NHL CI and Blackouts - Confusing

[bobinchico]

I have an earlier post where I was wondering why, living in CA, I could not record the Jets vs Wings game Saturday on 630. Even after given a reason from the Dirt Team why it is blacked out, it doesn't square with what shows on the link at DN:
Blackout Restrictions

I explored further and used the Game Finder link on the blackouts page:
Game Finder - DISH Network

You can either enter your account number or zip code, select Hockey and search for the next five days. The first thing I noticed was there a lot of games that are supposed to be blacked out on NHL CI for my zip code - 95973. I also noticed the channel numbers for CI start with 4 on this page and not 6 which are the channels I access CI from my VIP 722.

I think it was after the L722 software update that a little red banner with the words RENTED (in white) appear next to all the CI games. The only game it does not appear next to on Saturday is the Jets vs Wings on my receiver. Yet, looking at today's (Thurs 12/08 and Sat. 12/10) games there are many shown on Game Finder that indicate they will be blacked out on the CI channels. But that does not appear to be the case when looking at the schedule on my receiver.

In Game Finder it shows today's Coyotes vs Wings game on FoxD is blacked out. Yet, that game just started recording for me a couple of minutes ago.

Maybe it's just some glitch with the Saturday Jets vs Wings game that will not let me setup a DVR event for it and probably not let me watch it live on Saturday either.

 

[wolfjc]

I have an earlier post where I was wondering why, living in CA, I could not record the Jets vs Wings game Saturday on 630. Even after given a reason from the Dirt Team why it is blacked out, it doesn't square with what shows on the link at DN:
Blackout Restrictions

I explored further and used the Game Finder link on the blackouts page:
Game Finder - DISH Network

You can either enter your account number or zip code, select Hockey and search for the next five days. The first thing I noticed was there a lot of games that are supposed to be blacked out on NHL CI for my zip code - 95973. I also noticed the channel numbers for CI start with 4 on this page and not 6 which are the channels I access CI from my VIP 722.

I think it was after the L722 software update that a little red banner with the words RENTED (in white) appear next to all the CI games. The only game it does not appear next to on Saturday is the Jets vs Wings on my receiver. Yet, looking at today's (Thurs 12/08 and Sat. 12/10) games there are many shown on Game Finder that indicate they will be blacked out on the CI channels. But that does not appear to be the case when looking at the schedule on my receiver.

In Game Finder it shows today's Coyotes vs Wings game on FoxD is blacked out. Yet, that game just started recording for me a couple of minutes ago.

Maybe it's just some glitch with the Saturday Jets vs Wings game that will not let me setup a DVR event for it and probably not let me watch it live on Saturday either.

You need to check again I had this same problem in Cincinnati but I just check a little awhile ago and it is no longer blocked.
Good luck. Go WINGS. By the way they are now 4 goals up in the first period on the yotes.

 

[bobinchico]

Thanks wolfjc. I will keep checking before Saturday's game. Up by 4! I suppose I should be happy, although I haven't started watching it yet. There is always some new way I hear about a score of a sports DVR event I am recording before watching. I've been very good the past few years avoiding knowing anything. I'll just have to add this one to the list of not to do's in the future until after I've watched the event.

 

[ZachS@DISH]

The Game Finder link lists games that would be on the RSNETs and not PPV events. I am not sure why you would have been blacked out if it wasn't on NHLN or VS. You should only be blacked out from games in your viewing area (i.e If I try to watch the Avs play on Center Ice instead of Altitude here in Denver). If it happens again send me a PM and I will investigate this further.

 

[beavis4ever]

I was wondering why every game is blacked out for me on 12/15. I just had my girlfriend add the sports pack and it was $7 a month I believe. So I am really wondering what we are paying for. This is what the game finder looks like for 17756.

