I recently went back to ios and now I don't see the option for airplay. Is there something that I missed? I had an ipad earlier in the year and it worked fine there.
@chango: They changed it in 10. Swipe up from the bottom and then swipe left so the right pane is showing. You should see a preview pane, controls, and the option to cast to whatever device is available. Took me a while to figure that out myself. Why they changed it, I can't say (idiots).
Also, anyone else having streaming issues? If I don't (or can't) download a video, it takes forever to buffer. I'm not sure if it's just the app either, because GB seems to be the only place I have this problem.
@zychi: I'm having the audio stutter issue as well. On iOS + chromecast. This occurs on every quality setting. Tiny little annoying micro audio stutters.
I've been getting "unsupported URL" errors inconsistently for a few weeks now. App is basically useless as a "watch it later offline" utility. Tried a few different fixes, no cigar. Kinda bummed nothing is being done about it. I bought dlc btw.
I've been getting "unsupported URL" errors inconsistently for a few weeks now. App is basically useless as a "watch it later offline" utility. Tried a few different fixes, no cigar. Kinda bummed nothing is being done about it. I bought dlc btw.
I've been having the same problem. There's some problem with the videos in the mobile size so if you set it to small or anything else you should be able to view or download them. For me that doesn't help a lot since I don't have much space on my phone but at least I can stream them when I am in my house.
@radish: I read that mobile quality videos failing to download is GB API issue. But I'm getting errors on any quality. And download starts normally but fails early in the process for no apparent reason.
I've also been seeing the "unsupported URL" error. I've noticed it happens for large file sizes. Specifically files larger than 4 GB. I'm running the application on an iPad 4 with iOS 10. I'm wondering if this is some strange 32 bit process/processor issue after updating to iOS 10? I remember the app previously working with larger video file sizes.
I noticed the new beta video player will keep track of where you got to in a video across devices (for premium users). Will this data be accessible in the API for apps like this to use?
@soup_menu: Have you had a chance to look into the issue with the unsupported URLs on mobile quality (and apparently on qualities as well)? As your app is my primary way of watching GB videos, it is becoming a bit of an issue for me. I almost always download the videos before watching for a few reasons, and I don't have much storage space on my phone so that the files sizes on any quality higher than mobile quality take up a lot of space. Do you have any idea how this can be resolved?
@espiox: I am not currently aware of any plans to expose that information through the API.
@bsw: I'm afraid I have not had a chance to work on an update that adds support for the mobile quality setting on recent videos. I do apologize for the inconvenience, but, at least for the time being, sticking with the Low quality setting is the best workaround.
@soup_menu: i have gotten the "unsupported URL" message on my iPad on low quality videos for quite some time now and just got it yesterday when trying to download the latest bombcast on high quality on my phone
@wchigo: Although I have heard some reports of "unsupported URL" messages on other quality settings, unfortunately I haven't had much luck reproducing the issue. I can definitely try to keep an eye out though.
Has anyone come across a fix for the iOS/Chromecast audio stuttering issue? I picked up a Chromecast Black Friday weekend and that sucker is probably going back if this doesn't look like it'll be fixed anytime soon. Running out of return policy time, haha.
@soup_menu I consistently get the "unsupported URL" message if I am downloading a video on wifi and turn off wifi. The download will freeze for about 2 seconds, then say "unsupported URL". I have to resume downloads, and it starts from the beginning (same as if pausing the download, which does not retain the portion that's been downloaded). Because my home has spotty wifi (it's not big, but it's long, so it's easy to get too far from a hotspot), I end up failing downloads unless I leave my phone in one room for the duration of the download. I've also noticed it happen when the app is in the background, even when I don't move around, but I haven't had consistent results with that test.
Still lovin' the app. Most-used app on my phone.
EDIT: I should also mention that when I pop off wifi, I'm on a strong LTE signal, and if I resume downloads, it goes fast. So it's not necessarily a problem with overall connectivity. I could imagine something where iOS10 changed the handoff between wifi and cellular such that downloads couldn't keep going seamlessly, but I dunno.
