Methodology for new Sports Season Recording

[cpalmer2k]

I'm curious what the methodology is for DirecTV's new season recording feature for sports teams. I've set a few teams so far, but they're smaller schools and games haven't yet appeared for them. My question is how does it decide what channel to record a game from, if more than one feed is available? ACC basketball games are often aired on both ESPN and on local channels where I am now, and with my AM21 I get feeds from two markets. If a game is on multiple channels will it randomly pick one to record, or will it give preference to national carried channels over locals? Or will it record all of them? Anyone had any experience yet with this yet?

 

[cpalmer2k]

Well I've played with it, now to answer my own question. It appears (at least with the NFL games) it will choose your local network affiliate offered by DirecTV first, followed by a national channel, and lastly an over the air affiliate being pulled in by an AM21

 

[Mr Tony]

I tried it and I am thoroughly confused

I tried the Wild (NHL). They are on usually on 668 (FS North...my RSN) and 652-1 which is FSN North +. They are also shown on 669-1 which is FSN Wisco (part time) which is also included. So I set it up as a season record

yesterdays game recorded on 760-1 (IIRC) which was the NBA LP channel where the Wolfies were on. FSN had a rare Wolfies/Wild back to back on FSN North and 760-1 in the guide showed both (it was also in the NHL CI range too)
now tonights is set to record on 669-1 (FS Wisco) even though again FS North is my RSN

Vikings show on my local Fox station (9)

I wonder what it will do for those CBB games that are on like 9 RSN's (all the FSN's)

 

[cpalmer2k]

That information also seems to vary from what I found. Based on my experience it appeared it was picking the "lowest" channel number that a game was being carried on in my package. I.E even though I get the NYC locals on DirecTV it chose to record the Panthers on my local station because it appears first in the search results for DirecTV carried channels. When I search for Panthers @ Jets, it shows it on 3-1 (WBTV Charlotte via AM21N); 7 (WSPA; 390 (CBS NY) and then 712 (the Sunday Ticket channel). My logic was that it picked WSPA because that was the first actual DirecTV channel in the search results carrying the program.

But your experience seems to conflict with that..

UPDATE: I think I have your answer Iceberg. I looked ahead to Saturday, Wild@Avalanche is scheduled for FS North & FS Wisconsin. But FS North doesn't have it flagged as "HD" in the guide... FS Wisconsin does have it flagged as HD. My guess would be your recordings are picking up FS Wisconsin because the Wild there are flagged in HD, whereas FS North isn't.

 

[Mr Tony]

But your experience seems to conflict with that..

UPDATE: I think I have your answer Iceberg. I looked ahead to Saturday, Wild@Avalanche is scheduled for FS North & FS Wisconsin. But FS North doesn't have it flagged as "HD" in the guide... FS Wisconsin does have it flagged as HD. My guess would be your recordings are picking up FS Wisconsin because the Wild there are flagged in HD, whereas FS North isn't.

That doesnt explain why it chose a NBA LP channel the other day

While it looks nice, I have my teams set up and I choose which channel to watch it on

 

[cpalmer2k]

Was it on Fox Sports Wisconsin the day it chose the NBA LP channel? If the guide data for the LP channel shows the Hockey game, and FSN North's guide data wasn't flagged as "HD" that would explain it.

 

[Mr Tony]

Was it on Fox Sports Wisconsin the day it chose the NBA LP channel?

yup

If the guide data for the LP channel shows the Hockey game, and FSN North's guide data wasn't flagged as "HD" that would explain it.

like I say it doesnt make sense. What I'd be worried about is those teams who are on the FSN stations (most of them) or on a bunch of Alt stations....which one would it pick? I have all the RSNs in HD due to a glitch with my account (long story) but I'll see college games blacked out on say FS South but not FS Midwest (both are out of the area for me)

 

[cpalmer2k]

What I'd be worried about is those teams who are on the FSN stations (most of them) or on a bunch of Alt stations....which one would it pick?

I ran into that exact issue today... Clemson vs Boston College was supposed to be aired on a bunch of FSN stations. I set the "season pass" recording on my local RSN, but it switched it around 3 or 4 times throughout the week. Today the game didn't record, the history shows that because the station it tried to record on wasn't in my package "Gamesearch" was performed and it wasn't able to locate another airing. Two other games are coming up on RSNs, so we'll see if either of those records correctly. I think it is safe to say unless you have the Sports Pack, the season record is suspect though.

 

[Mr Tony]

I use it more to find my games. I set the timers for what channel I want

 

[jcrandall]

I tried changing my boolean searches to the sports season passes and was frankly highly disappointed with the results. Wings NHL games trying to record on 215 when it is blacked out, or on the non-local RSN feeds that I don't sub to, or even Center Ice channels all when the game is on my RSN 663.

After missing a couple games I deleted all the season packages and went back to my booleans, 100% reliable.

AALL WINGS EVENTS CCHANS 663 664 and a second one with CCHANS 2 300 to capture the nationally broadcast games.
While a bit tougher to setup or understand for the first time, it is more reliable.

I setup a college basketball season pass on a Big-10 team and it is working fine, as none of their broadcasts are on the RSN channels.
If you record a team that broadcasts on RSNs in the 600's that may have issues just like the pro sports.

 

[ejb1980]

My experience is similar. It USUALLY pics the lowest channel number but sometimes tries to use the DNS channel or LP/EI/ST/CI channel. Since I do not have DNS and only have ST, this is a problem. It seems to randomly choose! ACC Network is always preferred for ACC sports since there is no Dick Vitale.

 

[Mr Tony]

I setup a college basketball season pass on a Big-10 team and it is working fine, as none of their broadcasts are on the RSN channels.

exactly. Seems like teams that use BTN or ESPN's seem to figure it out. But there are conferences that broadcast on the RSN's and in some cases across like 15 of them. The sports search thing works great to FIND the game (I use it to see when Mn Goofers B-ball or the Wild is on) but I choose the channel to record