Poll: Extra Innings Consumers

[cardinalkarp]

I just called direct tv to inquire about there service (for other reasons than EI) and they're prices are terrible compared to Dish Network, as far as equipment prices go. They're wanting to charge me nearly $400 in equipment charges while Dish Network supplies it all for free (I need an HD DVR, 2 HD recievers, and standard reciever)

[planet planet]

I just called direct tv to inquire about there service (for other reasons than EI) and they're prices are terrible compared to Dish Network, as far as equipment prices go. They're wanting to charge me nearly $400 in equipment charges while Dish Network supplies it all for free (I need an HD DVR, 2 HD recievers, and standard reciever)

Thanks for the info, karp. I'm also on Dish and I was going to check into it this weekend. EI isn't as important to us lucky souls that already get Cards broadcasts.

[cardinalkarp]

I just called direct tv to inquire about there service (for other reasons than EI) and they're prices are terrible compared to Dish Network, as far as equipment prices go. They're wanting to charge me nearly $400 in equipment charges while Dish Network supplies it all for free (I need an HD DVR, 2 HD recievers, and standard reciever)

Thanks for the info, karp. I'm also on Dish and I was going to check into it this weekend. EI isn't as important to us lucky souls that already get Cards broadcasts.

No problem. I just thought they would try to compete against eachother? I'm going to give Direct TV one more call this weekend and talk to a different person to see if they can help me out a little more. If not its Dish Network all the way. I've heard different stories about HD programming and how Direct TV is supposed to add alot in the upcoming months but right now DN has alot more of that also.

[jim]

From vivaelbirdos, not that it will do any good to read but for some reason there are parts of it that make me feel better reading. I've outlined a few.

if you're not familiar with the details of mlb's new deal with DirecTV, maury brown's Biz of Baseball is all over the story; head there for the whole ugly truth. the short version is that this deal screws the baseball fans who chose Dish network or InDemand cable as their primary tv carrier for one reason: so they could watch out-of-market ballgames. those games will now almost certainly be available only on DirecTV. under duress from angry fans, the sport belatedly gave Dish and InDemand the right of first refusal, but it's not likely either will match the DirectTV offer.

only the boobs who run this sport could mismanage the pr this badly.

the deal is of a piece with the cardinals' move from kmox to ktrs, which engendered the same sense of anger and alienation among devoted fans. step by step, baseball is making access to its product more difficult to get; if that seems bass-ackwards and stupid, read my piece for WSJ.com last year about the drift toward all-subscription radio. baseball's moving inexorably to bring their broadcast rights in-house: rather than sell the rights to a third-party broadcaster, the sport is going to cut out the middleman and broadcast the games itself --- and sell the rights to each game directly to us, the consumers. eventually we'll be buying tickets to see an individual game on tv or hear it on radio, much as we now buy tickets to see games in person. this line from the first paragraph of mlb's press release announcing the deal tells all:
Included within the agreement, DIRECTV will be a minority partner in the MLB Channel, and will work with MLB to develop the network, which will launch in 2009.
DirecTV is merely a means to an end --- a way to ease mlb's transition into its ultimate role as the broadcaster of its own product. it's a macro version of the st louis radio deal, the main purpose of which was to get the cardinals --- half-owners of ktrs --- into the broadcasting business. the fact that the change of flagships cut hundreds of thousands of fans out of signal range was beside the point.

i already buy broadcasts directly from mlb, via the mlb.tv package; that's my primary carrier of cardinal games, so i'm not impacted by the switch to DirecTV. but if you're among those who are impacted, i feel for you. you love the sport, but the industry could give a [expletive] about you.

the bastards.

Update [2007-3-9 9:37:47 by lboros]: just to be clear: my beef is not with the longer-term trend, ie cutting out the middleman. there are certain advantages for the consumer in that model; it's a tradeoff, and there are certain things the consumer loses, but that model per se isn't what i'm reacting against. i'm reacting against the shrugging disregard for how the change inconveniences fans. they should be bending over backwards to make this transition as painless as possible for their customers. instead they take the opposite view.

the fact that mlb didn't anticipate any fan backlash speaks volumes about how much they thought about their consumers when they cut this deal. they didn't think about us at all --- and that makes me angry.

