Disclaimer: This is more of a statement for my fellow Viasat users out there, not really a request for assistance…we have already been through that.
The hard truth appears to be that using Viasat service as your primary ISP for the purposes of watching TV via streaming platforms is just not feasible. Streaming platforms demand a lot more data usage than I ever realized (even when set to the lowest resolution settings), and obtaining the necessary data plan from Viasat will mean paying through the nose and still ending up with spotty connection speeds.
For reference: Our household averages appx. 4 - 5 hours of video/TV streaming per day (double that on weekends sometimes) with heaviest usage occurring in the evening hours. When you do the math, we would need to be purchasing the highest level data package at $350/month!? For the purposes of watching TV, the most affordable option still seems to be the big satellite TV providers (DISH, DirecTV, etc.)
In our particular location, the only available internet provider other than satellite, is DSL via the traditional land-line route. Viasat is definitely an enormous improvement over DSL, but it’s simply too expensive to use for anything other than basic everyday web-browsing & email usage.
I must add that the Viasat Support Team has been very helpful & responsive throughout our experience. I just think they should consider giving new customers more of a detailed explainer on data usage with regards to video streaming. The little descriptors attached to the various service plan packages are pretty misleading.
I hope this helps give perspective to anyone else trying to stream their TV through Viasat. Feel free to reply to this message if you have anything to add or want to commiserate over your frustrations.
Hi @rc.constrn,
Thanks for your post. I agree with your statement, for customers that seek to stream TV/video content for multiple hours a day it might be a better option to have cable.
Do you think it could be useful to have a dynamic tool that helps potential customers better understand how much data they currently consume/plan to consume/should expect to consume? Possibly something like this? Data Usage Calculator - Armstrong
I don’t think this tool is super accurate, but let’s assume it is for a second. It could help users understand for instance that HD streaming consumes a lot of data and quickly adds up (see example below):
Our team is devoted to finding ways to improve our customer experience, so thanks in advance for your feedback on this idea,
Nacho
Hi, @rc.constrn,
Please give a try on the Data Saver feature. That is still experimental, but it has helped a lot of customers save priority data.
The Data Saver automatically decreases the bandwidth for video downloads. You can learn more about it here: Announcing the Data Saver Feature Experiment! (That’s the same link in the top green banner on this website)
To sign up for the Data Saver you just need to fill out this form: https://forms.gle/pdgvMoFk4iRkBGei8
After submitting the form, let us know here so we can activate the feature for you.