Need FSN Midwest clarificaiton

[nrs]

I live in Camby, IN, just outside of Indianapolis (still in Marion county if that matters.) I'm getting the run-around from Comcast and we've decided to switch (back) to DirecTV.

I'm a St Louis Cardinals fan and I want to watch Cardinals baseball, in HD. Fox Sports Midwest (FSN Midwest, FSMW, whatever you want to call them) is the regional sports network that carries the majority of the Cardinals baseball games. The page for FSN Midwest is here (http://msn.foxsports.com/regional/midwest) and the Cardinals TV schedule on FSN Midwest is here (http://msn.foxsports.com/id/9358672). So .. if I can get FSN Midwest I should be able to watch all of those games .. right?

Well if you go to the page on DirecTV.com and input my zip code (46113) to find out my "Local Regional Sports Network Information" I get the following ..

The 46113 ZIP Code is in the home team territory for the following pro teams. With HD Access select channels and teams available in HD are noted below:

With any DIRECTV base package (CHOICE or above, or FAMILIAR or above):



FSN Cincinnati (Ch. 661) - HD Available
# Reds (HD Available)

Comcast SportsNet (Chicago) (Ch. 665) - HD Available
# Cubs (HD Available)
# White Sox (HD Available)

FSN Midwest (Ch. 671) - HD Available
# Indiana Pacers (HD Available)
# St. Louis Blues (HD Available)


Can someone explain why the St Louis Cardinals are not listed under FSN Midwest? If you go to the same page and input my parents zip code (they live just outside St Louis) it shows FSN Midwest, with Cardinals and Blues listed but no pacers ... I *thought* that D*'s FSN Midwest feed was just one feed for everyone regardless of location... whatever is on FSN Midwest is just on, and it's more a matter of if you get the channel or not. But the differing results in looking up local coverage leaves me to believe that some how D* 'customizes' the channel depending on where you are.

Is it too simple to just assume that FSN Midwest is just the same everywhere ?

Any help anyone could offer would really be appreciated - I tried calling D* on this but I'm pretty sure she just went to the same web page I went to and when I tried to push the issue she tried to upsell me on the MLB package....... I like my baseball but I'm not sure I like it that much.

[dettxw]

Look for your DMA here (http://members.cox.net/oknewshawk2/DTV_HDLIL_DMA.html) to see what your local FSN is.

Isn't FSN Midwest from KC?

Anyway, FSN Midwest shows as one of your RSNs.

[cariera]

Can someone explain why the St Louis Cardinals are not listed under FSN Midwest?

Sure, the Cardinals do not claim your zip code as their home territory, therefore they are not listed as a team you would receive on FSN Midwest. The Cubs, Sox and Reds do claim your zip as their home territory. That is why you are able to see them as an in market team on your RSN. You are out of market for the Cards, so EI is your option.

The home territories claimed by the different sports league vary, that's why you are able to see the Pacers (NBA) and the Blues (NHL) on FSN Midwest. You fall in their defined home team market, for basketball and hockey.

You can apply the same scenario to your parent's zip code. In that case the Cards are in market, the Pacers are not.

You are also correct, the FSN feed is the same feed for everyone, it's just that you will be blacked out after this week - there is a free preview for EI and that should open the RSNs for everyone. :)

[mhayes70]

Look for your DMA here (http://members.cox.net/oknewshawk2/DTV_HDLIL_DMA.html) to see what your local FSN is.

Isn't FSN Midwest from KC?

Anyway, FSN Midwest shows as one of your RSNs.

Nope FSN Midwest is St. Louis. There is an FSN Kansas City.

[Msguy]

This is simple. If you want to watch the Cardinals games on FSCardinals (FSN Midwest) in HD you're going to have to order MLB Extra Innings.

[tftc22]

As mentioned above, you will need MLB Extra Innings to see the Cardinals games. I'm in southeast Indiana, and I have the same "local" teams that you do. What happens is that I'm able to watch the Cardinals pregame and post-game coverage, but as soon as the live game coverage is scheduled to begin, the channel is blacked out. The screen is just blank with the message "Channel not purchased" if the game is available with the MLB Extra Innings package or "Not available in your area" if the game can't be viewed at all (usually if it's a replay that's not available with any package).

In addition to the FSN Midwest full time channel, there are 2 part-time channels that are offshoots of FSN Midwest (FSN Kansas City and FSN Indiana). You will receive all programming that Directv shows from FSN Indiana in addition to what's not blacked out on FSN Midwest.

Here's how it works on cable systems: Your local cable company shows FSN Midwest most of the time and replaces it with the FSN Indiana feed whenever they need to black out a game with alternate programming or to show Pacers and Reds games. Directv doesn't show all FSN Indiana alternate content (such as syndicated shows that replace blacked out games from the FSN Midwest main feed). Directv only shows live Pacers/Reds games plus pregame/post-game coverage for Pacers games on FSN Indiana.