Main Site Blog Help

China Mainland Access and LiveStream

ChinesePod Website
#1

Hello there,
I am quite happy with your service and selection of lessons!

  1. My first question is about accessing your website and Mobile APP from China.
    Can you - please honestly - explain / confirm, that your platform is a US based company and the server is actually not in China? (even though some lessons say “Hello from Shanghai…”). This
    would explain in parts why it is very difficult / impossible to use chinesepod without VPN.

  2. I recently found by chance a Youtube video “Chinesepod - Live Stream” form 15.2.2020.
    Is there any way to get info when those streams broadcast in advance? Why dont premium member get auto info about it?

  3. Mobile APP dont easy show Flashcard decks created on desktop chinesepod website. I understand it should sync - It sometimes works - mostly not - i managed it twice to make the deck name show - but some of the decks then dont show content!!! Is it a bug ? …anything i do wrong?

Thanks for helping clearing things up

best Gery

#2

Hi Gery,

I’m glad to hear that you have been enjoying our lessons so far!

Let me know if the following answers addressed your questions:

  1. Yes, that’s right! We are a US based company. The content team from 2005 to 2014 was based in Shanghai, and that is why you would hear greetings from Shanghai in lessons that were produced in that period.

  2. The live stream video was a valentine’s day special program that was aimed at newbie and intermediate learners. You’re welcome to follow our page and subscribe to the youtube channel to receive announcements of future live stream events!
    Facebook link:
    https://www.facebook.com/ChinesePod/

  3. The flashcards you created on the website should be in sync with those in the APP. However, it might have trouble working depending on your internet connection.

Hope this helps!
Rebecca

#3

Hi Rebecca,
thanks - but didnt entirely address my points.

  1. ok got it - so that means you target mainly students outside of China? Otherwise you would be aware that its not easy to use VPN in PRC most of the time!

  2. ok - so you dont have any idea about schedules ? You just randomly produce them?

  3. …yes should ! … but dont ! - that goes together with the point i am making under #1 - but here even with VPN it wont sync - and i have a considerable fast internet speed sitting in Shanghai … so thats not it ! Any other suggestions?

thanks
i really would like to continue - but its a bit a hassle to be honest … thanks

#4

Hi Gery,

  1. We do our best to ensure that all users have access to our website, and this is why we use Wistia instead of Youtube to host our videos. Generally, VPN is not needed when using the website in China, but sadly, this depends on internet connection and the quality of each VPN. Could you let me know how often you need to use VPN to access the lessons?

  2. We don’t have a fixed schedule as of now, but we will definitely promote upcoming live stream events on social media and forum once we have a regular schedule.

  3. May I ask which APP are you using? Is it iOS or android?
    Perhaps you can try log out and in on the APP, sometimes the APP has to refresh for it to sync with the website.
    I just tested this by removing a vocabulary on the website. The Android APP didn’t sync up immediately, but then I logged out and back in, and now the flashcard deck is synced.
    Let me know if this worked!

Rebecca

#5

Hi Rebecca,

thanks for your kind reply

  1. well i can access and i have the fastest internet connection you can buy in china as a private person. I use Astrill. It works without VPN basically - but videos need very long time to buffer.
  2. got it
  3. Login / log out worked - i use android.
    …but doesnt that qualify as a bug? Shouldnt there be a sync button …? Logout/in cannot be the solution, can it?

thanks

#6

Hi Gery,

  1. A good internet connection should work perfectly for all the videos, kindly check the speed of your internet because it varies from time to time, or you may contact your internet provider if you think they are not giving the internet speed they have promised.
  3. Our team is still on the process of developing our new dashboard and features, that’s why we encourage our users to always check for the latest app updates for all the fixes being made. So, again, thanks for your feedback.

Betty

#7

Hello Betty,

well - again my internet speed is perfectly fine. I watch local live streaming sports events in HD without problems (of course without vpn)

Your website without vpn cannot use in china - long buffer times watching videos

  • always interrupted and loading website also takes long. Look, My point here is to get an honest answer to my question about accessibility and whether your target audience is rather people from outside China. You keep telling me that it is perfectly fine for users in China Mainland and we have the same experience than users outside of China - which is not correct. You should tell customers that it is necessary to use vpn accessing your website which you are not - instead you say the problem is the users side! If you are just honest about it upfront then we wouldn’t have a discussion about it.

thanks

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