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General discussion

Cnet video podcast downloads are not playing in the iTouch.

Jun 23, 2010 12:20AM PDT

Cnet SD video downloads are not playing in the iTouch. I have no problems with any other site. This Cnet problem is not specific to any program--it occurs with all the ones I download, including Loaded, Top 5, and the Buzz Report. This has been going on for about a month.
What has happened and can it please be remedied. Thank you.

Discussion is locked

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Can you try again?
Jun 23, 2010 9:18AM PDT

I reported this the CNET Podcast team and they tested this themselves and asked several other iPod Touch owners to do the same, and so far all of them reported that it is working for them.

Can you please try again and let us know if it is still failing. And if it does fail, please describe to us exactly how it is failing.

Thanks!
-Lee
CNET Community

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Response to your question regarding Cnet downloads
Jun 23, 2010 11:52AM PDT

Thank you for your response.

Cnet SD video downloads to my iTouch are not being recognized as videos. Instead, they show up in my iTunes player as a non-video podcast. When I click on them, they do not open.

Again, I do not have this problem with any other site and I download lots of video podcasts, such as Slate, Rocketboom, NASA and many others. That is why I thought this could not be a problem with my iTouch.

So, if you can assist I would appreciate it, I am a big Cnet fan.

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Hey there!
Jun 24, 2010 5:31AM PDT

I have figured out the problem you mentioned... There is indeed an issue and we are working to address it. Sorry for the inconvenience... I will follow up to this post once we have addressed the issue. Sad

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Cnet download problem on iTouch
Jun 24, 2010 6:45AM PDT

Thank you for paying attention to my concern. I am sure you will resolve the problem satisfactorily and I will let you know when I am receiving SD video podcasts properly.

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Believe it or not...
Jun 25, 2010 9:20AM PDT

this is an issue that is being poured over quite a bit by a few techs that plan to spend their time this weekend figuring it all out. In fact, they've been in touch with Apple who says this is stumping them as well.

But hopefully we should have more news to report on Monday. Crossing my fingers. Thanks for your patience.

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A Little Bit of Irony
Jun 25, 2010 11:24AM PDT

I cannot help but be amused at the fact that one of the most sophisticated technology media outlets on the internet is having a problem downloading video podcasts. Just to remind you, by my estimation this started approximately in late May. I cannot pinpoint it for you, but something happened sometime after May 21st. Although I really have no clue, is it possible that it is connected with the arrival of the iPad?

Anyway, again, thank you and everyone else for their hard work. I am sure you will figure it all out.

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Any News?
Jun 30, 2010 4:18AM PDT

This must be quite an issue. Is there any progress? I am still wondering what happened in late May to trigger the problem.

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Has Cnet abandoned SD video downloads to the iTouch?
Jul 3, 2010 8:57AM PDT

Beginning to look that way to me as we move into the 6th week of being unable to view video downloads from Cnet (and only Cnet) on my iTouch. Why doesn't Cnet just copy what every other video podcaster is doing?

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Why the silence?
Jul 16, 2010 12:00AM PDT

I was advised by you (Raygun01@cnet) that a team of people were working on the video download problem experienced by Cnet. I was told that by Monday, June 28th, there should be more news. That was almost three weeks ago. My request for an update was met with--nothing.

The problem continues and we are moving into month three.

What is going on? It is amazing that Cnet cannot figure out how to properly download a video podcast.

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Argh!!!
Jul 19, 2010 2:37AM PDT

I am very frustrated, guys... And I'm so sorry you are still experiencing these issues.

We've escalated this to a number of people with our CDN as well as Apple specifically... we've also undergone a number of internal tests simply trying to figure out what the root cause of this issue is.

At hand, it appears our videos play fine on the iPhone and Touch if it's d/led on a computer and synced to the device. When downloaded on the device itself from iTunes, the problem arises and the video file doesn't play. Keep in mind that the video file in both instances is exactly the same... no modification is being done to that video file (that we know of) so it makes this a very puzzling situation.

