Comments on: Reviewing the new MLB.TV http://umpbump.com/press/2008/04/05/reviewing-the-new-mlbtv/ In-your-face baseball commentary Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:48:13 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Jon Beckerman http://umpbump.com/press/2008/04/05/reviewing-the-new-mlbtv/comment-page-1/#comment-59122 Jon Beckerman Sat, 02 May 2009 00:13:44 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/reviewing-the-new-mlbtv/#comment-59122 MLB.TV has created more aggrevation in my life than the cable company, and that's saying something. i've been a faithful mlb audio subscriber for years, coupling their reasonable $15 service w/ Comcasts $150 Extra Innings package. After getting frusturated listening to Kansas City and Boston announcers give the play by play during my beloved Yankees games, I decided to go w/ MLB.TV for the 2009 season due soley to the fact that they broadcast the home & away feeds. HUGE MISTAKE. After spending 5 hours on the phone trying to understand how to upgrade from mlb.audio to mlb.tv... then spending dozens of hours on the phone trying to get my mlb.audio money back after getting charged the full $110 for mlb.tv (I know its only $15, but its the principle), then spending $40 on cables to hook my pc up to my tv, and then the $100 for a wireless keyboard & mouse set to be able to reload my web browser from my couch as opposed to shoving my head under the tv where my laptop is docked, I'm freakin pissed! The video quality is terrible, the feed locks up constantly, the feed is choppy, there is no 'cookie' to remember your login, much less your password, so every time your system freezes up, you need to initiate the login process all over again, including typing in your most likely long email address. I hate it. I wish I did what I did last year, and paid the $160 for the comcast extra innings (which I can watch from any tv in the house), and the $15 for the mlb.audio, and mute the tv for the away team feeds. This is a horrible product, and I urge everyone to stay away from it. MLB.TV has created more aggrevation in my life than the cable company, and that’s saying something. i’ve been a faithful mlb audio subscriber for years, coupling their reasonable $15 service w/ Comcasts $150 Extra Innings package. After getting frusturated listening to Kansas City and Boston announcers give the play by play during my beloved Yankees games, I decided to go w/ MLB.TV for the 2009 season due soley to the fact that they broadcast the home & away feeds. HUGE MISTAKE. After spending 5 hours on the phone trying to understand how to upgrade from mlb.audio to mlb.tv… then spending dozens of hours on the phone trying to get my mlb.audio money back after getting charged the full $110 for mlb.tv (I know its only $15, but its the principle), then spending $40 on cables to hook my pc up to my tv, and then the $100 for a wireless keyboard & mouse set to be able to reload my web browser from my couch as opposed to shoving my head under the tv where my laptop is docked, I’m freakin pissed! The video quality is terrible, the feed locks up constantly, the feed is choppy, there is no ‘cookie’ to remember your login, much less your password, so every time your system freezes up, you need to initiate the login process all over again, including typing in your most likely long email address.

I hate it. I wish I did what I did last year, and paid the $160 for the comcast extra innings (which I can watch from any tv in the house), and the $15 for the mlb.audio, and mute the tv for the away team feeds.

This is a horrible product, and I urge everyone to stay away from it.

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]]> By: Norm Barnett http://umpbump.com/press/2008/04/05/reviewing-the-new-mlbtv/comment-page-1/#comment-59088 Norm Barnett Sun, 26 Apr 2009 17:01:44 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/reviewing-the-new-mlbtv/#comment-59088 I live in Canada -- but I'm just as big a baseball fan as you guys! My favorite team is the Jays -- so I sprang for the PREMIUM MLB-TV package. Now, I find out that ALL LIVE BLUE JAY GAMES (WHETHER THEY'RE AT HOME OR AWAY) ARE BLACKED OUT THROUGHOUT CANADA ON MLB-TV. How would you like to have a favorite sports team and be Canadian? I live in Canada — but I’m just as big a baseball fan as you guys! My favorite team is the Jays — so I sprang for the PREMIUM MLB-TV package. Now, I find out that ALL LIVE BLUE JAY GAMES (WHETHER THEY’RE AT HOME OR AWAY) ARE BLACKED OUT THROUGHOUT CANADA ON MLB-TV. How would you like to have a favorite sports team and be Canadian?

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]]> By: Alejandro Leal http://umpbump.com/press/2008/04/05/reviewing-the-new-mlbtv/comment-page-1/#comment-55188 Alejandro Leal Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:54:41 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/reviewing-the-new-mlbtv/#comment-55188 You know what else? I just noticed that you can't click on the inning of an archived game to watch just the action that took place in said inning. Last year, once a game had been made available as an archived game, you used to be able to click on an inning from the line score to watch the action. You know what else? I just noticed that you can’t click on the inning of an archived game to watch just the action that took place in said inning. Last year, once a game had been made available as an archived game, you used to be able to click on an inning from the line score to watch the action.

