My Bobcats TV Situation

[Proudiddy]

So, I live outside of Raleigh and have DirecTV. We have a free preview of league pass until the 6th. I can't get any of the games in HD on the league pass channels from our broadcast or our opponents. I also don't get Sportsouth AT ALL, it always has the "Not subscribed" message when I put it on there, which I think is stupid because it is an NC sports network, but anyway... Strangely enough, each gamenight, I DO get the game on Sportsouth+ Alternate channel. It's channel 650 on DirecTV. What sucks is that it's not in HD and therefore very low quality in picture, but it sure beats sitting on my laptop watching choppy streams that may or may not go out.

But, strangely, I have the "not subscribed" message on Sportsouth+ Alt (ch. 650) all through the pregame show, then the game comes on and I'm able to see it, but then it immediately goes back out to "not subscribed" when the game is over.

SO, if anyone has had any prior experiences or greater knowledge of how the TV stuff works, does this mean I will be able to watch all of our games this year? Or does it have something to do with the free preview of league pass? I really hope I'm able to see them on this channel all year without league pass, and I will be a happy man.

[Chef]

So, I live outside of Raleigh and have DirecTV. We have a free preview of league pass until the 6th. I can't get any of the games in HD on the league pass channels from our broadcast or our opponents. I also don't get Sportsouth AT ALL, it always has the "Not subscribed" message when I put it on there, which I think is stupid because it is an NC sports network, but anyway... Strangely enough, each gamenight, I DO get the game on Sportsouth+ Alternate channel. It's channel 650 on DirecTV. What sucks is that it's not in HD and therefore very low quality in picture, but it sure beats sitting on my laptop watching choppy streams that may or may not go out.

But, strangely, I have the "not subscribed" message on Sportsouth+ Alt (ch. 650) all through the pregame show, then the game comes on and I'm able to see it, but then it immediately goes back out to "not subscribed" when the game is over.

SO, if anyone has had any prior experiences or greater knowledge of how the TV stuff works, does this mean I will be able to watch all of our games this year? Or does it have something to do with the free preview of league pass? I really hope I'm able to see them on this channel all year without league pass, and I will be a happy man.

i am keeping my fingers crossed that this keeps up. same situation in durham on DirectTv. for what it is worth, last year we didn't get the games period.

[Proudiddy]

Great to hear, thanks for letting me know man... I'm assuming we will keep seeing it then, or at least I'm hoping and praying! Because I know last year when I went on NBA Broadband for the free preview of League Pass all channels had our games blacked out and I couldn't find it on anywhere. So, this is a definite sign of progress.

Hopefully they see how much we support them and they give us HD within the season, lol, but I'll gladly take the low definition version for now.

[Talent]

I know that with Time Warner. They broadcast the games on a channel that is off until gametime and when the game is over it goes poof.

[spectre]

Before DISH started showing the games last year I never saw the Cats on LP free preview. I'd take it as a good sign.

At least now if DTV does block it out you have other options. The Bobcats have really stepped it up in regards to giving us some way to see the team.

[Proudiddy]

Thanks guys! I'm hyped to be able to see us regularly this year!

[Chef]

Hopefully they see how much we support them and they give us HD within the season, lol, but I'll gladly take the low definition version for now.

it is funny you say that. i am convinced that women lack the gene to notice HD. my wife comes in and notices that the game is on and says "bobcats, wow! it is about time, i bet you are excited." i said "yeah, we still aren't getting them in HD but this is alot better than choppy china streams" she says "oh, that's not HD?" meanwhile the screen looks like a bunch of indiscriminate people running around on a basketball court. i can't really tell if hendo or mkg has the ball and forget about telling the difference between sessions and kemba.

but, like i told my wife, i won't complain about no HD until at least January.

[Mustachio]

haha at the Women and HD thing. in my experience... 100% true.

Just to add to the convo a bit.

Live in the Triad, basically in High Point. DirecTV. I haven't missed a game since the Bobcats started. I don't know if i live in some crazy goldilocks range, where I'm far enough from Charlotte and not quite to Raleigh, that I get to see every game no matter what, but I'm not questioning it. Diddy, I get the 650 channel right now for games too so thats looking good for you, because like I said mines been like that for about 2 years now. Although I have called Directv IRATE several times last year because the pregame wasn't on and I was freaking out about not getting the games. Then while on the phone the game pops on and I sheepishly hang up. I don't know if you've tried this, but type in 650+1. Thats the actual Sportsouth alternate HD channel. Sometimes the guide just doesn't show it. Could be a stupid idea but worth the shot because I can't watch the games in standard def...like chef said its basically just a bunch of indistinguishable figures. Also, keep an eye on 648 and 649... often times last year it was on one of those 3 channels.

[Alex]

I have a friend living in Hickory who has Charter and doesn't get the games at all even though he has Sportsouth. They always schedule something like hunting shows or some other random programming during Bobcats games. It's utterly and completely ridiculous. It is solely the responsibility of the cable company to have the games on so enough complaints should hopefully get them to change this ugly habit of not showing the local team.

To make matters worse, he has NBA League Pass Broadband and the 'Cats games are blacked out because he lives in the Bobcats geographical reach. So even though he is and wants to continue being a big Bobcats fan there is literally no way for him to watch the games even though he lives an hour away form the arena.

A joke. Still the worst TV situation in the league.

[Proudiddy]

i am keeping my fingers crossed that this keeps up. same situation in durham on DirectTv. for what it is worth, last year we didn't get the games period.

This is unfuckingbelievable man. I set the DVR to record, turned the channel on 650, planned my whole day around seeing the game... Excited. And what do you know? The game is 'blacked out in my area' now, I'm assuming because they showed us the cheap ass non-HD version to lure us into buying League Pass... And now nothing... I don't know that I've ever been more pissed off or disappointed in this team. Constantly fucking me over. How are we supposed to be fans when they make it so fucking hard for people to keep up with them in our own state. Fucking stupid ass cheap motherfuckers.