Michal Ždanský Video on demand is still an unfulfilled dream in the Czech environment. While services such as Netflix or Hulu work happily in the US, in the Czech Republic we have so far seen only a few attempts with not very good results. This time, the company behind TV NOVA is trying something like this with the Voyo portal, which will offer several hundred movies, series and other video content for viewing for a monthly fee. In addition to the web interface, there is also an iPad app.
The Voyo for iPad environment looks a bit like the Apple TV movie section interface in a light version, which I welcome. The home screen welcomes you with a main scrolling menu with recommended titles and several other sections below it (News, Top, Coming Soon). You reveal the control panel with the Facebook-style button on the top left, when the main screen slides away (you can also use a swipe gesture). You can then choose from the categories Movies, Series, Shows, News, Sports, Children, and finally there is also the Favorite titles category, where you can save individual movies and other videos that you might be planning to watch. It's a shame that there is also an option to watch live broadcasts like on the web.
After opening the page of each movie, in addition to the main playback window, you will also see accompanying information, such as description, list of main actors, director's name, length of the movie and more. From here, you can save movies to your favorites, play a trailer or display similar images. There is also the possibility of sharing via Facebook, Twitter or e-mail.
In order to use Voyo at all, you need to create an account. Unfortunately, this is not possible directly in the app, you have to go to the website Voyo.cz. This is probably due to Apple's in-app purchases policy. The service is paid (CZK 189 per month), but it also offers a seven-day trial period. Fortunately, registration is not lengthy, you only need to fill in a few basic details and confirm the e-mail that will then arrive in your inbox. You just have to bite the slow loading web site in mobile Safari which has a bit of trouble with Voya's demanding site. It should also be noted that even to activate the trial period, you need to fill in your phone or credit card details, which is the same approach as in iTunes, where you also need to have an account linked to a credit card to download free apps. You don't have to worry about Voyo deducting money for your subscription without your knowledge.
The service is relatively new, so its database is not so extensive yet. There are over 500 films, 23 series and 12 shows. Unfortunately, we don't find many blockbusters here, the selection is more in line with TV NOVA's film composition, according to which I believe that the catalog is developed according to the broadcast rights for TV broadcasting. On the contrary, the presence of a number of Czech films will please you if you are a fan of domestic cinema. Most of the videos you can find on Voyu have Czech dubbing without the option of choosing the original version with subtitles. However, there are a few exceptions, such as the British series IT Crowd and Black Books, which will only offer a subtitled version. The majority of people who follow Nova probably won't regret the absence of the original wording.
The most important feature of the application is of course the quality of the streamed video. I tested this on several series and films. I didn't notice any stuttering while watching, except for one trailer, the playback was very smooth even with more frequent skipping on the timeline. The video resolution seems to be lower than 720p, so the picture was not as sharp as when playing HD video, but the difference is not that noticeable. On closer inspection, video compression is also visible, but strangely, the quality varies from film to film. The compression was noticeable with Barbara Conan, but not with the Czech Hranář. There is practically nothing to complain about the sound quality, the sound was of good quality on the headphones, without any signs of compression.
I was a bit disappointed by the fact that the application does not remember the place where I stopped the movie, when you leave and restart the playback, you find yourself at the very beginning and you have to search for that place manually. Hopefully this feature will be added in the next update. I would also welcome a Most Watched Videos category to complement Favorite titles. The application itself is relatively nimble, although, like Facebook, it is more of a web application wrapped in an iOS environment. This allows programmers to make larger changes to the application without having to wait for an update to be approved.
In terms of graphics, Voyo looks nice, the authors chose a rather minimalist look, which makes the application very clear. However, there is also some error, sometimes when jumping on the timeline, the image and sound are thrown, sometimes the application crashes, but I believe that these things will be debugged with successive updates.
Voyo is a very ambitious attempt to introduce a Video on Demand service, on which, for example, Czech Television failed, and the O2 version seems rather half-baked. The iPad app is definitely a good way to get more people to know about the service. Some high-profile titles are still missing, which is probably a consequence of the complicated acquisition of television rights, and the production of dubbing can also slow down the process. On the other hand, we have a service offering a relatively decent starting portfolio for a fairly reasonable price of CZK 189 per month. The application itself is free, I definitely recommend at least trying it.
