MLB Extra Innings

[Vinestal]

Yeah, I get XM in my wife's van, but that's it. I might have to call XM and see what I can do to get it on a portable, because I'm not going to sit in the wife's van when I want to hear a game. :D

 

I have a Myfi, I use it in the car then when I get home I take it out of the cradle and bring it in and sit it a cradle that I have hooked up to my computer's sound card. It was pretty easy to set up like that. I do miss seeing pitches though, its not the same hearing it on the radio.

[CubinNY]

I think I'd probably wind up listening to more games on my XM radio.

 

Exactly. I love baseball on the radio. And I love Pat and Ron. I know others doen't though. Sometimes my wife and I just go for a drive for a few hours on a Sunday.

 

If they'd just put more games on WGN, that would be fine by me. But I can envision a time in the not too distant future where WGN will broadcast 0 Cub games.

[Yeti]

Here in Florida we have DirectTV, Dish Network, Bright House (Time Warner) Digitial Cable, and Verizon Digital Cable. With all that competition I don't see how any one of these companies has to work any harder than another to satisfy it's customers, but if it makes you feel better to think you are sticking it the man by not having cable then more power to you.

 

Personally I have Verizon digital cable because I like to actually be able watch TV when it is raining outside, but that's just me.

 

http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/images/smilies/lmao.gif

ive kinda gotta agree with JR, ive got up to 6 inches of snow sitting on my dish right now and am getting perfect reception, rain never bothers it either, in fact i used to lose my cable during rainstorms all the time. my guess is that the guy who installed your dish didnt know what the heck he was doing.

[Garwilly]

Here in Florida we have DirectTV, Dish Network, Bright House (Time Warner) Digitial Cable, and Verizon Digital Cable. With all that competition I don't see how any one of these companies has to work any harder than another to satisfy it's customers, but if it makes you feel better to think you are sticking it the man by not having cable then more power to you.

 

Personally I have Verizon digital cable because I like to actually be able watch TV when it is raining outside, but that's just me.

 

http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/images/smilies/lmao.gif

ive kinda gotta agree with JR, ive got up to 6 inches of snow sitting on my dish right now and am getting perfect reception, rain never bothers it either, in fact i used to lose my cable during rainstorms all the time. my guess is that the guy who installed your dish didnt know what the heck he was doing.

 

Agreed. Dish here, only once did I lose the signal, and that was for about 30 seconds. (This was also the first week I had the dish, and I think it was a maintainance check)

Edited January 9, 2007 by Garwilly

[J.R.]

Rain fade is a non-issue 99% of the time with a properly adjusted dish. If you're losing service "every time it rains" then your dish is seriously misaimed.

[Wilmo]

I'm glad someone brought this topic up. I have a question hopefully fellow Cub fans can help me with.

 

I have Direct TV and have paid for EI for several years now, but I pretty much am only interested only in the Cubs games. I get part of the games on WGN of course and the other part of the games on the Comcast Sports channel. The only games I don't get are the few per year on UCI or whatever the local Chicago network is (even the with EI package they blackout).

 

I live in Indianapolis and the Cubs and Reds are considered local market teams, meaning I can watch them on Comcast Sports and Fox Sports Ohio or Cincy, whatever it is. Actually I'm forced to watch the Cubs and Reds on these channels because they are blacked out on the seven hundred channels where the EI games are.

 

Here is my question, does anyone know if I would still receive the Cubs games on Comcast Sports without the EI package? I do have the DTV sports package.

 

I guess I could wait till the first week and see if they are not blacked out, but if I do have to get the EI package at that point I would loose out on the early bird deal.

 

Thanks for your help.

Yes, you will get the Cubs games on Comcast Sports without subscribing to EI.

 

Right on!

 

Thanks for the help.

[goonys evil twin]

Rain fade is a non-issue 99% of the time with a properly adjusted dish. If you're losing service "every time it rains" then your dish is seriously misaimed.

 

It was a huge issue when I installed it myself with my roommate way back when. But that was because we were idiots and just wanted it up as soon as possible. I've very rarely had problems since, yet we've had some major storms in the NY area. The worst I'll have now is the occasional 2-3 second blip, but that's rare.

