[pgfitzgerald]

I am confused about HD RSNs. I am located in Memphis and subscribe to Total Choice Premier.

DirecTV HD Locals-In-Locals By Name says Memphis doesn't have any HD RSNs.

Local Regional Sports Network Information says I should receive FSN South, FSN Cincinnati, and FSN Midwest, but doesn't say anything about HD.

DIRECTV - HD Sports states that of FSN South, FSN Cincinnati, and FSN Midwest, HD programming from FSN South is available on channels 95-97.

I see two games tonight in the program guide on channel 95. They are:

NHL - Carolina Hurricanes at Tampa Bay Lightning at 6:30PM CDT (FSN South)
NHL - Edmonton Oilers at Phoenix Coyotes at 9:00PM CDT (FSN Arizona)

I can't seem to find a definitive source for information... I have to piece it together from numerous places. The DirecTV CSR I spoke to was of little help, as he basically told me the same thing their web site told me.

1. Do I, or do I not have any RSNs in HD? If so, which ones? If not, why the heck not?
2. Are there only 3 channels (95-97) available for HD RSNs? If so, how does that work exactly?
3. It appears as though I'm going to be able to watch the Oilers and Coyotes tonight even though I shouldn't get FSN Arizona. Or should I?

Please help this confused guy.

Thanks,

Paul

 

[bonscott87]

If you get FSN South as your local sports network then you should get the game on 95. The later game should be blacked out for you though since you don't get FSN Arizona.

As for 96 or 97, that would be for HD RSN's that come down with the HD locals off the new KA sats (requires 5 LNB dish and an MPEG4 HD receiver like the H20 or HR20). The rule of thumb is if you get your HD locals in MPEG4 your local RSN will also come with them in HD, assuming it's available on DirecTV. This isn't the case in all markets but like I said, it's a general rule of thumb. The DirecTV web site will tell you if your local RSN is in HD and if it's available to you.

The CSR's can't help you and they don't know anything. I've had them tell me I should get my RSN in HD right now (it is available in the Detroit market) but I know better because my HD locals aren't up on the sats yet (2 markets west of Detroit) thus I have no spotbeam for it to be on.

 

[pgfitzgerald]

The DirecTV web site will tell you if your local RSN is in HD and if it's available to you.

Thanks for the information. What page on their site are you referring to?

Paul

 

[bonscott87]

Thanks for the information. What page on their site are you referring to?

Paul

Right on the page for the 3rd link you posted to DirecTV HD Sports. There is a link in the last paragraph before the channel listing that says "click here" to check what HD is available to you. Then you'll put in your zip code and it will tell you what's up.

For me it says SD only (even though my sports network, Fox Sports Detroit, is available in HD, it's only in the Detroit market, not mine).

 

[pgfitzgerald]

Right on the page for the 3rd link you posted to DirecTV HD Sports. There is a link in the last paragraph before the channel listing that says "click here" to check what HD is available to you. Then you'll put in your zip code and it will tell you what's up.

For me it says SD only (even though my sports network, Fox Sports Detroit, is available in HD, it's only in the Detroit market, not mine).

The link you're referring to takes you to the second link I originally posted, which doesn't mention anything about HD when I enter my zip.

I guess what's confusing me is their site doesn't say I should get HD RSNs, but it appears as though I'm getting FSN South games in HD on channel 95.

still confused.

Paul

 

[Sharkie_Fan]

A couple of things. One of the responses here was spot on. You MUST have HD locals up to get your RSN in HD, but just because you have HD locals doesn't mean you have RSN. Confusing, I know, but our here in California, FSN Bay Area is the RSN in our area, including Sacramento. SF gets FSN Bay Area, Sacramento does not, though both have HD Locals up... It's confusing, but basically there's limited bandwidth and rather than have NO rsn's in HD, D* chose to roll out a limited number of RSNs to a limited number of markets. In the mean time, they continue to work on locals in HD. I do not know if they will broadcast RSNs to an expanded number of markets before the new satellites are up or not...