[fulldeck]

I'm at the point now where they would just make up their minds. I'm waiting and waiting. If you get mlb.tv, do you get ST games? If so, I'm missing out waiting for this nonsense.

http://mlb.mlb.com/mediacenter/index.jsp#20070308

I have MLBTV premium & I bought mainly b/c if I'm travelling, I can still watch out of market games at a hotel with hi-speed.

As you can see with the schedule, they broadcast very few games each day, but have more options as far as listening to the games.

I also have my computer hooked up to my HDTV so I can watch the games on the widescreen.

How are you setting this connection up? Do you have a Dual Monitor Video Card?

[jim]

I'm at the point now where they would just make up their minds. I'm waiting and waiting. If you get mlb.tv, do you get ST games? If so, I'm missing out waiting for this nonsense.

http://mlb.mlb.com/mediacenter/index.jsp#20070308

I have MLBTV premium & I bought mainly b/c if I'm travelling, I can still watch out of market games at a hotel with hi-speed.

As you can see with the schedule, they broadcast very few games each day, but have more options as far as listening to the games.

I also have my computer hooked up to my HDTV so I can watch the games on the widescreen.

How are you setting this connection up? Do you have a Dual Monitor Video Card?

Can't speak for UK, but we have set it up using a PS/3.

[fulldeck]

Thanks Jim. I just bought a new TV and it has S-video, VGA, and HDMI inputs. I am trying to figure out if I can set up some type of A/B switch connection between my TV and computer so I don't have to unplug my monitor each time I want to watch a game through my TV. I am guessing that would require having the dual monitor video card, but I don't know.

[Bo Hart]

EchoStar Communications CEO Charlie Ergen said today that his company (parent of DISH Network) has yet to meet with MLB officials to see if they will somehow continue to be able to offer Extra Innings to their customers, and “called into question” whether MLB was willing to offer DISH and iN Demand the same deal as they are offering DirecTV.

Ergen mentioned the fact that as of this date, EchoStar and iN Demand have not been offered a stake in the MLB Channel. MLB has offered up a 20% stake in the channel to DirecTV. Ergen added that EchoStar is “not interested in signing a deal that forces it to carry the channel on its most widely distributed basic package when so few of its customers subscribe to Extra Innings”

I realize this is EchoStar and no inDemand, but I'm beginning to get the feeling that there is no chance that they match the offer.

Ugh....

[jim]

EchoStar Communications CEO Charlie Ergen said today that his company (parent of DISH Network) has yet to meet with MLB officials to see if they will somehow continue to be able to offer Extra Innings to their customers, and “called into question” whether MLB was willing to offer DISH and iN Demand the same deal as they are offering DirecTV.

Ergen mentioned the fact that as of this date, EchoStar and iN Demand have not been offered a stake in the MLB Channel. MLB has offered up a 20% stake in the channel to DirecTV. Ergen added that EchoStar is “not interested in signing a deal that forces it to carry the channel on its most widely distributed basic package when so few of its customers subscribe to Extra Innings”

I realize this is EchoStar and no inDemand, but I'm beginning to get the feeling that there is no chance that they match the offer.

Ugh....

I don't think so either kyle. BP had an article not too long ago, and it didn't sound like it was an offer inDemand would match. Since I'm not all that concerned about missing ST games, I'm still holding out until the last minute.

[stlmark]

EchoStar Communications CEO Charlie Ergen said today that his company (parent of DISH Network) has yet to meet with MLB officials to see if they will somehow continue to be able to offer Extra Innings to their customers, and “called into question” whether MLB was willing to offer DISH and iN Demand the same deal as they are offering DirecTV.

Ergen mentioned the fact that as of this date, EchoStar and iN Demand have not been offered a stake in the MLB Channel. MLB has offered up a 20% stake in the channel to DirecTV. Ergen added that EchoStar is “not interested in signing a deal that forces it to carry the channel on its most widely distributed basic package when so few of its customers subscribe to Extra Innings”

I realize this is EchoStar and no inDemand, but I'm beginning to get the feeling that there is no chance that they match the offer.

Ugh....

I don't think so either kyle. BP had an article not too long ago, and it didn't sound like it was an offer inDemand would match. Since I'm not all that concerned about missing ST games, I'm still holding out until the last minute.

This whole situation is frustrating. I tired of it all!