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Black Out Rules and ST Max

1966 Views 9 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  zimm7778
I live in Atlanta and have ST Max, this past weekend I was in San Diego which blacked out the Chargers/Falcons game. I thought that because I had ST I would be able to watch the game online (since my account is in the ATL market) but that was not the case when I logged into ST it said that game was not available due to blackout restrictions. I then selected the game to record online but when I got home it wasn't in my playlist.

My questions are:

1) Are games that are blacked out locally also blacked out from the entire ST lineup or was the fact that I couldn't watch on-line due to the fact that DTV figured out I was in San Diego via my IP address (i.e. could I have watched it on ST if I was in ATL)?

2) Did the blackout cancel my recording or was that just an HR-34 glitch?
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dccatl said:
I live in Atlanta and have ST Max, this past weekend I was in San Diego which blacked out the Chargers/Falcons game. I thought that because I had ST I would be able to watch the game online (since my account is in the ATL market) but that was not the case when I logged into ST it said that game was not available due to blackout restrictions. I then selected the game to record online but when I got home it wasn't in my playlist.

My questions are:

1) Are games that are blacked out locally also blacked out from the entire ST lineup or was the fact that I couldn't watch on-line due to the fact that DTV figured out I was in San Diego via my IP address (i.e. could I have watched it on ST if I was in ATL)?

2) Did the blackout cancel my recording or was that just an HR-34 glitch?
Your service address is in Atlanta, so you can only watch the Falcons on your local FOX or CBS affiliate. You cannot watch your local game online. Did you tell it to record a ST channel or your local Atlanta channel that was showing the game?

I'm a Colts fan living in Indianapolis, so I can only utilize ST to watch non-Colts games. Which is fine since that's what I want it for anyway.
There are two reasons why a game can be blacked out on ST:

1. If a game doesn't sell out, it is blacked out on ST (as well as the local station) within the market of the home team. In this scenario, there is no way to view the game in that market.
2. If a game is available on your local CBS or FOX station, that game is blacked out on ST. In this scenario, you can still see the game - you just have to tune to the local station instead of the ST channel.

The combination of the two above means that you will not get ANY games involving your local team on ST, since all of their games will be televised locally except when a home game doesn't sell out.

I do not know how this translates to online viewing, whether it follows your physical location (like MLB.TV does) or it's tied to the address on your account. Either way, you weren't going to see the game because of the rules above.
Sunday ticket max does follow you. The local games are blacked out. I live in North Carolina and was in Chicago last Sunday and I could not get the Bears game.

I expect the OP tried to record the Sunday ticket channel (which is blacked out in Atlanta) when he should have recorded the local channel as the previous poster stated.

dvdmth said:
There are two reasons why a game can be blacked out on ST:

1. If a game doesn't sell out, it is blacked out on ST (as well as the local station) within the market of the home team. In this scenario, there is no way to view the game in that market.
2. If a game is available on your local CBS or FOX station, that game is blacked out on ST. In this scenario, you can still see the game - you just have to tune to the local station instead of the ST channel.

The combination of the two above means that you will not get ANY games involving your local team on ST, since all of their games will be televised locally except when a home game doesn't sell out.

I do not know how this translates to online viewing, whether it follows your physical location (like MLB.TV does) or it's tied to the address on your account. Either way, you weren't going to see the game because of the rules above.
What I don't get is why they are blacking out the ST phone app for local teams. If I was home I would be watching on the 55" LG. I see absolutely no reason to have the ST phone app. I've only been able to use ST one time because I've been away or working and since the ST phone app gets blacked out for my local team the 1/2 price (147$) I paid wasn't even worth it.
I most likely be going back to Dish next year so I can get Redzone alone without a major hassle and Pac 12 network. I'll never sub to ST again even at 1/2 price. The package doesn't work for me at all.
"camo" said:
What I don't get is why they are blacking out the ST phone app for local teams. If I was home I would be watching on the 55" LG. I see absolutely no reason to have the ST phone app. I've only been able to use ST one time because I've been away or working and since the ST phone app gets blacked out for my local team the 1/2 price (147$) I paid wasn't even worth it.
I most likely be going back to Dish next year so I can get Redzone alone without a major hassle and Pac 12 network. I'll never sub to ST again even at 1/2 price. The package doesn't work for me at all.
ST app was never designed to give you access to every NFL game. It is just like watching those channels at home. It is an out of market sports package. Meaning whatever is not available to you locally is available on there unless the local team is blacked out. This is the same principle as used with every mobile sports package like this.
zimm7778 said:
It is an out of market sports package.
Exactly.
zimm7778 said:
ST app was never designed to give you access to every NFL game. It is just like watching those channels at home. It is an out of market sports package. Meaning whatever is not available to you locally is available on there unless the local team is blacked out. This is the same principle as used with every mobile sports package like this.
What was I thinking? Watching out of market games I have no interest in on my 4" screen is exactly what I needed. Now why didn't I think of that?:lol: Screw the the game I want to watch. If I can't be home on my comfy couch in front of my 55" flat screen so I can enjoy all my local commercials I don't deserve to watch. :nono2:
Blackouts on portable devices that use the Internet confuse me as to their purpose.

For the NFL, they can actually stream local channels rather than the ST feed. Or drop in local commercials and the local logo. Hulu already does this. If I cannot watch on tv, don't you want me watching at all? I add to the eyeballs that were not there.

National games confuse me more. On MLB.tv, I cannot watch tbs live. Why? It is the same feed. Commercials and all.

As for rating data, it is all available. And real. Not the projected sample of Nielsen. It is real.

Minds running sports are still stuck in the 20th century.
"camo" said:
What was I thinking? Watching out of market games I have no interest in on my 4" screen is exactly what I needed. Now why didn't I think of that?:lol: Screw the the game I want to watch. If I can't be home on my comfy couch in front of my 55" flat screen so I can enjoy all my local commercials I don't deserve to watch. :nono2:
Whatever dude. If its not for you it's not for you. That's fine. NBA League Pass isn't for me. It isnt gonna help me see one additional Magic game, period whether I order it on the TV or online. I'm simply explaining the rule. I'm sorry you don't like it.
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