[McMark]

Hello. I have been getting my sports via Sling (ESPN, TNT). Sling it terrible. They override commercial breaks and start the commercials early before the action even stops. And if a game goes long, they simply end coverage and continue with whatver show was scheduled next. I have missed the end of several exciting March Madness games and missed the end of an overtime NHL playoff. Not to mention countless third outs in innings when Sling breaks to commercials too soon.

I have had enough of this garbage and want to switch off of Sling. However, I have heard that Hulu Live isn't much better. I am tempted to go to Xfinity, but am open to suggestion.

All I really want streaming/live TV is for sports: ESPN (1 to 3 and plus), TNT, TBS, Fox Sports, CBS, and NBC Sports.

Thanks

 

[mccarthymac]

Hello. I have been getting my sports via Sling (ESPN, TNT). Sling it terrible. They override commercial breaks and start the commercials early before the action even stops. And if a game goes long, they simply end coverage and continue with whatver show was scheduled next. I have missed the end of several exciting March Madness games and missed the end of an overtime NHL playoff. Not to mention countless third outs in innings when Sling breaks to commercials too soon.

I have had enough of this garbage and want to switch off of Sling. However, I have heard that Hulu Live isn't much better. I am tempted to go to Xfinity, but am open to suggestion.

All I really want streaming/live TV is for sports: ESPN (1 to 3 and plus), TNT, TBS, Fox Sports, CBS, and NBC Sports.

Thanks

Youtube TV

 

[B. Shoe]

Nearly any service is going to provide a trial period for you to get familiar to the platform and see if you are interested in subscribing. I'm a YouTube TV subscriber/proponent, but each service has its pros cons. Same for Hulu, Directv Stream and more.

Give 'em a run through the paces and see what works best for you and your needs.

 

[harsh]

And if a game goes long, they simply end coverage and continue with whatver show was scheduled next.

That doesn't sound like a SlingTV problem. I'm pretty sure there aren't multiple feeds of TNT (or the ESPN live channels) where the distributor could choose to switch to The Sound of Music.

 

[wmb]

I have YouTube TV. I don’t recall them leaving a game early. As for commercials, I haven’t seen any issues with starting or ending them rarely. They do have fills for commercial slots they haven’t sold… a screen with some music. It’s kind of odd, but easy to live with.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[McMark]

That doesn't sound like a SlingTV problem. I'm pretty sure there aren't multiple feeds of TNT (or the ESPN live channels) where the distributor could choose to switch to The Sound of Music.

It's a Sling problem inasmuch a they choose to follow the planned schedule rather than follow the game. I learned after contacting TNT customer support that there are two classes of broadcasters. The first is how we typically used to think of it. But Sling is in a different newer type of class, and TNT basically said that "we don't know what they do, they broadcast our stuff, but we have no idea what they do with it."

 

[harsh]

Sling is receiving a linear feed from the channel. They don't get to mix and match or edit the content -- they can only insert content over it within the timeline of the feed (i.e. they can't insert the beginning of The Sound of Music if TNT is still feeding the game). If TNT chops the game off, that's uniquely on TNT. Sling's fault may be inserting commercials where they shouldn't be but that is likely also a TNT problem as TNT is responsible for "marking" the commercial insert points.

I would imagine that you would see the same problems on any other distributor as they're all working with the same TNT feed. The same is true of any other live TV channel/network.

 

[McMark]

Sling is receiving a linear feed from the channel. They don't get to mix and match or edit the content -- they can only insert content over it within the timeline of the feed (i.e. they can't insert the beginning of The Sound of Music if TNT is still feeding the game). If TNT chops the game off, that's uniquely on TNT. Sling's fault may be inserting commercials where they shouldn't be but that is likely also a TNT problem as TNT is responsible for "marking" the commercial insert points.

I would imagine that you would see the same problems on any other distributor as they're all working with the same TNT feed. The same is true of any other live TV channel/network.

That's interesting. But does contradict what the TNT rep told me.

In any case, after some hectoring by me and others during the March NCAA tournament, Sling actually moved their feed when the original slot "timed out." I have no idea how it worked on the back end, but the show literally "ended" with about a minute left in the game, and so I backed out, found a new thumbnail for the game, and re-selected the new show, and then got to watch the last fifteen seconds.

 

[renegade]

Streaming will be the solution to all of life's problems ...

 

[harsh]

Streaming will be the solution to all of life's problems ...

Authentication (going direct to the programmer using your provider credentials) would at least remove the middle men.

 

[harsh]

That's interesting. But does contradict what the TNT rep told me.

"TNT rep" isn't particularly definitive.

In any case, after some hectoring by me and others during the March NCAA tournament, Sling actually moved their feed when the original slot "timed out." I have no idea how it worked on the back end, but the show literally "ended" with about a minute left in the game, and so I backed out, found a new thumbnail for the game, and re-selected the new show, and then got to watch the last fifteen seconds.

Are you talking about watching live or cloud DVR recordings? There is a huge difference.

 

[McMark]

"TNT rep" isn't particularly definitive.
Are you talking about watching live or cloud DVR recordings? There is a huge difference.

Live. I mean, with a delay that is a number of seconds. I assume that's how they are able to fiddle with the commercial insertion.

 

[McMark]

Authentication (going direct to the programmer using your provider credentials) would at least remove the middle men.

Thanks. That works with ESPN. Unfortunately, TNT's service only accepts the users from providers like Xfinity, and Sling is not even an option for the login there. As I said above, there appears to be two classes of users from TNT's perspective.

 

[harsh]

Unfortunately, TNT's service only accepts the users from providers like Xfinity, and Sling is not even an option for the login there.

TNT supports authentication with over 500 distributors but SlingTV, Philo and Fubo aren't among them.

As I said above, there appears to be two classes of users from TNT's perspective.

It probably comes down to Sling not wanting to pay for authentication given that they're half the price of the services that do support authentication.

In the grand scheme, authentication isn't going to change what TNT plays and how they play it.

 

[wmb]

TNT supports authentication with over 500 distributors but SlingTV, Philo and Fubo aren't among them.

I’m not sure why sling would need authentication. If it’s like YouTube TV, you can watch any of their shows VOD in the YouTube TV app.


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[harsh]

I’m not sure why sling would need authentication.

The TS is under the impression that SlingTV is borking the coverage. Authentication would afford the TS the opportunity to go around SlingTV and see who is really at fault for the atrocities.