Thursday, 28 Mar 2024

Disney+ launch plagued by technical issues

Frozen! Disney+ launch is plagued by technical issues as thousands report trouble logging in and streaming after it launched to huge fanfare this morning – but service blames ‘demand exceeding expectations’

  • The $7-per-month streaming service launched at 3am EST on Tuesday 
  • Many users reported being ‘unable to connect’ to the service in its early hours
  • Outage-mapping website Down Detector reported more than 7,300 problems with the service as of 9am EST 
  • 27 per cent were log-in issues and 70 per cent were problems with streaming 
  • Disney+ addressed the issues on Twitter, explaining that ‘consumer demand has exceeded our high expectations’
  • Nearly two million subscribers signed up for access to the catalog of 500 movies and 7,500 TV shows 

Disney+ has been plagued by technical issues in the first several hours after it went live as more than 7,300 customers reported problems with logging in and streaming.  

Nearly two million subscribers signed up for the $7-per-month streaming service ahead of its long-awaited launch at 3am EST Tuesday, eager to dive into its catalog of 500 movies and 7,500 TV shows – a mix of Marvel and Star Wars movies and shows, classic animated films and new series. 

However, many customers found themselves ‘unable to connect’ to the service in its early hours.  

Outage-mapping website Down Detector reported more than 7,300 problems with the service as of 9am EST. Of those problems, 27 per cent were regarding log-in and 70 per cent were struggles with streaming. 

Disney+ addressed the issues on Twitter, writing: ‘The consumer demand for Disney+ has exceeded our high expectations. We are working to quickly resolve the current user issue. We appreciate your patience.’  

Disney+ has been plagued by technical issues in the first few hours after it went live at 12am PST. Dozens of customers shared error messages like the one above on social media

Outage-mapping website Down Detector reported more than 7,300 problems with the service as of 6am PST

Disney+ addressed the technical issues on Twitter, blaming high consumer demand

The $7-per-month streaming service attracted nearly two million subscribers ahead of its long-awaited launch at 3am EST Tuesday. Its catalog features 500 movies and 7,500 TV shows – a mix of Marvel and Star Wars movies and shows, classic animated films and new series 

At a media event last week, the head of Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer and International unit, Kevin Mayer, predicted that there could be technical issues given the thousands of hours of TV available on the site. 

‘There are always technical glitches and you can always improve the technical performance of any service like this,’ Mayer said.  

Users affected by the issues were less forgiving given how long they’d waited to finally check out the streaming service, many of them taking to social media with their complaints. 

‘I cannot access my Disney Plus account on my first attempt this morning,’ one user tweeted. ‘Tried to reset password given error code 86 and told I was blocked.’

Another wrote: ‘Anyone else get their account locked upon entering their passwords for the first time for Disney Plus?

‘Great experience … still on hold with customer service for 20+ minutes … glad I prepaid for 3 years.’

‘Not too surprised but @disneyplus looks like it’s already falling over,’ another person tweeted. 

‘On FireTV Stick can’t load main page (Unable to connect to Disney+) and couldn’t play The Mandalorian (some account issue).’ 

However, customers who were able to access Disney+ raved about the massive selection online, many of them commenting that they weren’t sure what to stream first.  

‘If you don’t hear from me for a few days, I’m busy reliving my early childhood,’ one user tweeted.  

‘Today is the perfect day to just stay home all day on my couch in my PJ’s binging all of my favorite Disney movies on #DisneyPlus,’ another wrote.   

Users reported being unable to watch one of the most highly-anticipated offerings in the Disney+ catalog – The Mandalorian – because there was no play button or episodes listed

Disney+’s initial launch included the US, Canada and Netherlands. The service will launch in Australia, New Zealand and Puerto Rico on November 19 and across Western Europe in March 2020. 

There’s a lot riding on the gamble, as traditional media companies seek to siphon the subscription revenue now going to Netflix and other streaming giants.

With an advertising blitz, low entry price and coveted library of older movies and shows, Disney should ‘blow the doors off initially,’ said Pivotal Research Group analyst Jeffrey Wlodarczak.

But the challenge will be keeping those subscribers in the long run.

STREAMING SERVICE BREAKDOWN

Here’s a look at the new streaming challengers and what you get with each: 

NEW PLAYERS 

Disney+

Disney’s entertainment service, featuring shows and movies from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic.

Launch date: November 12

Price: $7 a month or $70 a year. Getting Disney Plus with ESPN Plus and Hulu, both owned by Disney, will cost $13 a month.

