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Discovery Education Streaming--did I make a mistake?

JessieC

By JessieC,
in K-8 Curriculum Board

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JessieC

JessieC

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I just dropped $200 on a year subscription to Discovery Streaming through Homeschool Buyers Coop and now I think I want my money back. The video quality is very low when I go to fullscreen and I found out I can't download videos (this is disabled for homeschoolers!)

 

I wrote to Tech Support and they said to change the streaming options, but the only one that works is Windows Media and the video looks blurry. I'm frustrated and hope I didn't make a mistake here. Anyone know the refund policy?

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bbkaren

bbkaren

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Isn't that the subscription that, along with Brainpop, is included with a G3student subscription?

 

I'm sure the co-op will refund you...right? I mean, if it doesn't work, it doesn't work!

 

They've been very responsive to any of my questions so drop them a line--and if you paid using your visa and they say "no refund" I'd dispute the charge!

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AngelBee

AngelBee

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Isn't that the subscription that, along with Brainpop, is included with a G3student subscription?

 

I'm sure the co-op will refund you...right? I mean, if it doesn't work, it doesn't work!

 

They've been very responsive to any of my questions so drop them a line--and if you paid using your visa and they say "no refund" I'd dispute the charge!

Same DS, but she got hers through Homeschool Buyers (???) and it is 200.00 instead of 60.00 and does not include Brainpops.

 

Her version does include teachers manuals (when available) and I believe she can assign videos to students.

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Samiam

Samiam

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Hmm, how were you intending on using it?

 

What video's are grainy for you? I have found that video clips from other videos are a bit grainy. For example, when I had my son watch Reagan giving his famous speech at the Berlin Wall, it was grainy. But then again, that video is over 20 years old, so technology back then was not as good, and thus I suppose one could only do so much with it now, to get the "grainy" out.

 

But other things we watch, like Animated Hero Classic which are cartoons, the Spanish lessons,videos on animals, countries, etc etc etc, are not really that grainy at all in full size.

 

The thing is DS is a supplement for us. So we studied the collapse of the Berlin Wall. Then we went to DS to watch Reagan. Even though it was grainy, well, it's 10 minutes of really interesting footage. I dealt with the grainyness. We use DS to enhance what we are studying and the fact that they have ALOT to offer about many different things we study, well kind of balances out that some videos are not the best quality, for us.

 

Not sure why you would want do download it, why use all that memory on your computer? Why not just go online to watch it when you have online access?

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KarenNC

KarenNC

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I'm sorry you're having problems. We have been very pleased, but we have not been trying to watch fullscreen. No issues with video quality at all watching it at regular resolution through Firefox. We've watched educacion espanola, TOP! Spanish, Standard Deviants Spanish, some biology videos, history videos, Horrible Histories, PBS Empires, etc. I have been trying to get our Roku service to let us stream through that to the TV, which Roku says is possible by creating a private channel, but not having much luck. I need to pursue that again.

 

I very much doubt HSBC will refund based on not being able to download, since it is clearly stated in red print on the ordering page that this is not an option:

"Note: We are sorry -- the demo mentions a free trial that is no longer available. Also, all videos are now streamed only -- you can no longer download and save videos."

 

Also, under "Terms and Conditions," it says no cancellations:

"RETURNS: As this is a special group price, you cannot back out once you place your order. In order to bring you these great prices, we cannot accept cancellations."

 

At this point, I would plan on utilizing it at regular resolution rather than fullscreen if I were you.

 

Note that you *can* print the related teaching materials, at least for educacion espanola (don't remember if I saved them or just printed them out). Interesting to note that the onlineG3 subscription doesn't include access to the related material. I knew they didn't have everything that the HSBC one did, but not exactly the differences. Since this is our main Spanish program, that would have been an issue (it's supplemental for everything else). I had planned initially to order through onlineG3, but couldn't get them to respond to me in time about whether or not the Spanish I wanted was included (took them over a month to respond to the question). I've given thought to switching over to them next year, but looks like I should take time this year to download/print any teaching materials for things I might want to use next year if I do that.

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EmilyK

EmilyK

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I have the same problem -- I have beckoned my kids over and they were not interested in watching given how poor the resolution is. And this was not old video, it was shows they've watched on TV or rented from the library.

 

That said, it sounds like it works differently in different browsers, so I need to try that.

 

I have been really happy with the audiobooks they have and have been able to download them for off-line use. There are also educational songs but I haven't used it for that yet.

