The MLB Network is now live. From what I've seen (the Don Larsen perfect game and Hot Stove), it looks pretty impressive.
about 3 years ago
Ryan
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They had a Manny (non)update early in the Hot Stove program and used a good amount of Indians file footage, a brief Red Sox swing and finished with Dodgers footage. That made me happy and made it easier to look past the heavy amount of Yankees coverage in the rest of the broadcast.
I briefly fell asleep during the Don Larsen perfect game. I know Vin Scully is an institution, but his tone didn’t really convey the fact it was game 5 of the World Series—let alone pitching perfectly.
by PatBordersHelmet on Jan 1, 2009 10:40 PM EST reply actions
When I go to that website it tells me I should have it but that channel tells me to call my provider to subscribe. what gives?
I went to website and it said I should have it (Comcast in NW Pennsylvania) but it wasn’t there. I called Comcast and they said that their system in my town did not support new channels, HD, or pay per view. But, they are planning on getting it by the end of the year. Sounds like I should call DirectTV.
End of the year? Could there be a worse day than today to hear that response?
by PatBordersHelmet on Jan 1, 2009 11:40 PM EST up reply actions
My wife is not pleased either. Lucky for me, she took the night shift tonight and i was able to watch the premier night guilt free.
by PatBordersHelmet on Jan 1, 2009 11:12 PM EST up reply actions
Are you Comcast? I’m visiting family but trying to anticipate what I’ll discover upon returning home on Sunday.
Dish Network doesn’t have the channel so I sent them an email asking when they were going to get it. Here is the response:
Thank you for your e-mail. We do apologize for the inconvenience, at the moment we are not currently offering this channel. We would like to add this to make viewers like you happy, but we do not know if or when this will happen. We are always working to acquire more programming to provide services to our valued customers.
So, yeah, doesn’t look like I’ll be getting it any time soon. I figured both sattelite companies would pick it up right away, but I guess only one of them did. And not mine.
The best thing probably is to hit [Grady] 2nd -- Jay
Well, DirecTV owns a piece of the network, so I don’t think Dish would be that eager to pick it up. And if I remember right, Dish is pretty slow to pick up new networks (didn’t they take a while to add STO?)
I didn’t know the DirecTV connection. I’ve only had Dish Network since last summer so I don’t know how long it took them to pick up STO. I used to have Insight, which I liked because they picked up STO and Big Ten Network right away, but switched because I could get a better deal at Dish. I get Dish through AT&T, and I’m waiting to get their U-Verse cable which sounds pretty nice (4 DVR’s!). It’s not at my house yet but should be coming soon, I hope.
The best thing probably is to hit [Grady] 2nd -- Jay
You shouldn’t have to wait much longer. I’d think you’d be receiving some sort of promotional leaflet about the change soon since it’s a month away now.
In my opinion, there’s no comparison between what DirecTv offers and that of any other satellite or cable package I’ve seen. DirecTv’s hands-down the best.
You know Selig? Ombudsman.
Hello Ryan,
Like Brad, I too got a similar message – only time will tell if they’re willing to add MLB Network to their programming.
Believe it or not, if I remember correctly, Dish actually added STO before DirecTV did, about a week or so (Dish added it the final week of Spring Training, whereas DirecTV didn’t get it online until around the first game or until after the first game was played in the 2006 (2007?) season). So Dish was pretty good, and even better than DirecTV in this particular case, of getting STO added. Additionally, DirecTV, Time Warner, or both also had disputes with STO on the specific zip code for having STO – some zip codes in Northern Ohio had it, some zip codes in Northern Ohio didn’t. As far as I know, all Dish subscribers had STO, regardless of zip code (within the Indians’ viewing area – northern Ohio – of course).
Similarly, Dish also beat DirecTV (and Time Warner) when it came to the Big 10 network – Dish provided a preview of it for all subscribers, then included it for those with Top 200 (I think) channels.
Additionally, unlike most of Time Warner, Dish also includes the NFL Network – I know many of the local sports media complain about most people not getting the NFL Network, but fortunately, I’m not one of those who have that problem.
Therefore, Dish has done better of late in adding new networks, but there has been a few hiccups – the most notable one in my mind was during the 2003 season (I think) when Dish and Fox Sports Net Ohio couldn’t agree to show all Indians’ games and every other or third game would be blacked out, replaced with “The Best Damn Sports Show Period.”
