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NBA HD blackouts on INHD?

post #1 of 31
Thread Starter 
Is anyone having issues with INHD on Comcast? My channel is frozen...whenever I try to turn it there, nothing happens. It's currently showing NBA Basketball (Bulls v. Pacers).
post #2 of 31
Mine is working fine here on Comcast in Detroit. However, over the last week there have been long stretches of time where we've had a white picture with INHD at the top.
post #3 of 31
Quote:
Originally Posted by chibul View Post

Is anyone having issues with INHD on Comcast? My channel is frozen...whenever I try to turn it there, nothing happens. It's currently showing NBA Basketball (Bulls v. Pacers).

Are you in Chicago or Indiana? THe game is blacked out because it is on WGN as well for us here in Chicago.
post #4 of 31
Quote:
Originally Posted by chibul View Post

Is anyone having issues with INHD on Comcast? My channel is frozen...whenever I try to turn it there, nothing happens. It's currently showing NBA Basketball (Bulls v. Pacers).


The game is blacked out in Indiana on INHD because it is on Fox Sports Indiana. Frustrating when you know you could be watching it in HD.
post #5 of 31
In my case, I don't have NBA TV through Comcast, so all of the NBA games on INHD have been blacked out this year. My understanding is that you have to have NBA TV to get the games on INHD.
post #6 of 31
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by hoosierfan227 View Post

The game is blacked out in Indiana on INHD because it is on Fox Sports Indiana. Frustrating when you know you could be watching it in HD.

Very frustrating...not to mention, WHY would they even do that? Here in Indiana as well.

Quote:
Originally Posted by golferadam View Post

In my case, I don't have NBA TV through Comcast, so all of the NBA games on INHD have been blacked out this year. My understanding is that you have to have NBA TV to get the games on INHD.


Not true. My local Comcast doesn't even carry NBATV, and I've watched every INHD NBA game this season up to tonight.
post #7 of 31
Quote:
Originally Posted by chibul View Post

Very frustrating...not to mention, WHY would they even do that? Here in Indiana as well.




Not true. My local Comcast doesn't even carry NBATV, and I've watched every INHD NBA game this season up to tonight.

All games on inHD are blacked out in the markets of the teams playing.
post #8 of 31
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by gtree10 View Post

All games on inHD are blacked out in the markets of the teams playing.

Again, though...why? What's the point?

The game was blacked out in Indiana, but the game wasn't in Indiana, so the sellout theory doesn't apply. (If a game doesn't sell out, it's blacked out in its market to encourage people to buy tickets)
post #9 of 31
Quote:
Originally Posted by gtree10 View Post

All games on inHD are blacked out in the markets of the teams playing.

Well this is interesting. I will contact Comcast because every one of the NBA games on INHD has been blacked out this year. I live in central PA so I don't think I have been in the market for every one.

EDIT: I called Comcast and they didn't know. They finally wrote it off as "if they don't sell enough tickets to the game they will black it out". I told them all the games had been blacked out this season but they were unable to determine a definite reason.
post #10 of 31
Quote:
Originally Posted by chibul View Post

Again, though...why? What's the point?

The game was blacked out in Indiana, but the game wasn't in Indiana, so the sellout theory doesn't apply. (If a game doesn't sell out, it's blacked out in its market to encourage people to buy tickets)

The NBA blackout rules are different than the NFLs. The NBA rules are about local ratings not getting people into seats.
post #11 of 31
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by gtree10 View Post

The NBA blackout rules are different than the NFLs. The NBA rules are about local ratings not getting people into seats.

Ahh....I see.

Well, their rules suck.
post #12 of 31
Quote:
Originally Posted by gtree10 View Post

The NBA blackout rules are different than the NFLs. The NBA rules are about local ratings not getting people into seats.

Just to be clear, do you think it's reasonable to assume every NBA game on INHD has been blacked out for me due to NBA blackout rules? I just think that at least one of the many games that have been shown would have met the requirements for being aired.
post #13 of 31
Quote:
Originally Posted by golferadam View Post

Just to be clear, do you think it's reasonable to assume every NBA game on INHD has been blacked out for me due to NBA blackout rules? I just think that at least one of the many games that have been shown would have met the requirements for being aired.

I have no idea about your situation.
post #14 of 31
my basketballboards buddy

Don't have LP or NBATV, but can get the NBATVInHD games, but speaking with others in other markets, I should consider myself lucky
post #15 of 31
Quote:
Originally Posted by chibul View Post

Again, though...why? What's the point?

The game was blacked out in Indiana, but the game wasn't in Indiana, so the sellout theory doesn't apply. (If a game doesn't sell out, it's blacked out in its market to encourage people to buy tickets)

As was mentioned, the blackout rules have nothing to do with fan attendance.

Rather, it's about protecting the broadcast rights of the local regional sports networks (FSN, or the like). Those RSNs are given a quasi-monopoly (or maybe a real monopoly) on broadcasting local sports teams, except in certain well-defined cases (like national telecasts such as ESPN Sunday Night Baseball). Allowing other entities to broadcast those games would reduce their commercial revenue.

