Whats going on.....TV???

[redice]

Lots of luck on calling DirecTV!!   I recall a few years ago calling them to determine if they were going to carry an NCAA Regional game involving Cornell.    Like this year, I wanted to know if I could watch the game at home (on DirecTV) or travel to Ithaca (to watch it on TWC).   There was absolutely nobody at DirecTV who could answer the question.    I ended up driving to Ithaca   ::screwy::
Since they know, well in advance, that these regionals are going to happen, does it seem THAT difficult to just plan this thing out, in advance?

[cbuckser]

The NCAA has listed the stations or cable systems that will show the games from the four regionals.

http://www.ncaasports.com/icehockey/mens/story/8310797

[Hillel Hoffmann]

Another update on the situation with Altitude. Good news/bad news.

First, let me say that the people at Altitude are fantastic. Very sympathetic and patient. If I find out that anybody was cranky with them, I'm gonna come over and unscrew the bulb on your porchlight.

All of the information below pertains to folks who are outside areas that will be getting the game live on plain old cable TV (CNY, etc.).

I can confirm that the Cornell Athletics release is wrong -- Altitude is NOT going to show the Cornell game on DTV 644. I can also confirm that they will show the game live on an alternate DTV channel, 658 (it's something else if you're a Colorado cable consumer who gets Altitude via cable). Dish Network will also air the Altitude alternate feed (see above for details on that.) Athletics will probably publish a correction on the DirecTV situation this week.

The good news: The broadcast on DTV channel 658 will be available to household consumers nationwide who get DirecTV's add-on package called "Sports Pack."

The bad news for most folks in the Cornell/Ohio State diaspora: The situation when it comes to sports bars and other commercial venues is very murky. Channel 658 is NOT available on all commercial DTV accounts -- even places that get "Sports Pack." It sounds like access to DTV 658 is an a la carte add-on: some get it, many don't, and most of 'em probably have no idea whether they get it or not. Scheduling a public gathering at a sports bar to watch Saturday afternoon's game live is a risky proposition, even at places that showed last weekend's ECAC championship. Unless you get an unusually swift manager (riiiiiiight), it will be very difficult to check whether an establishment will be able to broadcast this game, because DTV 658 is almost always blank. [One absurdly complicated test: Call the sports bar at about 10:00 p.m. ET on Thursday night and ask them to put on DTV 657. Yes, 657. If they see a D-II basketball tournament game -- Metro State vs. Virginia Union -- you're probably good to go for 658 on Saturday... Don't ask.]

So if you don't get DTV at home and you live outside CNY, Omaha, KC, Denver, and other lucky pockets, it looks like watching the regional semifinal live is likely to be a hit-or-miss challenge.

******

Edit: I see that Rita posted the same thing in another thread after speaking with Altitude's fabulous affiliatemeister Charlotte.

[DeltaOne81]

Here's another point.

Altitude alternate is carrying UNH vs. Harvard on Saturday right before our game. So if you call at 1:30 on Saturday and see if they can get the Harvard/UNH game on 658. If they do, that's even better news.

Oh, and on Friday when they should be carrying the Worcester semis. (Edit: I see someone else realized this below before I edited it in )

[PRR94]

[Q]DeltaOne81 Wrote:

 Here's another point.

Altitude alternate is carrying UNH vs. Harvard on Saturday right before our game. So if you call at 1:30 on Saturday and see if they can get the Harvard/UNH game on 658. If they do, that's even better news.[/q]

We should know Friday, right?  They are scheduled to broadcast BC/Mercyhurst in the afternoon.  

Also, sports bars do have to purchase Altitude separately:

http://www.directv.com/buy/pdf/public_pkgs_and_rates.pdf

-Parag

[jy3]

so what about Western NY? I assume that Adelphia is not going to carry any of the games. will time warner just buy them out already or what

i have been thinking about jumping to direct tv for other reasons, but this would help, even if this game is not on. i wonder how long it takes to get direct tv installed...

[DeltaOne81]

Hey Hillel... what time zone is that 7:30 pm Bball game in? Are we talking 7:30 eastern or mountain??

[Hillel Hoffmann]

[Q]DeltaOne81 Wrote: Hey Hillel... what time zone is that 7:30 pm Bball game in? Are we talking 7:30 eastern or mountain?? [/q]
Sheeeeit! Good catch, Fred. The game in question is Metro State's D-II Elite Eight hoops game (a Denver school, thus the Altitude broadcast). It's 7:30 Mountain Time. So if you wanna do this crazy "Altitude alternate" test at a sports bar, call 'em or stop by at 9:45 or 10:00 Eastern Time on Thursday, when the game's in progress, and ask them to turn to 657 (yes, 657, not 658).

