MLBtv over the internet [Archive] - Front Office Football Central

dixieflatline

03-19-2007, 05:15 PM

Once again I come asking a question to the great FOFC DB. I know there was the other thread about MLBtv and dirctv but I have a different question about getting the package over the internet. MLB is selling two plans one at $90 for 400K bandwidth and the premium package which is $120 for "up to" 700K bandwidth. I didn't get any packages last year but I think that even the 400k bandwidth is slightly better than last year. Did anyone get this package last year? If so how was it? Has anyone taken the plunge on either package this year?

Thanks,

Philliesfan980

03-19-2007, 05:18 PM

I'm looking to get a MLB.tv package this year too, so I'd be interested in hearing any opinions. However, one of the advantages to the premium package is that you can access the Mosiac service, which lets you watch 6 games on one screen.

dixieflatline

03-19-2007, 05:37 PM

Yeah i am not too interested in the mosiac. I would probably use it a little but I am mostly wondering if I would be able to notice the extra bandwidth. I have a very big monitor and it would be cool to watch a game full screen if that is possible.

sooner333

03-19-2007, 05:58 PM

I realized my laptop is so old that it doesn't have the RAM required to run the mosaic...so I probably won't get it this year. I enjoy watching Giants games, but it seems that I'm usually too busy to watch it anyway. I might consider getting gameday audio, but I really don't want to sit at my computer and listen to games. I don't want to get XM because who knows what will happen with the merger.

Icy

03-19-2007, 06:03 PM

I subscribed 3 weeks ago to the premium one, 700K bandwidth but i have not been able to test the 700k resolution yet, as the spring training games are still shown in 400k, the 700k stream won't be available until the season begins. I wont' use the mosaic a lot either, as i'll watch most of the games the following way because the time differences.

What i like the most are the archives and highlights, you can watch any past game both in full lengh or only highlights, great to watch all the interesting games without expending 3 hours on each.

dixieflatline

03-19-2007, 07:13 PM

Thanks for that info Icy. How is the 400K? Is it watchable?

shefffred

03-19-2007, 08:47 PM

Thanks for that info Icy. How is the 400K? Is it watchable?

I found it very watchable. Not as clear as TV, mind you, but you can watch and enjoy a game in full screen without too much pixelation.

One word of warning: For the past two years, opening day has been a nightmare. Too much buffering, etc. Don't let that put you off, though. They got the bandwith issues sorted by the next day.

samifan24

03-19-2007, 10:44 PM

<b> MLB.tv's Customer Service is literally non-existant. You're basically out-of-luck if you have any problems with the product. </b>

A note about my own MLB.tv experience: I used the service on a monthly basis for parts of the last two season without any problems. My experience so far this year has been drastically different and extremely disappointing.

I signed up for Spring Training on the $19.99 "Premium" account with the mosaic feature. I was frustrated to learn that the "schedule of games" changed as late as 10 minutes prior to some Spring Training first pitches. I tried to cancel my monthly description due to the scheduling changes but was unable to reach anyone via either the e-mail address or 800 number provided on the MLB.tv website.

My only solution is to contest the charge because the advertised schedule of "available games" differs greatly from the actual games available. Nonetheless, this is only a problem in Spring Training and, as frustrated as I am with the MLB.tv customer "service," I will sign up for Opening Day and just make sure that the charge does not renew at the end of the month.

Miller Time

03-19-2007, 11:02 PM

I agree their customer service is not exactly stellar. Though I was able to cancel my monthly subscription last year without much trouble, except for the half hour on the phone.

I already subscribed to the regular package for this season ($89.99). I love the fact they added the condensed games and GameDay Audio to the regular package. I believe it was only available to premium subscribers last year.

It is too bad you cannot download archived audio broadcasts that can be used in a MP3 player.

dixieflatline

03-20-2007, 10:20 AM

Thanks guys for the input. I'm probably going to start with just a monthly pass then when the season starts and go from there. If MLB pulls this off well it could be huge for them. But then again, when has MLB really gotten anything like this to work well.

sooner333

03-30-2007, 04:23 PM

I just got VGA cables to connect my laptop to my new 42" TV/Monitor. This may lead me to get the MLBtv Premium package...the Demo on 700k looked pretty good even blown up pretty considerably.

I might get the whole season, but is there some kind of trial period in case it doesn't work as well as you hope???

Lathum

03-30-2007, 04:28 PM

sterlingice

03-30-2007, 04:51 PM

I'd be all over this except for the whole in-market blackout thing :(

SI

samifan24

03-31-2007, 10:14 AM

I'd be all over this except for the whole in-market blackout thing :(

SI

But can't you just watch your local team on TV?

sooner333

03-31-2007, 11:09 AM

But can't you just watch your local team on TV?

I know that in Oklahoma City we have four(!) local teams. This is because one station or another picks up some games of the Astros, Rangers, Royals, and Cardinals. Right now I have Dish Network, but it is the Cox Cable channel which picks up about 90 Cards games...well, even if I had Cox I wouldn't be able to watch 70 of them on TV.

