NBA LP IS OFFICIAL!!!!!

[jeffwtux]

I was just told by a CSR that NBA LP WAS OFFICIAL and will be offered tomorrow Oct 29. Whew!! that was close. I hope all of the people who had their finger on the button didn't press it yet, patience is a virtue.

[AllenW]

Yea it would really be nice if Dish didn't wait until the last minute to do things..

[James_F]

Thats not really official news. :rolleyes:

I know someone who knows someone who knows something. Come on. :bang:

[AllenW]

James, the channels are in the EPG. It's official. I am looking at them right now.

[Karl Foster]

It isn't official until you can drop some cash and order the package.

[jeffwtux]

karl: They're taking orders in like 2 hours. It's official.

[TNGTony]

And in a little bit you'll be able to put your fingers in the holes on Charlie's wrists. :D

The channels are in the EPG. The game tomorrow night at 10pm EST is a Freeview game. The CSRs got a memo and pricing info. $159 all at once or a three payment option. The memo was released to the CSRs at 7pm EST (close of business at E* offices 5pm CST).

The only thing that is missing to make it REALLY official is the press release which is due to come out about noon EST tomorrow.

See ya
Tony

[Mark Holtz]

I just checked the guide, and they have games listed. GO KINGS!

[Steve Mehs]

Isn't $159 the early bird price and $179 is the price after 11/5

[gopherscot]

Everyone knows Charlie hates sports ... oh wait .. he's added the NHL package and now the NBA!!:shrug:

Does anybody know whether you need to have your phone line connected to get League Pass. It shows up in my guide ... but I heard sometime back that you may need the phone line connected. Anybody know?

[jeffwtux]

gopherscot: you will if you order it using your remote(using dishHome, I don't believe you can order it from the channel guide, it just gives the phone number when you go to channels 560-571), however only the next night when you're asleep. The lack of a mandatory phone line connection except from the sales office mandate ,which is purely policy related and not technically required, is one of Dish's bet qualities over Direc.

The bottom line is that DISH NEVER CALLS YOUR RECIEVER. The phone lines is exclusively for placing outgoing orders. ALL UPDATES TO YOUR RECEIVER AND SMARTCARD ARE MADE OVER THE DATA STREAM. The phone line is only for ordering using your remote.
However, I'm a retailer and the protocol insists that I tell you it is mandatory.

[JohnH]

The receiver does attempt to call home when PPV purchases need to be uploaded to DISH.

[Scott Greczkowski]

See I told ya so. :D

Now wheres the 721 software upgrade :D

[JohnH]

Didn't worry much, did you? :)

[Scott Greczkowski]

Nope not at all, I was annoyed that it took them this long to make it official, and even now there is no press release or NBA mentioned on their website.

But we must remember its only 8:30 AM at Echostar (before Business Hours) :D

[Karl Foster]

That is awesome for you guys. With the rate things are going, the only difference between the two companies will be equipment. Enjoy and make sure you understand the blackout rules before you buy the package. I know folks who have been very disappointed. I'm sure the blackout rules are the same as Directv's:

NBA LEAGUE PASS

How are blackouts determined?

Blackout restrictions apply to all NBA games that are offered on NBA LEAGUE PASS. Such blackout restrictions are designed to protect the television rights holders in the competing teams' respective home markets. Blackouts are not based on arena sellouts.

Local Broadcasts
If a local over-the-air network has the rights to broadcast an NBA game in its local area, customers in that area will be unable to receive that game via their satellite service. However, they may be able to see the game via their local channels.

Example of how blackouts work:
The Lakers are playing the Rockets and both teams are broadcasting the game locally — KCAL-Channel 9 in the Los Angeles area and Fox Sports Net Southwest in the Houston area. NBA LEAGUE PASS subscribers living in the Los Angeles area will be blacked out within the Lakers' over-the-air territory. To see the game, they must be able to receive KCAL. Subscribers living outside of the KCAL coverage area will receive the game via NBA LEAGUE PASS unless they live in the Houston area. Subscribers in the Houston area will be blacked out of the game for NBA LEAGUE PASS.

I love the NBA, and am lucky enough to have a home team that has all of their games on local tv. If I supported a team that wasn't local, though, I'd subscribe in a minute. Once again, enjoy.

[Karl Foster]

Originally posted by Z'Loth
I just checked the guide, and they have games listed. GO KINGS!

Didn't you mean GO JAZZ! :D

[John Quaglino]

Karl
Don't you mean go New Orleans Hornets!? Just kidding. I can't wait for tommorrow for the return of basketball to N.O. and the return of the Jazz.

