Since the MLS is getting better and better and also the addition of Adu to the MLS this year, i plan to order the MLS direct kick for the first time in my life as a soccer fan, but, i want to know few things for you guys who has been experience with this show ( formerly known as MLS shoot out ) : 1). Which channels the matches will be shown for the south Jersey area ? 2). if there're two games played at the same time, will one of the match be played in tape delay ? Thanks for your info.
Who's your provider? iNDemand (via cable TV), DirecTV, or DISH Network? I believe some cable providers have actually stacked overlapping games due to bandwidth, but otherwise the Direct Kick broadcasts games primarily live, or on Tape Delay when the progam is delayed by the providing RSN (typically KCAL-9 broadcasts of LA games or FSBA of SJ games). So overlapping games are bitch. However, if you get the RSN (or Sports) package with DISH or DirecTV, you can often fill in the holes with some planning. CSN (DC), FSNE (NE), MSG (Metro), FSC (Fire), and FSRM (Rapids) all often replay their broadcasts as filler during the wee hours of Sunday morning and occaisionally into the week itself. Additionally the FSW game of the week typically gets replayed several times on FSW and sometimes later in the week on some of the FSN channels. What's gonna hurt for me this season is that it looks like quite a few of KC's games won't be broadcast at all, and several others will only be available on HDnet.
Current DirecTivo systems offer dual-tuners. Overlapping games are still a problem, but you can record one game and watch another live (or record two at the same time and watch something else that you had previously recorded).
Assuming you have cable, your system will activate 5 channels. Every game carried by any of the local sports networks (not ABC or ESPN2) will be shown, usually live. At some point the inDemand web site should post a schedule on which channel each game is on (it will also be on the channels themselves). So every week you'll almost certainly have some overlap, but you'll usually get to watch 3 games live (4:00 on ABC/ESPN2, 7:30 or so, and a west coast game). Gets a little iffy once college football starts, but you have a ways to go before then. At least that's how it worked with Cablevision last year. If you get MSG and/or Fox Sports NY they'll have all MetroStars game not on ESPN2.
Well, I've upgraded to the DirecTV HD receiver because of all of the KC games. They're coming to do the install tomorrow. Unfortunately, they don't offer an HD receiver with a built in PVR/DVR, so I'll still be using my VCR until PVRs get cheaper. If you've been a longtime DTV customer, you can upgrade if you get yourself transfered to Customer Retention. You'll pay the full upgrade price upfront, but they'll credit your account all but $99. I'm getting an HD receiver, and HD over-the-air antenna for local HD channels, and a new dish.
Which brings up another point. I notice that on my cable system (TWC), that the MLS Direct Kick appears on the same channels (the higher channels) as the NBA package. Last season, MLS and College Football shared channels. Perhaps we In-demand subscribers will not see the same problems (occasional MLS games not showing) and benefits (occasional free PPV college football games) this year when gridiron starts up again. The NBA regular season will have wrapped up by the time the next full slate of MLS games appear on the schedule (April 17).
This past weekend, with DirecTiVo's dual tuners, you could record four out of the five games that were on. The problem would've been at 8:30 ET, when the 7:30 Metro-Crew game was still going on, and the 8:30 Colorado-Dallas and Chicago-KC games were starting. Still, you could record the Metros-Crew game and one of the other two, then recorded the Revs-Gals game at 10:00 ET. Just from a quick survey of http://calendar.yahoo.com/mlsbroadcastschedule, here's quick survey of how many games you can record on the next several Saturdays with a dual-tuner DirecTiVo: 4/10: 2 of 2 4/17: 4 of 5, if you record the SJ-NE game off of one of the numerous FSW repeats. 3 of 5, otherwise. 4/24: 4 of 4, if you record a FSW repeat of SJ-COL. 3 of 4, otherwise. 5/1: 4 of 5, if you record a FSW repeat of LA-NE, 3 of 5, otherwise. 5/8: 4 of 4 5/15: 5 of 5, if you record a FSW repeat of CHI-MET. 4 of 5, otherwise. 5/22: 4 of 4, if you record a FSW repeat of LA-SJ. 3 of 4, otherwise. 5/29: 3 of 3. (COL-CHI will not be on TV anywhere) So yeah, the DirecTiVo kicks much ass for MLS fans with the Direct Kick package. And if you've got a regular DirecTV receiver in another room hooked up to a VCR, you can get the one or two games that the DirecTiVo can't get. It's truly a wonderful thing.