I figured MLB Network would be more problematic, being that DirecTV has a stake in it. Still, maybe Dish will get it in time for the season. Between STO and MLB Network, if I had to choose one, I’d rather have STO, so I’m just glad Dish brought STO to me without any delays or problems.
From the video above, MLB Network does look nice, so I’d certainly like to have it, but as long as I have STO to cover the Indians, I won’t lose sleep or worry too much about not having MLB Network. I’m glad to hear a lot of you guys are getting it though – enjoy! :-)
Just my 2 cents.
The "cream of the crop" doesn't always rise to the top.
Channel I don’t get
Makes me yearn for more baseball
When is spring training?
by jds16 on Jan 3, 2009 1:38 PM EST reply actions 3 recs
I caught Hot Stove Live last night just before midnight. They didn’t go deep but is was refreshing just to see how much time they could devote to discussion. They talked to Cameron Maybin (odds we would see him on Baseball Tonight?) for what seemed like ten minutes and then had a roundtable discussion on Ben Sheets and why he hasn’t been signed yet. They actually went beyond just each member of the panel giving a 15-second opinion over Ben Sheets b-roll. It wasn’t groundbreaking but I liked it. They just seemed to give their attention to each topic until the topic didn’t need to be discussed any more. I’ll definitely watch more.
But with a 24/7 baseball network is it too much to ask for one show that caters to a statistical analysis crowd? You can’t hire one guy that can drop WARP into a conversation? I don’t even care if they call it “Nerd Hour” or something, I want it.
Evan (Evan, right? I’m just going off that 13WHAM video), send in your demo. Come on.
Steel Nick
On second thought I’m not sure why I even used WARP as my example. I don’t even use it. But I think my point comes across either way.
Steel Nick
They should try to hire Rob Neyer or someone like that. I’ve never heard him talk so I don’t know how comfortable he’d be with a TV job, but I know he’s done radio before so he’s at least familiar with talking in front of an audience. He’d be great.
The best thing probably is to hit [Grady] 2nd -- Jay
Ah, never mind then. I’m sure there are guys like him who would like to be on TV, though.
The best thing probably is to hit [Grady] 2nd -- Jay
by Buckeye Brad on Jan 5, 2009 10:51 AM EST up reply actions
Gleeman does online TV and is pretty good. He probably wouldn’t ever fly on a national network unless they seriously revamped his personal image but he clearly has the chops for it.
Yeah he would be fantastic.
The best thing probably is to hit [Grady] 2nd -- Jay
by Buckeye Brad on Jan 5, 2009 10:57 AM EST up reply actions
i’ve seen neyer on espnews several times. he also appears on espn radio regularly, especially with bob valvano. i know he used to write all the time that he didnt feel all that comfortable going on air anywhere, but he is just as smart and articulate in front of a mic as he is at the keyboard.
I like the MLB Network, but it reminds me how much I hate Comcast. They advertise “1400 hours of programming and all in HD,” but it’s only SD, not HD. It’s still not identified by name in the on-screen guide (Channel 280 in Richmond), and the programming is all listed as To Be Announced. I really hope they have it in HD before the season starts, but I don’t have much hope, given their resistance to HD feeds in the Extra Innings package. FiOS is not available in my neighborhood (and I had a horrible experience when I had it, involving a Verizon contractor, returned equipment and a $600 bill referred to a collection agency for equipment I returned, have a receipt for, but they claim I didn’t). My neighbor’s trees make DirecTV impossible.
a bit off topic, but not completely:
last year, STO advertised 24-hour HD programming starting April 1st (2008). It’s January 5th, 2009, and the only HD programming I see on the station remains Indians games and a couple of the HS football state championship games.
Is this a DirecTv issue, or is it this way for everybody?
You know Selig? Ombudsman.
I think this board is one of the 150 or so places to find discussion regarding cable packages and their limitations on the internet.
so, i have been watching a lot of this channel. i kid you not, i haven’t turned on espn since it came on line. i like hotstove so far, so i look forward to what their version of baseball tonight is going to be when the season starts. also looking forward to the ken burns documentary.
Are you veering into Rickey-talk now?
Jay is dubious about this.
by Jay on Jan 6, 2009 2:14 PM EST up reply actions
As I’ve been making everyone listen to, the mlb website says I have it, it’s there on my guide, but when I click on it, nothing.
I refuse to call my cable provider. I can’t imagine that would do anything.
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