The Xbox 360 and Xbox One forums are rife with questions and complaints about the non-availability of new television programs on Xbox Video, for days or even weeks after the shows originally aired. In my own experience with pre-purchased seasons, there is at best an inconsistency in the time it takes for new episodes to show up, and I never know what to expect week to week; but each week’s episode always appears at least a day or two before the next week’s. That is, until Hannibal S2E10, which aired on May 2nd and is still not available. Clearly it is possible for the new content to be uploaded almost immediately, as episode 11 from last night was there when I looked for it this morning. Why can’t the service be more regular and reliable?
I only start poking around on the forums for information about Hannibal last night, and that’s when I discovered the posts of countless others experiencing the same problem, with it and/or with other shows. In some threads I did find responses from Xbox support reps that attempted and at times managed to be helpful, but there were few of these and they all seemed to focus only on the specific instance, not considering (or perhaps unaware of) the abundance and frequency of the problems so many customers are experiencing.
I am creating this thread in hopes of drawing their attention and getting solid information on the source and nature of these issues and what they are doing to resolve them now and prevent them in the future. I had a support chat session with “Roi” last night wherein I was told that the Hannibal episode was “corrupted,” and was assured that they were working on it and that it would be up in “one or two days.” Not really – I didn’t feel assured. Such vague and non-commital responses are not very satisfying, and yet no amount of typing to Roi in all caps could procure any further precision in the details.
When you have paid for a show and cannot watch it due their technical issues, it constitutes a failure on their part to deliver goods to which you are entitled, and that is a little bit like stealing. Even if the Xbox Video user agreement is bulletproof and protects MS six ways to Sunday, at best they are exhibiting poor service and poor support. Rather than continue in this trend, I would like to see Microsoft/Xbox Support step up and get to work implementing a reliable and permanent solution to the chronic, systemic problems plaguing Xbox Video content, described here and in countless other threads on both the Xbox One and Xbox 360 forums. Also, as they have done for their COD: BOII users, I would like to see them post something on the Xbox Live Status page announcing that they know about and are working on the issues with Xbox Video, since “up and running” is not entirely true.
If you feel the same way, please consider Liking this post and/or adding your own reply describing specifics of issues you have had with Xbox Video content (e.g. shows/episodes missing and for how long, links to threads where you have posted issues and have or have not gotten support, etc.).
For the record, I’m on an Xbox 360 but will post this on both the 360 and One forums. Feel free to contribute on both/either. Thanks.
