Question about Ch 95, NHL and local RSNs

[DConroy]

Ok, I'm in a weird situation. Normally I carry Center Ice, but am not ordering it this year, to save some cash. So this is the first time I'm trying to figure this out.

I'm a Devils fan. I live in Flyers country. BUT, I live only 71mi from the Devils arena, so according to DirecTV, I get MSG and FSN-NY as my local RSNs(Comcast SportsNet is the philly RSN, but apparently pigs will fly before thats on DirecTV).

So last night, I verified, the Rangers game on MSG was not blacked out, but the Lightning game was. So at least I'll get the games at in SD.

Now, I read somewhere(can't remember, here or on the DirecTV website), that Channel 85 should be my "local RSN" in HD.

So I flipped to 95, and expected to see the Rangers game in HD. Instead it was the Pittsburgh feed of the Flyers-Pens game. Checked the guide, and it seems the channel is just showing random games from random markets.

Can someone tell me how this is supposed to work?

[DCSholtis]

Your "local RSN" in HD should be on either Channel 96 OR 97. You need the AT9 dish and a MPEG 4 receiver.

[bonscott87]

Channel 95 is a like a "best of" channel. They will carry a game (or 2) for the night but obviously can't carry them all because it's just one channel. Once the NBA starts up then you'll find NBA games there as well. NFL Network Thursday games will probably be there as well.

[Mike770]

I have the HR20 with the AT9. I was unable to receive the rangers game in HD. In the guide I saw nothing on chanels 96 or 97. I did see the Pittsburgh/ Flyers game which is the VS (formally known was OLN) HD feed. I am in NYC so I should be getting the Rangers game in HD. However, the fact that Cablevision own MSG Network, FSNY, Rangers and the Knicks I don't think we will be seeing any of those game in HD. I think we might be able to watch the VS/OLN HD feed of the Rangers, Devils etc... game in HD. But they only cover a few select games.

[bonscott87]

I have the HR20 with the AT9. I was unable to receive the rangers game in HD. In the guide I saw nothing on chanels 96 or 97. I did see the Pittsburgh/ Flyers game which is the VS (formally known was OLN) HD feed. I am in NYC so I should be getting the Rangers game in HD. However, the fact that Cablevision own MSG Network, FSNY, Rangers and the Knicks I don't think we will be seeing any of those game in HD. I think we might be able to watch the VS/OLN HD feed of the Rangers, Devils etc... game in HD. But they only cover a few select games.

There are two other factors or course:

1) The game must actually be offered in HD. Not all of them are. Like the Red Wings I believe about 50 of them will be.

2) I'm not sure MSG or FSNY in HD are up yet on DirecTV. YES is however.

[cybrsurfer]

Your "local RSN" in HD should be on either Channel 96 OR 97. You need the AT9 dish and a MPEG 4 receiver.

The MPEG4 NESN HD RSN is on channel 623 HD under 623 NESN on the programming guide. In most cases the RSN channels are on 95 or 96 depending on your market, but NESN HD isn't.

[rabi]

The MPEG4 NESN HD RSN is on channel 623 HD under 623 NESN on the programming guide. In most cases the RSN channels are on 95 or 96 depending on your market, but NESN HD isn't.

If the HD RSN is carried 24/7, then it will be right below the SD channel in the 600's...

If it's part-time, then it will be 96 or 97

[packfan909]

If the HD RSN is carried 24/7, then it will be right below the SD channel in the 600's...

If it's part-time, then it will be 96 or 97

You may have the same problem that I do in Sacramento, CA. Even though FSN Bay Area is on DirecTV broadcasting games via the Spot Beam, we in Sacto are not able to pick up the Beam currently. On SD, we are considered in the local market for Sharks Hockey, Giants and A's Baseball, and Sac Kings Basketball.

There is no Comcast SportNet in HD yet for the Kings Games. The only thing blacked out on FSN Bay Area 654 is Warriors games.

We can not get FSN-BA-HD but get the SD equivilent. It is going to be a matter of luck of the draw as to what D* programs for Channel 95. Last night I got the Sharks Opener. Saturdays game against the Isles is not going to be on HD.

