[Update]: The Canal + application works outrageously. Is anyone going to do something about it? (opinion)

A dozen or so years ago, Canal + TV was for me a synonym of cool productions, good football and very positive associations. It's been a long time since I stopped watching TV and Canal + is forgotten. VOD services took over the place of TV channels in my home. I regularly use Netflix and HBO Go, and less often with Amazon Prime. The leading video-on-demand providers can spoil their offer of movies and series, everyone will judge differently, but probably all of you will agree that VOD services operate at a high level. Unfortunately, this assessment applies only to the aforementioned top titles. On October 22, 2021, The Office PL, the Polish version of the cult series The Office, had its premiere on Canal +. The atmosphere before her debut was average, to say the least. Fans of the British and American versions of the production hung their dogs on it based on the trailer - I admit that I had some concerns when looking at it. As a fan of The Office US, I decided to buy a monthly subscription to Canal + Online especially to see if The Office PL would be as scary as some people paint it. Okay, in fact, I spent PLN 20 (regular price is PLN 45) for a monthly subscription to the service also to see a friend playing one of the main roles in The Office PL in action and watch Mata's concert at Bemowo Airport on VOD. Finally, I was pleasantly surprised by the Polish series and raps, and embittered by the operation of Canal + Online.

Canal +'s price is not low compared to its competitors. | Source: mat. own

Canal + Online is a mess

At the beginning, it is good to comment on the price. The price of Canal + in the basic package is PLN 20 for the first month and PLN 45 for each subsequent month. If you do not give your marketing consents, you will pay PLN 5 more for each month. You can choose a more expensive package, for example from Netflix or from HBO, which are correspondingly more expensive. For comparison, Amazon Prime costs PLN 49 per year, and the price includes a whole lot of nice bonuses. Netflix? In the Standard plan, it is PLN 43 per month. HBO GO? PLN 25 per month. Canal + Online is valued well. Is it right? Let me completely ignore the series, film and sports offer, because these fall into some plan with how the application works - or rather: how it does not work - the application. I will emphasize right away that I have browsed online forums and I am not the only one with which the app works FATHERLY. We started watching The Office PL on the TV, specifically on the NVIDIA Shield device connected to it. We downloaded the Canal + application, launched the series, only to crash into the Upes_187 error after a few minutes. Okay, mistakes happen. We reloaded the series and ... the application did not remember the moment when the screening was interrupted. Another few minutes passed, and again the error. Upes_187. I found that there must be an internet connection problem which may be dropping.

Advertising poster of The Office PL. | Source: Canal + I installed the Canal + app on my smartphone, moved to the router itself, turned on Wi-Fi, turned on the series (yes, again the app did not remember when I finished) and ... after a few minutes my eyes reappeared the Upes_187 error. Damn it. Maybe the tool doesn't like my Wi-Fi network very much? I turned on packet data. And guess what. Error Upes_187.Here, let me make a little insertion. While the Canal + application allows you to change the video quality while using a Wi-Fi connection, it does not provide such a possibility on packet data. It forces the lowest video quality, which on the Huawei P30 Pro screen looks as if the material was played in 36p resolution. No, not 360p, 36p. Seriously, this cannot be watched. Dear Canal +, why? [Update]: One of the readers in the comments pointed out that it is possible to unlock the resolution settings when using the Canal + app on packet data. Just go to settings -> Canal + settings and turn off the option "limit video quality when using 3G / 4G networks. It's not too intuitive, but ... it is. :)

In my frustration, I am not alone

It turned out that the Upes_187 error on Canal + Online is a bane not only for me, but also for other Internet users. On the satkurier.pl forum, I see many posts by resentful people who cannot normally use the site. The error occurs frequently enough that it prevents you from viewing the video material and takes all the enjoyment out of your entertainment. Probably due to some update. Probably, because people with different versions of the app experience it.

I have bad news: it also comes on starters. | Source: mat. My own - screenshot from the Satkurier.pl forum I watched Mata's concert with 7-8 breaks, while the error message torpedoed watching each episode of The Office PL two or even three times. In the end, I gave up watching the series, because the screening, instead of giving positive emotions, only annoyed me. Channel +, you should return your money to consumers. Your service isn't worth a single zloty these days. When will you release the update? The problem has not been around since today or yesterday, and you know it perfectly well. What will you suggest to consumers in exchange for their nerves and wasted time? [Update]: Operation of the Canal + app and Upes_187. The Polish branch is responding Source: mat.