Demand 5 now available via Samsung Smart Hub

es6300 · 16-01-2013, 07:42

My Samsung TV can now access Demand 5 via its Smart Hub apps.

loracan · 16-01-2013, 14:19

What version do you have - and is it anything like as useless as the useless lump of uselessness the itvplayer is? (love the bbc iplayer)

ovbg · 16-01-2013, 14:55

^^^LOL.

It's running on my es6900 series as well.

It works ok. Basic like the other two and video quality not too different from the ITV app (though possibly a tiny bit better), but still not BBC SD quality. I had some sound issues when I started a show, but that subsided after a short while. I have good wifi, so maybe it is a bug.

I don't think it had the option to resume or start from the beginning if you continue a show later. But I can't be certain, as my memory does not serve me there.

One odd thing. You can apparently set favourites, but I have not found out how to do that yet.

Mark_Cameron1 · 17-01-2013, 08:00

to set the favourites just call up the program and press the "i" button on your remote - it gives you other options

i think, considering it's free, the app is fine - for more bells and whistles other providers such as youview, sky, virgin can provide this but it appears everyone nowadays everyone expects something for nothing. i guess they could improve the service for free, at the expense of more adverts before, during, or even on top of the programs

ovbg · 17-01-2013, 08:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark_Cameron1

to set the favourites just call up the program and press the "i" button on your remote - it gives you other options

i think, considering it's free, the app is fine - for more bells and whistles other providers such as youview, sky, virgin can provide this but it appears everyone nowadays everyone expects something for nothing. i guess they could improve the service for free, at the expense of more adverts before, during, or even on top of the programs

Thanks for the tip regarding the favourites.

I am often also the one who points out when something is free, we shouldn't complain too much.

But that said, Channel 5 is also running a commercial operation, and one that is dependent on viewers. If they provide a service that is "free" but such poor quality that it results in complaints and loss of viewers, it maybe considered the wrong business model.

I would rather have a few more ads, but with high quality video, than no ads and poor quality. After all, I don't actually have to watch the ads.

Maybe they could offer that as an option in the settings. Less ads, lower quality stream, more ads, SD or HD when available. That way they could serve both viewers as well as see for themselves exactly what their viewers want.

Mark_Cameron1 · 18-01-2013, 08:04

there's many options, look at the iOS store where you get the option to pay for the app with no ads, you get the app free with apps appearing across the screen (annoyingly, but as we say it's free so can't complain), or you get a limited app free with in app purchases to use it fully

loracan · 18-01-2013, 10:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark_Cameron1

i guess they could improve the service for free, at the expense of more adverts before, during, or even on top of the programs

The issue I have with itvplayer is that the ads are the only part that works properly.

Waldy · 19-01-2013, 23:25

I installed it today and it has a few annoyances. I gave up trying to watch a program as it kept interrupting play and displaying other episodes in the series. I could not find a way of resuming play. All I could do was press return, sit through the advert again and then try to locate where I was watching. This app clearly needs more work on it.

The Wizard · 02-02-2013, 13:01

Mine updated today and when I tried to load 5 Demand all I got was a purple splash screen and it just hung there forever and wouldn't go any further. Tried resetting and reloading smart hub but it still wont load. iplayer works fine so it's not my connection. This thing has never worked properly. One minute I can access apps, the next it gives me a 'network communication error' even though I know my network is fine. My tv is hard wired in so it must be an issue with their servers.

ovbg · 03-02-2013, 12:50

This could be problems with Samsung's servers. I've seen similar things happen to me in the past and the only solution was to wait. Contact Samsung, maybe they will sort this out?

Waldy · 02-03-2013, 17:18

I now get the message New Firmware Is Needed when I try to launch Demand 5.

ovbg · 03-03-2013, 01:23

Everything seems fine at my end. ES6900 series. Just tested Demand5 and no issues.

I am getting messages that there is a scheduled Smart Hub maintenance due on the 5th, but this is a little early for issues.

Maybe you just need to update your firmware, is there anything in your update option in the menu?

Waldy · 10-03-2013, 16:02

There was nothing available via the menu, but I found a new update today on the Samsung website. However, it has not fixed the issue.

ovbg · 10-03-2013, 16:17

Waldy, this is rather odd. I'm in Germany and just tested Demand 5 and it works fine over here. I suggest you check with Demand 5 themselves. Tell them your Samsung model number and the problem you have. It is possible your particular model TV may have issues. It may also be that your model TV is not on the officially approved compatible list yet. These things can happen.