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]]> By: Mark http://umpbump.com/press/2008/04/05/reviewing-the-new-mlbtv/comment-page-1/#comment-55187 Mark Sat, 19 Apr 2008 20:01:48 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/reviewing-the-new-mlbtv/#comment-55187 Count me out this year if condensed games don't come back. That was, for me and many who live overseas, the best feature of mlb.tv. Isn't mlb trying to increase its appeal to the international market? Count me out this year if condensed games don’t come back. That was, for me and many who live overseas, the best feature of mlb.tv. Isn’t mlb trying to increase its appeal to the international market?

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]]> By: JG http://umpbump.com/press/2008/04/05/reviewing-the-new-mlbtv/comment-page-1/#comment-55186 JG Mon, 07 Apr 2008 13:00:30 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/reviewing-the-new-mlbtv/#comment-55186 In general, I've found Silverlight to be a horrendous downgrade from the regular Windows Media player -- the feed is grainy and blurry when compared to to regular Windows Media. Plus, the regular Windows Media feed allows you, whether with a Firefox plugin or by copying/pasting the link, to watch games in the standalone player, which you can resize however you like -- Silverlight has only 3 possible pre-set sizes, including the aforementioned not-exactly-full-screen. Finally, Media Player is much, much easier to navigate precisely via rewind and fast-forward. I've uninstalled Silverlight so I can use Media Player (because once you install Silverlight MLBTV doesn't give you a choice), and judging by comments I've seen on message boards, I'm not alone in that decision. It's very possible that Silverlight will be better than Media Player in the long run, but it's pretty clear that the technology is not ready for prime time, and for 90 bucks, MLB shouldn't be rolling it out (and billing it as an upgrade) until it is. In general, I'm a huge fan of MLBTV, and MLB is leaps and bounds ahead of the other sports leagues in terms of what it offers via streaming media, but it seems as if they've consistently given short shrift to quality and customer service. Hopefully that will change. In general, I’ve found Silverlight to be a horrendous downgrade from the regular Windows Media player — the feed is grainy and blurry when compared to to regular Windows Media. Plus, the regular Windows Media feed allows you, whether with a Firefox plugin or by copying/pasting the link, to watch games in the standalone player, which you can resize however you like — Silverlight has only 3 possible pre-set sizes, including the aforementioned not-exactly-full-screen. Finally, Media Player is much, much easier to navigate precisely via rewind and fast-forward. I’ve uninstalled Silverlight so I can use Media Player (because once you install Silverlight MLBTV doesn’t give you a choice), and judging by comments I’ve seen on message boards, I’m not alone in that decision. It’s very possible that Silverlight will be better than Media Player in the long run, but it’s pretty clear that the technology is not ready for prime time, and for 90 bucks, MLB shouldn’t be rolling it out (and billing it as an upgrade) until it is.

In general, I’m a huge fan of MLBTV, and MLB is leaps and bounds ahead of the other sports leagues in terms of what it offers via streaming media, but it seems as if they’ve consistently given short shrift to quality and customer service. Hopefully that will change.

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]]> By: crow nest http://umpbump.com/press/2008/04/05/reviewing-the-new-mlbtv/comment-page-1/#comment-55185 crow nest Mon, 07 Apr 2008 08:43:25 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/reviewing-the-new-mlbtv/#comment-55185 I'm surprised more folks aren't complaining about the elimination of Condensed Games on mlb.com. It seems to me that if more people knew how great that was, and mlb had kept it, mlb would be making even more bucks. Since they've eliminated that and any decent extended highlights, their product is actually worse than it was 3 years ago. I’m surprised more folks aren’t complaining about the elimination of Condensed Games on mlb.com. It seems to me that if more people knew how great that was, and mlb had kept it, mlb would be making even more bucks. Since they’ve eliminated that and any decent extended highlights, their product is actually worse than it was 3 years ago.

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]]> By: Alejandro Leal http://umpbump.com/press/2008/04/05/reviewing-the-new-mlbtv/comment-page-1/#comment-55184 Alejandro Leal Sun, 06 Apr 2008 23:28:56 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/reviewing-the-new-mlbtv/#comment-55184 Drats! I knew it was too good to be true. I was comfortably watching my White Sox on mlb.tv while the local Fox broadcast had the Braves-Mets going. But it's pretty clear, national black out for Saturday games kicks in on May 17. Arg. Drats! I knew it was too good to be true. I was comfortably watching my White Sox on mlb.tv while the local Fox broadcast had the Braves-Mets going.