I emailed FSN-BA and they said it was a matter being on the fringe of the SpotBeam. D* is cutting away the spot beam to only the markets they can 100% completely cover. When you look at the map for the local spot beam there are areas of the Sacramento/Stockton/Modesto DMA that are not covered by the BAY AREA spot beam. FSN BA wants us to see the games, but D* can not deliver them yet.

We are just stuck with 95 and I am sure your situation is similar.

Good luck!

packfan909

[Sharkie_Fan]

I'm just south of San Francisco, and have had a bunch of converstions both with FSN and with D* regarding this issue. FSN is a little misinformed, however.

The problem is not the beam itself. You are probably very well covered by the SF Spot beam - assuming the spot beams are as generous as the ones for Dish Network. I don't know for sure, but I know I'm 90 miles south of SF and am covered by the spot beam.

AND, according to FSN I am an authorized zip code to receive FSN in HD because the spot beam covers me.

However, D* has decided to send the HD RSN feeds in conjunction with the HD Locals. So when D* decided to roll out the SF HD Locals, they automatically send you the HD RSN.

They actually don't - at this point - know how to turn on the RSN only for you. Some changes need to be made in the computer for outlying areas to receive the HD RSN. I spent about 30 minutes on the phone with a Senior Vice President in the corporate offices of DirecTV yesterday (Thank you very much, FSN Bay area, for elevating my concerns so high up the food chain!). Because FSN says they have an agreement with D* to feed certain zip codes outside the SF DMA, and several departments within D* have the same information, Mr. Senior VP is going to go back and do some homework to find out what is involved in changing the programmin of the D* system to allow the RSN to be turned on.

Right now it only turns on when locals are turned on and so they legally cannot give me the feed because they cannot give me the SF locals, as I am in the Salinas Monterey DMA. The same would be true of you in Sac, although I do not know why they don't simply carry the HD feed on your spot beam as well.

I think it's just poor planning on the roll out of HD, in part, I'm sure because they're working so hard to get so many channels up in such a small time frame.

At any rate, that's the problem with RSNs in HD. YOUR HD locals have to be online in order for you to get YOUR HD RSN. Unless you get lucky and they pick up your RSN on channel 95 (Thank God they did last night - I NEEDED that Sharks game in HD!)

[packfan909]

I'm just south of San Francisco, and have had a bunch of converstions both with FSN and with D* regarding this issue. FSN is a little misinformed, however.

The problem is not the beam itself. You are probably very well covered by the SF Spot beam - assuming the spot beams are as generous as the ones for Dish Network. I don't know for sure, but I know I'm 90 miles south of SF and am covered by the spot beam.

AND, according to FSN I am an authorized zip code to receive FSN in HD because the spot beam covers me.

However, D* has decided to send the HD RSN feeds in conjunction with the HD Locals. So when D* decided to roll out the SF HD Locals, they automatically send you the HD RSN.

They actually don't - at this point - know how to turn on the RSN only for you. Some changes need to be made in the computer for outlying areas to receive the HD RSN. I spent about 30 minutes on the phone with a Senior Vice President in the corporate offices of DirecTV yesterday (Thank you very much, FSN Bay area, for elevating my concerns so high up the food chain!). Because FSN says they have an agreement with D* to feed certain zip codes outside the SF DMA, and several departments within D* have the same information, Mr. Senior VP is going to go back and do some homework to find out what is involved in changing the programmin of the D* system to allow the RSN to be turned on.

Right now it only turns on when locals are turned on and so they legally cannot give me the feed because they cannot give me the SF locals, as I am in the Salinas Monterey DMA. The same would be true of you in Sac, although I do not know why they don't simply carry the HD feed on your spot beam as well.

I think it's just poor planning on the roll out of HD, in part, I'm sure because they're working so hard to get so many channels up in such a small time frame.

At any rate, that's the problem with RSNs in HD. YOUR HD locals have to be online in order for you to get YOUR HD RSN. Unless you get lucky and they pick up your RSN on channel 95 (Thank God they did last night - I NEEDED that Sharks game in HD!)