Thu	12/15	6:30 PM	Canucks at Hurricanes	-	ALT	444	X	AT120+
Thu	12/15	6:30 PM	Canucks at Hurricanes	X	HDALT	444	X	AT120+
Thu	12/15	7:00 PM	Kings at Blue Jackets	X	FOXCN	427	X	Multisport
Thu	12/15	7:00 PM	Kings at Blue Jackets	-	FOXOH	425	X	Multisport
Thu	12/15	7:00 PM	Kings at Blue Jackets	X	FOXW	417	X	Multisport
Thu	12/15	7:00 PM	Stars at Islanders	-	FOXSW	416	X	Multisport
Thu	12/15	7:30 PM	Flames at Lightning	-	SUN	422	X	Multisport
Thu	12/15	7:30 PM	Flyers at Canadiens	X	NHLN	403	X	AT200
Thu	12/15	7:30 PM	Flyers at Canadiens	X	NHLN	403	X	AT200
Thu	12/15	8:00 PM	Rangers at Blues	-	FOXMW	418	X	Multisport
Thu	12/15	8:00 PM	Red Wings at Predators	-	ALT	445	X	AT120+
Thu	12/15	8:00 PM	Red Wings at Predators	-	FOXD	430	X	Multisport
Thu	12/15	8:00 PM	Red Wings at Predators	X	HDALT	445	X	AT120+
Thu	12/15	8:30 PM	Capitals at Jets	-	CSNCH	429	X	Multisport
Thu	12/15	8:30 PM	Capitals at Jets	-	CSNMA	424	X	Multisport
Thu	12/15	9:30 PM	Oilers at Coyotes	-	FOXAZ	415	X	Multisport
Thu	12/15	10:30 PM	Avalanche at Sharks	-	ALTUD	410	X	Multisport
Thu	12/15	10:30 PM	Avalanche at Sharks	-	CSNCA	409	X	Multisport

 

[Mr Tony]

The sports pack wont get you any additional pro sports (in MOST cases...there are a few extreme cases where it will). They are blacked out per league rules

the sports pack is mainly good for college games and other "oddball" programs

 

[dan188]

And its the only way to get nfl redzone. Big 10 is a plus in the pack. Espn classic is there too

 

[Mr Tony]

Big 10 is a plus in the pack

unless you live in a Big10 state then its included as a RSN (couple exceptions apply like the Philly area of PA)

 

[beavis4ever]

So the $7/mo gets me the luxury to see these channels in my guide but I can't watch the programming. I just can't see how all these games could be blacked out the south central PA.

I watch hockey and could care less about other sports programming. It seems like Center Ice would be a waste too because all the games will be blacked out on there too.

 

[dan188]

It depends on your location and the blackout rules.

 

[Mr Tony]

So the $7/mo gets me the luxury to see these channels in my guide but I can't watch the programming. I just can't see how all these games could be blacked out the south central PA.

easy. The Flyers claim your area. Any game outside of your area will be blacked out. All out of market pro sports are blacked out. Thats why there is NHL CI. Its an out of market package that gives you the games outside of the local area

 

[The Fat Man]

This question usually messes people up. CI is on different channels than the usual RSN in the 400s. The only team that I can watch here is the Bruins telecasts on 434. Everything else is either CI (620s - 630s), NHLN, NBC, or VS. I can't watch any other team on their RSN channel number in the 400s, including the Bruins oposing teams telecast. If you just switched over from DirecTV, my understanding is that DirecTV allows their viewers to watch any game on the RSN channel number when they pay for CI, but that's not the case with Dish.

 

[TimberWolf]

blackout rules have always been and always will be a joke

 

[Yespage]

So the $7/mo gets me the luxury to see these channels in my guide but I can't watch the programming. I just can't see how all these games could be blacked out the south central PA.

I watch hockey and could care less about other sports programming. It seems like Center Ice would be a waste too because all the games will be blacked out on there too.

The reason to not get CI would be because of limited HD feeds of hockey games, not because they'd all be blacked out. Center Ice gives you access to out of market NHL games (the only ones to be blacked out would be games on NHL Network, VS (NBC Sports) or NBC which are rather few), while the Sports Pack does not.

 

[wolfjc]

The reason to not get CI would be because of limited HD feeds of hockey games, not because they'd all be blacked out. Center Ice gives you access to out of market NHL games (the only ones to be blacked out would be games on NHL Network, VS (NBC Sports) or NBC which are rather few), while the Sports Pack does not.

I have Dish and I don't really understand all this talk about the lack of HD on CI.
Other than the games out of Canada,other than NHL network,NY&NJ most of,if not all, games have at least ONE and most times TWO HD feeds.

 

[dishcomm]

I have an earlier post where I was wondering why, living in CA, I could not record the Jets vs Wings game Saturday on 630. Even after given a reason from the Dirt Team why it is blacked out, it doesn't square with what shows on the link at DN:
Blackout Restrictions

I explored further and used the Game Finder link on the blackouts page:
Game Finder - DISH Network

You can either enter your account number or zip code, select Hockey and search for the next five days. The first thing I noticed was there a lot of games that are supposed to be blacked out on NHL CI for my zip code - 95973. I also noticed the channel numbers for CI start with 4 on this page and not 6 which are the channels I access CI from my VIP 722.

I think it was after the L722 software update that a little red banner with the words RENTED (in white) appear next to all the CI games. The only game it does not appear next to on Saturday is the Jets vs Wings on my receiver. Yet, looking at today's (Thurs 12/08 and Sat. 12/10) games there are many shown on Game Finder that indicate they will be blacked out on the CI channels. But that does not appear to be the case when looking at the schedule on my receiver.