[KingsFans]

Anyone actually called up and ordered yet? Also, is anyone seeing NBA TV on 560? I'm only seeing the League Pass channels 561-571 but no NBA TV?

[Darkman]

There is no 560..not here anyhow...

[Darkman]

JH - you get 560 there? (at your FTA)..
and if so? - in which mode? - in a "placeholder" mode? :)
or with NBA logo and Muzak playing? :)

[Reverend Ike]

Originally posted by KingsFans
Anyone actually called up and ordered yet?Yep.

Also - just a guess - perhaps the NBA TV channel will be "unhidden" either tonight or after the free preview period ...

[JohnH]

Received an email from DISH-on-Demand PPV about 4:30 est telling me NBA League Pass is available on 561-571.

FYI: If you check channels 139 or 450 you will see a Full Court game scheduled on Nov. 4. They do not have the League Pass Schedule up, though.

[J Rath]

OK here's a strange one.  Why would the NBA LP channels show up on my 3900 but not my 2700?  The NHL CI channels show up on both.  Strange.....:shrug:

[Steve Mehs]

Same thing happened here, they showed up on my 501 but not on the 2800. Try pulling the card, worked for me.

[J Rath]

Thanks Steve, that done it!  Don't know why I didn't think of that, must have been a brain fart! :D

[moooog]

I called Dish today to order NBA League Pass, and was told that the games would not be available until the 1st of the year, as "It would take that long to straighten things out", whatever that means. I read here that someone ordered it - was the rep. I talked to clueless?

[YES_NETWORK]

Great a free preview of NBA LP.. Many games available for NBA fans... But no Nets for ny metro area. Since Dish Network doesnt have Yes Network it would have been nice if the Nets game not be blacked out in the NY metro area later today ; but it will be blacked out.. NO YES = No Nets. Enjoy the preview NBA fans.

ive stuck with dish network this long. but how long can i LAST!

[Steve Mehs]

Still no NBA TV. Is it 560 still available on FTA boxes?

[JohnH]

Steve, there is a channel which is thought to be the upcoming 560 NBA TV on Tp 7 at 110. It is only receivable on FTA receivers at this time. It has the DISH Logo with Muzak on it now. Maybe they have a shortage of DigiCipher II receivers to pick up the channel. on Galaxy 11 :)

The commercials on that channel still only list DirecTV and InDemand. Maybe they need to fix that first?

[Scott Greczkowski]

Originally posted by YES_NETWORK
Great a free preview of NBA LP.. Many games available for NBA fans... But no Nets for ny metro area. Since Dish Network doesnt have Yes Network it would have been nice if the Nets game not be blacked out in the NY metro area later today ; but it will be blacked out.. NO YES = No Nets. Enjoy the preview NBA fans.

ive stuck with dish network this long. but how long can i LAST!

Hey even if Dish DID have the Yes Network chances are the game would have been blocked out for you.

So whats the difference?

[Darkman]

Originally posted by JohnH
Steve, there is a channel which is thought to be the upcoming 560 NBA TV on Tp 7 at 110. It is only receivable on FTA receivers at this time. It has the DISH Logo with Muzak on it now. Maybe they have a shortage of DigiCipher II receivers to pick up the channel. on Galaxy 11 :)

The commercials on that channel still only list DirecTV and InDemand. Maybe they need to fix that first?

hehe :lol:

[Reverend Ike]

Originally posted by moooog
I called Dish today to order NBA League Pass, and was told that the games would not be available until the 1st of the year, as "It would take that long to straighten things out", whatever that means. I read here that someone ordered it - was the rep. I talked to clueless? Moooog - Yes, your rep must have been clueless (as are many/most). An update was released to the CSRs late Monday. When I called shortly after that, the CSR I talked to initially didn't know anything about NBA LP, but after I explained that Dish DID have it, he talked to his "coach" (why can't they just call them "supervisors" like normal people would?) and they located the information.

I called Dish about NBA LP numerous times during the past three weeks, and on many occasions, the CSR felt obligated to make up a story or explanation about why Dish WASN'T going to offer the NBA LP this season (even after I told them what I knew about the activated transponders and allocated channels). So I'm not surprised that you were given a fabricated "1st of the year" story.

I called back on Tuesday (yesterday) and ordered it. The current early-bird price is $159 (or three payments of $53) and that price is reported to be in effect through Nov 11 (you may want to confirm that yourself). After the early-bird signup ends, the standard price of $179 becomes effective. The free preview is supposed to continue through Nov 5.