Streaming quality - how was it by the end of 2014?

[caitsith01]

Interested in comments on how the online streaming quality via the official streaming services, WatchAFL and AFL live, was by the end of 2014?

On the WatchAFL site they report the following quality:

1280 x 720
3000 kbit/s; 25.000 fps;

640 x 360
800 kbit/s; 25.000 fps;

512 x 288
400 kbit/s; 25.000 fps;
​

The first of those is moderately respectable and should be more than watchable - it's pushing up into the territory of being close to SD broadcast TV, depending on the codec etc they use.

However when I tried the WatchAFL service earlier in the year it was nowhere near this quality - it was a blurry, low resolution mess.

Did it improve during 2014? Was it good enough to watch on a big screen by the end of the year? Is AFL Live different quality to WatchAFL?

 

[Mr Eagle]

AFL Live (when at full resolution/on a decent connection) was great on a 7" tablet. But big screens are a very different matter.

 

[Hamingja]

I have AFL Live on the iPad. It just depends on the game. I mostly watched foxtel games on it so 90% of the time the quality is passable. You get a big game with more users, or a tight finish where everyone that's out and about and following the scores switches to video, and it turns to shite.

 

[Mr Eagle]

or a tight finish where everyone that's out and about and following the scores switches to video, and it turns to shite.

Yeah, this was an issue from time to time. Capacity of the servers to deal with demand spikes for things like a big comeback could definitely be improved.

 

[LennyStarkiller]

WatchAFL stream on the computer plugged into the TV was good. Sometimes the quality would drop for a bit. They didn't have a HD stream until abit later into the season. The foxtel games were much better to watch than C7.The stream on the WatchAFL app on the iPad ran reasonably smoothly. The WatchAFL website really needs a makeover so it is easier to navigate through games.

 

[caitsith01]

Thanks for the feedback - sounds like WatchAFL is superior, which is annoying.

 

[magic_johnson!]

Only used watchafl for the end of the season, but found the quality quite good, more than watchable

 

[getgaff]

Hey all

Sorry to bump but I'm wanting to sign on to a streaming site for season 2015. Being in Sydney we don't get great AFL coverage especially of West Coast matches. My cousin's family used a free streaming website in 2014 which is now shut down.

Can anyone recommend good sites? WatchAFL seems like a quality site but I'm unsure whether a monthly/ yearly pass is worth it

 

[GUMBLETRON]

Anyone having issues with the WatchAFL app? Works fine on my iPhone 4 but I just get a blank space where the login fields should be on my Nexus 7.