At this point, due to lack of support for the Video Buddy, I feel like (at least on iOS 10.1+) that the regular site works just great when streaming videos through the Chrome browser for iOS (and Safari, last I checked at least), no need for even the mobile version and HD streaming works great on cellular and Wifi generally (as long as I have a decent signal, of course).
Since I have no use for downloading videos on my phone, just streaming, the video buddy has become pretty useless (and was always a bit poorly designed in the GUI dept and slow)... though I appreciate that it was free (or cheap?) and that it was a fan made app, if I remember correctly. It just doesn't have any advantages for me anymore, in fact it barely works.
@soup_menu Just wanted to come on here and say that people are welcome to their opinion, but I do NOT think the app is "a bit poorly designed in the GUI dept and slow" and I think it's vital. I just don't want opinions like that demoralizing you, as you've made giantbomb.com usable for people like me that need downloaded videos and the ability to save your place.
@zombievac: True enough I suppose and I appreciate the fact that you did make mention that it's for your use case, as opposed to a lot of people who might've just made it a blanket statement for all.
I wish I could just stream videos but most of the time that isn't an option. I live and work in a hotel and I think that should tell you all you need to know about my wifi situation. Speeds can be decent during the day (decent for here that is, which is around 3-5 Mbps) but at nights it can be frustratingly slow (as low as 0.08 Mbps) and make even loading simple web pages a hassle.
So for my use case, the app is a godsend as I can just leave my iPad in my room to download the videos while I'm at work so they're ready to watch when I get back at night and the internet is slower than molasses.
@okinopolytrans: Same here. I get the "Unsupported URL" thing a lot whenever it loses connection to wifi. Sometimes it does it automatically if I try to download videos at night because my speeds get supremely shitty (see above), to the point where it can't even hold on to the connection decently. I feel like the app doesn't stay in memory as well as before either, maybe due to some changes in iOS 10(?), as occasionally when I let my iPad go to sleep, then wake it up sometime later and go back into the app, it seems to have to load up again (i.e. - goes back to Latest instead of staying on Downloaded Videos which was the tab I left it on); then when I check the Download Manager tab any/all videos in there show the "unsupported URL" message. :/
@zombievac: True enough I suppose and I appreciate the fact that you did make mention that it's for your use case, as opposed to a lot of people who might've just made it a blanket statement for all.
I wish I could just stream videos but most of the time that isn't an option. I live and work in a hotel and I think that should tell you all you need to know about my wifi situation. Speeds can be decent during the day (decent for here that is, which is around 3-5 Mbps) but at nights it can be frustratingly slow (as low as 0.08 Mbps) and make even loading simple web pages a hassle.
So for my use case, the app is a godsend as I can just leave my iPad in my room to download the videos while I'm at work so they're ready to watch when I get back at night and the internet is slower than molasses.
@okinopolytrans: Same here. I get the "Unsupported URL" thing a lot whenever it loses connection to wifi. Sometimes it does it automatically if I try to download videos at night because my speeds get supremely shitty (see above), to the point where it can't even hold on to the connection decently. I feel like the app doesn't stay in memory as well as before either, maybe due to some changes in iOS 10(?), as occasionally when I let my iPad go to sleep, then wake it up sometime later and go back into the app, it seems to have to load up again (i.e. - goes back to Latest instead of staying on Downloaded Videos which was the tab I left it on); then when I check the Download Manager tab any/all videos in there show the "unsupported URL" message. :/
That would be a great reason to have the app, yeah.
FYI, you don't necessarily NEED a specific GiantBomb app to get that done, depending. Unless you only have your phone on you at hotels, and not a laptop or tablet. You could get an app like AirVideo HD, and have your laptop at the hotel or a PC at home (in that case, it'd be the spot you remote into to manage your home library on the go or add more stuff to it), to download the GB premium videos, and then download them to your phone with an app like AirVideo HD (or stream them when you have the connection speed to). Just another option in case the Video Buddy stops working, or isn't ideal for your situation anymore.