I would check with Demand 5 before Samsung, since Demand 5 actually created the widget.

But I am presuming you have no problems with ITV and iPlayer, otherwise that opens up a whole new area where the problem could be.

jared01 · 11-03-2013, 19:30

Hi

Im new on here and was wondering if anyone could help me, ive been reading about demand 5, after having problems wth my samsung smart tv ue32d5520.

I downloaded the app a few weeks ago at the time i was running firmware (1019.0) the app downloaded but i couldnt watch any program for more than a min b4 freezing.

I downloaded the latest firmware from samsung (1021.1) and now when i try and load the app all i get is a full screen message saying this application needs the latest firmware, so now im really confused.

Contacted samsung they were useless

Cheers
Jared

ovbg · 11-03-2013, 21:07

Definitely contact Demand 5. Tell them your Samsung make and the problem you are having. Let us know what they say as others seem to be having the same problem. I can't help any more as mine works ok.

I am presuming ITV and BBC's iPlayer works fine...?

jared01 · 14-03-2013, 10:06

Hi

Yes i player no problem i have no app for itv player thou, no idea when its available for my tv.

Will email 5 see what they say, SAMSUNG had no idea what firmware was even available for my tv

Have just checked samsungs app site and they seem to have withdrawn the comments at the bottom of each app telling you what tvs the app is compatible with. They've put up the its now 3rd party that decides what tv apps are available for!

ovbg · 14-03-2013, 11:03

Well, the point that you can't access the ITV app suggests that your TV may not be on the compatibility list of Demand 5, since it isn't compatible with ITV.

Only a guess of course. But do ask Demand 5. Hopefully they have answers.

jared01 · 18-03-2013, 12:21

ok

I spoke to channel 5 today about their app not working, as i began to explain the problem he basically filled the rest of the conversation in for me. 5 are aware that their app is telling certain tvs to update the firmware when the tvs are already running the latest firmware.
He said that 5 and samsung were both aware of the problem and were working on another update to be realeased by samsung in the near future to solve this

achookang · 18-03-2013, 21:35

Although I got the message stating I needed to update my TV's firmware (which I did via a download onto a USB stick), I found that I could still download the Demand 5 app by going to the main app "store" (the section at the top right of the Hub screen) and choosing the app from there instead of from the main hub screen itself. It works reasonably well, a bit sluggish. However it has a smaller selection of shows compared to the Demand 5 website e.g. no Person of Interest.

Samsung UE40D6530 TV.

robrymonduk · 20-03-2013, 00:57

Anyone else noticed that adverts are now a ridicolous length. A half hour show for example now has adverts of around 2 mins before and twice during the programme. This is more than on telly!

koantemplation · 20-03-2013, 02:24

The 'Smart' Hub is so annoying. I can't stand UI's that take ages just to go from one icon to another and then when you start one they take ages to do something and don't let you know what they are doing anyway. Especially update info that doesn't show you the progress as it is updating so you don't know how long it will take.

koantemplation · 21-03-2013, 20:27

I've given up on the Smart Hub.

Surely it shouldn't be this slow?

I press a button and 10 seconds later (if I'm lucky) an app opens, but I get an updating screen that takes ages to update, then ages later the app opens, and takes even more time to move from area to area.

It's worse than a ZX Spectrum.

ovbg · 21-03-2013, 21:20

It sounds like you have a faulty unit. I would call in for a replacement unit. Most TV's have sluggish smart hubs except the very top end. They cut corners this way, but it should never be as slow as you suggest.

koantemplation · 21-03-2013, 22:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by ovbg

It sounds like you have a faulty unit. I would call in for a replacement unit. Most TV's have sluggish smart hubs except the very top end. They cut corners this way, but it should never be as slow as you suggest.

When they work they are quite fast.

For instance Youtube and BBC I player are not too bad. I can move from icon to icon without a delay.

To be honest most of the features don't do much that I can't do on the computer.

I did like the All share ability to play a file from my computer on the TV, using the wifi, but it used up the computers resources too much to do anything else.

16-01-2013, 07:42	#1
es6300 Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Posts: 272	Demand 5 now available via Samsung Smart Hub My Samsung TV can now access Demand 5 via its Smart Hub apps.

19-01-2013, 23:25	#8
Waldy Forum Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: Portsmouth Posts: 186	Demand 5 now available via Samsung Smart Hub I installed it today and it has a few annoyances. I gave up trying to watch a program as it kept interrupting play and displaying other episodes in the series. I could not find a way of resuming play. All I could do was press return, sit through the advert again and then try to locate where I was watching. This app clearly needs more work on it.

