[cricks]

One of the main reasons I upgraded to the HD package was so I could watch Oakland A's and SF Giants games in HD as well as UCLA Basketball on Fox Sports Bay Area.

I was told by the CSR when I called to upgrade that the Fox Sports broadcasts in HD on Channels 86 abd 87. I was trying to watch the UCLA game on those channels but only 86 showed up in the guide and 87 wasnt there. When I tuned to ch 86, all that showed up was a D* logo.

Am I missing something here? Is anyone else from the Bay Area watching HD Fox Sports West/ FSBA in HD?

 

[Sharkie_Fan]

One of the main reasons I upgraded to the HD package was so I could watch Oakland A's and SF Giants games in HD as well as UCLA Basketball on Fox Sports Bay Area.

I was told by the CSR when I called to upgrade that the Fox Sports broadcasts in HD on Channels 86 abd 87. I was trying to watch the UCLA game on those channels but only 86 showed up in the guide and 87 wasnt there. When I tuned to ch 86, all that showed up was a D* logo.

Am I missing something here? Is anyone else from the Bay Area watching HD Fox Sports West/ FSBA in HD?

96 and 97, when it's broadcast.

As I understand, with the current satellites in the air, there is not enough bandwidth to broadcast all the RSNs in HD at one time. Each night, a limited number of HD RSN feeds are on 96 and 97, available only to the DMA which is currently "assigned" that RSN.

For instance, FSN bay area covers SF, Salinas/Monterey, Sacramento, but only SF can receive FSN in HD. There was talk of changing that, but I haven't heard anything more and I haven't had time to follow up on it.

From what I've seen, most of the FSN BA HD games have been on channel 96....

 

[cricks]

Thanks sharkie! Ill check it out tonight. I guess then that the HD hoop games that air during the day on saturdays wont be broadcast in HD on 96 or 97. That kinda sucks. Especially when I am watching the SD version with all my buddies and it says, "Brought to you in HD!".

 

[bobnielsen]

Thanks sharkie! Ill check it out tonight. I guess then that the HD hoop games that air during the day on saturdays wont be broadcast in HD on 96 or 97. That kinda sucks. Especially when I am watching the SD version with all my buddies and it says, "Brought to you in HD!".

That's not as bad as "Brought to you in HD by Directv" when my local Fox station wasn't yet carried!

Only home games appear to be in HD and they don't always show up in the guide very far ahead of time. Hopefully the RSNs will go on national beams full time when Directv 10 and 11 are up.

 

[cricks]

I hope so too. Its kinda lame to have to wait till game time to see if the game will be broadcast or not. When I check the guide nothing is listed for the timeslot. Doesnt work too well for my HR20 which is looking to record any basketball games with the keyword UCLA.

 

[Sharkie_Fan]

Only home games appear to be in HD and they don't always show up in the guide very far ahead of time. Hopefully the RSNs will go on national beams full time when Directv 10 and 11 are up.

As I understand it, the RSN are supposed to be full time once the new satellites are up. My "contact" is some sort of assistant to a Senior VP in the corporate offices. Of course, these are the same people who tell me almost daily that I should receive FSN Bay Area in HD. It wasn't until I got to the Senior VP that he told me the RSN was tied in with MPEG4 Locals and only being delivered to select DMAs at the point....... IN other words, take that "prediction" with a grain of salt. The VP and his assistant both seem to have a decent handle on things, but you never know over there...

And, you're correct, only home games are in HD. And from what the CSR at FSN Bay Area told me, don't expect more than that any time soon. He said all the necessary equipment to broadcast HD is still pretty expensive, so they have 1 truck with all the HD equipment on board, and they only broadcast HD from locations which are within driving distance of the truck. IN other words, home games for the A's, Giants, Sharks, Warriors, and whatever college games they may choose to pick up...

 

[cricks]

I wish I knew that before I signed up. The directv CSR made it seem like I would be able to watch anything that was on FSN Bay Area on the alternate HD channel. I guess Ill just have to wait till baseball season kicks in and then only for home games. Also, do you think that since I live in Oakland and not SF, that I wont get the spot beam for those games? If so I wonder if I can change my zip to a SF zip code and get them.