In Game Finder it shows today's Coyotes vs Wings game on FoxD is blacked out. Yet, that game just started recording for me a couple of minutes ago.

Maybe it's just some glitch with the Saturday Jets vs Wings game that will not let me setup a DVR event for it and probably not let me watch it live on Saturday either.

The DIRT team as well as CSR's have limited info on pay per view and sports packages.
I had an issue a few weeks back with a game that was not being shown at all. I to9ld the CSR the game was supposed to be shown on channel 6XX. He insisted that he could not see that channel number and to check channel 4XX.
I told him that is the channel for the actual RSN, this is NHL Center Ice which appears from CH 625 to 640.. He still wasn't getting it. He went on to tell me that Dish had no control over the games and channels. Basically there was nothing that could be done.
Suffice to say that in the case of sports package issues just forget about it and accept that you won't see the game.
As far as blackouts due to territorial restrictions, your guess is as good as anyone's. These territories make no sense.
Even if there isn't supposed to be a blackout and there is an error, I no longer bother to call because the people at Dish are not at all helpful. The pat response is "there's nothing we can do about it"...This is what they are really saying. "Thanks for paying money to see these games, now go screw yourself as we have 8 billion disclaimers which protect us. SO ef you very much."

 

[dishcomm]

The Game Finder link lists games that would be on the RSNETs and not PPV events. I am not sure why you would have been blacked out if it wasn't on NHLN or VS. You should only be blacked out from games in your viewing area (i.e If I try to watch the Avs play on Center Ice instead of Altitude here in Denver). If it happens again send me a PM and I will investigate this further.

That's the problem Zach. When we call you guys, you never have an answer other than " I am not sure..." or "I am sorry, we'll look into it..."
Meanwhile we get screwed out of game and get no explanation. You guys move on to the next phone call.
We're not calling in for an apology. We're contacting your company for an ANSWER and more importantly a FIX so we can get what we paid for....
Now I do not intend to look as though I am shouting at you, however we as customers expect to be provided the service for which we have paid.
Simply put, your company agrees to provide certain services while we the customers agree to pay for them. We pay under your rules one month ahead of time or in the case of pay per view or sports packages, up front. That means YOU have OUR money. That also means YOU are obligated to fulfill your end of the deal without equivocation. When your company does not provide the services it promised we demand satisfaction. In most cases we do not. I revert to the opening of this post. "I am sorry, etc..."

 

[dishcomm]

So the $7/mo gets me the luxury to see these channels in my guide but I can't watch the programming. I just can't see how all these games could be blacked out the south central PA.

I watch hockey and could care less about other sports programming. It seems like Center Ice would be a waste too because all the games will be blacked out on there too.

Welcome to Comcast Philly's world..
Back when the Philly and SE PA were served by Prism, the service was provided to some as over the air. FCC rules dictate that all CABLE broadcast signals must be provided to satellite providers. Prism maintained their system was exempt. This grandfathered over to Prism's purchase by Comcast. Comcast gets to keep the Flyers ,Sixers and Phillies games all to themselves. If you really want to watch the Flyers, I suggest you "move".....Ask around here, Others will tell you how it's done.

 

[bobinchico]

Wolfjc's answer Item #2 on page 1, to wait a few days, solved my issue. A day or two later I was able to set the Wings vs Jets game to record. I wonder what causes future games on the CI SD channel to appear a day or two before it appears on the CI HD channel?

Yes, this year we have had more games on Dish in HD, but some have said when the NBA starts the CI HD selection will diminish. It doesn't affect me as there have been very, very few games the Wings are not in HD in the past. I know it will affect many others though if this is the case.

 

[dstoffa]

I was wondering why every game is blacked out for me on 12/15. I just had my girlfriend add the sports pack and it was $7 a month I believe. So I am really wondering what we are paying for. This is what the game finder looks like for 17756.

You are paying for access to everything the RSN's offer but the games. You are also paying for MLBN, NHLN, and NBATV, NFL, etc.

If you want to watch in-market NHL Action, you will need to watch it on your RSN. (Sorry NY and Philly)
If you want to watch a national cable-cast of NHL Action (NBC, VS, NHLN), you will need to watch it on that network.
If you want to watch any other NHL Action, you will need to subscribe to the Center Ice Package.

You'll likely be able to watch replays or tape-delays with the Sports Pack (either on the RSN or NHLN). You won't be able to watch the game live.


The Sports Pack is good for watch pre and post game shows, Bass-Masters, and to get national networks that may not be in your tier.


Cheers!
-Doug