally 4oD has been problem free for me, but channel4.com hasn’t. And for those on lower internet connections, being able to download rather than stream is crucial for uninterrupted viewing.
Plus as welcome as a free archive may be, at a time when C4 is always moaning about it’s finances it’s very questionable to risk the income they get from the rather healthy DVD market.
Anyhow, back to the technical questions – installing 4oD. Doesn’t seem to be an option in the 4oD menu, so is it a case of using the Add/Remove Programs feature once 4oD meets its maker?
June 13, 2009
I recommend the 4oD service as the best out of bbc, itv, and channel 5. I don’t have access to digital television and it has been great to watch shows i would otherwise be unable to view.
I usually stream content rather than download but there are significant advantages of the 4oD application and player over the web service.
Particularly the ease of finding content, the flexibility of the player from which you can select the size of window, position it where you like, play at full size and still use other pc applications on a second monitor, and the ease and responsiveness of the player’s controls, particularly the video control bar.
I have just tried the website and find it is a disappointingly poorer experience than the 4oD application. Is there any way to play the video in a separate window? I find all the text and images around the video distracting and it is smaller than the mid-size option in the player. You can’t watch it in full screen and continue using other applications because as soon as you give another window focus it exits fullscreen and it doesn’t even display on the second screen of a 2 screen setup.
These are all reasons i don’t use the itv and channel 5 services and it is a shame as once the 4oD application is discontinued it is highly unlikely that i will watch any channel 4 content online.
June 13, 2009
I thought something was up when I installed the 4od app yesterday after having removed from my pc for a while. I noticed the download links had gone and the streaming links were only available. At first I thought it was a problem with my pc and uninstalled and tried again, alas the same thing happened. I take it the download links have been removed for everyone for the final few weeks of it’s life. Or will the service remain as just a streaming application?
Luckily I can watch the streaming service via the Channel 4 website, although I’ll miss the downloading service as it gave a better picture than streaming and gave more flexibility.
I used the service more for the archive of classic stuff than for catching up on recent programmes. Will everything that was on 4od be availble on the website? I mean all the archive stuff?
June 13, 2009
Meant installing of course.
June 13, 2009
@Nicola. You’ll be pleased to know that ther’ll be a pop-out player option (i.e. plays in its own window) released in late June. It’ll only be one size to start with but a resizeable version will follow on fairly quickly.
June 13, 2009
@George. The App will stop working altogether some time in July but all the Archive content will be available to stream on the web site.
@Brekkie. Do you mean uninstall? Add / Remove Programmes should do it.
June 13, 2009
Hurrah! A pop-out player option is excellent news. Thanks for such a quick response with good news
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