New ROH Streaming Service

[nycitybird]

20 hours ago, Balletfanp said:

I signed up for my free trial to watch the Ashton triple, and assumed I would be able to cast from my phone to the TV, as I’ve always been able to do so with the ROH streams they put up during lockdown. I use Google Chromecast. But no. The Apple platform they use doesn’t support that.

 

 

 

I just signed up for the free trial and Chromecast is working for me, so it does have the capability. If the Chromecast symbol isn't coming up for you, have your tried just casting your screen?

[Balletfanp]

I would be able to do that from a laptop, but not my phone - thanks for the suggestion.

 

I’m puzzled as to how it is working for you when the advice says that Chromecast is only supported with an Apple TV subscription - unless I’m misunderstanding it…. It might be that my Chromecast stick is just too old but I don’t really want to go to the expense of buying a new one when the one I’ve got works fine for everything else.

 

Having said that, we have been meaning to buy a new TV for some time now (ours is quite old and not very Smart) and dithering over which one to buy - I think the right TV would probably solve this problem so perhaps now is the time to get my finger out and just decide on one!

Edited August 20, 2023 by Balletfanp

[Guest oncnp]

6 minutes ago, Balletfanp said:

I’m puzzled as to how it is working for you when the advice says that Chromecast is only supported with an Apple TV subscription - unless I’m misunderstanding it…. It might be that my Chromecast stick is just too old but I don’t really want to go to the expense of buying a new one when the one I’ve got works fine for everything else.

That isn't how I read it (and I could certainly be wrong) and the Chromecast (very old device) works on my very dumb TV without a problem and no Apple TV anything

CASTING USING GOOGLE CHROMECAST

You can watch Royal Opera House Stream by ‘casting’ it to your TV via a Google Chromecast. A Chromecast can be plugged into any screen with an HDMI port. With this, you can pair your device and play streaming services on a larger screen.

You will find instructions with your Google Chromecast about how it will work with your specific TV. Once set up you are ready to connect another device. Using a compatible device, such as a tablet or mobile, navigate to the performance you would like to watch. In the top, left-hand corner the Chromecast symbol will appear. Ensure your Chromecast is on, click the symbol and the devices should pair automatically.

We are only able to support Google Chromecasts at this time. Other mirrorcasting devices, including those built in to some TVs may work, however we will be unable to troubleshoot any issues that may arise.

Please note: Google Chromecast is not compatible with Apple Airplay. Some additional third-party applications may enable a connection from Apple devices, but we are unable to support or advise about these.

 

 

Edited August 20, 2023 by oncnp

[Jane S]

I just signed on for the free trial to see if it would work for us - an Apple-free household - and I could watch it on our Samsung TV via my Android phone with no problem . (I think I remember that another system didn't work until I installed Google Home on  my phone, though).

 

Joined mostly to watch the Hayward/Sambe Rhapsody...  I joined Medici.tv on a similar deal to watch them in the Dream pas de deux and have not  regretted it!

[Balletfanp]

@oncnpI think it’s the last paragraph that made me think there is an issue. And this:

 

CHROMECAST WITH GOOGLE TV

You can watch Royal Opera House Stream on your TV by downloading the Royal Opera House Stream apponto a Google Chromecast device. A Google Chromecast can be bought from many major retailers, online and in store.

Please be aware, older versions of the Chromecast will not support our TV app.

 

 

I wonder why yours is working? Did you have to download the app? I tried and it’s only available from Google Play, not compatible with my iPhone.

 

But I don’t want to bore everyone further with my streaming problems!

Edited August 20, 2023 by Balletfanp

[Richard LH]

It seems I can stream it from my PC but not from my Android tablet, although I can control it from the latter, to pause play for example. Weird.

[art_enthusiast]

I forgot how hypnotizingly brilliant A Month in the Country is!

Of course it would have been brilliant to have a Morera/Muntagirov recording, but I'm very glad this one is available! Núñez/Ball have great chemistry together.

[art_enthusiast]

On 18/08/2023 at 08:06, Richard LH said:

Akane's interview is still just showing "coming soon" when I log in.....is it only available on certain devices, or something??

 

Yep, Akane's is still showing as coming soon for me, but Alexander Campbell's is now available. (I'm not a Friend, so wouldn't be eligible for early access)

[Ondine]

Due to popular demand it says. So you know what to do in future! Carry on demanding!

 

Also, the £1 offer is still current.

 

 

 

[jmhopton]

I certainly will carry on demanding,  especially for the Ashton programmes next summer as none of them are being filmed for the cinema relay. Hopefully nearer the time they will announce streaming but if they don't I think an email to Kevin O' Hare will be in order, hopefully from several Ashton enthusiasts to maintain the 'popular demand '.

[San Perregrino]

7 hours ago, jmhopton said:

I certainly will carry on demanding,  especially for the Ashton programmes next summer as none of them are being filmed for the cinema relay. Hopefully nearer the time they will announce streaming but if they don't I think an email to Kevin O' Hare will be in order, hopefully from several Ashton enthusiasts to maintain the 'popular demand '.