[Garwilly]

Also, if you are in the Comcast Chicago area, you do not even need the DTV Sportspak to get channel 640. You can cheack online through DirecTV's website.

[goonys evil twin]

Also, if you are in the Comcast Chicago area, you do not even need the DTV Sportspak to get channel 640. You can cheack online through DirecTV's website.

 

That's true. In NY, I was getting MSG, FSNY and YES before I ever ordered the sports pack, and I know you can get SNY, the Mets version of the comcast sports, without the sports pack.

[cubfan1955]

I need a little advice here from you experts on this issue. I live in NW TN and am currently a DirectTV customer. I have not had any problems with them at all, by the way. I have a basic package that does not include the sports channels (Comcast CHI, Fox sports, etc). If I upgrade to get that package, will I be able to watch additiional Cubs games? Is my NW TN area subject to blackouts? Is this a market considered Cubs home market? If I can get the sports pkg for a few extra bucks instead of EI I would just as soon do that...Thanks for the input

I believe NW TN is in the Cardinals broadcast region so you would most likely only get FOX Sports Midwest Cardinal games. You will not get the Cubs on it unless they are playing the Cardinals and then it will be on FOX Sports Midwest unless channel 11 out of STL is carrying. Then you are SOL on all accounts. You can go to the DirecTV website and find out which teams broadcast area you are in.

[Vinestal]

Rain fade is a non-issue 99% of the time with a properly adjusted dish. If you're losing service "every time it rains" then your dish is seriously misaimed.

 

Not true at all. I have great signal strength but if there is a storm you can be sure your going to lose your service for the duration.

[cheapseats]

FWIW, bad weather causes more problems for my Comcast cable service than we ever experienced with DirecTV.

 

But I still don't like the idea of EI going to DirecTV only.

[goonys evil twin]

Rain fade is a non-issue 99% of the time with a properly adjusted dish. If you're losing service "every time it rains" then your dish is seriously misaimed.

 

Not true at all. I have great signal strength but if there is a storm you can be sure your going to lose your service for the duration.

 

I had high 90's on clear days back when I had my problems. It's not just picking up a great signal on clear days that means properly adjusted. Since having it installed properly, I have great signal strength on the clear days, but also maintain it during storms. I bet it's just not set-up well. Was it securely bolted into a stable surface without obstructions by a professional?

[Vinestal]

Rain fade is a non-issue 99% of the time with a properly adjusted dish. If you're losing service "every time it rains" then your dish is seriously misaimed.

 

Not true at all. I have great signal strength but if there is a storm you can be sure your going to lose your service for the duration.

 

I had high 90's on clear days back when I had my problems. It's not just picking up a great signal on clear days that means properly adjusted. Since having it installed properly, I have great signal strength on the clear days, but also maintain it during storms. I bet it's just not set-up well. Was it securely bolted into a stable surface without obstructions by a professional?

 

Yes

[J.R.]

Rain fade is a non-issue 99% of the time with a properly adjusted dish. If you're losing service "every time it rains" then your dish is seriously misaimed.

 

Not true at all. I have great signal strength but if there is a storm you can be sure your going to lose your service for the duration.

 

I had high 90's on clear days back when I had my problems. It's not just picking up a great signal on clear days that means properly adjusted. Since having it installed properly, I have great signal strength on the clear days, but also maintain it during storms. I bet it's just not set-up well. Was it securely bolted into a stable surface without obstructions by a professional?

 

Yes

 

Apparently not well enough.

[Vinestal]

Whatever man, its been checked and rechecked its pretty much a known fact that you are going to lose signal during a storm in FL. It happens to almost everyone I know that has a dish down here. Dishnetwork or DirectTv will tell you the same thing if you complain about it. Its just part of having satelite tv. maybe the cloud cover is not as thick where you live, or you dont have as many trees around you or something. Satelite is finiky.

[goonys evil twin]

Whatever man, its been checked and rechecked its pretty much a known fact that you are going to lose signal during a storm in FL. It happens to almost everyone I know that has a dish down here. Dishnetwork or DirectTv will tell you the same thing if you complain about it. Its just part of having satelite tv. maybe the cloud cover is not as thick where you live, or you dont have as many trees around you or something. Satelite is finiky.