16-01-2013, 14:19	#2
loracan Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 905	What version do you have - and is it anything like as useless as the useless lump of uselessness the itvplayer is? (love the bbc iplayer)

16-01-2013, 14:55	#3
ovbg Forum Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 1,348	^^^LOL. It's running on my es6900 series as well. It works ok. Basic like the other two and video quality not too different from the ITV app (though possibly a tiny bit better), but still not BBC SD quality. I had some sound issues when I started a show, but that subsided after a short while. I have good wifi, so maybe it is a bug. I don't think it had the option to resume or start from the beginning if you continue a show later. But I can't be certain, as my memory does not serve me there. One odd thing. You can apparently set favourites, but I have not found out how to do that yet.

17-01-2013, 08:00	#4
Mark_Cameron1 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 22	to set the favourites just call up the program and press the "i" button on your remote - it gives you other options i think, considering it's free, the app is fine - for more bells and whistles other providers such as youview, sky, virgin can provide this but it appears everyone nowadays everyone expects something for nothing. i guess they could improve the service for free, at the expense of more adverts before, during, or even on top of the programs

17-01-2013, 08:41	#5
ovbg Forum Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 1,348	Quote: Originally Posted by Mark_Cameron1 to set the favourites just call up the program and press the "i" button on your remote - it gives you other options i think, considering it's free, the app is fine - for more bells and whistles other providers such as youview, sky, virgin can provide this but it appears everyone nowadays everyone expects something for nothing. i guess they could improve the service for free, at the expense of more adverts before, during, or even on top of the programs Thanks for the tip regarding the favourites. I am often also the one who points out when something is free, we shouldn't complain too much. But that said, Channel 5 is also running a commercial operation, and one that is dependent on viewers. If they provide a service that is "free" but such poor quality that it results in complaints and loss of viewers, it maybe considered the wrong business model. I would rather have a few more ads, but with high quality video, than no ads and poor quality. After all, I don't actually have to watch the ads. Maybe they could offer that as an option in the settings. Less ads, lower quality stream, more ads, SD or HD when available. That way they could serve both viewers as well as see for themselves exactly what their viewers want.

18-01-2013, 08:04	#6
Mark_Cameron1 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 22	there's many options, look at the iOS store where you get the option to pay for the app with no ads, you get the app free with apps appearing across the screen (annoyingly, but as we say it's free so can't complain), or you get a limited app free with in app purchases to use it fully

18-01-2013, 10:16	#7
loracan Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 905	Quote: Originally Posted by Mark_Cameron1 i guess they could improve the service for free, at the expense of more adverts before, during, or even on top of the programs The issue I have with itvplayer is that the ads are the only part that works properly.

02-02-2013, 13:01	#9
The Wizard Guest Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 10,516	Mine updated today and when I tried to load 5 Demand all I got was a purple splash screen and it just hung there forever and wouldn't go any further. Tried resetting and reloading smart hub but it still wont load. iplayer works fine so it's not my connection. This thing has never worked properly. One minute I can access apps, the next it gives me a 'network communication error' even though I know my network is fine. My tv is hard wired in so it must be an issue with their servers.

03-02-2013, 12:50	#10
ovbg Forum Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 1,348	This could be problems with Samsung's servers. I've seen similar things happen to me in the past and the only solution was to wait. Contact Samsung, maybe they will sort this out?

02-03-2013, 17:18	#11
Waldy Forum Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: Portsmouth Posts: 186	I now get the message New Firmware Is Needed when I try to launch Demand 5.

03-03-2013, 01:23	#12
ovbg Forum Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 1,348	Everything seems fine at my end. ES6900 series. Just tested Demand5 and no issues. I am getting messages that there is a scheduled Smart Hub maintenance due on the 5th, but this is a little early for issues. Maybe you just need to update your firmware, is there anything in your update option in the menu?

10-03-2013, 16:02	#13
Waldy Forum Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: Portsmouth Posts: 186	There was nothing available via the menu, but I found a new update today on the Samsung website. However, it has not fixed the issue.

10-03-2013, 16:17	#14
ovbg Forum Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 1,348	Waldy, this is rather odd. I'm in Germany and just tested Demand 5 and it works fine over here. I suggest you check with Demand 5 themselves. Tell them your Samsung model number and the problem you have. It is possible your particular model TV may have issues. It may also be that your model TV is not on the officially approved compatible list yet. These things can happen. I would check with Demand 5 before Samsung, since Demand 5 actually created the widget. But I am presuming you have no problems with ITV and iPlayer, otherwise that opens up a whole new area where the problem could be.

