MLB.TV?

[Rappster]

I've got a Roku box, so I've been thinking about MLB.TV...and trying to decide between that and Extra Innings.

I keep hearing terrible things about MLB.TV quality. I had it a few years ago, but can't recall any specific difficulty.

Anyone have any opinions?

[Fella]

I've never had any problems with it, I've been using it to watch almost every game since 2004. The picture quality gets better every year. My only suggestion is to make sure you have fast internet. At my old apartment I had great internet and had no problems with a great picture. At my new apartment I am stuck with the apartment's DSL and it is mediocre so at times I have problems with it freezing or with low picture quality. When I watch at school or on 3G its flawless though.

[jstraw]

<!--quoteo(post=88039:date=Apr 11 2010, 07:25 AM:name=Rappster)-->QUOTE (Rappster @ Apr 11 2010, 07:25 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I've got a Roku box, so I've been thinking about MLB.TV...and trying to decide between that and Extra Innings.

I keep hearing terrible things about MLB.TV quality. I had it a few years ago, but can't recall any specific difficulty.

Anyone have any opinions?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Here's what I know. MLB.tv is not available YET on Roku this season. There are business and technical issues on MLB's end that have delayed things. It's an utter shitstorm in the MLB and Roku customer forums.

Something was clearly up months ago when Roku initiated a signup program for beta testers. Beta testing something that worked great last season? Curious doings.

I signed up. A month later I was confirmed to be a 2010 beta tester...then...nothing...

Then opening day gets close and people start asking pointed questions. The screen on my Roku goes from saying nothing about a delay to "mid April" to "LATE April" and then back to "EARLY April."

I have no idea what the details are and it looks to me like Roku's NDA's are tying their hands from a PR standpoint. A little research suggest that MLB's streaming provider went tits up during the off-season, initiating a very slow scramble. The new provider, apparently is sthe same outfit that did the Olympics and CBS's NCAA streams.

Roku re-reopened for beta testers in hopes of getting content to as many people as possible as soon as possible. I exchanged email with the head man and confirmed that I am still a beta tester and on Friday was told that I should receive instructions for the beta on my Roke very soon, possibly that day.

I'm pretty sure that this clusterfuck is on MLB and not Roku. MLB is stonewalling requests for prorated refunds for people that bought an MLB.tv subscription based upon the ability to watch the games on television via Roku.

You should also know that the revamed "NexDef" client that makes the streams play in HD on your computer turned out to be incomatible with Windows 7. They blamed Windows 7 (released last October) as an unforseen circumstance (last year's software worked a treat). They were also unable to tell us how to uninstall the bad software since it hides from normal methods on Windows. It took a geek subscriber in the forums there to come up with the solution and share it. It works fine on the computer now and I can't even see the definition significantly reduced without NexDef...but it streams properly.

In a nutshell. MLB blew it...they're trying to unblow it. Roku is doing what it can to stream content to customers from MLB as soon as MLB has something for them to stream.

I'll post as soon as the beta is actually operational and share whatever I'm allowed to under the terms of the beta.

[jstraw]

<!--quoteo(post=88040:date=Apr 11 2010, 07:51 AM:name=Fella)-->QUOTE (Fella @ Apr 11 2010, 07:51 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I've never had any problems with it, I've been using it to watch almost every game since 2004. The picture quality gets better every year. My only suggestion is to make sure you have fast internet. At my old apartment I had great internet and had no problems with a great picture. At my new apartment I am stuck with the apartment's DSL and it is mediocre so at times I have problems with it freezing or with low picture quality. When I watch at school or on 3G its flawless though.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

This is very true. At work I have my laptop on the campus wireless and my work machine on Ethernet. The Ethernet connection streams beautifully. The wireless network has all kinds of Quality of Service management so it;s throttled and the difference is huge. Wireless at home is much better since I give myself enough bandwidth.

[Fella]

<!--quoteo(post=88046:date=Apr 11 2010, 08:04 AM:name=jstraw)-->QUOTE (jstraw @ Apr 11 2010, 08:04 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=88039:date=Apr 11 2010, 07:25 AM:name=Rappster)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Rappster @ Apr 11 2010, 07:25 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I've got a Roku box, so I've been thinking about MLB.TV...and trying to decide between that and Extra Innings.

I keep hearing terrible things about MLB.TV quality. I had it a few years ago, but can't recall any specific difficulty.

Anyone have any opinions?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Here's what I know. MLB.tv is not available YET on Roku this season. There are business and technical issues on MLB's end that have delayed things. It's an utter shitstorm in the MLB and Roku customer forums.