I hate to tell you this, but DirecTV started shipping the high-definition DirecTiVo this week. Two satellite tuners and two over-the-air tuners, which will let you record two things at once (either two things from the satellite or two things from over-the-air or one from each). 250 GB hard drive, which will let give you about 250 hours of SD recording capacity or 35 hours of HD recording capacity. They've got a FAQ over at tivocommunity.com. However, it's going for $999, so it's probably good for you to wait.
does DirecTiVo only work on Direct TV, or does it work on digital cable as well (InDemand)? I've never been clear on that.
The standard-definition DirecTiVo works with DirecTV only. Period. This annoys me a little because I gotta pay a couple of extra bucks to get my local channels over the satellite, even though I can get them perfectly from the antenna in the attic. A standalone TiVo will work with all sorts of program sources (cable, DirecTV, DISH, over-the-air, or some combination of the above), but unfortunately, it can only record one thing at a time.
The KC/Chicago game was rebroadcast on Sunday and today. Between Scott Bales (TWC inDemand) and myself (DTV) we're attempting to record the season.
I asked if they had that. I guess they just didn't have it as part of the upgrade option. But then I'll now have two tuners anyway between the new HD tuner and my older tuner. I'm looking at getting one of these: http://www.hauppauge.com/pages/products/data_350.html
My PC is actually next to my stereo system, so the hookup would be simple. I wouldn't be using my PC as a TIVO-like device, only as a recorder/player.
The DirectKick package & DirecTV are effin jokes. I am in the process of switching from Direct to Digi Cable. Gonna save some money that way for a few years. I planned on getting DirectKick with Cablevision, but not now. Because 1 week of games were played (which were all FREE PREVIEWS anyway), I can't get my $70 back from DirecTV for the package.
What's a joke about DirecTV and the package? Where I live digital cable is much more expensive than DirecTV, so I'm surprised you'd save money. To answer the original question. Good luck with the service on cable in south jersey. I had it two years through Comcast and had minor problems the frist year once college football started and then major problems ordering and getting the games on my receiver the second year. It was deactivated three times and I ended up with the charge on my bill four seperate times. Last year and this year I have it via DirecTV and it worked perfectly.
Some cable systems can rent you DVR service for an additional $6.95 (usually) a month. The model for TW Columbus (Scientific Atlanta 8000) has two tuners.
Digital Cable is about 35 dollars more a month than Direct TV. I would get the same exact stations. If add my cable modem, and digital cable I only pay 10 more dollars a month. Personally I prefer Comcast than Direct TV that is just me though. I also bought Direct Kick today. It was great on Saturday watching a 2 full games and parts of the other 3.
Anyone else not get their Direct Kick games opening weekend. My cable company said it was a problem with In Demand and I got shutout on all four games that were supposed to be on. Now they're saying they only refund what I missed and won't sweeten the deal because they don't compensate due to inconvenience. Anyone else out there not get, after they had ordered it?
I only got a portion of the late game. I was on the phone to Comcast for a while. They said it would be fixed in ten minutes. It wasn't. I called back and they said it was a problem with their software not being able to send messages to my box. It was system wide and for all pay per view, not just Direct Kick. I went to the Wizards vs. Fire game and came back and it still didn't work. It finally came on in the middle of the Galaxy vs. Rev's game. Last time I ordered pay per view with Comcast it didn't work either. I missed the 1st quarter of my football game. Somehow I doubt my Direct Kick package will work next week. They gave me a $2 credit last week. This week I'll get more if they want to keep me as a customer. I think that it only worked last week because it was a free preview and this week it won't get turned on. When you call Comcast to order they have no idea what Direct Kick is. I tried to order a week ahead of time and the guy told me to call back in April. I said, "The season starts April 3rd." He then took my information and said someone in marketing would call me back. They called me the next day. I called them back and again the lady had no idea what I was talking about. She eventually found the MLS "Shoot out" package and then tried to charge me $89. Supposedly I eventually ordered the right package at $69. We'll see if it works this week.
I called Comcast after the first game started and the free preview didn't come on. The person found it on the system and put it on my account, but it still didn't come on. The Comcast person didn't know what to do, so I had them remove my order and I won't be charged. I haven't decided if I'm going to try again to order it.