Mnet on demand trial

This is the document you get from them (Part 1):

1. What is Local M-Net On Demand?
Local M-Net On Demand is a pilot study that explores the possibility of broadband as a new medium for delivering video content in South Africa. This means that you can potentially get the most popular local news, sports and entertainment directly to your PC – wherever you are, whenever you want.

Telkom and M-Net have joined forces to create a new product that will give South Africans another way of viewing their favourite TV shows and selected major sporting events.

2. How do I sign-up and how much does it cost?
M-Net On Demand is currently not open to the public. It is operational as a trial only and available to a closed group of test users. There will be no subscription fee charged for the MNET on Demand content during the trial period.

Activation process will work as follows:
 Telkom telemarketing division will contact you to obtain your consent to be part of the trial.
 Your details and preferred email address will be forwarded to MNET.
 MNET will send a username and password to your preferred email address with details regarding the web address.
 Use the allocated username and password to access the MNET on Demand website.
3. How long is the trial?
The trial will be running for a maximum period of six months. During this time your user name and password that MNET allocates to you, will provide you access to the MNET on Demand website. The username and password will be deactivated after the trial period.

4. What content is available?
You can watch shows from M-Net, kykNET, SuperSport and Movie Magic. To view the latest programming line-up visit the site.

4.1 How often is the content updated?
Daily shows such as Egoli are updated within 24 hours. You will be able to see the latest episode of Egoli within 24 hours of being broadcast on M-Net.

Weekly shows are updated weekly, but due to an intricate production process, there is a slight delay. Generally you could expect a show to be available between 24-48 hours after it is broadcast. For example, Boots & All is broadcast on a Thursday evening. This show will be available live on M-Net On Demand, first thing on Saturday morning.

We always strive to have content available as soon as possible. Although rarely, it can occur that a show is not available with the normal broadcast times. This would occur if we experience technical difficulty or cannot get hold of tape-based content. We want to assure you that we always strive to have the quickest turnaround time, and that you will not miss an episode. Even if it is late, it will still be available. We will not skip a show or any episode of a series.

4.2 Are there parental controls?
Unfortunately this service does not have Parental Control mechanisms such as found in M-Net decoders. The viewing material for M-Net On Demand will be classified and identified by the symbols as listed below when restriction or parental guidance is advised.

PG - This programme has no age restriction, but parental guidance is advised for younger viewers.

PG13 - This programme has no age restriction, but parental guidance is advised for viewers younger than 13.

13/16/18 - This programme is rated 13/16/18 and contains scenes of nudity, sex, strong language or violence. Viewer discretion is advised.

R18 - This programme is restricted to viewers older than 18 and could contain scenes of extreme violence, strong language, sex or nudity. Viewer discretion is strongly advised.


5. What do I need?
To best view video content you will need:

• Telkom ADSL broadband Internet connection.
• ISP subscription
• Windows 2000 or Windows XP.
• Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher.
• Screen size 800x600 or more.
• Media Player 9.0 or higher.


6. When will the trial commence?
The trial is scheduled to go live in August 2005.


7. Contact us
7.1 How do I contact you? ([email protected])
You can contact us by sending e-mail to [email protected]. You can also go to the website: www.mnetondemand.co.za

7.2 How do I make a suggestion?

If you want to make any suggestions regarding the content or the service, please fill in our feedback form. http://www.mnetondemand.co.za/feedback.asp

7.3 Can I tell my friends?
If you have friends or family abroad this service is also live and available to all South African expatriates. They can get access to all the video content through www.kuduclub.com. Please refer them to this website for more information.


8. Having problems signing in?

The MNET on Demand trial service will require you to submit the following sets of usernames and passwords before you will be able to access the website address www.mnetondemand.co.za


• Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) username and password (The usernames and password you normally use to access the Internet).
• MNET on Demand username and password. (This is the user name and password that you will receive from us via email. You will require this to access the MNET on demand website indicated above).
• Free of charge, additional 2 Gig Account from TelkomInternet, username and password.