Thanks for the info guys!

 

[Sharkie_Fan]

I wish I knew that before I signed up. The directv CSR made it seem like I would be able to watch anything that was on FSN Bay Area on the alternate HD channel. I guess Ill just have to wait till baseball season kicks in and then only for home games. Also, do you think that since I live in Oakland and not SF, that I wont get the spot beam for those games? If so I wonder if I can change my zip to a SF zip code and get them.

Thanks for the info guys!

Tell me about it. I wasn't all that interested in HD programming with the exeption of Sharks games. I watched and waited for FSN BA to broadcast in HD on DirecTV, and the day they put on their website that it was up and running, I upgraded. (FSN's website also says it's available to me).

Got it all installed only to find out that I wasn't receiving anything. I spent HOURS on the phone with CSRs trying to find out what was going on and always got the same response "Oh, yes, you can receive FSN Bay Area in HD. Just not TONIGHT'S game. MLB must have that blacked out for some reason".

Finally I got FSN Bay Area involved and worked my way up the foodchain at DirecTV until I got to this Senior VP and his assistant. The Senior VP told me that since I wasn't receiving SF HD Locals I could not receive FSN Bay Area (which by that time I had already deduced but had yet to hear a confirmation from them). At that point the assistant chimed in and said "I've spoken with X in programming and Y in another department and they've both confirmed for me what we agreed to broadcast FSN Bay Area in HD to this customers zip code."

At that point, mr VP had an "Oh Sh!t" moment when he realized that there was some miscommunication internally at DirecTV.. I received weekly updates for about a month from the assistant. The last being about a month ago to tell me that they had scheduled a meeting for such and such a date when they would discuss expanding the RSN footprints. I haven't heard back and haven't had time to follow up, between the holidays and work.

I think the basic idea was to allow anyone within the spot beam to receive the signal. If you couldn't receive it, sorry, you're out of luck for now, but if you're on the fringes and lucky enough to get a signal, hooray for you.

I think a pretty fair majority of the FSN HD broadcasts have been picked up by D* and broadcast on 96. I can't say definitively because I don't actually get the signal, but Icheck the SF listings occasionally to see if the games are on, and quite often they are.

They are also sometimes broadcast on channel 95 - an unused MPEG2 channel that they use to broadcast all sorts of miscellaneous sports programming. I've seen 3 or 4 Sharks games there, I believe.

-- EDIT: The DMA is actually San Jose, San Francisco, and San Jose, so you should be receiving it.... WHich thoroughly chaps my hide, because I'm 15 minutes from San JOse and a good 35 or 40 from Salinas and 1 hr from MOnterey, but I get Salinas/Monterey locals. Grrr.

 

[islesfan]

Tell me about it. I wasn't all that interested in HD programming with the exeption of Sharks games. I watched and waited for FSN BA to broadcast in HD on DirecTV, and the day they put on their website that it was up and running, I upgraded. (FSN's website also says it's available to me).

Got it all installed only to find out that I wasn't receiving anything. I spent HOURS on the phone with CSRs trying to find out what was going on and always got the same response "Oh, yes, you can receive FSN Bay Area in HD. Just not TONIGHT'S game. MLB must have that blacked out for some reason".

Finally I got FSN Bay Area involved and worked my way up the foodchain at DirecTV until I got to this Senior VP and his assistant. The Senior VP told me that since I wasn't receiving SF HD Locals I could not receive FSN Bay Area (which by that time I had already deduced but had yet to hear a confirmation from them). At that point the assistant chimed in and said "I've spoken with X in programming and Y in another department and they've both confirmed for me what we agreed to broadcast FSN Bay Area in HD to this customers zip code."

