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Local Sports Blackouts

putting the Union NJ zip code in to the Directv RSN look up web site shows that you should get the NY RSN and the NY locals in the local look up.

reply to dyhrdmet
There are certain, "in the middle" zip codes throughout the country where you just get screwed. If you go to the MLB website and type in your zip code, it will tell you which teams have claimed your zip code as their territory. If the Phillies claimed your territory, then it's MLB's fault, not comcast. Sometimes you just get screwed when you're in a local team's territory, but that team's RSN isn't offered. Problem is that the territories were determined years ago, before cable TV and RSN's and they were based on rabbit ears and how far you could get the team's local broadcast channel. Apparently, they must have determined years ago that Channel 17 or 29 came in clearly in Union, NJ.

This is an issue that MLB needs to address, but it hasn't been done yet.

Thanks for some insight into this. I definitely think MLB needs to fix this. I tried to watch some Braves on ESPN3 and MLB.tv and I keep running into the above issue. Iam in Tallahassee, which is somehow Braves territory, and SportSouth isnt available. And its rights holder, Comcast, shows the feed that excludes the Braves. Just terrible all the way around.

Not sure how updated or accurate or even official this is

»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MLB_B···reas.png

reply to dragonphan

»mlb.mlb.com/mlb/subscriptions/

Scroll down to the fine print at the bottom and you'll see

To find out which Club's live games are blacked out in your current location, click here:

or

To find out which Club's live games are blacked out of the area where you will be watching the game, enter the zip code of that area here and click Go

Thanks.

reply to dyhrdmet
I put in my zip code to MLB.com and got only Mets/Yankees. And I know I've been blacked out of Philly games. I couldn't find something similar for NHL games, but I can't imagine it would be any different.

I know there's those gray areas of in between that each league and the cable companies should work out, but I also know that I'm not in between. I would trust that the internet streaming is more correct because they can geo-locate you based on your IP and control the blackout from there (and I've never been blacked out incorrectly from MLB.TV based on my location).

What I'm hoping to do is get the attention of someone at Comcast who can address it because I really really believe it's a problem on their end.

reply to dragonphan
Yeah that sucks. On DirecTV's RSN page I get a response that I'm not in any home team territory.

Guess that's why I couldn't check up on the Phillies game last night on MASN HD or the Yankee's on YES HD.

What a crock of sh@*

Cypher, it's because you're in DTV-world. The only thing you'd be in-market for is Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, which as we all know, isn't available on satellite.

MASN and YES would be out-of-market and blacked out for you regardless in Reading. YES isn't in-market until you cross into NJ or into the Scranton DMA, MASN would be in-market across the border in Lancaster County.

reply to dyhrdmet
Sometimes it is a screw up at the head end. For example, last Tuesday night I wanted to watch the Red Sox game on MLB Network. The primary MLB Net game was the TB-Yankees game and the Red Sox game was the back up. On the regular SD feed, MLB Net had the Red Sox game, as it was supposed to for my area. On the HD channel, however, was the same feed of the Yankees game that I got on WWOR HD and not the Red Sox game that I was supposed to get.

Now I know Dyhrdmet, living in Northern New Jersey, should NOT be getting any blackouts from Philly events. My only question is where the Union system is getting their feed from, or actually, where their head end is. If the HD head end is further south[Mercer County], then that might be the reason for the Philly blackouts. Just a guess.

Head end should not matter. they can control it down to the node at least, now if part of your node is in a black out zip, then its forget about it.

reply to cypherstream
I'm not sure exactly where you live, but I'll assume that you're in or near Reading based on your profile, and you're Zip Code starts with 196. If so, you're in the Phillies market, so it makes sense that the Phils would be blacked out. If you had cable instead of Direct TV, you'd get Comcast SportsNet and would be able to see the game.

The screwed up loophole that still doesn't allow Directv or Dish owners to get CSN Philly is a totally different animal, that could start another rant thread. But I've always told other Phillies fans for years that if you really care about watching the Phillies/Flyers/Sixers, you'd get cable instead of a dish.

Yeah it's not that I'm a huge sports fan... I just like catching the scores or the end of the games. Im more into the NFL than MLB so I'm covered there.

I just think it's retarded that DirecTV says "oh we have more HD channels than anyone". Well yeah if all of those RSN channels actually WORKED. I know this is a rant for another forum... But I'm just forewarning you Comcasters to not fall for DirecTV's lies. Stick with Comcast. No contracts and there's actually more basic HD in most markets.

I can just relate to the OP on these blackouts. I know it's not entirely DirecTV, Comcast Time Warner, or whoever... It's more the archaic rules of the leagues I guess. Oh well, thanks for reading. Felt better getting it off my chest.

reply to flwpwr

There's no headend in Woodbridge. It's in Avenel.

Also forgot about the headend in Plainfield.

reply to cypherstream