Second, channel 95 is not an MPEG4 HD channel. It is an MPEG2 HD channel, and they pick up random programming and broadcast it on 95. IF it is broadcasting a game from your RSN, you'll get it. If not, you won't, or so it appears. I haven't gotten anything on channel 95 the last few nights. I was hoping to get some of the other hockey games that were on, but I haven't been able to....

If your RSN is online in MPEG4, it'll show up on 96 or 97....

 

[jimbo09]

The link you're referring to takes you to the second link I originally posted, which doesn't mention anything about HD when I enter my zip.

I guess what's confusing me is their site doesn't say I should get HD RSNs, but it appears as though I'm getting FSN South games in HD on channel 95.

still confused.

Paul

There are also two things that link will tell you. What RSNs you get AND, separately, which teams have claimed you. You may get the RSN but not the professional games shown on it based on your zip.

For example, I get Comcast Sports Sacramento, but not the NBA Kings games.

 

[pgfitzgerald]

You MUST have HD locals up to get your RSN in HD, but just because you have HD locals doesn't mean you have RSN.

I do have HD locals in MPEG4.

It's confusing, but basically there's limited bandwidth and rather than have NO rsn's in HD, D* chose to roll out a limited number of RSNs to a limited number of markets.

How do I know if D* rolled out FSN South in HD to my market? Would it show up in the Local Regional Sports Network Information page?

Second, channel 95 is not an MPEG4 HD channel. It is an MPEG2 HD channel, and they pick up random programming and broadcast it on 95. IF it is broadcasting a game from your RSN, you'll get it. If not, you won't, or so it appears.

Okay, that makes sense.

There are also two things that link will tell you. What RSNs you get AND, separately, which teams have claimed you. You may get the RSN but not the professional games shown on it based on your zip.

Well that just added another layer of confusion. LOL

According to that page, the Memphis Grizzlies, Nashville Predators, Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, and Columbus Crew have "claimed" me. I guess I won't be watching any HD Hockey tonight.

I wish this were more cut and dry 'cause my head's starting to hurt. :lol:

Paul

 

[Sharkie_Fan]

Tell me about it! Mine is even more confusing because the RSN claims that D* agreed to provide my zip code with the signal, even though I'm ouside of the SF Dma (meaning no mpeg4 locals here). D* claims it's not possible, FSN says "You told us so".

I'm not sure how they decided to roll out the RSNs. I think basically they only rolled it out to the "main" dma that a network provides. For instance, if they put FSN Chicago, it goes to Chicago. FSN NY to New York City. FSN Bay Area went only to San Francisco (around here if you say "Bay Area" you mean San Francisco and it's immediately surrounding areas.

So although I get the SD feed, I do not get the HD feed at this juncture.

It's all a big headache, which will get sorted out when there's more bandwidth available...

 

[pgfitzgerald]

Tell me about it! Mine is even more confusing because the RSN claims that D* agreed to provide my zip code with the signal, even though I'm ouside of the SF Dma (meaning no mpeg4 locals here). D* claims it's not possible, FSN says "You told us so".

I'm not sure how they decided to roll out the RSNs. I think basically they only rolled it out to the "main" dma that a network provides. For instance, if they put FSN Chicago, it goes to Chicago. FSN NY to New York City. FSN Bay Area went only to San Francisco (around here if you say "Bay Area" you mean San Francisco and it's immediately surrounding areas.

So although I get the SD feed, I do not get the HD feed at this juncture.

It's all a big headache, which will get sorted out when there's more bandwidth available...

That sounds about right. According to DIRECTV HD Local Channels and RSNs, Atlanta is the only city getting FSN South.

I just want to watch the Grizzlies on FSN South in HD... and Memphis Tigers Basketball in HD if I can. I guess I won't.

Paul

 

[bonscott87]

It'll all clear up next year for all of us when the next 2 sats go up. Then they'll put these HD- RSN's on the CONUS beams and we won't be dealing with all this crud.