The good news is I'm a Giants fan, so I'm not effected by the locals, but it certainly is possible to not be able to watch the games you want to at all because of the blackouts.

dixieflatline

03-31-2007, 11:10 AM

No, if the game is a game you could watch or listen to on TV then you can't watch it on MLBtv. If the game is on ESPN, for example, then you can't watch it. Also, the first premium game is going to be broadcast tonight. It is cleveland v. st. louis at 5:30 EDT.

samifan24

03-31-2007, 09:26 PM

Right now I'm in Connecticut and despite the fact that I can watch both the Yankees and Red Sox on TV, my zip code only blocks NESN's Red Sox coverage on MLB.tv. I didn't realize that some areas would have more than two teams blocked (OKC, for example).

Lathum

03-31-2007, 09:45 PM

so overall how is the quality?

sooner333

04-01-2007, 02:50 AM

Well, I didn't get a chance to see premium, they either made it for subscribers only or removed the higher bandwidth. Because I haven't paid for it yet, I don't know what the case is. I will probably just go monthly and see how the quality is for April, and then reassess. It's really not any more expensive considering the season ends in Sept. this year and the playoffs are all on TV anyway.

sooner333

04-01-2007, 03:31 AM

Dola-- Just found that there is a 5-day free trial being offered (you do have to sign up for it first, then actively cancel within the five days if you don't want it).

Here's the link... http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/subscriptions/espn.jsp?partnerId=ESPN&affiliateID=ESPNADTYPE_horizNav

Dutch

04-01-2007, 04:16 AM

Can you get access to games already played? I'm way off schedule in Germany and would like to be able to catch the games the next day. Is that possible?

Icy

04-01-2007, 04:51 AM

Can you get access to games already played? I'm way off schedule in Germany and would like to be able to catch the games the next day. Is that possible?

Yes, that was the main reason for me to subscribe as i'm in Europe like you. The day after the games re played you can watch them in three ways, full game, condensed game and highlights. The condensed game mode is perfect for me to watch a full game in like 30 minutes.

lcjjdnh

04-01-2007, 08:34 AM

lynchjm24

04-01-2007, 10:20 AM

Just a warning and maybe an anamoly, but I had a heck of a time trying to cancal my subscription last season.

It's nearly impossible to cancel. I have a credit card that I keep for just subscriptions like this and when I want to cancel I just report it lost. It's 100 times easier then cancelling with the service.

Dutch

04-01-2007, 01:38 PM

Yes, that was the main reason for me to subscribe as i'm in Europe like you. The day after the games re played you can watch them in three ways, full game, condensed game and highlights. The condensed game mode is perfect for me to watch a full game in like 30 minutes.

That's awesome. thanks.

sooner333

04-01-2007, 03:45 PM

The terms said that all you had to do to cancel the subscription was to send an e-mail from the registered address to a special free-trial address. I don't know if it will be that easy, though...and I had to wait on the phone about 45 min. last time to cancel a few years ago.

samifan24

04-01-2007, 04:29 PM

Although I posted a long story about MLB.tv's poor customer service earlier in this thread, I should point out that if you select the monthly option and uncheck the "automatically renew my subscription each month" box, you should have no problems canceling the service at the end of the month. It becomes impossible during the month but at the end of the month should be easy (I've done it in years past).

dixieflatline

04-01-2007, 04:39 PM

markprior22

04-01-2007, 05:07 PM

Sorry for the lack of update. Just before the game started MLBtv canceled the 700K feed. With tonights game being on ESPN I guess we will have to wait for tomorrow to see what the premium feed looks like.

Todays A's-Giants game was broadcast at 700K. Not perfect but better than 350 by a long shot.

Lathum

04-02-2007, 01:11 PM

I anyone else having a problem with the mosaic?

The address verification box pops up, I put the info in and the box pops up again telling me to put the info in

samifan24

04-02-2007, 07:15 PM

I anyone else having a problem with the mosaic?

The address verification box pops up, I put the info in and the box pops up again telling me to put the info in

Well I used the mosaic a lot today and I didn't run into any major problems. It seems very much an unfinished product with things not working properly (like the function to track players and the alerts for everything, not just for your tracked players). That said, I loved watching the Tribe rout the ChiSox.

grdawg

04-02-2007, 07:20 PM

Well I used the mosaic a lot today and I didn't run into any major problems.

Could you let me know the specs of your computer are. I tried running it with my system which is a few years old, 2.4 mhz with 768mb RAM and only 64mb video RAM and it was a system hog and ran slow. I'm wondering if upgrading my video RAM will make much of a difference. I have plenty of bandwidth so that isn't the issue. Thanks.

samifan24

04-03-2007, 06:56 PM

Could you let me know the specs of your computer are. I tried running it with my system which is a few years old, 2.4 mhz with 768mb RAM and only 64mb video RAM and it was a system hog and ran slow. I'm wondering if upgrading my video RAM will make much of a difference. I have plenty of bandwidth so that isn't the issue. Thanks.

Intel P4 2.40 GHz
256 MB RAM
NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Video Card (don't know MB specs)

Not the most current system but as I said I didn't have any problems with Mosaic yesterday (or today).