I'm gonna edit my post above now.

[Cop at Lynah]

I goy my service two weeks ago from Best Buy here in Ithaca.  4 room instalation with a Tivo DVR for $49 and installed in 4 days.

[DeltaOne81]

One more question for Hillel or Rita...

Based on praje's post, it seems in that document that the bars do need to purchase Altitude separately. However, if they do so, do they need to additionally purchase the Altitude alternate feeds as ala carte beyond that? or does purchasing the Altitude package include the alternate feeds?

Perhaps you can clarify that with Altitude or something. Because if purchasing the Altitude package includes the alternate(s), then we should just be able to test at any time that the bar indeed receives 644. Although I would still certainly do the other tests, it would be comforting to know that they're supposed to be included with the main channel.

[Hillel Hoffmann]

More updates:

1. New York State cable options seem to be increasing. This may have been posted before, but it appears that Time Warner Albany and Time Warner Rochester will now be picking up the Cornell-Ohio State game live on Saturday afternoon, increasing the breadth of cable availability in Upstate NY. Time Warner Syracuse had already announced that they'd be showing the game live.

2. Sometime this afternoon or tomorrow, there is a chance that one or more regional sports networks available on DirecTV's "Sports Pack" will announce that they'll be picking up the Cornell regional semifinal live. If so, this will dramatically increase the odds of arranging live public viewing opportunities for Cornell and Ohio State folks at sports bars. I've set up a means of getting this news as soon as it's available. Stay tuned.

*****

Fred, I think you should assume that sports bars that buy the Altitude DTV add-on will also get Altitude's alternate feeds. I also think you should assume that the only sports bars willing to put out for that will be places that cater to large groups of expatriate Coloradans. Yikes.

*****

Edit: Cornell Athletics has updated and corrected their release on viewing opportunities. A thank you to everyone there for helping, esp. Jeremy.

[nshapiro]

For the West Regional final, www.ncaasports.com lists CN8 (NJ, PA, CT, MA), but the CN8 website has the game listed only for their New England network,  not their Mid-Atlantic network.  I emailed CN8, http://www.cn8.tv/feedback/emailhost.asp but got only an automated thank you.  Anybody know for certain if it will be available on CN8 in Philly?


If someone obtains the big dish C/Ku band Satellite coordinates, I have often had success at AJ's Sports bar in Levittown, Bucks County PA, about 1/2 hr up I-95 from Philly.

[KenP]

I just spoke to the Syndication Sales, Account Executive at Disney and ESPN Media Networks whose sole responsibility this week is to maximize coverage of all games. She told me that most cable companies don't commit to regional feeds prior to Selection Sunday for obvious reasons. Her advice -- CALL YOUR CABLE COMPANIES AND ASK FOR COVERAGE.

Expect additional clearances to be announced, especially if you pressure the local cable companies.

[Hillel Hoffmann]

[Q]nshapiro Wrote: For the West Regional final, www.ncaasports.com lists CN8 (NJ, PA, CT, MA), but the CN8 website has the game listed only for their New England network,  not their Mid-Atlantic network.  I emailed CN8,  but got only an automated thank you.  Anybody know for certain if it will be available on CN8 in Philly? [/q]
Pleasure meeting you last weekend, Neil. I have bad news here. Reliable brass sources say that CN8 Mid-Atlantic (covering PA, NJ and elsewhere) will NOT be showing the West regional final on Sunday afternoon. However, they said that Comcast cable customers in New England will be able to see the game live on CN8 New England.
[Q] If someone obtains the big dish C/Ku band Satellite coordinates, I have often had success at AJ's Sports bar in Levittown, Bucks County PA, about 1/2 hr up I-95 from Philly. [/q]
CU Athletics has promised to pass on "big dish" (C-band and/or Ku-band) coordinates for Saturday's game later today, if possible. They had hoped to have this information earlier, but haven't found it yet. I'll post it as soon as I get it. If no sports-bar-friendly DirecTV options become available, all Delaware Valley CU fans would be grateful if you'd be able to arrange a live West semifinal viewing opportunity on Saturday using your big dish contacts.

[Rita]

Hi Fred...
Charlotte, from altitude sports,  wasn't able to guarantee that they would get the alternate feeds. The only way she had of "testing" that was the men's DII b-ball game on channel 657.. if you can get that, *most* likely you would get the game the next day.

Jeremy at cornell sports info was very nice and said that cornell is optimistic that the ncaa would be picking up the game. which all we need one fox regional affiliate. Since the Ohio News Network bought the ohio rights, that leaves out fox sports ohio. Jeremy did caution, that since altitude is picking it up and showing it live, even if it is on one of its alternate feeds, that likely meets the NC$$ criteria for being shown live.