Hey Thanks for the information! Do you think it is worth me raising a stink to D* at this point? Or should I get back in contact with FSN-BA to see if they can escalate again for a different person? I am really starting to wonder why I even moved to the HR20 at this point. I am not getting all of the locals on the SAT. I was able to pull in all of my locals OTA. They have improved the TIVO responsiveness, and finally I can't even get FSN-BA-HD.

Enough venting!!!

BTW...Was it me, or was the quality of the picture and sound on that Sharks game far superior to even the HDNet broadcasts. I was absolutely amazed in the picture...but mostly the sound was incredible. Felt like I was at the tank.

Interested to hear your thoughts.

Later!

packfan909

PS...This IS the Sharks year to win it all!!!

[DConroy]

Thanks for all the info guys. It is probably that I do not have the MPEG4 equipment.

So, I'll just have to be happy having the games at all in SD. My situation is such that it would cost me a big enough chunk of change to upgrade to MPEG4 at this time that(not to mention I want to wait before getting the HR20) its not worth it.

[bonscott87]

Thanks for all the info guys. It is probably that I do not have the MPEG4 equipment.

So, I'll just have to be happy having the games at all in SD. My situation is such that it would cost me a big enough chunk of change to upgrade to MPEG4 at this time that(not to mention I want to wait before getting the HR20) its not worth it.

FYI that you can get an HR20 along with dish and switch upgrade for $99 installed if you call retention. May have to call a couple times but many have gotten that deal. Not sure if that's too much $$$ but you can always try.

[Sharkie_Fan]

I don't know if it's worth raising a stink or not. It certainly can't hurt. But I'm not sure that FSN will have much luck escalating the issue for you....

I'm in a unique situation here. D* informed FSN from jump that they would only broadcast to the San Francisco DMA when they first rolled out HD channels, simply because of "technical restraints".

Once the spot beam was active (or ready to go active, or ??), D* and FSN realized that the beam was not only covering SF, but certain other zip codes as far south as Monterey, CA were receiving very good signals. At that point D* and FSN agreed that all the affected zip codes would be authorized and the HD programming would be available to them (my zip code, 950xx, is one of those zip codes).

So FSN and certain departments at D* show that FSN HD is available in this zip code. Your zip code, for all the parties involved will show as ineligible because D* CHOSE not to include you in the original rollout.

However, somewhere between the negotiations and the actual rollout of the channels there was a change at D* and they chose to carry the channels as part of the HD Locals (meaning that from here on out if you want HD RSN, you HAVE to buy HD LOCALS! Doesn't matter here, cause I want the locals, but for those of you in more metropolitan areas who may have 20 HD channels available OTA and don't want to pay for locals via satellite.... So sorry, you don't get a choice now!).

At any rate, this is the reason why FSN has been successful at getting the issue escalated. If D* figures out how to turn on just the RSN signal without the HD locals, you can bet that I'll tell EVERYONE I can find about it, at which point it might be worthwhile to make some noise with D* and FSN to find out if you are in fact covered by the spot beam and if they might be able to escalate the issue to a point where you can also get the signal enabled.

As I said in another thread where we are discussing this, when I spoke to Mr. Senior VP, he had an "Oh Sh*t" moment about 1/2 way through the conversation when he realized that D* is advertising, and D* CSRS are confirming availability of the channel to zip codes which D* is COMPLETELY unprepared to supply a signal to. We'll see if his moment leads to anything happy for all of us, but as of now, I haven't heard anything - good or bad.

[Sharkie_Fan]

And yes, the picture and sound was AWESOME last night. Because we're in a smaller market here, I think I can get 3 HD channels OTA without some serious antenna action - and even at that, my house is in a little valley, so I'm not sure serious antenna would help.

Because of that, I've been waiting for FSN-HD to come to D*. I waited until the HR20 was available to upgrade to HD because I didn't want to upgrade to the H20 only to upgrade again in a matter of months. Sooooo... last night was the first hockey I got to see in HD! I'm so bummed I can't watch every sharks game in HD. It was phenomenal! We flipped back and forth between 95 and 654 last night to compare, and it's just crazy! I've been watching HD as much as possible, and you kind of get used to the picture being so nice, then to compare something like the game last night in HD and SD, it just blows your mind all over again! :>