But it’s pretty clear, national black out for Saturday games kicks in on May 17. Arg.

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]]> By: Malicious Sophist http://umpbump.com/press/2008/04/05/reviewing-the-new-mlbtv/comment-page-1/#comment-55183 Malicious Sophist Sun, 06 Apr 2008 21:19:50 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/reviewing-the-new-mlbtv/#comment-55183 Don't forget the premium service also gives us MLB.tv Mosaic -- the ability to watch as many as 6 games simultaneously (with alerts when your favorite players/ fantasy players come up to bat or pitch). This is my first year of premium service, third year with MLB.tv, and this year's product has simply blown me away. Up to this point I have not had one problem (*knocks wood*). Re: watching 1.2MB service on your big screen. If I watch the full screen feed on my 21-inch monitor it starts to get a little grainy. I don't think it would look too great on a large screen tv - but hopefully I'm wrong. Don’t forget the premium service also gives us MLB.tv Mosaic — the ability to watch as many as 6 games simultaneously (with alerts when your favorite players/ fantasy players come up to bat or pitch). This is my first year of premium service, third year with MLB.tv, and this year’s product has simply blown me away. Up to this point I have not had one problem (*knocks wood*).

Re: watching 1.2MB service on your big screen. If I watch the full screen feed on my 21-inch monitor it starts to get a little grainy. I don’t think it would look too great on a large screen tv – but hopefully I’m wrong.

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]]> By: Nick http://umpbump.com/press/2008/04/05/reviewing-the-new-mlbtv/comment-page-1/#comment-55182 Nick Sun, 06 Apr 2008 11:57:31 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/reviewing-the-new-mlbtv/#comment-55182 Woah woah woah. Do you have a source for the FOX blackout thing other than the press release? That's pretty huge news if you do... but otherwise I'm pretty sure that isn't true. The press releases just don't usually mention blackout rules and the MLB.tv website still says: • National Live Blackout (Regular Season): Due to Major League Baseball national exclusivities, each Saturday until 7:00 PM EST (beginning May 17, 2008 and continuing for remaining Saturdays during the regular season) and each Sunday night (for games that begin after 5:00 PM EST), all scheduled webcasts of games played within such time period will be blacked out. Woah woah woah. Do you have a source for the FOX blackout thing other than the press release? That’s pretty huge news if you do… but otherwise I’m pretty sure that isn’t true. The press releases just don’t usually mention blackout rules and the MLB.tv website still says:

• National Live Blackout (Regular Season): Due to Major League Baseball national exclusivities, each Saturday until 7:00 PM EST (beginning May 17, 2008 and continuing for remaining Saturdays during the regular season) and each Sunday night (for games that begin after 5:00 PM EST), all scheduled webcasts of games played within such time period will be blacked out.

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]]> By: Baseball Annie http://umpbump.com/press/2008/04/05/reviewing-the-new-mlbtv/comment-page-1/#comment-55181 Baseball Annie Sat, 05 Apr 2008 22:29:22 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/reviewing-the-new-mlbtv/#comment-55181 I sprung for the MLB.TV premium package this year at $120, after having the standard package last year and loved it. I can watch the games while on the road on my laptop. I wanted premium this year so I could hook the laptop up to the big screen while at home too. Well, it sucks so far! The site was completely down until 10:10pm on Monday night. What an agonizing wait! I had to resort to ESPN Gamecast, which although anticlimatic, still fulfills my desire for the play-by-play. The MLB.TV 1.2 mega resolution version is a still-frame, sputtering mess. After an hour on hold on the help line they tell me they're having some unnamed "problems" and hope to have them resolved soon. Well I hope so too. What a disappointing start to a much anticipated baseball watching season. Go Cards, I hope to see you in hi-res soon! I sprung for the MLB.TV premium package this year at $120, after having the standard package last year and loved it. I can watch the games while on the road on my laptop. I wanted premium this year so I could hook the laptop up to the big screen while at home too. Well, it sucks so far! The site was completely down until 10:10pm on Monday night. What an agonizing wait! I had to resort to ESPN Gamecast, which although anticlimatic, still fulfills my desire for the play-by-play. The MLB.TV 1.2 mega resolution version is a still-frame, sputtering mess. After an hour on hold on the help line they tell me they’re having some unnamed “problems” and hope to have them resolved soon. Well I hope so too. What a disappointing start to a much anticipated baseball watching season. Go Cards, I hope to see you in hi-res soon!

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