At that point, mr VP had an "Oh Sh!t" moment when he realized that there was some miscommunication internally at DirecTV.. I received weekly updates for about a month from the assistant. The last being about a month ago to tell me that they had scheduled a meeting for such and such a date when they would discuss expanding the RSN footprints. I haven't heard back and haven't had time to follow up, between the holidays and work.

I think the basic idea was to allow anyone within the spot beam to receive the signal. If you couldn't receive it, sorry, you're out of luck for now, but if you're on the fringes and lucky enough to get a signal, hooray for you.

I think a pretty fair majority of the FSN HD broadcasts have been picked up by D* and broadcast on 96. I can't say definitively because I don't actually get the signal, but Icheck the SF listings occasionally to see if the games are on, and quite often they are.

They are also sometimes broadcast on channel 95 - an unused MPEG2 channel that they use to broadcast all sorts of miscellaneous sports programming. I've seen 3 or 4 Sharks games there, I believe.

-- EDIT: The DMA is actually San Jose, San Francisco, and San Jose, so you should be receiving it.... WHich thoroughly chaps my hide, because I'm 15 minutes from San JOse and a good 35 or 40 from Salinas and 1 hr from MOnterey, but I get Salinas/Monterey locals. Grrr.

I was burned the exact same way by D* on the FNSBA HD signal. Only after I upgraded to the HR20 did I discover that I couldn't get the HD signal in Nevada. Actually, the D* CSR still told me I could, but the FSNBA rep explained why I wouldn't get the signal. Pretty poor business product there D*!

 

[texasbrit]

I was burned the exact same way by D* on the FNSBA HD signal. Only after I upgraded to the HR20 did I discover that I couldn't get the HD signal in Nevada. Actually, the D* CSR still told me I could, but the FSNBA rep explained why I wouldn't get the signal. Pretty poor business product there D*!

This whole subject is just very confused. No-one seems to know which programs will be on 96 and 97, and who can receive them. However, RSNs in HD are as islefan says broadcast as part of the local HD package so, as an example, NESN HD is part of the Boston HD locals; if you don't get Boston HD locals you will not get NESN HD.
There are certainly many rumors that HD RSNs will be part of the national HD channels rollout later this year.

 

[Sharkie_Fan]

I was burned the exact same way by D* on the FNSBA HD signal. Only after I upgraded to the HR20 did I discover that I couldn't get the HD signal in Nevada. Actually, the D* CSR still told me I could, but the FSNBA rep explained why I wouldn't get the signal. Pretty poor business product there D*!

An Islanders fan in Nevada... ???

I wasn't even sure Isles fans actually existed, much less outside of NY.

I figured between the Yashin signing and most recently the DiPietro signing that most isles fans had hurled themselves off the nearest bridge or tall office building.

Before I got the HR20, I actually got an email from D* (unsolicited) saying that FSN Bay Area was available in HD in my area and that I could take advantage with a new receiver, yadda, yadda, yadda.

I guess technically, it is available in my area, as I've seen 3 or 4 sharks games in HD on channel 95.... I've missed all the other ones on channel 96 though.

 

[cricks]

I just cant help but feel a little cheated. The CSR clearly told me that I would get FSNBA in HD on these "hidden" channels. He did not mention anything about only getting home games, having to be in certain DMAs or there being bandwidth issues. Had I know this, i would have waited to upgrade to the HD package. At least until baseball season started. I even went as far as to tell the CSR that from Jan to March, I will be watching a lot of FSN to watch college hoops. He assured me that I would be able to watch the HD broadcast for FSNBA. He even had me hold while he asked his supervisor who told me I would be able to ge FSNBA in HD.
I wonder I can call and get a credit for HD service, at least until I have seen one HD broadcast.

 

[Sharkie_Fan]

I just cant help but feel a little cheated. The CSR clearly told me that I would get FSNBA in HD on these "hidden" channels. He did not mention anything about only getting home games, having to be in certain DMAs or there being bandwidth issues. Had I know this, i would have waited to upgrade to the HD package. At least until baseball season started. I even went as far as to tell the CSR that from Jan to March, I will be watching a lot of FSN to watch college hoops. He assured me that I would be able to watch the HD broadcast for FSNBA. He even had me hold while he asked his supervisor who told me I would be able to ge FSNBA in HD.
I wonder I can call and get a credit for HD service, at least until I have seen one HD broadcast.

