Guide to downloads
Guide to downloads
Before you start downloading any content - please read this important information:
The CASPA On-Demand service provides you with the opportunity to download movies and television content at will – some pay-per-view, others free to watch. But remember, while you may be watching the great content we have available, you’re still paying for your broadband connection. All content requires a download to be made on your Internet connection – look for the file size at the beginning of content description.
Before you start downloading any content – please read this important information:
Prior to downloading content on your TiVo media device using CASPA On-Demand, please understand:
- not all broadband plans are suitable for this service; and
- download charges through your Internet service provider are your financial responsibility.
We have aimed to address the most common questions you might have in relation to this service. Please review these questions before using any content download service on your TiVo media device
How do I know if my broadband plan is suitable for downloading movies and other content?
All broadband plans are different and you need to understand what type of plan you have with your Internet service provider (ISP). Most people have a monthly plan with their ISP that defines a typical download speed and a limit on the amount of data that you can download from (or upload to) sites accessed via the internet.
Understanding Internet 'speed'
Your particular plan will be based on a download and an upload speed (eg. how fast you can download the content you receive and how fast you can upload content you wish to send to others). This speed is indicated in kilobits per second (kbps) or megabits per second (mbps).
Straight away you can presume that if your download speed is in kilobits, like 256kbps or 512kbps, your download speed will be quite slow and even small files will seem to take an eternity to download. A more suitable speed for downloading larger file sizes should be no less than 1.5mbps.
Understanding download 'limits' or 'quotas'
An even more important factor to understand is your monthly download quota. Some ISPs charge heavy fines if you exceed your limit and we do not want you to ever have this experience as a result of downloading our content.
Unfortunately many people are not aware of what their speed or quota is, so it is recommended that you take a moment to call your ISP and find out exactly what plan you are on: both your speed and the quota. At this time you may determine if you should change to a plan more suited to downloading content on your TiVo media device. There are some plans that have unlimited quotas – these are called uncapped plans or unmetered download plans.
The size of your quota or limit indicates what you need to monitor when downloading movies or content on all of your Internet-connected devices, including your personal computer, other devices connected to the internet and your TiVo media device.
For instance, right now each movie you can download via your TiVo media device can range between 1-2GB (Gigabytes) on average, so if you have a quota of only 5GB per month you could potentially exceed your quota as you will more than likely be downloading other data like emails, music and other files using your computer.
The reality is that you should have at least 5GB per month if you want to download one movie per month (but remember, this is in addition to your current internet use).
If you want to download a movie more often, then the table below is a useful guide for how much data you will use up on movies alone:
- 1 movie per month up to 2GB
- 2 movies per month up to 4GB
- 3 movies per month up to 6GB
- 4 movies per month up to 8GB
- 5 movies per month up to 10GB
Please note: a TiVo media device cannot be used with a dial-up Internet service – only a broadband Internet service.
How big is the video file when downloaded to TiVo?
Every time you choose to download content using your TiVo media device – you will always be provided with the size of file you are downloading.
We suggest you take the time to do the following before using the CASPA On-Demand service:
- Call your Internet Service Provider (also known as an ISP).
- Ask them what your download speed is – if it is less than 1.5 megabits per second then you can expect that downloading movies will be a slow experience.
- Ask them what your download limit is – this is usually termed as a quantity of megabytes (MB) or gigabytes (GB). If a movie is anywhere from 1-2GB then you will need to have a large enough limit to support the download of our movies in addition to other things you download on the internet like email, music files, etc.
- If your speed and/or download capacity is not sufficient – now is a great time to ask them if you are on the best deal for the price you are paying. Many Internet Service Providers are changing their plans to provide more capacity and higher speeds for better prices – so it is in your interest to make sure that you can download content as fast as you can and have the biggest limit for the dollars you pay each month.
How long will the video take to download?
CASPA On-demand content is delivered as a progressive download, so you can start the download and depending on your connection, begin watching your selected content from start to finish as it downloads, without interruption. Please note, the time video content takes to download depends entirely on the speed of your internet connection. Please see the speed and download chart here for approximate transfer times.
Do I need to worry about my broadband plan when using my TiVo media device even if I never choose to download content?
Aside from the opportunity to use your broadband connection to download movies and in the future TV content, there are other reasons why you need a broadband connection with your TiVo media device:
- to receive your Electronic Program Guide (EPG) data;
- to receive regular software updates which keep your TiVo up to date;
- to play the games on your TiVo (these games are stored on a server, not on your device, so you need a broadband connection to see and use them);
- to take advantage of services on your TiVo – like the new Sunrise Weather Service.
The above services would use (on average) between 5-10 Megabytes per month of your monthly capacity which is usually not burdensome. Occasionally a large service update to the media device may exceed 50MB in size but this should only happen approximately once every 3 months.
How big is big? How fast is fast?
We have had a go at identifying approximately how long it may take for you to download movies with the CASPA On-Demand service.
| MPEG 4 APRIL 2009 |
VERY LOW SPEED 256 KBS |
LOW SPEED 512 KBS |
MEDIUM SPEED 1.5Mbs |
HIGH SPEED 2-8Mbs |
VERY HIGH SPEED 8-20Mbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duration / Approx Size | Time Before Play | Time Before Play | Time Before Play | Time Before Play | Time Before Play |
| 1.5 Hour Video Size 1GB |
8 Hours | 4 Hours | 45 Min | 10 Min | 5 Min |
| 3 Hour Video Size 2GB |
16 Hours | 8 Hours | 1.5 Hours | 10 Min | 5 Min |
Download times vary depending on length of content and broadband connection speed. File sizes can vary depending on type of content. This table has been compiled by Hybrid TV based on third party information advertised by broadband Internet Service Providers (ISP) and Hybrid TV accepts no responsibility or liability and does not give any guarantees, undertakings or warranties concerning the accuracy, completeness or current nature of the information provided, nor concerning the functionality or service of any particular ISP. Hybrid TV recommends you consult with your broadband ISP to find out more about how download times related to specific file sizes may affect you. Compiled November 2009.
Where can I get more information?
Your Internet Service Provider will be able to tell you all about the broadband plan you are on.
There is a third party website at http://bc.whirlpool.net.au/bc/?action=search that has an Internet plan comparison guide. We do not maintain or endorse this website but we feel it can provide you with useful information. You are responsible for making your own enquiries but it may help.
We can only get better if you let us know...
We want to hear from you to find out how fast your Internet connection is as well as your monthly quota. Spend two minutes to tell us about your home broadband connection. The information you provide will be collected on an anonymous basis and will be aggregated by us to better understand all of our customers' broadband capacities with the goal of providing a better service.