NBA TV/League Pass in HD not available

[wongloo]

I have the NBA League Pass and D* HD. When there is supposed to be a HD broadcast and it shows up on the guide on around channels 90-97, about 99% of time, when you go there, you get this annoying "program not available in your area" message. Now I understand that in some cases because of restrictions, you are not supposed to get it, but that should not be the case all the time, and especially when the broadcast is done by NBA TV (ch. 601). For example, last night's Phoenix vs. Denver game was on NBA TV (601) and on the guide for Ch. 95 - again "program not available..." Meanwhile the broadcast on 601 shows a running caption on the bottom saying it was being broadcast in HD - check with your satellite and cable company. I've tried that too - contacting D*, got to the tech group AND the customer retention - neither could explain why. Very frustrating. Last year, I would estimate that about 75% of the time, we got the HD broadcast. This year, almost nothing.

Any clues?

 

[cforrest]

I don't know your location (not in your profile), but you are not in either Denver or Phoenix DMA are you? Otherwise I have no explanation for the lack of D* HD on the NBA League Pass this year, seems Cable carries all the NBA TV-HD games.

 

[FlyingJ]

I have asked and asked about this to no solution. I don't even check it anymore. If you get anywhere let us know. I do know that on the HD Sports Guide it states that the game is in HD only locally so maybe you only get it if it is in your area???

 

[BFG]

for the game the poster is reffering to, DirecTV used the RSN feed and not the NBA-TV, hence it was only available inside that region, because NBS-LP does not offer HD games inside their package...

 

[wongloo]

I'm in Los Angeles. BFG's response would explain the Phoenix/Denver broadcast. It doesn't explain why I don't get the L.A. Lakers game when they are playing in L.A. and broadcasted by Fox Sports.

Thanks for the responses. I'll keep trying.

 

[charper1]

Was a local affiliate, say KCAL also broadcasting the game locally? If a local OTA channel has the "local rights" isn't DirecTV obligated to black out? Just asking. One more reason to end the DMA system for TV.

 

[wongloo]

I believe that if it is broadcast by KCAL, then it is an "away" game, and it will be blacked out. I believe that if it is a home game, it will be broadcast by FSW, and if they have a HD broadcast, then we are supposed to get it. But, most of the time, in this scenario where it should, it doesn't.