The MNET on demand service will contribute to the 3 Gig cap limit you have on your Internet account. We therefore thought it wise to allocate an additional 2 Gig account per month, to all our trial users to encourage you to try out the service. Each month you will receive 2 gigs of space for trying out the MNET on Demand content, without any cost to you. This account will automatically expire when the trial comes to an end.

Please note that the 2 Gig account will not have email capabilities, only surfing capabilities.

We thus recommend that you rather utilise the Telkom Internet 2 Gig account username and password to access the MNET on demand website during the trial period, and not your normal ISP account. Do realise that you could be without email capabilities when you reached your 3 Gig cap limit on your normal ISP account. The Free of charge 2 Gig Account from Telkom will not give you email capabilities, only surfing capabilities.



8.1 What if I can't remember my M-Net password?
Please email [email protected].

8.2 What if I can’t remember my ISP password?

Please contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) for assistance.

8.3 What if I can’t remember my Telkom Internet 2 Gig Account username and password?

Please contact Telkom Internet at 08600 08 700 for assistance.
 
This is the document you get from them (Part 2):

9 Having a problem streaming?

9.1 How does it work?
We automatically deliver video and audio to your desktop via a method known as streaming. Streaming is a method of delivering media files over the Internet by firstly breaking them up and then sending them to their destination (in this case your desktop) where they are assembled while you are watching. This means that you are able to click and view immediately - no downloads thus no delay in viewing and no file maintenance.


9.2 What technical support do we offer?
We offer telephonic assistance. If you are experiencing technical problems contact us at:
0800 204 705


9.3 Why can't I play the clips?
You may not have the latest Windows Media Player installed. The best experience will be with version 9 or higher of the player.

Download the player: <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/mp10/default.aspx">[ Version 10 ]</a> <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/9series/player.aspx">[ Version 9 ]</a>

9.4 Why can't I access broadband content on an operating system other than Microsoft Windows?

Currently, the broadband system only supports Microsoft Windows and the Microsoft Media Player.


9.5 How do I resize my media player?
The player is quite flexible when it comes to viewing, allowing you to choose the screen size that most suits you. Click on View>Video size and select your preference. Alternatively, put your mouse cursor on the bottom right-hand corner, click and drag to your preferred size.

9.6 Can I watch the videos on my television?
Yes, you need to have a S-Video card in your computer and a S-Video cable for the connection between your computer and your television. There are also a range of wireless devices that allow you to connect your PC to a television in another room. Speak to your nearest large electronics retailer for more information. Please also be aware that increasing the viewing size will result in a loss in quality.

9.7 "I'm getting an 'Error 500' message?"
From time to time Internet network congestion results in a time out between your Internet Service Provider environment and the Content Distribution Network end point closest to you. In most cases just trying to view the content again will clear the error. If you get this error often please contact our support desk so we can check the network service level to your area.

9.8 How do I disable the XP Firewall?
Sometimes you software firewall will cause problems for your media player to acquire a DRM license. Disabling your firewall can rectify this situation but please be aware that if your firewall is disabled your PC may be unprotected and susceptible to attacks from the internet.
• Go to control panel
• Open network connections
• Right click on local area connection
• Select properties
• Select the advanced tab
• Uncheck the XP firewall
• Click OK and try again


9.9 Broadband video quality
Multiple bit rates are available with 300Kb/s, 100Kb/s and 56Kb/s options for viewing. A high-speed broadband connection will provide the performance needed to enjoy the content at the highest quality of 300Kb/s.



10 Frequently Asked Questions about Digital Rights Management (DRM)

10.1 What is Digital Rights Management (DRM)?
Digital Rights Management (DRM) is a technology that allows for the secure management of digital media. This security protects the content from unauthorized distribution and viewing.

10.2 Why is a DRM license needed?
Content owners have increasingly imposed strict broadcast restrictions on the content we offer; therefore our content is being encrypted with DRM license-protection. A valid DRM license needs to be delivered to your computer to access each piece of content you wish to view.

10.3 Can I copy your content to another machine and play it?
No, our content is only delivered as a streaming media file and does not allow for saving the file to your computer, and as a result, you cannot transfer it to another machine.