I love AirVideo HD because it allows me to stream my 10TB library of DVR'd shows and ripped DVDs/BluRays. Then I can stream them to my phone or iPad anywhere, and I can hook that up to any TV with HDMI and play them there. It's pretty sweet to have most of the shows/movies I'd ever want, right at my fingertips instantly, through my phone, laptop, or iPad - and has been a godsend at friends' houses and other gatherings and such where people want to watch a specific thing they don't have access to at their home, but I do.
@zombievac: Thanks for the recommendation! It doesn't fit my use case well, as I don't want to have a middleman PC download the videos so I can download them to my phone, but it does present a solution to a lot of other use cases.
Really love the app, except it force closes and crashes when I want to look at downloaded videos, not a huge deal but would love to have this fixed, thanks for the great app otherwise!!!
Video Buddy crashed after getting ~10gb of Brad's Zelda stream, but when I reopened VB it popped up an insufficient space warning. Checked in downloaded videos and nothing is listed there, but iOS settings -> General -> Storage is shows VB using 10gb. Am I gonna have to delete the app (and lose all my watched/unwatched data) or is there another way to clear that glitched file?
Hi, I've been exclusively using this app on my iPad 2 for a good year or 2 now and it's been brill until very recently. Over the last couple of weeks the videos have started freezing. It seems to happen on every video now, the picture freezes but the audio carries on. Sometimes the picture will then accelerate up to the correct time to match where the audio is, sometimes it just stays frozen. Closing the video and opening it back up usually gets it playing again but his only works for 2-5 minutes if I'm lucky.
I've got good internet - 35mb download usually. Everything is updated - apart from my iOS which is stuck at 9.3.5 since I'm using a iPad 2 but this hasn't been a issue before and as far as I know there's been no really recent updates that should have stopped compatibility. I've tried all streaming qualities and all have the same issue unless I select YouTube it works fine but that's no good for premium content and I much prefer the app. The video player on the site is no good either so can't use that. Plus the app keeps track of my played videos, resuming etc. So I really want to keep using it. I've even tried the painful delete and reinstalling option (losing all my watched and part watched info) and that hasn't cured the issue. Any ideas?
I should also point out when using AirPlay to my Apple TV it works fine through the app too.
@mfnick: Does it happen with all video quality settings? Giant Bomb recently upped their HD settings to 1080p/60fps, and that caused Roku problems. They put in a roku app fix to have that app pull 720p streams so the app would work. But I don't think @soup_menu is going to (or, maybe, even can) make that change, so HD videos may be more than your device can support.
@mfnick: I apologize, I saw on reread that you mentioned other streaming qualities. I also wonder if it's anything to do with streaming vs. downloading. I think the silver icon on your avatar means you're not a premium member (I might be wrong). If that's the case, I recommend signing up and downloading videos through the video buddy app, it's your best bet.
Thanks for the reply. Now you mention it when GB changed their video quality to 1080p60 and changed their equipment that's around when I started having issues on my iPad.
I am a premium member, I think the silver icon means I pay monthly, not yearly. It is strange though is that I can stream fine if I do it through AirPlay to my Apple TV. I guess the Apple TV can show that quality whereas my iPad struggles?
I'd like to download them but that means basically deleting everything else off my iPad. Some of the sizes are huge. Sounding like their may not be a fix for my particular needs then? I'd be absolutely gutted if that's the case, it will make it a lot more difficult for me to access GB's content with my lifestyle if that's the case :(
@mfnick: That does suck. I think you're right that the AppleTV can handle the streaming, the iPad can't. Try downloading something to at least confirm that downloading solves the issue.