Promotions: Seven-day free trial. Free year with all Verizon Wireless unlimited plans and when customers switch to Verizon’s Fios Home Internet or 5G Home Internet.

Original shows: ‘The Mandalorian,’ a live-action ‘Star Wars’ series created by Jon Favreau. A prequel to the ‘Star Wars’ movie ‘Rogue One.’ A series about the Marvel character Loki. A rebooted ‘High School Musical’ series. A documentary series focused on Disney.

Other shows and movies: Animated classics, including ‘Aladdin’ and ‘The Jungle Book,’ will be available at launch; others will be added as streaming deals with other services expire. Movies released in 2019 or later will go to Disney Plus rather than a rival streaming service first. Disney Plus will also house past seasons of ‘The Simpsons,’ which Disney got through its purchase of Fox’s entertainment business.

Apple TV+ 

Apple’s entry into the streaming business.

Launch date: November 1

Price: $5 a month

Promotions: Seven-day free trial. A year free to buyers of a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod Touch or Mac.

Original shows: A Jason Momoa series called ‘See’ and ‘The Morning Show,’ a comedy starring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carrell. The service will launch with nine original shows and movies, with more expected each month.

Other shows and movies: None.

Peacock 

The service from Comcast’s NBCUniversal will carry 15,000 hours of video at launch.

Launch date: April 2020

Price: Undisclosed

Promotions: Free for many Comcast cable and internet customers.

Original shows: Reboots of ‘Battlestar Galactica’ and ‘Saved by the Bell.’ Comedy series ‘Rutherford Falls,’ from Michael Schur, creator of ‘The Good Place’ and ‘Parks and Recreation.’

Other shows and movies: ’30 Rock, ‘Will & Grace,’ and ‘Cheers,’ though these won’t stream exclusively on Peacock. Peacock will get ‘Parks and Recreation’ and ‘The Office’ once existing deals with Netflix expire. ‘Bridesmaids,’ ”E.T.’ and other movies from Universal Pictures, Focus Features and DreamWorks Animation.

HBO MAX

A souped-up version of HBO from AT&T’s WarnerMedia, with some 10,000 hours of video at launch.

Launch date: May 2020

Price: $15 a month

Promotions: Free for about 10 million existing HBO subscribers – those who get HBO through AT&T distribution platforms such as U-Verse and DirecTV, and those who get the HBO Now streaming service directly from HBO, rather than a cable or online partner such as Amazon. Free for customers of AT&T’s higher-tier wireless and broadband offerings.

Original shows: A ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel called ‘House of the Dragon.’ ”Raised by Wolves,’ a sci-fi series directed by Ridley Scott. ‘Strange Adventures,’ a DC Super Hero anthology series.

Other shows and movies: HBO shows and movies, including theatrical releases that HBO licenses. Programs from the Warner Bros. studio, including ‘Friends,’ ”The Big Bang Theory,’ ”The Fresh Prince of Bel Air’ and ‘Pretty Little Liars.’ The animated comedy ‘South Park.’ New CW shows ‘Batwoman’ and ‘Riverdale’ spinoff ‘Katy Keene’ will also be available to stream after the season ends.

Source: The Associated Press 

 

STREAMING VETERANS 

Netflix

Launch date: February 2007

Price: Netflix’s most basic plan is $8.99 per month, its Standard plan with HD quality – the company’s most popular offering – is $12.99 per month and the Premium plan is $15.99 per month.  

Original Shows: Netflix features more than 1,000 original offerings, including Stranger Things, The Crown, Orange Is The New Black, Bojack Horseman and GLOW.

Hulu

Launch date: March 2008

Price: Hulu offers four levels of service: Basic ($5.99 per month), Premium ($11.99 per month), Basic + Live TV ($44.99 per month), and Premium + Live TV ($50.99 per month). Basic has ads, while Premium is ad-free.

Original shows: Hulu offers significantly fewer originals than its competitor Netflix, with 26. Popular series include The Handmaid’s Tale, Castle Rock, PEN15 and The Act. 

Amazon Video

Launch date: September 2006

Price: Amazon Video is available to all Amazon Prime members. The Prime membership is $12.99 per month or $119 per year.  

Original shows: Amazon has 39 original shows, including The Man in the High Castle, Bosch, Mozart in the Jungle, Patriot, Sneaky Pete and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel 

Source: Read Full Article

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