Are there more blackouts on MLB package from DIRECTV than last year?

CHOPTALK · Apr 5, 2005

If anyone has the MLB package from Directv, I was just wondering if they have more blackouts than last year? I have had it for 3 years, and not only are they not showing me the Astros, they are also not showing the Rangers. This is something they have never done in the past. The Rangers are a 7 hour drive from my house. There is no reason for them to do this.

WildBill · Apr 5, 2005

It could be worse. How many teams do we have in Vegas? Guess how many teams are blacked out on the package? SIX! Thats right, according to the bufoons in NY or wherever they think we follow six teams around here. Every California team plus the DBacks are somehow supposed to be blacked out. Meanwhile on cable we get mostly the Dodgers and Angels, and the Diamondbacks on Sundays only on an obscure local channel. MLB is run by a bunch of idiots and I bet they wonder why more people don't buy this package. What is the point when 20% of the league is blacked out?

CHOPTALK · Apr 5, 2005

WildBill said:
It could be worse. How many teams do we have in Vegas? Guess how many teams are blacked out on the package? SIX! Thats right, according to the bufoons in NY or wherever they think we follow six teams around here. Every California team plus the DBacks are somehow supposed to be blacked out. Meanwhile on cable we get mostly the Dodgers and Angels, and the Diamondbacks on Sundays only on an obscure local channel. MLB is run by a bunch of idiots and I bet they wonder why more people don't buy this package. What is the point when 20% of the league is blacked out?

Thats unreal, its not like im going to drive to Dallas Texas to go see the Rangers, just because Directv is not covering it. I can understand the Astros being blacked out but the Rangers is insane. As for Las Vegas, I cant believe they would blackout 6 teams. But its really worse than 6 teams, if all six teams are playing that day, its 12 teams, almost half the league!!

lander · Apr 5, 2005

How much do you guys pay for the package?

lostitall · Apr 5, 2005

WildBill said:
It could be worse. How many teams do we have in Vegas? Guess how many teams are blacked out on the package? SIX! Thats right, according to the bufoons in NY or wherever they think we follow six teams around here. Every California team plus the DBacks are somehow supposed to be blacked out. Meanwhile on cable we get mostly the Dodgers and Angels, and the Diamondbacks on Sundays only on an obscure local channel. MLB is run by a bunch of idiots and I bet they wonder why more people don't buy this package. What is the point when 20% of the league is blacked out?

That's just plain stupid! You notice how every time they make changes it's for the worse? They wont add a team for you, but they might pull another squad next year.

WildBill · Apr 6, 2005

I should add the disclaimer that I am not 100% certain of it. I was told to review the website to see what teams are blacked out and I checked and saw 6 teams. When I saw that I said forget it. I did get the PC version of it last year and guess what, nothing was blacked out! Still the TV version costs more and since I get home in time mostly for the West Coast games last thing I want to do is spend over $100 and get stuck with a bunch of blank screens.

aceduecetrey · Apr 6, 2005

choptalk said:
If anyone has the MLB package from Directv, I was just wondering if they have more blackouts than last year? I have had it for 3 years, and not only are they not showing me the Astros, they are also not showing the Rangers. This is something they have never done in the past. The Rangers are a 7 hour drive from my house. There is no reason for them to do this.

Chop= cant you pick up the blacked out games on the other networks? For instance, the Marlins game was blacked out, but was airing on Sunshine down here.

ChuckSims · Apr 6, 2005

What about MLB-TV on the internet? Anybody have it? Are the games blacked out too?

HiloBoy · Apr 6, 2005

i did not order the package here again this year. i am blacked out with at least seven teams. when the red sox play any team on the west coast it is blacked out in hawaii.

100KbyXMAS · Apr 6, 2005

That is idiotic. You guys should write the owners of the Angels,Dogers, Padres, etc. Tell them you are a fan, where you live and that you would like to be able to watch their teams play baseball games. I'm curious what they would say.

jerseymike111 · Apr 6, 2005

Lander

lander said:
How much do you guys pay for the package?

I payed $149 for the package...That's with comast.I could swear that i payed $120 last year.

At least i don't get any blackouts,except the mets & yanks.But there on my basic cable anyway.

All those blackouts you guys get really sucks!:sad3:

Megacapper · Apr 6, 2005

I live in NC and they black out the Cincinnati Reds. For the life of me I can't understand that one.

wannabewhale · Apr 6, 2005

Don't most blackout games show the the Fox sports in the 600 channel range??

In NY I lose-Toronto-NYY-NYM

wannabewhale · Apr 6, 2005

Still think it is worth it though in the east-gotta catch those rallies-ie Twins.

Aquatic · Apr 6, 2005

Baseball TV options

When I was living in Vegas I couldn't believe the blackout list of teams as Wild Bill said. When you call Directv about it they have no answers and just read corporate press releases. The comcast package does have fewer blackouts and when you actually live in the area of a team like Detroit now for me then you only get Tiger blackouts on other networks such as todays Royal broadcast of the Tiger matinee. So since Fox Net Detroit isn't broadcasting today then only us locals won't see what the country will see today on the Royals network.

They are harder to find now but the old rotating C-Band dishes with a 4dtv digital dish receives all the Fox Net channels and you see these games not blacked out when you buy a subscription through Galaxy or Turner. The baseball bonus to this is that many of the over the air games that are not included in any Baseball package can be picked up via what is known as a "Backhaul" which is a clear transmitted feed of the game the way you watched them in the 80s at bars or Vegas sports books. These are the games that the teams local station shows rather than their cable out such as a Fox Net channel. Games on KTVU for the Giants, KICU for the A's, KPLR for the Cards, KDFI for the Rangers, the PAX affliate in Tampa for the Rays, KCAL for Angels, KCOP for the Dodgers, 3tv in Phoenix for the Diamondbacks, KTVD UPN20 for the Rockies, WJZ for the Orioles. The Phillies and Padres are the hardest teams to follow since their primary carrier is a local cable affliate such as Cox4 for SD and Comcast for Philadelphia.

There is another source now known as FTA or Free to air which is the same size dish as your directv and opens up anything transmitted off a bird.

www.ftaguide.com for info on these.

WorldNumberOne · Apr 6, 2005

wannabe whale said:
Still think it is worth it though in the east-gotta catch those rallies-ie Twins.

i believe if you are blacked out in the package , then you are blacked out with the local fox stations as well..

i have had the package for the last 3 years . i miss out on some tampa games and a few florida games.

Aquatic · Apr 6, 2005

World

You are blacked out on the package channel for the Florida games in Florida but if you go to your normal channel for Fox Sports Net Florida (Ch.634) the game is open there to you or on your cable channel for it.

HiloBoy · Apr 6, 2005

every game that is blacked out on the dish net package in hawaii is also blacked out on the fox channels. when you call dish they have no idea what goes on with the package and all they can say is it is up to mlb not us.