Being able to view home games only has nothing to do with DirecTV. That's all on FSN Bay Area (and the other RSNs). DirecTV can (obviously) only broadcast the game in HD if FSN is broadcasting in HD.

CHeck out http://www.fsnbayarea.com/FSNHD.jsp

They'll show their broadcast schedule in HD there. I haven't been following REAL closely but it appears to me that D* has broadcast maybe 75% of the FSN Bay Area HD Broadcasts. I know they haven't shown them all because a couple of times I've looked at the D* guide to see if I was missing a Sharks game in HD that night and the were broadcasting something else. Perhaps there's someone in SF area that can give better details as to exactly how many Hd games have been picked up, but I think it's a good majority.

The more you read these forums, the more you'll realize (and Earl will point out) that there is a severe disconnect between the technical side of things and the CSR side of things at D*. The CSRs only know as much as they're told. In my case, my zip code (95076) shows up in the D* system as eligible. Apparently I am within the spot beam and so at some point D* told FSN they would broadcast to all available zip codes, then later down the road, for some reason, someone, somewhere decided that the RSNs would go only to 1 DMA within the territory and be bundled with HD Locals. That decision didn't trickle throughout the entire company and beyond to FSN, so everything in every system said I was eligible until I got high enough up the ladder to someone who was aware of the change and informed me of that change. I don't know why there is such lack of communication between the departments.... There just is.

I got like 5$ a month for 6 months at some point when they told me I couldn't get FSN and I told them that was the only reason I upgraded. Then after that another discount got applied that was $10 for 6 months I think (that one I didn't ask for... whaddya know!).

So certainly, you're not out of line to ask for some recompense since you upgraded for a specific reason and now you're discovering that everything isn't as rosy as the picture the CSR originally painted.

FWIW.... In your location, you should get ALOT of HD games from FSN bay area, I think...

 

[chris.dg]

Cricks: Maybe I missed some of this, and apologies if you already know all of this, but let's make sure you meet *all* of the requirements:

- does your zip code start with any of the following: 940-941, 943-951, 954? *

- Do you have one of the new 5lnb dishes which are capable of receiving mpeg4 signals?

- Is your directv HD receiver either the H2O or HR20? (mpeg4 capable)

- Are you able to see high-def content on the "locals" CBSW, NBCW, and ABCW (channels 81,82,83)? --- these are LA affiliate network feeds

If you have all of the above, then whenever FSNBA does a game that is being broadcast in HD, that event will popup on channels 96 (and maybe 95 or 97 as well).

I live in San Jose, in the 95125 zip code, and as of a few weeks ago I finally have all of the above, and I am now able to watch the Sharks (and other local teams) in HD.

note: initially something happened to my H20 receiver where it was incorrectly configured with some very strange and distant zip code, so I was not able to see the Sharks game in HD. D* CSRs and level2 Tech Support folks were trying to tell me all kinds of irrelevant things about blackouts, the need to subscribe to NHL Center Ice, etc, all of which were false. I then figured it out on my own.

If you have all of the above, you will be able to watch the FNSBA HD games when they are on....but it won't be a constant 24x7 feed of FSNBA until the new birds are deployed, and then it will likely be on an entirely different channel. Make sure you have the 90's channels configured in your guide as channels you receive.

Hope this helps,
-Chris

*some zip codes within these zips may not have access to FSN HD due to DirecTV spot beam limitations

 

[chris.dg]

As I understand it, the RSN are supposed to be full time once the new satellites are up. My "contact" is some sort of assistant to a Senior VP in the corporate offices. Of course, these are the same people who tell me almost daily that I should receive FSN Bay Area in HD. It wasn't until I got to the Senior VP that he told me the RSN was tied in with MPEG4 Locals and only being delivered to select DMAs at the point....... IN other words, take that "prediction" with a grain of salt. The VP and his assistant both seem to have a decent handle on things, but you never know over there...