10.4 How do I obtain a DRM license on my Mac for this content?
Currently, the version of Microsoft DRM in use is not supported by the latest Macintosh version of Windows Media Player; therefore you cannot view this content on a Mac. Users who only have Macintosh computers are discouraged from registering with our service due to this limitation.

10.5 Do I have to obtain a license every time I want to watch a piece of content on the same computer?
Generally, yes. When you first try to play a streaming media link, a DRM license will be distributed to you and stored by Windows Media Player. As long as that license remains on that computer, and it has not expired, you will not need another license to watch that same piece of content. But each piece of content (each episode of "Egoli" for example) can require its own license. Further, the licenses can expire within hours or days.

10.6 What media player do I have to use with your service?
Our new DRM license system will only work with Windows Media Player version 9 or higher. Older versions of Windows Media Player do not support our DRM license technology and are therefore incompatible. You can download the latest version of Windows Media Player for free from Microsoft at http://www.windowsmedia.com/download/.

10.7 What do I do if I am using Windows Media Player 9 or 10 but still can't get content to play due to a "DRM license acquisition" error?

Users can run into problems with DRM license acquisition for several different reasons. We have outlined the most common problems below along with suggested steps for you to take:

• Internet Congestion: Unavoidable variations in Internet traffic between your location and our servers, or unexpectedly heavy use of our servers, can cause your computer to give up trying to get a DRM license before our server is able to deliver one. This is often the case when you've been able to obtain a DRM license recently for other content of ours on the same computer. The best solution in this case is to wait and try to access our content again later.

• Slow Internet Connectivity: The minimum Internet connection speed to use our service reliably is 300kbps. Slower connections can cause your computer to give up trying to get a DRM license before our server is able to deliver one. You can test the speed of your Internet connection for free at: http://bandwidthplace.com/speedtest

• Cookies and Temporary Internet Files: It's possible that the cookies on your system or some of the temporary files are causing a conflict with Windows Media Player and its DRM licenses. To clear your cookies and temporary files:
- Open Internet Explorer
- Click on Tools > Internet Options
- On the "General" tab, click "Clear Cookies" and then "Delete Files".
- Close all Internet Explorer windows and then open it again and login to your account.

• Firewalls and Proxy Servers: Firewalls and proxy servers have been known to impede the DRM license delivery process. If you have a firewall running (Zone Alarm, Black Ice, Windows XP firewall, etc.) we suggest that you completely disable it while accessing our content. If you are connecting from an office or other location with a system administrator, you should contact that person for information about disabling them.

If you are running the Windows XP SP2 Firewall, you can disable it by:
- Clicking on Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Security Center - Select "Off" to temporarily disable the firewall

Please note: Disabling your firewall can rectify this situation but please be aware that if your firewall is disabled your PC may be unprotected and susceptible to attacks from the internet.


• Pop-Up Blockers: We highly recommend temporarily disabling or permanently allowing pop-ups from this site, as these pop-up blockers can interfere with the delivery of DRM licenses, playing content and the overall user experience.


10.8 What do I do if I've tried everything you suggested but I still can't get it to work?
Please contact our support team if are still having problems in obtaining a DRM license at
0800 204 705.

11. What are the implications of this service on my Internet 3 Gig account?

The MNET on Demand content will contribute to your 3 Gig cap. However we realise that this will hamper your use of the trial service, so Telkom decided to allocate an additional 2 Gig account per month to each of our trial users.

The following conditions will comply to the additional 2 Gig account you receive:

 You may not give up your existing ISP account.
 No mailbox will be association with the additional 2 Gig Telkom Internet account.
 You should realise that when the 3 Gig cap on your existing ISP account is reached that you could experience mailing problems if you are a non-SAIX ISP subscriber.

The 2 Gig cap will automatically expire after the trial comes to an end.

12. What are our terms and conditions of the trial?
A letter of consent will be faxed to you that contain the details of the terms and conditions of the trial.

12.1 What is our privacy policy?

We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting it. Registration Data and certain other information about you are subject to our Privacy Policy.


13. What to do if you want to get out of the trial?

You can send an email to the following email address: [email protected] requesting to be taken of the trial and stating the reasoning for your request.



THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR MNET ON DEMAND TRIAL SERVICE!
 
My My, they changed alot.
The MNET on demand service will contribute to the 3 Gig cap limit you have on your Internet account. We therefore thought it wise to allocate an additional 2 Gig account per month, to all our trial users to encourage you to try out the service. Each month you will receive 2 gigs of space for trying out the MNET on Demand content, without any cost to you. This account will automatically expire when the trial comes to an end.
Click to expand...
During the first meeting most people were worried that it will affect your cap to which they responded it would not! LOL Now I'm glad I cancelled!

Oh and I guess they're not rolling out the decoders that was suppose to link up your TV, like they said they would?

LOL this thing has become a joke, what a shame.
 
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The MNET on demand service will contribute to the 3 Gig cap limit you have on your Internet account. We therefore thought it wise to allocate an additional 2 Gig account per month, to all our trial users to encourage you to try out the service. Each month you will receive 2 gigs of space for trying out the MNET on Demand content, without any cost to you. This account will automatically expire when the trial comes to an end.
Click to expand...

Hahahahaha - thats the way to get business.
So, I can now watch Egoli (puke), on a 512k ADSL connection at R70 per GB.
 
I actually got it!!!!

In an amazing turn of events, Telkom mailed me my username and passwords today including my shiny new 2gb account (yay). Of course I went on the site and my username and password don't work but I suppose that may be a bit much to expect in one day. Incidentally it is all local content that is available on the trial and nothing else.
 
Ok, so as rick said, its basically only locally made content. I'm assuming they don't have licenses to stream the overseas stuff. Looking at Kudu Club the content is quite similar, but I think Kudu Club has a bit more choice.

The quality isn't great. Most of the streams go upto about 300kbps with a res of 388x244. Looks pretty grainy even when hooked up to the tv. It doesn't compare favourably to VHS even. The WM9 video codec is used if anyone is interested.

Also doesn't stream smoothly all the time, download speeds sometimes drop to about 10kB/s and then i get a frame of video every 3 seconds. This happens to me with most video streams from overseas sites as well.
 
We all expected set top boxes etc, right?

This is a big huge JOKE!

Mnet probably went to Telkom and said, "look, we want to try out broadband STREAMING, would you guy mind?". Telkom guy probably just sat there and nodded.

I am sad to say it, but this is hardly the stuff an aspiring 1st world country should do. We should not be at a phase where companies want to "test" broadband streaming. We should be DOING it!

Telkom sucks!
 
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Certainly not a new idea, suppose it would be worth it if their were more channels 2 choose from :rolleyes: 2gigs 4 TV dont think that will be nearly enough specially if there is anything decent to watch, wonder what the little sad program running it will look like :eek:

Why multichoice wouldn't wait 4 SNO & see what they could offer?? Fools.
 
Snekko said:
2gigs 4 TV dont think that will be nearly enough specially if there is anything decent to watch, wonder what the little sad program running it will look like :eek:.
Click to expand...

does the streaming TV actually effect the cap? someone previously said it didn't. So I assume you still get your full GB allowance for internet - and the streaming TV doesnt count towards that - if it did that would be the most stupid and pointless system ever (i know, i know, in s.africa that is entirely possible).
 
So not a real IPTV solution but rather ****ty video streaming using WMP.

I suspect the cost of a proper video on demand solution from Microsoft would have meant a IPTV server (which can only handle 500 households) at each exchange and a set top box for each customer.

MNet is being lame as usual.
 
Telkom and M-Net have joined forces to create a new product that will give South Africans another way of viewing their favourite TV shows and selected major sporting events.
Click to expand...

Haha No wonder Carte blanch didn't want to run a show on telkom and adsl!! They were told not to by mnet executives!
 
Well this is not exactly triple play by the looks of it. It is the plain old mnet on demand overseas users (expats) have had access to for two or so years. I used it while I was in the states not the best quality and it is going to chow bandqith like there is no tomorrow.
 
LOL @ THIS OFFER ....

IPTV with 2 gig cap .. what a joke ..

This country is really back wards.
 
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