Like I said, it's escalated and I am trying to rope someone in at apple that can really make this priority number one so you guys can have the proper access to our content again.

Frustrating indeed and I feel your pain. Sad

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Thanks for the update
Jul 19, 2010 4:15AM PDT

I appreciate the update and the efforts. Thought you had abandoned us, so it was great to learn to the contrary.

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Cnet video podcast downloads are not playing in the iTouch.
Jun 28, 2010 6:23AM PDT

I can play all the CNET Videos in my iPod Touch (1st Gen) with no problem... at home ...but not in the office. I just thought that your issue has something to do with your wifi restrictions.

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No, not due to wifi restrictions
Jun 28, 2010 11:38AM PDT

The problem is not mine. If it were, then other podcasts would also be affected. I watch lots of them, including Rocketboom, NASA, Slate Magazine, Barely Digital, New Yorker, ESA. No other site has the problem, only Cnet. And not just one Cnet site--I watch a few of them, and not one loads correctly. So, I am forced to conclude that the problem is with Cnet and Apple.

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Hmmm...
Jun 28, 2010 3:38PM PDT

Yeah, you got a point. But I'm wondering why I can access the cnet videos on my ipod touch, and you cannot. Well, I guess let's wait for the response from the cnet guys. Happy

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It's about downloads, not access
Jun 28, 2010 3:52PM PDT

I can view a Cnet video directly. It is when I download an SD video and try to view the download that is the problem. Cnet SD video downloads are not playing.

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good idea
Aug 10, 2010 7:54PM PDT

I think it's a good idea

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7/29/2010 and still no resolution
Jul 28, 2010 11:12PM PDT

1. the problem is with downloading video through iTunes on my iphone.
2. I can stream a clip on my iphone just fine but when I download that same clip, it won't play.
3. downloading video podcast from cnet on my PC then synced to my iphone works.
4. can't seem to download over WiFi.

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Downloading Cnet
Jul 29, 2010 5:25AM PDT

It is remarkable that Cnet, a sophisticated internet media company, cannot do what every other video podcaster can do. This is a story in its own right.

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a story
Jul 29, 2010 5:55AM PDT

They'll probably blame it on apple and the iphone

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I wonder if Cnet is reporting the story
Jul 29, 2010 9:23AM PDT

I do not know if Cnet is reporting on its inability for the past two months to provide a viewable SD video podcast because I cannot download its podcasts to find out. This is definitely a story Cnet should cover.

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Instead of posting your comments in this forum,
Jul 29, 2010 11:20PM PDT

try posting them here:
http://forums.cnet.com/5204-6142_102-0.html?forumID=51

This is where you comment/complain/moan/gripe/praise/denigrate/rant about the CNET forums and CNET's ability, or lack thereof, to provide you with a viewable SD Video podcast.

You may even get a better response


P

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I'll check on this again...
Jul 30, 2010 2:34AM PDT

member raygun2 who has been posted a couple of time in this thread is the producer of several CNET podcast and is well aware of the issue. It's in hands of the engineering team currently and I will ping him again to see if there are any updates.

Thanks!
-Lee

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This is in the hands of Apple...
Jul 30, 2010 6:29AM PDT

Engineers at Apple are trying to figure out why this is happening. This is a problem that appears to only be affecting our video... and only when downloading on your device from the iTunes store...

It's something that Apple has never encountered before, and its obviously taking them a while to figure out what the root cause is. Yes, this sucks big time. Believe me guys, I'm really sorry this isn't working... especially since everyone else in the world can work around an issue like this (ie, it never happened to them for whatever reason).

The strange thing is, we're doing what we've always been doing. But somewhere along the way, it simply stopped working. That's why this is so puzzling.

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As stated before
Jul 30, 2010 7:43AM PDT

Like I mentioned before, I can download it on my pc and then sync to my iPhone and can then play it that way. So that's the work around I do. But that's not my preferred method. I'd prefer to just download the video over wifi directly on my iPhone. No syncing should be required.