Attention AT&T Users - Please respond

Anime Network has contacted AT&T again with your missing updates and AT&T has stated there are no missing updates.

(Can you AT&T users check this and verify the below?)

AT&T informed Anime Network:

[quote]Just recently we customized our SVoD section into 3 segments:

  • Kids-Family
    o Disney Family Movies
    o Kids Unlimited
  • Special Interest
    o Anime Network on Demand
    o The Karaoke Channel
    o Union on Demand
  • Cutting Edge
    o Here TV
    o Full Moon Horror on Demand

So perhaps they are just simply not looking into the “Special Interest” SVoD
folder? If they still can not find it then your customer would only have to
use the “Search” functionality to locate it if they did not click through
into the new “Special Interest” folder.[/quote]

So what’s the deal with the ones reporting missing updates? When you post, please post your Zip Code and area too, so I can compile your answers for Anime Network and AT&T.

This information is correct. They did recently restructure their SVOD menu. However, the problem that I have been experiencing predates this change by 2 months. Also, it does not explain why only partial updates are making it to the VOD or why episodes are randomly disappearing then reappearing.

This is why I’ve found it is so difficult to deal with AT&T. They would rather blame the customer than actually put any time into seeing what the problem is. They just assume their customers are too ignorant to work the VOD. I got this same response from customer service on several calls. I tried to explain to them that I can find the page just fine and the problem is on their end. I can’t watch shows that aren’t available.

I have noticed that the number of missing episodes seems to consistently hover around 10 lately. Sometimes the SVOD episodes have FREE where the price should be instead of being blank. The Free VOD has also been missing episodes. Get Backers, DN Angel, and Yumeria are running exclusively on Free VOD. Free VOD is in the Cutting Edge subfolder of the Free section, whereas SVOD is in the Special Interest subfolder of the Subscription section. There is no Union on Demand folder under Special Interest.

Fort Worth, TX 76107
Missing SVOD episodes:
Alice Academy - 15
Aria the Natural - 9
Daphne in the Brilliant Blue - 22
Destiny of the Shrine Maiden - 1
He is My Master - 9
Maria Watches Over Us - 7
Revolutionary Girl Utena - 23
Super Gals - 36
World of Narue - 6, 8
You’re Under Arrest - 13
Ultimate Crop Circles
Missing Free VOD episodes:
Get Backers - 33
Yumeria - 3, 4, 5
Broken Link:
Clannad After Story - 9 (episode is listed, but you can’t watch it, it kicks you back to the main Anime Network page)

I understand that these problems can be difficult to track down. I signed up for U-Verse in May or June. SVOD worked perfectly until the end of September. That is when it started having problems. Something changed at that time. What I find frustrating is the atrocious customer service, but it sounds like you are getting the same response that I do. I want to know how they expect to fix a problem when they refuse to acknowledge that there is one!

Thanks for all your help.

1/7: Updated this list to reflect this week’s update. I think we should have received Destiny of the Shrine Maiden in SVOD. We only got it in the Free section, but at least it’s available.

I have notices the same here, AT&T UVerse, Trumbull, CT, 06611. They restuctured the SVOD and the Anime On Demand is now where you said it is. Everything was runninf smooth until the week of Dec 17. Some of the new episodes did not appear that were supposed to and half of them appeared on Dec 24. Mine appear to be shows that begin from A to G randomly. The week of Dec 31 is the worst. The free shows are updating, I get Yumeria 3 and 4, World of Narue is current but most of the shows you listed have not updated in two weeks or skipped episodes. I’d like to see Alice Academy - 15, Aria the Natural - 9, Daphne in the Brilliant Blue - 22 and He is My Master - 9. Also I did get and watched You’re Under Arrest - 12, 13 and 14 and got Ultimate Crop Circles. I’m going to have to call AT&T again and speek to a supervisor this time.

Good news today from Anime Network - I sent Anime Network the full report of your issues and they sent it on to AT&T’s VOD director. AT&T’s director says they have read your specific reports and will be forwarding it to the traffic team to look into identifying the source of the problem and find out why it’s happening in some of the regions.

That’s great news. I just got off the phone with an agent and here’s what we discovered:

By using the search function, I am able to find some of the missing episodes. These are not available on the Anime Network on Demand pages (Action Zone, Girl Power, or Super Happy Funtime) or on the Free on Demand Anime Network page. The agent thought this was a problem with Microsoft. He contacted the Video Operations Center and they claim to not have World of Narue 6 or 8 and blame TAN for not delivering it due to possible licensing issues. He did not check on the full list, just a few. For Alice Academy, Aria, HiMM, and Clannad episodes listed below, they say “subscription info” instead of “play” and are unable to be viewed. The agent created another ticket (#31998), but told me he didn’t think anything would be done about it as it is a problem with Anime Network and not AT&T.

Fort Worth, TX 76107
Missing SVOD episodes:
Alice Academy - 15 <found using search - still unable to watch - says call customer support to access>
Aria the Natural - 9 <found using search - still unable to watch - says call customer support to access>
Daphne in the Brilliant Blue - 22
He is My Master - 9 <found using search - still unable to watch - says call customer support to access>
Maria Watches Over Us - 7
Revolutionary Girl Utena - 23
Super Gals - 36 <found using search -still unable to watch - says temporarily unavailable>
World of Narue - 6, 8
You’re Under Arrest - 13
Ultimate Crop Circles
Missing Free VOD episodes:
DN Angel - 6 <found using search - able to access>
Get Backers - 33 <found using search - able to access>
Yumeria - 3, 4
Yumeria - 5 <found using search - able to access>
Broken Link:
Clannad After Story - 9 (episode is listed, but you can’t watch it, it kicks you back to the main Anime Network page)

I hope this info helps in resolving the problem. Thanks for all your help dragoon!