And, you're correct, only home games are in HD. And from what the CSR at FSN Bay Area told me, don't expect more than that any time soon. He said all the necessary equipment to broadcast HD is still pretty expensive, so they have 1 truck with all the HD equipment on board, and they only broadcast HD from locations which are within driving distance of the truck. IN other words, home games for the A's, Giants, Sharks, Warriors, and whatever college games they may choose to pick up...

For what it's worth, a VP at FSNBA told me that in addition to the 4 Sharks "away" games that are being broadcast in HD this year, that each year we will see an increase - particularly as they negotiate and coordinate with other regional networks and such for "loaner" use of their HD Broadcasting trucks.

 

[cricks]

Thanks for the info chris! Sorry for the late response but I just got back from CES.

Anyway, here are the answers to your questions:
Yes, I am in 94605 and I called to see if I was in the DMA, I was told I was.
I have a 5lnb dish as well as an HR20
I am able to see HD locals but Im not sure i can see CBSW, NBCW etc as I just tune to channel 2 and 5. Ill check tonight.
Ill keep checking channels 95-97 to see if I can get any HD on FSN and will report back.

Thanks again.

 

[cricks]

Okay its been over a week now since I started this thread. So far, I still havent seen anything in HD on channels 96-98. There have been two UCLA hoop games, and I understand that being in the Bay Area, I wont get those in HD where I live. But the sharks game a couple nights ago was in SD as well on channel 96.

Do I have to wait until baseball season to get more FSN HD content? Considering that FSN was the main reason I wanted to switch to HD, Im more than bummed out with what I get so far.

 

[bigpuma]

Okay its been over a week now since I started this thread. So far, I still havent seen anything in HD on channels 96-98. There have been two UCLA hoop games, and I understand that being in the Bay Area, I wont get those in HD where I live. But the sharks game a couple nights ago was in SD as well on channel 96.

Do I have to wait until baseball season to get more FSN HD content? Considering that FSN was the main reason I wanted to switch to HD, Im more than bummed out with what I get so far.

I watched last nights Sharks game in HD on channel 96, so it is there. The guide data is not that helpful so I just check 96 whenever I see a Warriors or Sharks game on channel 654.

 

[chris.dg]

Okay its been over a week now since I started this thread. So far, I still havent seen anything in HD on channels 96-98. There have been two UCLA hoop games, and I understand that being in the Bay Area, I wont get those in HD where I live. But the sharks game a couple nights ago was in SD as well on channel 96.

Do I have to wait until baseball season to get more FSN HD content? Considering that FSN was the main reason I wanted to switch to HD, Im more than bummed out with what I get so far.

The majority of the Sharks home games are in HD on channel 96, so this is indeed strange that you are not receiving it in HD.

Did you check that your HR20 setup still shows your zip code as 94605? As I mentioned earlier, I originally setup my H20 under zip code 95125, but later it had reverted to something way different (probably during a CSR reset or something). When I manually changed it back to 95125, i was suddenly able to see Sharks in HD on Channel 96.

Also, i know you stated that you are receiving the HD locals on channels 2, 5, etc...but are you sure you are seeing actual high-def content? Pardon these silly questions, but i do not know your experience level with HD, and from my experience some folks aren't always quite sure what they are looking at in terms of SD, enhanced SD, or HD. So I'm just trying to cover all the bases for you. I know how badly you want to see your home teams in HD!

 

[cricks]

Yes, Finally! Man, the game is just starting on channel 96 in HD! I was so excited that I had to log on and post. I wouldnt say that this is that same thing the CSR were trying to tell me was available but Im just so happy to see the Bruins in HD that I dont care. Ill take what I can get for now. I hope that someday soon, (Q3 2007?) Ill be able to get more HD FSN. Funny thing is none of my friends came over to watch the game this weekend. Im recording it just so they believe me.

Thanks for everyone's help.