Going to D*
I've lurked in this thread for a long time, decided to jump in. Let me state that from a fan point of view, I think MLB is the bad guy--not D*, E* or cable. MLB made a similar move last year when they moved MLB game audio to XM and Sirius was shut out. Why MLB thinks losing a huge segment of their future fan base by cutting them off from the sport is a good business move, I'll never know. Just as the players overstepped their bounds with their strike, management now makes the same mistake.
That said, I'll probably end up switching to D*. I changed over to leased equipment last year with E*, so no problems there (other than the expected issues with returning the receivers). I've been irritated with e* for a long time. Their refusal to carry YES or MASN1 or MASN2 has been a major point of contention. The Orioles and Nats are "local" here in the Outer Banks, and I can't watch them at all. The Yanks are despised by me as a fan of the Red Sox, but I love to watch them just because of the awesome lineup they throw out each year. Like many baseball fans, I want to see all the games, not just my local RSN teams. But, thanks to E* seemingly endless reasons for not carrying channels, or getting into fights with channel operators, I can't watch my regional teams nor the best team in baseball on a package that should carry everything. I like to think Ergen is out there fighting for the consumer and is a shrewd businessman, but I think more than anything, he's just likes to posture.
The only reason I have avoided canceling E* might be surprising to some--its the Superstation package, which D* doesn't have. My family loves to tune into sitcom re-runs, and viewing tastes aside, the Superstation's have endless hours of Seinfeld, Fraser, et al. I don't know why D* doesn't have the same package, but its the only thing keeping me with Dish.
I'll give Dish a week to see if negotiations drag, but if it goes, it goes. I do think Congress can use anti-trust to force a different solution, I doubt they will, however.
I've lurked in this thread for a long time, decided to jump in. Let me state that from a fan point of view, I think MLB is the bad guy--not D*, E* or cable. MLB made a similar move last year when they moved MLB game audio to XM and Sirius was shut out. Why MLB thinks losing a huge segment of their future fan base by cutting them off from the sport is a good business move, I'll never know. Just as the players overstepped their bounds with their strike, management now makes the same mistake.
That said, I'll probably end up switching to D*. I changed over to leased equipment last year with E*, so no problems there (other than the expected issues with returning the receivers). I've been irritated with e* for a long time. Their refusal to carry YES or MASN1 or MASN2 has been a major point of contention. The Orioles and Nats are "local" here in the Outer Banks, and I can't watch them at all. The Yanks are despised by me as a fan of the Red Sox, but I love to watch them just because of the awesome lineup they throw out each year. Like many baseball fans, I want to see all the games, not just my local RSN teams. But, thanks to E* seemingly endless reasons for not carrying channels, or getting into fights with channel operators, I can't watch my regional teams nor the best team in baseball on a package that should carry everything. I like to think Ergen is out there fighting for the consumer and is a shrewd businessman, but I think more than anything, he's just likes to posture.
The only reason I have avoided canceling E* might be surprising to some--its the Superstation package, which D* doesn't have. My family loves to tune into sitcom re-runs, and viewing tastes aside, the Superstation's have endless hours of Seinfeld, Fraser, et al. I don't know why D* doesn't have the same package, but its the only thing keeping me with Dish.
I'll give Dish a week to see if negotiations drag, but if it goes, it goes. I do think Congress can use anti-trust to force a different solution, I doubt they will, however.