 Now is probably a good time to ask the questions while the project is still in the planning stages and before things are set in stone.

[Linnzi5]

9 hours ago, jmhopton said:

I certainly will carry on demanding,  especially for the Ashton programmes next summer as none of them are being filmed for the cinema relay. Hopefully nearer the time they will announce streaming but if they don't I think an email to Kevin O' Hare will be in order, hopefully from several Ashton enthusiasts to maintain the 'popular demand '.

I recently emailed customer services about the possibility of Cuthbertson/Bracewell Swan Lake and Kaneko/Bracewell Nutcracker being included on the ROH Stream. I was told that my requests would be passed on but that what was chosen for the stream ‘is top secret and we never know until it is announced what it will be’. I think I need to keep emailing! 🤣

[FionaM]

 ‘Top secret’ 😂

 

The streaming team should be asking the streaming subscribers and other forums what they would watch.  
 

Through surveys or polls of forums like this one, RB ticket purchasers, etc.  It could be in the form of a ranking poll in the current (irritating) post performance survey.  
 

As an example … after this performance rank which of these you like to watch via our streaming service

(1) this ballet with this cast ,

(2) this ballet with another cast ,

(3) xxx ballet with xxx cast already on stream,

(4) xxx ballet with yyy cast not yet on stream 

 

 

[ninamargaret]

I wish technical problems could be sorted out before future streams are issued. All the streaming up until Like Water were fine. I tried to watch Like Water and gave up because of buffering problems. I hadn't realised that this could possibly be improved by adjusting 'settings' as there had been no need to do it in the past. The Ashton triple had the same issues - thanks to this forum I made the alteration to settings and was able to watch it, although the quality was far inferior to earlier streams. I have good broadband speeds and have no problems with other streaming, so what's_the problem with ROH?

[capybara]

5 hours ago, FionaE said:

 ‘Top secret’ 😂

 

The streaming team should be asking the streaming subscribers and other forums what they would watch.  
 

Through surveys or polls of forums like this one, RB ticket purchasers, etc.  It could be in the form of a ranking poll in the current (irritating) post performance survey.  
 

As an example … after this performance rank which of these you like to watch via our streaming service

(1) this ballet with this cast ,

(2) this ballet with another cast ,

(3) xxx ballet with xxx cast already on stream,

(4) xxx ballet with yyy cast not yet on stream 

 

 

  
That’s a good idea.

 

However, the decision about which cast would be filmed in the 2022 Ashton Triple appeared to have been made so far ahead (i.e. before it was announced that Laura Morera would be retiring and Lauren Cuthbertson’s withdrawal resulted in a propitious casting reshuffle) that no audience participation would have made a difference.

[jmhopton]

9 hours ago, PeterS said:

 Now is probably a good time to ask the questions while the project is still in the planning stages and before things are set in stone.

Good idea, PeterS. I'll email Kevin the beginning of October once they're back after their summer break.

[FionaM]

@capybara to clarify …. I was assuming that my (hypothetical) survey would only offer options of existing recordings under options (3) and (4).  But I didn’t make that clear.   And of course as you say, there is no guarantee that any cast of a recently watched ballet was being recorded (options 1 and 2).  I’m sure powers that be could adjust my survey to what is possible and practical, and then actually get themselves some useful feedback.   
 

I can’t be bothered with the way too simplistic “‘would you recommend the ROH” usual query after each show.  I just delete it!

[Linnzi5]

13 minutes ago, FionaE said:

@capybara to clarify …. I was assuming that my (hypothetical) survey would only offer options of existing recordings under options (3) and (4).  But I didn’t make that clear.   And of course as you say, there is no guarantee that any cast of a recently watched ballet was being recorded (options 1 and 2).  I’m sure powers that be could adjust my survey to what is possible and practical, and then actually get themselves some useful feedback.   
 

I can’t be bothered with the way too simplistic “‘would you recommend the ROH” usual query after each show.  I just delete it!

I always write in the comments box and if there isn't one, I email customer services with comments. I may have requested Swan Lake and Nutcracker several times already! 🙄

[alison]

What comments box? I've never seen one.

[Linnzi5]

Just now, alison said:

What comments box? I've never seen one.

I have been sent surveys about performances and it has had a comments box if I have anything extra to add. I have had this a couple of times, though not recently and have had to email customer services directly if I have comments. Recent emails just ask if I'd recommend the performance.  

 

[Ondine]

A tweet or an X, who knows? Whatever.

 

 

 

[Scheherezade]

6 hours ago, FionaE said:

I’m sure powers that be could adjust my survey to what is possible and practical, and then actually get themselves some useful feedback.   

That rather presupposes that they have even the slightest interest in useful feedback, Fiona. I rather think that their minds are firmly set on the course they want to chart and the only feedback that interests them is the sort that can be manipulated to suggest total agreement.

