First Game
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@mayjay all the marketing material we get (daily!) is in Spanish, so I guess change of name and language will solve their image issue. Consolidated cc is not much better on the service.
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mayjay said:
@Fightsongwriter “Spectrum” is Rebranding-Speak for “We had the worst reputation for customer satisfaction among over 230 national corporations rated, and we think a name change will cure that because we think Americans are idiots and won’t notice the service is the same.”
They don’t think, they know. :p
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Comcast is by far the worst but all the rest are not far behind. I used to have a really good provider but after 2 takeovers it is now every bit as bad as the others. My contract is coming up for renewal and they want me to pay $50 more per month than what they charge new customers; 10 years of loyalty don’t count for jack. I am done with them.
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JayHawkFanToo said:
Comcast is by far the worst but all the rest are not far behind. I used to have a really good provider but after 2 takeovers it is now every bit as bad as the others. My contract is coming up for renewal and they want me to pay $50 more per month than what they charge new customers; 10 years of loyalty don’t count for jack. I am done with them.
Did you threaten them with switching? Usually works. Esp now when many of them are desperate due to cord cutters.
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I did. I even gave them the links to other providers with much lower rates…for new customers of course, and they would not budge. Looks like I will be going with internet and either Hulu or Sling. Looks like I wIll be getting a few Roku sticks and an outdoor antenna for the local stations.
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@JayHawkFanToo Wow yeah, guess they don’t want your business.
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I find it unbelievable. I give them well over $1,500 a year (which does not even include any premium channels like HBO) and they don’t have to spend a penny in marketing or installation and they choose to lose me as a customer. Their business model is completely jacked and this is why people are leaving cable providers in droves.
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@JayHawkFanToo Exactly. I dropped Dish many years ago and did not look back. I now happily have PSVUE.
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Check out the mohu antenna if you live in a city. Unless you like climbing on the roof to adjust your outdoor antenna. We use Sling but I might change to utube tv for better sports lineup.
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Thanks, that is a very up to date comparison. I had been looking at others that were several months older and seems like channel lineups changed quite often and special offers pop up all the time. The good things is that you can switch providers on a monthly basis at no cost and with no installation needed since the Roku receivers work with all of them.
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3genhawk said:
Check out the mohu antenna if you live in a city. Unless you like climbing on the roof to adjust your outdoor antenna. We use Sling but I might change to utube tv for better sports lineup.
Mohu looks pretty great. Good enough range even if you aren’t in the city as long as you are close enough. Looks like some 60-65 mile range options.
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@BShark Cable companies are craven buzzards. They attach a vacuum cleaner to your wallet. I got a flier that said " Phone, hi-speed internet, and cable tv only $29.99". I thought…well, even if the cable is just local channels, that’s not bad at all. So, I called. It’s 29.99 for each item, not including equipment rental, and taxes. So, the 29.99 package could be mine for only 119.88. Buzzards.
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KUSTEVE said:
@BShark Cable companies are craven buzzards. They attach a vacuum cleaner to your wallet. I got a flier that said " Phone, hi-speed internet, and cable tv only $29.99". I thought…well, even if the cable is just local channels, that’s not bad at all. So, I called. It’s 29.99 for each item, not including equipment rental, and taxes. So, the 29.99 package could be mine for only 119.88. Buzzards.
LOL.
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I am in the South West corner of the KC Metro Area so all the local stations are on a narrow North East band from me. I have been looking at the Winegard FlatWave Air Amplified Antenna with a 60 Mile Range and an amplified splitter since I will be connecting 7 TV sets via the existing cable wiring. I have heard of the Mohu antenna you mentioned and I will have to do some research.
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@JayHawkFanToo This is the first I’ve heard of it but I’ve been wanting to get a multi-directional indoor antenna. I’ll have to check total cost with a splitter but this is something I want to get soon.
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@dylans Yep what I said word for word was that I like Zenger.