It's aggravating, especially when we're denied HD, and reduced to watching either SD or nothing.
post #16 of 31
Quote:
Originally Posted by theguest View Post

my basketballboards buddy

Don't have LP or NBATV, but can get the NBATVInHD games, but speaking with others in other markets, I should consider myself lucky

I was able to get NBA TV HD on INHD on my Time Warner system without subscribing to NBA TV.
post #17 of 31
I'm able to get NBA TV HD games on INHD via Comcast and I also don't subscribe to NBA TV.
post #18 of 31
I live in central PA. The game is between New Orleans and LA so it doesn't seem geographically related. It is not being broadcast on any other channels here (I am on Comcast and subscribe to the full lineup) so it does not seem related to multiple broadcasts. None of the reasons given in this thread seem to explain why every game has been blacked out for me. I spent 30 minutes on the phone with Comcast last night and they could not tell me why either. Disappointing to say the least. I am going to call them again this evening during the Clippers game.
post #19 of 31
You're first mistake is trying to figure out a blackout rule and assuming there is logic somewhere
post #20 of 31
Quote:
Originally Posted by golferadam View Post

I live in central PA. The game is between New Orleans and LA so it doesn't seem geographically related. It is not being broadcast on any other channels here (I am on Comcast and subscribe to the full lineup) so it does not seem related to multiple broadcasts. None of the reasons given in this thread seem to explain why every game has been blacked out for me. I spent 30 minutes on the phone with Comcast last night and they could not tell me why either. Disappointing to say the least. I am going to call them again this evening during the Clippers game.

In your case, it was probably a mistake.
post #21 of 31
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken H View Post

In your case, it was probably a mistake.

I was hoping that was the case after the first one was blacked out. Now that there have been at least 5 of them that I have checked and found them blacked out I realized somewhere a conscious decision is being made to do so.

I called Comcast again during the Clippers game and they said they could find no reason why I shouldn't be getting the game. I couldn't get them to pursue it too far before they gave up and wanted to schedule a service call. I told them I would call back. I doubt they can do anything by coming out here. It certainly seems to be at the headend because nothing else is ever blacked out.
post #22 of 31
Quote:
Originally Posted by golferadam View Post

I was hoping that was the case after the first one was blacked out. Now that there have been at least 5 of them that I have checked and found them blacked out I realized somewhere a conscious decision is being made to do so.

I called Comcast again during the Clippers game and they said they could find no reason why I shouldn't be getting the game. I couldn't get them to pursue it too far before they gave up and wanted to schedule a service call. I told them I would call back. I doubt they can do anything by coming out here. It certainly seems to be at the headend because nothing else is ever blacked out.

The next time you talk to someone, escalate to supervisors, etc. Get names and phone numbers.
post #23 of 31
i just don'tget it ,i live in southern california and the grizzlies lakers game is on fox sportsnet channel652 but not i HD channel 95 even tough it's in the guide on directv,sunday nov 12.
post #24 of 31
Quote:
Originally Posted by golferadam View Post

I was hoping that was the case after the first one was blacked out. Now that there have been at least 5 of them that I have checked and found them blacked out I realized somewhere a conscious decision is being made to do so.

I called Comcast again during the Clippers game and they said they could find no reason why I shouldn't be getting the game. I couldn't get them to pursue it too far before they gave up and wanted to schedule a service call. I told them I would call back. I doubt they can do anything by coming out here. It certainly seems to be at the headend because nothing else is ever blacked out.

Yes, it almost certainly has nothing to do with blackouts. It's almost certainly incompetence.

If you live in a small market, as I do (approx. #150), you come to expect incompetence. You also realize that calling customer-no-service is a total mistake, as they haven't a clue as to what should be happening and why it isn't (I've learned that through grueling experience).

In that case, your best bet is to try to write to someone in the technical area of the company (I've become very familiar with the chief engineer of our system in just that way). And they tend to be fairly forthcoming with help.
post #25 of 31
Thought I would give an update on my situation. Comcast did a big change in the lineup here in the State College area today. Comcast took the place of Adelphia here about 6 months ago. Anyway, tonight the NBA game is NOT blacked out on INHD, so I have to assume the season long black out was tied to something in the Adelphia system.

On a side note, I have to say I am really satisfied with the lineup change. I lost HDNet and HDNetMovies, but picked up CSN Philly HD, UHD, Vs/Golf HD, TNTHD, MHD. We also kept NFLNetworkHD. For a small market we have it pretty good.
post #26 of 31
Comcast is blacking out NBA-TV HD tonight for the Clippers-Warriors (I'm in the Bay Area), but is showing the game in SD on the regular NBA-TV channel. Dumb.

(Even dumber, is that the Warriors are being pre-empted by Arena League football. If I was in the Warriors media relations department, I'd be hitting the ceiling over my games being pre-empted by the Sabrecats. No Warriors jokes, please. )
post #27 of 31
Quote:
Originally Posted by who_the View Post

Comcast is blacking out NBA-TV HD tonight for the Clippers-Warriors (I'm in the Bay Area), but is showing the game in SD on the regular NBA-TV channel. Dumb.

(Even dumber, is that the Warriors are being pre-empted by Arena League football. If I was in the Warriors media relations department, I'd be hitting the ceiling over my games being pre-empted by the Sabrecats. No Warriors jokes, please. )

The AFL game is not preempting the Golden State game. FSN Bay Area only bought the rights for 70 games. They do not have the telecast rights for this game because they did not buy them.
post #28 of 31
Quote:
Originally Posted by homcom View Post

The AFL game is not preempting the Golden State game. FSN Bay Area only bought the rights for 70 games. They do not have the telecast rights for this game because they did not buy them.

If thats the case - then no bay area RSN has the rights to the game - and NBATVHD shouldn't be blacked out in the Bay Area market...
post #29 of 31
Quote:
Originally Posted by Berk32 View Post

If thats the case - then no bay area RSN has the rights to the game - and NBATVHD shouldn't be blacked out in the Bay Area market...

Word.
post #30 of 31
I should add that I called Comcast and escalated as far as I could. I tried to explain that they are erroneously blacking out the HD broadcast, but to no avail. I'm awaiting a "call-back" from a "supervisor," but am not hopeful.
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