A well-constructed questionnaire with pertinent options would be extremely useful but I’m not holding my breath on that one. 

[alison]

I'm always tempted just to jettison their totally useless surveys, but in the end have taken to marking the venue down very low, because a no-response won't be counted.  After all, I battled for some 3 decades to try and persuade people that the ROH wasn't nearly as expensive and elitist as the general public believed, but I can't in all honesty recommend it to people any more because of the exorbitant - and sometimes completely rip-off, to those unfamiliar with the venue - prices.

[Scheherezade]

44 minutes ago, alison said:

After all, I battled for some 3 decades to try and persuade people that the ROH wasn't nearly as expensive and elitist as the general public believed, but I can't in all honesty recommend it to people any more because of the exorbitant - and sometimes completely rip-off, to those unfamiliar with the venue - prices.

Same here. 

[andrewfarmer]

On 25/08/2023 at 14:00, ninamargaret said:

I wish technical problems could be sorted out before future streams are issued. All the streaming up until Like Water were fine. I tried to watch Like Water and gave up because of buffering problems. I hadn't realised that this could possibly be improved by adjusting 'settings' as there had been no need to do it in the past. The Ashton triple had the same issues - thanks to this forum I made the alteration to settings and was able to watch it, although the quality was far inferior to earlier streams. I have good broadband speeds and have no problems with other streaming, so what's_the problem with ROH?

I have experienced this issue also watching via Amazon Firestick 4k and the most annoying thing is that the trailer for Like Water For Chocolate plays perfectly with a super crisp picture but the full ballet continually jerks and jumps making it impossible to watch. ROH Stream have never got back with a working fix, changing the stream bandwidth makes no difference and my broadband speed is more than adequate enough.

[Jan McNulty]

Hello @andrewfarmer and welcome to the Forum!

[jmhopton]

Why can't the ROH streaming service cast to TV by using the simple cast logo you get on many YouTube videos? Is this logo specific to YouTube? Whatever it is it works very easily.  I'm not exactly a technological novice but I've no idea what Google Chromecast or Amazon Firestick are and I've really no interest in finding out. If the ROH can't make their streaming easily accessible to all they shouldn't be surprised if they don't get as many subscribers as they could. Not everyone wants to watch performances at a computer or laptop. Some people still enjoy seeing them on TV and if they can't manage it easily why bother subscribing? Having said all that I have subscribed to the streaming for a month to see the Ashton triple as I've made such a fuss about them streaming it, but I still think they should make it easy to cast to TV.

[Balletfanp]

I think it’s easy to cast to a TV if you have the right TV (I don’t)!

[Silver Capricorn]

I have an LG smart TV and watch Internet TV.  Stream ROH can be downloaded as an app from the LG Content Store and it works great.  I also have the Opera Paris stream, but it has to be watched using on tv a web browser, which is less convenient.

[alison]

I have a "dumb" TV and an HDMI cable.  I haven't tried the new ROH Stream, but it used to work fine on the previous streamings.

[ninamargaret]

On 31/08/2023 at 10:30, andrewfarmer said:

I have experienced this issue also watching via Amazon Firestick 4k and the most annoying thing is that the trailer for Like Water For Chocolate plays perfectly with a super crisp picture but the full ballet continually jerks and jumps making it impossible to watch. ROH Stream have never got back with a working fix, changing the stream bandwidth makes no difference and my broadband speed is more than adequate enough.

Still having problems. Have contacted ROH about this and get different answers according to whoever answers my email! I was told that they transmit in 4k , but your comment about this would seem to employ that this is not the answer. I also use Marquee and a couple of other apps and have no problems, and my Fire stick is not the 4k variety. It was suggested that the version I was using was out of date, but the Fire stick automatically downloads and I can see no reason to think that it would not have downloaded ROH updates.

[jmhopton]

Is it my eyesight or is the quality of the 2022 Ashton triple not as good a quality as a stream as we've come to expect from the cinema broadcasts? If so, is this normal ? Is it filmed in HD? It's just some of the faces I find difficult to make out at a bit of a distance though close ups are obviously fine. Now I've got it I really need to check it out with other streams that were cinema broadcasts (most of them). Love the performances obviously (especially Month which is rapidly becoming a contender for my favourite short ballet) but wondered if the quality issue is just me. It's not the recording is poor (far from it) but just perhaps not as sharp as the cinema broadcasts.

[Bluebird]

In the bottom left hand corner of the screen there are four icons. If you click on the camera icon, you'll probably find that the quality of the picture is set to 'auto'.  I'm pretty sure that this means it is set to 'medium' as it wasn't till I set mine to 'high' that I got a really sharp picture.  Of course, you'll need to check if your broadband speed can cope with this as, if it can't, you'll get a lot of buffering. 

 

To sum up, If your broadband speed can cope with it, you should click on 'high'.  This will provide you with a much sharper picture.