Eurosport Player

[ColinJ]

I've just blurted this out in the Paris-Nice thread, but it is worth mentioning in its own thread ...

Eurosport Player was initially only available via the Eurosport website and used the Silverlight browser plugin which was not available for Android devices. (I don't know about Apple devices.) This was a pain for subscribers like me who would rather watch their coverage on a tablet or phone.

Eventually, however, Eurosport Player apps did become available but Eurosport treated subscriptions on a per-device basis, rather than per-subscriber. Understandably, there were a lot of very peed off subscribers who refused to cough up two or more times to view the same programmes on their various devices.

The picture quality via the web player is disappointing. It's not absolutely awful, but you know that it could be so much better.

Anyway ... fast forward to this evening. I just happened to read someone mentioning that the Player apps are now free and you just have to sign up for one account which is cross-platform!

So, I quickly installed the app on my Galaxy Tab and loaded it up to watch today's Paris-Nice stage highlights. I'd watched them earlier on the web player and was gobsmacked to see the improvement in picture quality using the app. It is near HDTV quality, certainly much more enjoyable to watch.

So, if you are a Eurosport Player subscriber (and if you are a pro cycling fan and don't have Eurosport on your TV package, you should be!) and you have an Android device, download the app and use that to watch your Eurosport coverage in future - it's a big step-up in quality! (The same probably applies to Apple devices but I don't own any so I don't know.)

 

[addictfreak]

Been watching it on iPad for over a year. Free app and monthly subscription (£2.99 I think) great picture quality and simply transfer subscription between devices.

 

[tigger]

I get Eurosport via Sky Go on my iPad and can vouch for the picture quality.

 

[ColinJ]

I just tried putting the app on my Android phone but no go - it requires Android 3.2 (Honeycomb) or higher. That's not a problem for me because I would always use my Tab rather than the phone, but it might be a problem for some of you with old phones or tablets.

 

[ColinJ]

The app has suddenly stopped working on my Android tablet. It shows the Eurosport trailers but British Eurosport 1/2 never work. My subscription still works on my laptop. I have uninstalled and reinstalled the app but that didn't help.

Is anybody else having similar problems with the Android app? Any fixes?

Mean time, I will try contacting Eurosport.

 

[vannae]

me too, get Eurosport via Sky Go on my iPad and can vouch for the picture quality.thanks

 

[ColinJ]

I had the app set to auto-update and it seemed to have installed a new version just before the problem started. It is really annoying that the 'Next month on Eurosport' trailers work fine but the actual channels don't. It annoys me having to go back to using the lower quality web version on my laptop.

I'll try contacting Eurosport, but I have heard that their customer service isn't good.

 

[TheSandwichMonster]

I know I'm late to this, but thought I'd dip in with a possible alternative...

I know that some of you are techies, and that some of you have Raspberry Pi's set up with XBMC to use as a media player. That being the case, (and I think this will also work on other platforms), you need to download and install the SportsDevil plugin. It's basically an aggregator that locates and serves loads of different sports feeds, Eurosport amongst them. There are also a bunch of continental feeds that have some of the other cycling on from time-to-time.

 

[d87francis]

I've just signed up to Eurosport Player only to find that it won't work on android! There are lots of irate reviews on the android app for it. Does anyone have it working on android currently?

 

[ColinJ]

I've just signed up to Eurosport Player only to find that it won't work on android! There are lots of irate reviews on the android app for it. Does anyone have it working on android currently?

We are not the problem! Whatever they did to the Player or their servers a few weeks ago caused this problem so everyone seems to be affected (AFAIK).

If I had kept a copy of the old Player software, I would have put that back to check if it still worked but the new version automatically updated it so I can't.

I think the problem is with the authentication on the servers - the 'bonus' channels still work fine so the Player software is capable of working if fed the right data.

Once they finally sort the problem out, I think you will be very impressed with the picture quality. I hope it is soon, before the Giro really gets going. Meantime, you will have to scrounge a laptop or desktop computer to use the service.

 

[d87francis]

Thanks Colin, thankfully I've got a computer I was able to watch it on today. I was just hoping to get away with watching it at work on my phone!

 

[rockyraccoon]

Joined it today.. I went for the Crowd Pass after reading some reviews (it is more expensive but allows me to cancel my subscription at any time).

I watched the first stage of Giro d'Italia today on my computer.. Very disappointed with the breaks (come on! we're paying) and the quality of image and sound. Why are the commentators so unintelligible?

 

[ColinJ]

Yay - the app has suddenly started working again! Hopefully, it will stay that way.

PS It looks like the app has been removed from Google Play, presumably because of complaints that it wasn't working. I already had my copy. I'm sure that the app will return to the Play store as soon as Eurosport can convince Google that it has been fixed.

 

[rockyraccoon]

does anyone know if it is possible to watch The Giro on demand ?

I could not find it on their website

 

[ColinJ]

Thanks Colin, thankfully I've got a computer I was able to watch it on today. I was just hoping to get away with watching it at work on my phone!

This should alert you to the fact that Eurosport Player is working on Android again now, and just to make sure, I'll tag you @d87francis!