 

[pgfitzgerald]

It'll all clear up next year for all of us when the next 2 sats go up. Then they'll put these HD- RSN's on the CONUS beams and we won't be dealing with all this crud.

So to sum up...

The HD-RSNs are currently being spot-beamed to select cities. FSN South, for example, is being spot-beamed to Atlanta.

Therefore, nobody outside of Atlanta will be able to get FSN South in HD until the new satellites go up next year.

Bummer.

Paul

 

[bwaldron]

So to sum up...

The HD-RSNs are currently being spot-beamed to select cities. FSN South, for example, is being spot-beamed to Atlanta.

Therefore, nobody outside of Atlanta will be able to get FSN South in HD until the new satellites go up next year.

Bummer.

Paul

Well, those who are close enough to Atlanta to receive the spot beams can "move" their service address there to get FSN in HD. But FSN South covers a very wide territory, so that option isn't available to many.

 

[bobnielsen]

It looks like some of the RSN coverage is on channel 95, which is a CONUS beam (although blacked-out if you are not in that region--maybe not for those with the sports package). I guess since the channel isn't being used full-time they can get a little more mileage out of it this way.

 

[bluedogok]

I had the FSN-AZ feed of the Coyotes-Oilers game on 95 last night even though I am in the FSN-SW service area, but I do have both Sports Pack and the NHL Center Ice package.

 

[bwaldron]

I had the FSN-AZ feed of the Coyotes-Oilers game on 95 last night even though I am in the FSN-SW service area, but I do have both Sports Pack and the NHL Center Ice package.

Center Ice folks get the NHL games on 95 (with the exception of games where they are in the home market for one of the competing teams and it is the other team's RSN feed that is being used.)

 

[pgfitzgerald]

Blackouts are really freaking confusing to me too. Can someone explain the following to me?

I wanted to watch the Nashville Predators NHL game last night. Their web site said it was on FSN South.

I'm not an NHL Center Ice subscriber, so I checked 630 (FSN South), but Poker was on. So I check the two alternate FSN South channels, but nothing was on those either. I saw that it was on HDNet, but it was blacked out.

I got fed up and called D*. They told me that the Nashville market included all zip codes starting with 38 and that's why HDNet was blacked out even though I'm located in Memphis.

What makes no sense to me is 1) I'm in Memphis, not Nashville. Why am I considered local. 2) I could watch it on 770 (NHL Center Ice) in SD, but not on HDNet in HD. WTF?

Paul

 

[bwaldron]

I could watch it on 770 (NHL Center Ice) in SD, but not on HDNet in HD. WTF?

Was it a FSN South feed on Center Ice? If so, dunno why it wasn't on the usual channel or one of the alternates.

The Predators obviously "claim" Memphis as part of their market...as such, you were blacked out on HDNet, as were those in the Sharks market.

Happens to a lot of folks during baseball season, where they're blacked out on ESPN/2-HD because they are in one of the participating team's markets.

Yeah, it sucks.

 

[bobbyjon]

The FSN South feed was on RSNa channel 659 for the Preds Sharks game. It wasn't listed in the the guide. Took me forever to find it and the feed on Center Ice was the FSN south. Those were the only feeds available in the Nashville Predators market. It was frustrating not to see the HD feed though, at least they removed the blackout for the replay immediantly following the game on HDnet. I can't wait for them the broadcast FSN south HD to other markets besides ATL.

 

[bluedogok]

It was the FSN South feed, I saw it last night but I also have Center Ice. We run into the same problem here with baseball and basketball, Austin is a home market for the Spurs and Astros. So whenever I get to watch Mavs games it is on ESPN or TNT becuase FSN-SW is blacked out. With the Rangers they were sometimes broadcast on a FSN-SW alternate and sometimes not, Extra Innings took care of that problem but I mainly got that for Red Sox games. Now if I could just get NESN in HD during the season......