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JessieC

JessieC

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Thanks for your responses, everyone. The graininess is with everything we have tried so far, including Magic School Bus, the Spanish lessons, etc. I will try it in Firefox. I didn't even see the audiobooks--I'll have to check that out. I wanted to download so so one child would have something to watch while the other was at an activity where there was no Internet (this happens to us a lot). Ah well. I will keep working on it. I know it is my own fault about the downloading--but it kind of irks me that they especially disabled this function for homeschoolers, especially since we paid so much. Thanks again.

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tammyw

tammyw

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I don't think it's a browser issue. I just think these videos are best viewed small screen. We're so used to watching things on a big tv (or big monitor) that it was a huge shock to me also, to see that we had to watch this so small and even then the quality is iffy. My kids really don't seem to mind but I only paid the $60 (or so) pricetag for the G3 membership which also includes brainpop. Frankly, they don't use it nearly enough to justify spending more, because we get so many dvds from the library.

 

But I 100% agree with you - the quality just is not there.

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cajunrose

cajunrose

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Are you also trying to watch it at fullscreen? Which browser do you use? Is it all videos or just some that are poor quality?

I'm using it in Firefox and google chrome (on a mac). ALL video's are very poor. Animal ones, etc. So poor, in fact, that sometimes you can't make out exactly what animal you are viewing. I'm viewing it on a small screen too...it's much too poor to make bigger.

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Abigail4476

Abigail4476

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My best guess on the graininess is that it has to do with your internet connection. Streaming videos will adjust quality based on the user's internet connection. The same video that's sharp for me may be very low quality for you. Our connection fluctuates: We can be watching a movie on Amazon[On Demand] and suddenly it will pause, reassess the connection and come back grainy midstream. That's normal for streaming content.

 

If the videos aren't great quality to begin with (I haven't seen them), then it just goes downhill from there. :001_huh:

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KarenNC

KarenNC

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Posted (edited)
I'm using it in Firefox and google chrome (on a mac). ALL video's are very poor. Animal ones, etc. So poor, in fact, that sometimes you can't make out exactly what animal you are viewing. I'm viewing it on a small screen too...it's much too poor to make bigger.

 

I'm surprised. We use Firefox 7.0 on a PC with a 17 inch monitor set at 1280x1024 resolution. We've also used it on our 19 inch laptop (also PC, using wireless router) with no issues. We've have no issues with picture quality in the default size that DS gives us. I haven't tried to switch it to a stand-alone player (one of the options), so can't speak to that.

 

We do have the HSBC account rather than the onlineG3 one, not sure if that makes a difference to the small screen quality.

 

ETA: We have a cable modem with a download speed of 18 mbs (just did the speed test to check it). The videos we've watched have been of high quality---PBS Empires series for instance---the same quality we've found from Netflix, dvds, etc.

Edited by KarenNC
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KsJET

KsJET

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I'm using it in Firefox and google chrome (on a mac). ALL video's are very poor. Animal ones, etc. So poor, in fact, that sometimes you can't make out exactly what animal you are viewing. I'm viewing it on a small screen too...it's much too poor to make bigger.

 

Ditto. We also watch the videos on my Macbook Pro and they are grainy. Some aren't too bad (Planet Earth) and others are terrible. The really awful ones are old and I realize that has an effect on the quality. We also have a fast internet connection and turn off all other wireless devices in the house when we watch streaming content. It doesn't make a difference. :glare: My kids don't seem to mind so we just deal with it.

 

We have the G3 subscription and are able to download the videos.

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jplain

jplain

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When I switch to Flash under the streaming options, the quality is slightly better, enough that I can use full screen with some programs. You can find the streaming options to the lower left of the small video window

 

But yeah, pixellation and poor resolution are the reasons I won't buy a Basic or Plus subscription, even with the HSBC discount. We subscribed to OnlineG3 instead, for both BrainPop and DE access. The DE product available through G3 is different from Basic or Plus. For example, it lacks Magic School Bus, but does have Planet Earth.

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Alessandra

Alessandra

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I got a refund a few years ago. During my first year, I could download; then they changed to download disabled, but I hadn't noticed (my mistake -- it was clearly stated, but I didn't read everything because I was renewing, KWIM). I can't remember if I got the refund from HB Co-op or Discovery itself, but I did get one. I called immediately after I got my second year's subscription.

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KsJET

KsJET

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When I switch to Flash under the streaming options, the quality is slightly better, enough that I can use full screen with some programs. You can find the streaming options to the lower left of the small video window

 

But yeah, pixellation and poor resolution are the reasons I won't buy a Basic or Plus subscription, even with the HSBC discount. We subscribed to OnlineG3 instead, for both BrainPop and DE access. The DE product available through G3 is different from Basic or Plus. For example, it lacks Magic School Bus, but does have Planet Earth.

