NCAA football - Blackouts and Picture Quality

[ride525]

I wanted to watch the California - Illinois game. Not available on ANY of my local OTA channels. It is being played 2,000 miles away.

I called Dish and ordered the Multi-Sport Package, it cost only $5.99 extra for about 25 channels. Pretty good deal I think. And the game I want is on THREE of those channels. Even better I can take my pick. Well the game is blacked out on all three channels. So, I call Dish back and cancel the Multi-Sport Package, since it doesn't look good for seeing teams I want to see. The guy trys to tell me the blackout is occuring because the game is on ABC or some local channel. I tell him no, it is not on any local.

So he suggested I order a day of NCAA football for $14.99. I do this but the picture is "soft", not sharp at all. Looks like it is maybe being compressed too much. Disappointing for a days worth of football for $15.

 

[Roger]

You would have needed ESPN's Gameplan to see that game. E* blacks out these games so you'll have to pay money for the Gameplan package. If a game is on Gameplan then they'll black it out on the Fox channels.

 

[ride525]

Aha.....

You got it....and Dish's blackout worked....

I ended up paying $15 for pretty low picture quality day of ESPN GamePlan

 

[Roger]

Did all the channels look bad or just that game?
In the past some were OK while others were bad.

 

[ride525]

I didn't really watch the other games that much.......so perhaps they were "ok"....but the California - Illinois game was of inferior quatlity.

I've seen good quality broadcasts on Dish......National Geographic.....and on the last Charlie Chat the Discovery HD promo (in SD) was outstanding. I just with Dish could do better with picture quality, especially on Pay-Per-View stuff.

 

[Guest]

I didn't really watch the other games that much.......so perhaps they were "ok"....but the California - Illinois game was of inferior quatlity.

I've seen good quality broadcasts on Dish......National Geographic.....and on the last Charlie Chat the Discovery HD promo (in SD) was outstanding. I just with Dish could do better with picture quality, especially on Pay-Per-View stuff.

Dish has shoved a number on new local channels onto their CONUS transpopnders in the last few mohths, lowering the picture quality on the PPV channels and everything else on 110. Hopefully these locals will all be moved to the new satellite on 105 and PQ can be restored ...