Streaming is obviously a broken feature at present, but it doesn’t actually detract from your experience unless you refuse to download the videos out of principle or are using Android with no other choice. That’s why I called it pragmatic. If you refuse to download videos out of principle (which is how it sounded to me) then you are just making life harder for yourself than it needs to be right now. Sure it would be nice if they just streamed 100% every time, but I’ve always found downloaded content more reliable anyway.
It does detract from your experience as you now need to actively plan ahead of time to download the specific videos in your training plan, or if you find yourself with a bit of time to fit in another session or yoga or strength workout or whatever, you now need to budget more time to wait for the download.
The system has gotten worse with the move to SYSTM, and one of the main new elements, android, also can’t work around this failing. The user experience has downgraded, and unless we complain, they’ve no incentive to fix it.
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I get all that and if I was an Android user it would be unworkable for sure. But if you are not using Android then you will get much better results downloading than battling on with streaming as you appear to have been doing. I just press download while I’m getting ready. It is a very minor inconvenience, but doesn’t take very long and completely avoids any streaming issues. In old SUF I used to download the bike videos and stream the strength/yoga sessions on my phone. Now I just download both, which is way better than getting pissed off with stuttering videos. If they never fix the streaming issue then that would be very slack of them, but I expect they will be on it. They’ve already said that they are investigating.
I have had downloads take upwards of 20/30 minutes, which goes out of the realm of ‘acceptable’ or ‘convenient’. It doesn’t take me 20min to get ready. To get ready…short and shoes on, plug in ANT receiver for better connection, turn on fan, press start, and expect to start cycling. That takes…what…2 minutes?
I have 100M internet, so my connection isn’t the flaw. Again, if I have other stuff going on, adding 20min on to a session can make it unrealistic.
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And even when downloading is an option in the app, it’s not always an option on the device used. If you use an old tablet or phone to run (the broken) Systm that doesn’t have enough memory to store the videos you’re stuck anyway.
How hard can it be to get video-streaming working correctly? So many services out-there that do this without a single problem.
Your argument falls to bits by saying “if you are not using android then youll get much better results”. Systm is marketed as a working system to android users. So why should they not be able to enjoy and use a streamable content? Leave the fanboy attitude aside and listen to what Chris is saying. Its a paid service which should be working 100% before it is sold to new and existing customers
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Here in the Northeastern US, I’ve had no problems with streaming. For those of you who are having problems streaming, I’m curious: where are you?
@AlexEllermann Same for me - no issues. I think the issues are mostly in the UK. It sounds very frustrating - hopefully things get resolved.
I’m in the UK, I don’t have the streaming issues
I do have to download the video if I use the turbo in the garage, I have a 2bar wifi connection, but it just stuters and pauses, but I have the same issue with my Sky app and Youtube, works for a while and then drops, watched the tour of flanders live on the turbo and found that I was about 10 minutes behind at the end because of all the pausing, even though I had a internet connection
FWIW it took me 10mins to download an hour video just now using a 30 mbs 4g network in the UK. If I use my standard broadband it would be a disaster as our semi-rural location gives me sub-2mbs and I have to compete with the kids download untold rubbish at the same time.
I always download rather than stream but this speed would suggest I ought to be ok…
I’m in the UK and having issues with streaming sessions, mostly around 5-7pm I think, but I’ve not been paying that much attention. It is incredibly annoying and the first couple of times I did a bit of flouncing, but now I just spin gently while waiting for the download to complete. Today I actually remembered and started downloading Half the Road at about the same time I started reading this thread. Before typing this reply I checked and the download is complete, so that’s about 7 mins for a 1 hour 47mins video.
I understand why people are annoyed, especially if you are on Android and can’t download, but they’ve just undergone what seems to be a fairly significant change and there are some things you just cant (easily or fully) test at scale - like 10,000 people hitting your media servers at once. Yes, I know you can simulate load but sometimes there is no substitute for the real world and all the variables that come with it.
If it irks you that much, vote with your feet and use another platform. If you can live with it, do so and let’s hope they get it sorted out soon.
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What other platforms have comparable video to stream? I know Rouvy has video (some far better quality than others) but I always had to download that in advance, my b-band struggled more with that than the old SUF app. I liked the platform though.
Any others? Z doesn’t count as it’s game-boy graphics.
I have 100M download, only person using the connection, and have tried at various times of day (UK).
I am currently in a year’s plan, and still debating voting with my feet.
The content is the same with some more videos. The UI is the same inside a workout. The library UI is different. I don’t imagine they’ve suddenly got 10,000 new subscribers from the rebranding, and if they did, I’d imagine that the traffic spike would have smoothed out now for them to put a few more pennies into AWS/Azure/GCP.
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Hang in there man.
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Just to add a data point- I’m having the issue in NW USA.
I’ve got 350Mb download, as you’ve already stated, the issue appears to be on their end. I’m not suggesting they’ve got 10,000 new subscribers (although that would be a nice problem to have), and I have no idea how wide and deep the changes went but given there seem to be issues at the infrastructure layer I would assume they’ve made some changes there which are now biting. You can’t always foresee these things.
Bottom line - I’ve no idea what changes they’ve made, or why this issue is happening, and to be frank I don’t really care. The only thing I really care about is whether or not I can do my workout later without interruption, and the answer to that is yes as I’ve downloaded the session.
So I can work around the problem, and will. If I were on Android and couldn’t work around the problem I’d probably be looking elsewhere.
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Also having problems here: another UK user on MacOS. A broadband speed test gives 51Mbps so I think it is the Systm end.
I would ask for a refund if I were you… Systm currently doesn’t provide the service you are paying for…
Problems in Germany as well. The Sufferfest app rarely showed buffering but never stopped the whole video. In SYSTM almost all workouts fail to stream without even showing a buffering message. I‘m using a Mac connected via lan with a 100Mbps VDSL router.
It reminds me of peering problems my ISP (German Telekom) had about a year ago with connections to US west coast aws servers. GitHub and other services hosted there were almost unreachable especially in the afternoon and evening.
Bkool has video as well. As far as I remember it‘s quite similar to Rouvy.