The agent I was speaking to earlier just called back to let me know that they have acknowledged that there is a problem. They are going to resubmit the content and it may or may not resolve the issue of the currently missing episodes. They are unsure as to whether this will permanently fix the problem. He said he would call me back to follow up in a few days. He also said that the agents on the floor have been made aware that there is a problem with Anime Network. I think the two pronged attack is working! Keep your fingers crossed!

AT&T UVerse, Trumbull, CT 06611

I spent almost an hour with Tier 2 Support last night and he found something interesting. The tech checked their servers to see if the missing episodes where there and available. Of all the shows I told him that where missing, only one (1) show, Alice Academy eps 15 was on the server and available but not in the program guide. He created a Ticket to find the problem and resolve. All the other shows that I gave him were flagged as “blacked out” and unavailable in my area/region That is why they do not show up on the AT&T program guide. He did say that the same programs are available in at least 40 other cities but not in my region. My question is why is AnimeNetwork blocking some of its episodes is certain areas and not indicating this on the schedule page. Also the Schedule page on this website does not have “Maria is watching over us pretemps” listed but I have been getting it on the SVOD for the last month. Something is not in sync somewhere. Can anyone look into these.

I don’t recall Anime Network ever blocking individual programs to certain areas. The only time they block certain programming on the Free service, is when the show is part of the SVOD service. The only other instance, which happens in sports quite often, is when another channel in a particular city has the rights to certain programming. But I doubt this would ever be a problem with anime.

Plus, considering TAN only sends this show to ATT, they would lack the ability to block programming to certain cities. That would ultimately be in the cable providers hands. I think ATT is just trying to pass the buck, as Comcast would often do. Hence, why I switched back to DirecTV.

Just a quick update on what has changed:

1/9:
These were received in the Girl Power section and can be viewed:
Super Gals 36
World of Narue 8

Alice Academy 15 had appeared 1/8, but still couldn’t be viewed - gone on 1/9 and cannot be found using search.

1/10:
Revolutionary Girl Utena 23 received in Action Zone

AT&T U-Verse Fort Worth,TX 76107

Thanks for updating the schedule! That really helped. Four episodes expired this week that we never received (Aria Natural 9, HiMM 9, Alice 15, Clannad AS 9). I’ve tried to locate each currently missing episode using the search function and noted the results below.

SVOD DID Not Receive 1/14:
Dokkoida - 4
Ghost Hound - 12
You’re Under Arrest - 17

SVOD Did Not Receive 1/7:
Destiny of the Shrine Maiden - 1
Free VOD Did Not Receive 1/7:
DN Angel - 6 <found using search - able to watch>
Get Backers - 33 <found using search -able to watch>
Yumeria - 5 <found using search - able to watch>

SVOD Did Not Receive 12/31:
Daphne in the Brilliant Blue - 22
Maria Watches Over Us Printemps - 7
Ultimate Crop Circles

Free VOD Did Not Receive 12/24:
Yumeria - 4

Missing SVOD = 3 episodes + 1 feature
Missing Free VOD = 4 episodes

Edit: Since posting, the missing episodes from Jan. 14 update have appeared. All scheduled episodes received this week.

AT&T U-Verse Fort Worth, TX 76107

[size=5]All missing content for the SVOD has been received! [/size] :woohoo:

The free VOD is still missing episodes, but other than DN Angel, I can watch these on the online player. Considering how long it takes them to fix the services I pay for, I don’t expect them to do much about the Free VOD. It’s more to let y’all know what’s going on.

Thanks for all the help!

AT&T UVerse, 06611, Trumbull, CT

All of my missing episodes started coming through Tuesday 1/12/2010 and Wednesday 1/13/2010. Then Thursday 1/14/2010 received ALL the current and new scheduled shows and episodes. I have a lot of watching to do this long weekend to get caught up!

Shows received:
Alice Academy 19 - Curtain Raising Snow White in the Sleeping Forest
Aria the Natural Subtitled 13 - That Big Resolution…
Clannad After Story 13 - Graduation
Daphne in the Brilliant Blue 23 - Escape From Kamchatka
Destiny of the Shrine Maiden 2 - Overlapping Sun and Moon
Dokkoida?! 4 - The Strange Neighbor, Sayuri
E’s Otherwise 2 - We Are Not Here To Destroy
Ghost Hound Subtitled 12 - Homeostasis Synchronization
Little Snow Fairy Sugar 11 - My Favorite Piano
Maria Watches Over Us Printemps Subtitled 9 - Tears of the Rosary
Polyphonica 1 - The Crimson Spirit
Popotan 5 - Hot Springs
Revolutionary Girl Utena 24 - Miss Nanami’s Secret Diary
Special A 1 - Hikari . Kei
Supergals 37 - Secrets Revealed! - Mami-rin’s Crisis!
World of Narue 10 - Operation Cosplay
You’re Under Arrest TV Season 1 17 - File 17: Mom’s only 20?