Question for you TiVo-ers with MLS Direct Kick... In past years, the game information on MLS Direct Kick channels has never shown up when I did a TiVo search. I thought it could be something about TiVo not recognizing those channels because they were PPV... Or maybe (ver likely) it was because I did something wrong, or there was a TiVo setting I forgot to fix... Has anyone figured out a way to make this work? Or do I have to keep setting manual recordings for MLS games? It's not a huge deal, but I'm lazy and would like TiVo to do it for me. Gracias!
Doug - you might want to post this in the Bus & Media board as well as more people will see it and a lot of people know their TIVO over there. I'm interested in the answer as well as I may be purchasing a TIVO soon. *keeps fingers crossed*
You will need to add the channels to you lineup. Go to Messages & Setup - Settings - Preferences - Customize Channels - Channels You Receive. Then scroll down and select the channels that the package comes on. I have not done this yet for MLS Direct Kick, but I did it for hockey this season... it should work the same way... GO QUAKES!!!!!!
Last year I received the Shootout package from DirectTV and recorded every game that was broadcast on my Dual-Tuner DirectTivo. The stations themselves I believe are 796-799(For DirectTV) and you do need to go into Message & Setup and choose Channels you recieve to select them. (They have the title "MLS" next to them so they should be easy to find). A major word of caution. Unless this was changed from last year DirectTV puts each game into a 6 hour time block. If you set up standard regular recordings than you will be tying up a tuner for 6 hours. (TiVo unfortunately will not let you negatively pad a program, ie record less than the scheduled time). The only way around this is to schedule a manual recording for every game on the MLS channels. Due to the way data is encoded, the length isn't really an issue. Hopefully this year DirectTV will wise up and decrease the block of time for the MLS channels so that you can just set up Season Passes (or Wishlists) and be done with it. Although it cost an additional ~$12 per month, you can also add the Sports pack which will get you FoxSportsWorld and the regional sports networks which are carrying more and more of the MLS games. They fortunately only schedule 2-2.5 hours for their broadcasts so I usually just set them up as the normal option to record. (There is the small possibility that TiVo might have added negative padding support in the new HDDirectTiVo which will start shipping in just a few days. Mine is on pre-order and is due either at the end of April or beginning of May. I will let you know when it arrives.) Randy Overbeck
Question re TIVO: Does it record separate games on separate channels at the same time? E.g., this Saturday there are games on Direct Kick and/or FSW at 4:30, 5:30, 7pm and 8:30 (a tape delay game), plus the MLS Wrap show at 9. Would I be able to tape, i.e, "to TIVO", all of these games if I wasn't around to watch any of them? Thanx in advance for your answer(s).
It has 2 tuners, and yes you could tape them all. Tape games @ 4:30pm(Tuner A) and 5:30pm.(Tuner B) Tuner A finishes before 7:00pm so that tapes game 3. and Tuner B finishes before 8:30 and tapes that game. For MLS Wrap I would setup a Season Pass (since it is repeated so many times the Season Pass will grab one when a tuner is available.) This taped version of MLS usually ended up being at 12 midnight (PST) for me last year and I expect it to be similar this year. (Unless you explicitly tell it to TiVo will not re-record a show that it previously recorded in the last 28 days.) Of course one big benefit over a VCR (beside fast-forward and replay capability) is the ability to join a game in progress at whatever point you wanted to. (For example you could start watching the 4:30pm game at 6:00PM while it is continuing to tape that game and tape the 5:00pm game.) BTW - TiVo rocks!! Randy Overbeck
Just two comments to add to Randy's... This is not quite the case. Most live sporting events are blacked out on the regional channels. You will, however, get the FSW games which definitely justifies the $12. This only applies to Diretv Tivo. If you have regular tivo with cable, it has only one tuner. TIVO still rocks!!! GO QUAKES!
Saw this thread from the main page. To follow up on TIVO'ing two matches at the same time...if you have DirecTV, you need to have two lines from your dish going into the DVR to be able to record two things at the same time/record and switch channels. GO GALAXY! (runs out of room)
Not true (at least for DirectTV) I saw all of the local games on the regional sports networks as I also subscribed to MLS DirectKick. Here is the page from DirectTV but it basically says there are no blackout restrictions for MLS DirectKick http://www.directvsports.com/Subscriptions/MLSDirectKick/Questions/ Q: What are the blackout regulations? A: No blackout restrictions apply to MLS DIRECT KICK™. So as long as you subscribe to both you will get all the games on the regional sports networks as well as on the MLS channels. All the more reason to get the DirectTV TiVo (Oh yeah and the monthly fee is only $4.99 vs. $12.99 with the "regular" or stand-alone TiVo.) Randy Overbeck