 

I guess, but I find that strange. I've been in some nasty storms without suffering anything more than a blip. NY doesn't have the daily showers of FLA, but there are plenty of bad weather issues. Trees would be an issue, if you have blockage, you're screwed. In my last place, I had a completely clear view of the entire SW sky off my 3rd floor deck, so it was no problem. In my current place, I have a much narrower window of clear sky, but it works. When I was looking for places, the two things I checked first were outdoor space (deck and yard) and access to the SW sky.

[Derwood]

I had a very interesting conversation with my DirecTV installer last week (as he was installing my new DVR).

 

Some of the things that you might like to know:

 

- DirecTV is negotiating exclusive rights to just about every sports season package (NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAA, etc.)

 

- They are also negotiating exclusive rights to most HD channels on "cable" TV (TBS, USA, TNT, MTV, ESPN, etc.)

 

- DirecTV is way ahead of the game on the technology front. They currently have 2 "empty" satellites in orbit that are capable of broadcasting up to 500 HD channels each as soon as networks start switching over.

 

- He claims Dish Network is a subsidiary of DirecTV and is purposely run poorly to incrase DirecTV's sales (and to skirt the "lack of competition" factor in most markets). He says Dish Network sublets satellite space from DirecTV and owns no satellites of their own.

[Derwood]

maybe the cloud cover is not as thick where you live,

 

this has more to do with dropped signal than precipitation

[goonys evil twin]

I had a very interesting conversation with my DirecTV installer last week (as he was installing my new DVR).

 

Some of the things that you might like to know:

 

- DirecTV is negotiating exclusive rights to just about every sports season package (NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAA, etc.)

 

- They are also negotiating exclusive rights to most HD channels on "cable" TV (TBS, USA, TNT, MTV, ESPN, etc.)

 

- DirecTV is way ahead of the game on the technology front. They currently have 2 "empty" satellites in orbit that are capable of broadcasting up to 500 HD channels each as soon as networks start switching over.

 

- He claims Dish Network is a subsidiary of DirecTV and is purposely run poorly to incrase DirecTV's sales (and to skirt the "lack of competition" factor in most markets). He says Dish Network sublets satellite space from DirecTV and owns no satellites of their own.

 

Dish Network is not a subsidiary of DirecTV. It's a subsidiary of EchoStar Communications, ticker symbol DISH. DirecTV is a Rupert Murdoch/NewsCorp affiliated company.

[Abe Frohman]

That guy lied to you. Dish Network is run very smoothly - as far as customer service/quality product.

[Derwood]

That guy lied to you. Dish Network is run very smoothly - as far as customer service/quality product.

 

He didn't sound too sure about this point, I'll admit. The exclusive rights to HD content should, however, concern anyone who isn't a DirecTV subsriber. Luckily I am...

[goonys evil twin]

That guy lied to you. Dish Network is run very smoothly - as far as customer service/quality product.

 

He didn't sound too sure about this point, I'll admit. The exclusive rights to HD content should, however, concern anyone who isn't a DirecTV subsriber. Luckily I am...

 

Exclusive rights to HD seems to be something that would be shot down by congress immediately.

[NCCubFan]

That guy lied to you. Dish Network is run very smoothly - as far as customer service/quality product.

 

He didn't sound too sure about this point, I'll admit. The exclusive rights to HD content should, however, concern anyone who isn't a DirecTV subsriber. Luckily I am...

 

Exclusive rights to HD seems to be something that would be shot down by congress immediately.

Exclusive rights to the sports packages should too. A person shouldn't have DirecTV as their only option if they want the sports packages. That seems to me too much like a monopoly. And I'm a DirecTV subscriber. I'm just afraid of what will happen to the cost if they're the only game in town for all the sports packages.

[bhogg]

maybe i'm a sell-out, but if DirecTV gets the rights, I'm switching.

 

A free DVR and free programming along with the MLB package is too much to turn down.

 

I told Dishnetwork that I was thinking of switching to DirecTV due to the free DVR and their recommendation was that I pay them $50 for one . . . . not. . . .gonna . . . . .happen.