[app url=”http://itunes.apple.com/cz/app/voyo.cz/id529093783″]
Isn't it a file against Apple's policy that the subscription is paid on the website and not in the application?
I'd say it's a bit too much. The application can be taken as a window to the service, which normally runs independently somewhere else, and with the help of this application we only have the possibility to use its content on the iPad (the author of the article does not mention which device the application is intended for).
Thank you very much to the author of the article for the review of the application in the form that used to be common here and unfortunately somehow disappears (articles sometimes resemble a file of advertising messages).
Well, I don't want to touch the brother guilds, but in Slovakia, MARKIZA really screwed up, and if anyone thinks that I will pay 6 euros a month for this garbage, then goodbye CME. and set an alarm so you don't fall asleep :)
You don't touch that, mostly there's only the garbage. So no miraculous digital distribution is happening :-(
I disagree that the service is relatively new. I have had a Panasonic TV for over 2 years. As for the app, it was here for a while, but it was downloaded for some unknown reason.
The thing that freezes the most is the absence of the tv nova archive, which is in Tv. It's a series, but it's still better than watching it on TV with commercials
Have you tried it together with Apple TV? I wonder if it is "stuttering" on TV.
Thanks
Unfortunately, I don't own an Apple TV, so I can't try it.
is it possible to send from ipad to apple tv?
Quality applications. I am extremely satisfied.
I'm studying MUP and I watch movies in the toilet during lectures. Just the bomb!!
So I made the sacrifice and will try it with an AppleTV. I have an AppleTV 2nd gen., I don't have any problems at all, but here is the problem - when choosing classic AirPlay, the picture goes to the iPad, but the sound is only on the TV, without the picture. Only after choosing mirroring does it work completely on the TV, but again only in a small window, on a 50-inch screen it is possible to get a 30-inch image, or not, which is quite a shame. But let's look at it. Otherwise, the picture and sound are fine, I don't register jerks, I'll try the expected part Ordinace and some talk. So I'll see how he gave - if I keep it or cancel it.
So I made some progress in testing. The surgery runs on a 50-inch TV in a 35-inch size, which is not so bad. Unfortunately, most of the titles in the offer cannot be played with the voice or "This product is not allowed in trial period", which I would still understand (but on the other hand, if they have already taken my payment card number and I want to get it, I don't understand this limitation), or with the voice "Unable to verify the license", which I don't understand at all, and switching from the trial regime to the fully paid one probably won't solve it. For this reason, I intend to use only the trial and will not pay further (if this is not resolved)
It is strange that the series Helena runs fullscreen (of course in mirroring), I did not see that in the last video on Voyo. But then again, he often tears up.
I also tried TV news. Unfortunately, it's two days old, Voyo doesn't offer anything fresher. It also runs fullscreen, sometimes it gets stuck, but the main mirroring problem manifests itself - after a while, my iPad falls asleep and playback stops as well. And then I usually had to start the whole session again. Embarrassment.
I can't get it through apple tv, do you know how to do it? Plays only audio.
Recent experience with Voyo:
Official support quite weak, or according to my experience it doesn't work at all. No one responded to the question or notification of a problem with the service. If you choose to cancel all automatic recurring payments, your account will be deactivated in seconds without completing the current period. You simply cease to exist at that moment and you can delete the entire Voyo application. This is my experience with Voyo - that's the Czech approach to customers. It is interesting that the developer of a certain application was able to respond to the question with satisfaction for help even on Sunday afternoon, and by that morning the problem was over. We will probably never know this approach in our country.
Hello,
VOYO portal support is absolutely fine and if you still haven't received a response, it's our fault and we apologize for that. If you have any question, I will be happy to answer it.
According to the documented message, I believe that you have canceled the Subscription for the following period. Your Subscription will remain active as you have paid for the entire month after all. So you have the service active, for example, from August 16 to September 16. Active will just appear on your profile! – which means that your service will expire at the end of the billed period.
If you have any further questions, write to me directly at jiri.pacovsky[zavinac]nova.cz
Thank you,
Jiří Pacovský
VOYO Content Editor