11-03-2013, 19:30	#15
jared01 Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Posts: 3	Hi Im new on here and was wondering if anyone could help me, ive been reading about demand 5, after having problems wth my samsung smart tv ue32d5520. I downloaded the app a few weeks ago at the time i was running firmware (1019.0) the app downloaded but i couldnt watch any program for more than a min b4 freezing. I downloaded the latest firmware from samsung (1021.1) and now when i try and load the app all i get is a full screen message saying this application needs the latest firmware, so now im really confused. Contacted samsung they were useless Cheers Jared

11-03-2013, 21:07	#16
ovbg Forum Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 1,348	Definitely contact Demand 5. Tell them your Samsung make and the problem you are having. Let us know what they say as others seem to be having the same problem. I can't help any more as mine works ok. I am presuming ITV and BBC's iPlayer works fine...?

14-03-2013, 10:06	#17
jared01 Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Posts: 3	Hi Yes i player no problem i have no app for itv player thou, no idea when its available for my tv. Will email 5 see what they say, SAMSUNG had no idea what firmware was even available for my tv Have just checked samsungs app site and they seem to have withdrawn the comments at the bottom of each app telling you what tvs the app is compatible with. They've put up the its now 3rd party that decides what tv apps are available for!

14-03-2013, 11:03	#18
ovbg Forum Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 1,348	Well, the point that you can't access the ITV app suggests that your TV may not be on the compatibility list of Demand 5, since it isn't compatible with ITV. Only a guess of course. But do ask Demand 5. Hopefully they have answers.

18-03-2013, 12:21	#19
jared01 Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Posts: 3	ok I spoke to channel 5 today about their app not working, as i began to explain the problem he basically filled the rest of the conversation in for me. 5 are aware that their app is telling certain tvs to update the firmware when the tvs are already running the latest firmware. He said that 5 and samsung were both aware of the problem and were working on another update to be realeased by samsung in the near future to solve this

18-03-2013, 21:35	#20
achookang Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 7	Although I got the message stating I needed to update my TV's firmware (which I did via a download onto a USB stick), I found that I could still download the Demand 5 app by going to the main app "store" (the section at the top right of the Hub screen) and choosing the app from there instead of from the main hub screen itself. It works reasonably well, a bit sluggish. However it has a smaller selection of shows compared to the Demand 5 website e.g. no Person of Interest. Samsung UE40D6530 TV.

20-03-2013, 00:57	#21
robrymonduk Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Stoke, Staffordshire Posts: 836	Anyone else noticed that adverts are now a ridicolous length. A half hour show for example now has adverts of around 2 mins before and twice during the programme. This is more than on telly!

20-03-2013, 02:24	#22
koantemplation Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Wolf359 Posts: 96,797	The 'Smart' Hub is so annoying. I can't stand UI's that take ages just to go from one icon to another and then when you start one they take ages to do something and don't let you know what they are doing anyway. Especially update info that doesn't show you the progress as it is updating so you don't know how long it will take.

DS Forums

Demand 5 now available via Samsung Smart Hub

21-03-2013, 20:27	#23
koantemplation Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Wolf359 Posts: 96,797	I've given up on the Smart Hub. Surely it shouldn't be this slow? I press a button and 10 seconds later (if I'm lucky) an app opens, but I get an updating screen that takes ages to update, then ages later the app opens, and takes even more time to move from area to area. It's worse than a ZX Spectrum.

21-03-2013, 21:20	#24
ovbg Forum Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 1,348	It sounds like you have a faulty unit. I would call in for a replacement unit. Most TV's have sluggish smart hubs except the very top end. They cut corners this way, but it should never be as slow as you suggest.

21-03-2013, 22:07	#25
koantemplation Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Wolf359 Posts: 96,797	Quote: Originally Posted by ovbg It sounds like you have a faulty unit. I would call in for a replacement unit. Most TV's have sluggish smart hubs except the very top end. They cut corners this way, but it should never be as slow as you suggest. When they work they are quite fast. For instance Youtube and BBC I player are not too bad. I can move from icon to icon without a delay. To be honest most of the features don't do much that I can't do on the computer. I did like the All share ability to play a file from my computer on the TV, using the wifi, but it used up the computers resources too much to do anything else.