 

You can view Magic School Bus videos with the G3 subscription if you follow the links here: http://satorismiles.com/resources/discovery-education-streaming/magic-school-bus/ :)

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KarenNC

KarenNC

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Ditto. We also watch the videos on my Macbook Pro and they are grainy. Some aren't too bad (Planet Earth) and others are terrible. The really awful ones are old and I realize that has an effect on the quality. We also have a fast internet connection and turn off all other wireless devices in the house when we watch streaming content. It doesn't make a difference. :glare: My kids don't seem to mind so we just deal with it.

 

We have the G3 subscription and are able to download the videos.

 

Odd, I wonder if the platform has something to do with it. I'll have to try to remember to ask my friend who has a Mac to let me try my account on her machine to see. Since Macs are more about graphics, I don't know if that would make the situation likely to be better or worse.

 

As to the comment about Hulu and Netflix looking better, ours is the same quality, so I am really mystified.

 

Is there anyone who's done both platforms and seen a difference? Or who has had the HSBC subscription then G3 (or vice versa) and seen a difference? As an aside, I'd love to know more detail about the differences folks have found between the HSBC and G3 subscriptions in terms of content. I have had a heck of a time trying to get any details out of G3 on that score.

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JessieC

JessieC

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OP here, and I played around some more last night. Firefox didn't work very well for me. I also played with Chrome using Flash, but the quality was very poor. The best resolution I got was from using Internet Explorer and then the Windows Media Player, but it still wasn't great. I have the Plus subscription.

 

We have Netflix and have no problem with quality on any of our browsers when streaming those shows.

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jplain

jplain

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Jessy, if I were you, I'd probably ask for a refund, citing poor video quality despite much mucking about with players and browsers. Then, if you are interested in a smaller subset of Discovery Education streaming, consider either becoming a paid member of online G3 (which would include BrainPop Jr.) or trying out Cosmeo, which is monthly. In my opinion, with little ones you really don't need Plus, and you probably wouldn't miss the additional videos.

 

I posted a little bit about Cosmeo in another thread:

If you want to try out Elementary Spanish before committing to a subscription, you can request a free 30-day trial of DE Streaming. You fill out a form online, and they'll email you back with a trial subscription link. Even if you ask for a Plus trial, they'll only give you a DE Streaming trial, because they don't market Plus directly to homeschoolers. But of course you already know you can get Plus through homeschoolbuyerscoop.com.

 

Alternatively, you can sign up for a free trial of Cosmeo, which is a subset of DE Streaming. Cosmeo has some, but not all, of Elementary Spanish. But it is a little more flexible, as it is a monthly subscription, rather than yearly subscription. If I recall correctly, Cosmeo does have all of year 1. Edited to add: Just re-checked, and it does have all of the first year, which consists of ES1/2 Units 1-5. A few programs from year 2, ES1/2 Units 6-10, are currently missing, and I'm planning to contact them about that. The instructor's manual PDFs are NOT available on Cosmeo.

 

I tried both trials, and ended up choosing Cosmeo for now. I'll probably move up to DE Streaming or DE Streaming Plus when my kids are a few years older. But for now, Cosmeo has plenty to keep a 4yo and a 6yo busy.

 

One word of warning: all of the DE sites, including Cosmeo, have pretty ridiculous search engines and naming conventions. Plan to spend some time either bookmarking or putting programs in Favorites folders, so you can find them when needed.

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JessieC

JessieC

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Jessy, if I were you, I'd probably ask for a refund, citing poor video quality despite much mucking about with players and browsers. Then, if you are interested in a smaller subset of Discovery Education streaming, consider either becoming a paid member of online G3 (which would include BrainPop Jr.) or trying out Cosmeo, which is monthly. In my opinion, with little ones you really don't need Plus, and you probably wouldn't miss the additional videos.

 

I posted a little bit about Cosmeo in another thread:

 

Thanks very much for the advice!

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AngelBee

AngelBee

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When I switch to Flash under the streaming options, the quality is slightly better, enough that I can use full screen with some programs. You can find the streaming options to the lower left of the small video window

 

But yeah, pixellation and poor resolution are the reasons I won't buy a Basic or Plus subscription, even with the HSBC discount. We subscribed to OnlineG3 instead, for both BrainPop and DE access. The DE product available through G3 is different from Basic or Plus. For example, it lacks Magic School Bus, but does have Planet Earth.

You can get Magic School bus on G3 sub.

 

Look here. I am watching it now. :)

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jplain

jplain

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You can get Magic School bus on G3 sub.