A thing to note; I just got one of the Kindle Fire cheapo tablets with a 64gb microSD, and sideloaded Video Buddy. It works fine. Dunno if there's a way to stream that to a TV (I bet there is), but if so, that's a much cheaper solution than a new iPad. Not that you can afford it, but if that ends up being the only way, it's the cheaper "only way".
Also, though I tend to like and watch their Premium content more than their normal content, it comes out less frequently, so maybe (if you can free up 4 gigs or so) you can live with YouTube for normal content and downloading one premium video at a time.
I'm having some of the problem as everyone else, fortunately streaming directly through the website seems to work OK even though it's not ideal for mobile solutions.
I've noticed the same issues using this app on my iPad. Started a few weeks ago. Constant pauses caused by it not being able to buffer enough data, and the even odder one where video freezes but audio continues. It's definitely not my connection, I get a sustained 40Mbit+ link to my iPad. Streaming the same video from youtube works without any trouble.
I've got an odd issue where the app won't let me download this week's premium Bombcast. It keeps saying that I have to be a subscriber in order to download it, but I've got my account linked and it's worked for every other premium video I've watched in the past. Any ideas? Do I need to un-link and re-link my account or something?
When just trying to play the video rather than downloading it, the video player opens to a black screen for a while, then kicks me back to the listing.
I am having a similar issue to @euantor. Starting last night the Video Buddy app will not let me download videos, saying that I have to be a premium member (which I am).
I tried un-linking and re-linking my account, and the behaviour has not changed.
Update: It looks like the issue was only for this video: https://www.giantbomb.com/videos/quick-look-shadow-tactics-blades-of-the-shogun/2300-11924/. The app appears to be downloading other videos without issue. I tried different quality settings, but since it is only one video I am no longer as concerned with this issue.
From that message: "I just took a look and the trouble is that the API isn't currently returning an HD version for the latest installment of the Shenmue Endurance Run. Normally, not having an HD link indicates that you don't have a premium membership, which is why the app is refusing to download that video. The good news is that, as soon as the HD version gets posted, that video will become available for download. The bad news is that I'm not sure when that will happen. Sorry for the inconvenience."
Random question -- is this app (at least the iOS/tvOS versions) open-source? I'd like to take a shot at updating it to support the new video position support in the API.
@ascagnel: Never heard that it was open source. But it already saves video position. That's been one of the major selling points for it over just using the website.
I've double checked my premium account on giantbomb.com and I've made sure my account is linked to the video buddy app but it won't let me download premium videos to view offline. It says I need a premium membership and that I should sign in. What am I missing? Please help. Thanks!
@eriktoinfinity: I assume you're seeing this on the Battlegrounds video. That's because that video doesn't have an HD version. The app checks whether there's an HD version associated with your user's API return for the video, because that's how it determines whether you're premium. I assume it was implemented that way because there was no good authentication mechanism originally. But it means that with Video Buddy, if there's no HD version, you cannot download.
@ascagnel: Never heard that it was open source. But it already saves video position. That's been one of the major selling points for it over just using the website.
Dang. The tvOSversion doesn't seem to respect saved playback positions.
@eriktoinfinity: I assume you're seeing this on the Battlegrounds video. That's because that video doesn't have an HD version. The app checks whether there's an HD version associated with your user's API return for the video, because that's how it determines whether you're premium. I assume it was implemented that way because there was no good authentication mechanism originally. But it means that with Video Buddy, if there's no HD version, you cannot download.
I'm having the same problem with the new Bring Your B-game video from GBeast. I can download the UPF from this week fine but it says I need to be a subscriber to watch the GBE video. Is this something that can be addressed by either the App dev or GB? It bums me out that I can't download it for my daily train rides.
@joshth: for the record I am having the exact same problem, a huge bummer considering I have to work this weekend and generally save some premium vids to watch when the bosses are away
I have my account linked and I am a premium subscriber but it will not allow me to download premium content. Have tried several times and unlinked and linked etc. No luck. Keep getting@ please login. " any ideas?
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