Something was clearly up months ago when Roku initiated a signup program for beta testers. Beta testing something that worked great last season? Curious doings.

I signed up. A month later I was confirmed to be a 2010 beta tester...then...nothing...

Then opening day gets close and people start asking pointed questions. The screen on my Roku goes from saying nothing about a delay to "mid April" to "LATE April" and then back to "EARLY April."

I have no idea what the details are and it looks to me like Roku's NDA's are tying their hands from a PR standpoint. A little research suggest that MLB's streaming provider went tits up during the off-season, initiating a very slow scramble. The new provider, apparently is sthe same outfit that did the Olympics and CBS's NCAA streams.

Roku re-reopened for beta testers in hopes of getting content to as many people as possible as soon as possible. I exchanged email with the head man and confirmed that I am still a beta tester and on Friday was told that I should receive instructions for the beta on my Roke very soon, possibly that day.

I'm pretty sure that this clusterfuck is on MLB and not Roku. MLB is stonewalling requests for prorated refunds for people that bought an MLB.tv subscription based upon the ability to watch the games on television via Roku.

You should also know that the revamed "NexDef" client that makes the streams play in HD on your computer turned out to be incomatible with Windows 7. They blamed Windows 7 (released last October) as an unforseen circumstance (last year's software worked a treat). They were also unable to tell us how to uninstall the bad software since it hides from normal methods on Windows. It took a geek subscriber in the forums there to come up with the solution and share it. It works fine on the computer now and I can't even see the definition significantly reduced without NexDef...but it streams properly.

In a nutshell. MLB blew it...they're trying to unblow it. Roku is doing what it can to stream content to customers from MLB as soon as MLB has something for them to stream.

I'll post as soon as the beta is actually operational and share whatever I'm allowed to under the terms of the beta.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Yeah I was thinking about getting a Roku for my netflix and MLB.tv, but after hearing and reading all the shit that is going on with it, I decided not to for now.

MLB has seemed to really struggle with getting things ready on time. They also said MLB.TV on iphone app would be ready by mid march this year and it wasn't working til the very end of March. Now the Windows 7 and Roku fiascoes.

I have also noticed that MLB's customer service is absolutely awful.

As far as just sitting down at your computer to watch baseball, MLB.tv has always been great for me though, thankfully.

[Rappster]

Wow...good info.

I may just go with Extra Innings...

[jstraw]

<!--quoteo(post=88049:date=Apr 11 2010, 10:02 AM:name=Rappster)-->QUOTE (Rappster @ Apr 11 2010, 10:02 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Wow...good info.

I may just go with Extra Innings...<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I'm on Dish Network so that's not an option for me or I would too. That said, when it's up and running, the laptop and iPod Touch access is a pretty big plus. Extra Innings wouldn't do me any good for day games on work days.

[Kid]

If you can get Extra Innings & your concern is mobile access, get Extra Innings & a Slingbox.

[Ace]

Does watching things via a slingbox on your mobile work well? I have just always been suspicious of the quality when not on wi-fi. I'm an fuddy duddy like that I guess.

[jstraw]

There's no small irony that you can now get Dish Network with Slingbox built right in...but no Extra Innings.

[Rappster]

<!--quoteo(post=88051:date=Apr 11 2010, 10:32 AM:name=Kid)-->QUOTE (Kid @ Apr 11 2010, 10:32 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->If you can get Extra Innings & your concern is mobile access, get Extra Innings & a Slingbox.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

WAS ANYONE FUCKING TALKING TO YOU?!

[Kid]

<!--quoteo(post=88052:date=Apr 11 2010, 11:40 AM:name=Ace)-->QUOTE (Ace @ Apr 11 2010, 11:40 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Does watching things via a slingbox on your mobile work well? I have just always been suspicious of the quality when not on wi-fi. I'm an fuddy duddy like that I guess.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
So long as you've got a decent signal, it works quite well.

[Qalex1]

I'm in the category of people that bought MLB.tv with the intention of watching it on Roku, only to discover that it doesn't actually work. What are the actual chances of seeing a prorated refund based on that? Should I be writing MLB customer service?

[jstraw]

<!--quoteo(post=88280:date=Apr 12 2010, 10:51 AM:name=Qalex1)-->QUOTE (Qalex1 @ Apr 12 2010, 10:51 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I'm in the category of people that bought MLB.tv with the intention of watching it on Roku, only to discover that it doesn't actually work. What are the actual chances of seeing a prorated refund based on that? Should I be writing MLB customer service?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Slim. Yes.

[Kid]

MLB.TV coming to the PS3.

I want to see how this works. If the quality is sufficient so that I could get all the CSN games in near-HD, I would probably switch to using this.