 

Look here. I am watching it now. :)

LOL. Look here? Um, I'm probably in another state, and I can't see what you're doing from here. :D

But thanks to KsJET, I can now get them using the links on satorismiles.

Were you able to search for them directly using the DE streaming search engine?

If so, what search term(s) did you use?

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AngelBee

AngelBee

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LOL. Look here? Um, I'm probably in another state, and I can't see what you're doing from here. :D

But thanks to KsJET, I can now get them using the links on satorismiles.

Were you able to search for them directly using the DE streaming search engine?

If so, what search term(s) did you use?

 

The search sucks! :lol: I love DE though. If we work together, we will all find great gems! :D

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In2why

In2why

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I don't think it's a browser issue. I just think these videos are best viewed small screen. We're so used to watching things on a big tv (or big monitor) that it was a huge shock to me also, to see that we had to watch this so small and even then the quality is iffy. My kids really don't seem to mind but I only paid the $60 (or so) pricetag for the G3 membership which also includes brainpop. Frankly, they don't use it nearly enough to justify spending more, because we get so many dvds from the library.

 

But I 100% agree with you - the quality just is not there.

 

 

It must be the browser, internet connection or perhaps the resolution on your computer. I watch DS almost every day by streaming it from my laptop to my huge flatscreen TV and they are almost TV quality. One thing I had to do was change the resolution on the laptop under graphic properties. The other thing you might consider is how you are connecting it the TV. I get best results using an S-cable or the HDMI cable.

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Satori

Satori

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Our family just loves Discovery Education Streaming and will continue to fork out $199/year (through HSBC) for the full Plus version. I expected it to be very grainy just starting out, so haven't been disappointed. It's not as clear as a TV, but we can view our videos, full screen on a large computer screen just fine. We use the 700kps option only.

 

I have both the G3 and full Discovery Education Plus from HSBC subscriptions and I posted the differences in detail on another homeschooling board. People had so many questions and I attempted to answer them (I am not an employee or affiliate or related in anyway to them, I just love the service.) I'll cut and paste my post here:

I played with both my DE Streaming subscriptions (Plus through HSBC and Basic through G3) a bit and noticed the following differences. My Plus through HSBC offers a Teacher and Student Login. These are the differences with what you'll see signed in as a Teacher opposed to a Student with OnlineG3.

  • I am
    signed into two computers
    with the same username with the OnlineG3 Basic subscription. I suspected we could and was happy to see so.

  • I prefer the initial
    interface
    better with the student login with Online G3. Easier to navigate, less overwhelming.

  • OnlineG3 only offers
    Basic
    . You can see the differences on the HSBC someone may have linked to. Still, tons of videos!

  • With
    OnlineG3
    , you can add content to "My Favorites" and designate it to a folder. Now all the student has to do is go to their Student Center and click "My Favorites" to see all the stuff.
    On the other hand, Plus
    offers you to add content to the following: My Content, Classroom/Students, Assignment, Writing Prompt, and Quiz. Adding to "My Content" is similar to "My Favorites" with the folders and such. I used to use the "Assignment" option, but it was such a complicated process. So I'm pleased that you can do the most relevant/important such task in OnlineG3.

  • The OnlineG3 Basic version offers a Download Type version but when I try to download, it just plays the video. Not sure if it means what I thought. Full Plus doesn't have the Download Type option, but it does offer a higher quality Stream Type of ASF (700 Kbps) instead of just 256 Kpbs on Basic.

  • OnlineG3 DOES offer
    Elementary Spanish
    program! That's the program on DE Streaming that most people initially sign up to use. That's the Grade 1-6. I've heard it does not offer the Grade 7-8 program though.

  • OnlineG3 basic does
    NOT offer "Related Materials"
    option for any of their offerings. This is what the Full Plus version will see for teachers so you can download possible Teacher's Guides and supplementary materials.

  • OnlineG3 doesn't offer the Ratings, as someone mentioned. Or Printer Friendly Option or Curriculum Standards which I never used anyway.

So that conclues my observations when comparing the two this morning. Hope this helps for people wondering what the differences were.

 

EDIT: Adding one more thing. I for some reason am not able to use the search engine with OnlineG3 as accurately as the Teacher Plus version. I found Magic School Bus on plus through the search engine, but not through OnlineG3. I put the URL in and one came up though. Try this link:

 

Some people hate their search engine. For that reason, you may find my listing of URLs helpful:

 

We found out later why certain videos weren't showing up via the OnlineG3 subscription. The company had this response:

"Magic School Bus is definitely part of the base pack. However, due to licensing restrictions, it's not part of the student media pack. While they can't search for it, teachers can still assign it and it will show up that way. "

 

 

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