Grow up. Please.
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Zenger isn’t good at identifying football coaches. Good thing Kansas isn’t a football school. Other things he has done have been good. ALL OF KU’S BASKETBALL GAMES ARE AVAILABLE ON TV. ALL OF THEM.
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Well…they are all on tv but some not readily available unles you have access to a Metro Sports. I believe last season 6 games were set up that way which left a lot of fans unable to watch those games. Also, women’s basketball and volleyball and some football games as well are blacked out…one lousy contract in my opinion. In the KC Metro area, Zenger is hated just because of this.
In comparison, I can watch every single KSU and MU games without a problem. I have yet to find anyone that calls this a good contract after hearing all the facts.
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ESPN3 I would say is readily available.
KSU basically has the same contract now. Except they have more games than KU in terms of the ones that are harder to watch. The pitfalls of being KSU I guess.
FOX Sports Kansas City will air the games to the entire state of Kansas as well as the Kansas City metro area, while fans can also view the broadcasts on K-StateHD.TV everywhere. In addition, all 10 games will be available to stream live outside the state of Kansas on ESPN3 across WatchESPN platforms.
So I don’t see how this is any different. I would guess Missouri is similar with a lot of their games being on the SEC network, can’t be bothered to check. No doubt the SEC situation is better for tier 3 rights.
Also let’s be real most people do not care at all about volleyball or womens hoops. I say this as someone that watches some of the volleyball matches.
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You are missing the main issue…yes, ESPN3 is fairly available but it is blacked out in the entire state and the extended KC Metro Area. For example, the KSU exhibition game against Fort Hays is coming up at 2:00 pm on Fox and readily available; KU’s exhibition games? Not so much.
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@BShark as I see it: I used to be able to watch 100% of KU’s games on basic cable. Easy peasey.
Now 1/4 of the games are something I would’ve had to search for if I still had basic cable. It’s a lot more work than just finding the channel to see the KU game, but you are correct it’s still possible to see every game.
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I’m ticked too. Now I’ve got to decide between going trick or treating or watching the game. I already bought my scooby doo costume and everything.
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wissox said:
I’m ticked too. Now I’ve got to decide between going trick or treating or watching the game. I already bought my scooby doo costume and everything.
Zoinks!
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JayHawkFanToo said:
You are missing the main issue…yes, ESPN3 is fairly available but it is blacked out in the entire state and the extended KC Metro Area. For example, the KSU exhibition game against Fort Hays is coming up at 2:00 pm on Fox and readily available; KU’s exhibition games? Not so much.
Fox Sports KC probably has about the same reach as Spectrum Sports.
@dylans There are 6 “problem” games. They are available to easily stream online. Everything else is on a major network (ESPN/ESPN2/FS1/CBS). I guess I’m the only one that just fails to be annoyed by it anymore because you and JayHawkFanToo are far from alone in your opinion on the matter.
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@BShark so far SZ is not to great at hiring women’s bb coaches either. Would that be 0-3? I’m pretty sure he’s lost us more than he’s raised.
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Crimsonorblue22 said:
@BShark so far SZ is not to great at hiring women’s bb coaches either. Would that be 0-3? I’m pretty sure he’s lost us more than he’s raised.
Wouldn’t mind seeing him get canned. My comment about KU not being a football school was meant to be a bit snarky and imply that he probably gets fired from any other AD job for his football hires. If Beaty gets fired, Zenger had better go with him IMO.
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@BShark how am I able to easily stream them online if they are blacked out by my cable provider (consolidated)? I would live to know how I can access them. I am in KC.
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@Fightsongwriter several workarounds. Some people use their phone as a hot spot. You can also download an application that changes your VPN. Works just fine usually. Games are also posted to ESPN3 shortly after if you can wait up that late or watch them the next day.
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@JayHawkFanToo I cut the cord. Now I have to figure out how to see games this year.
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@JayHawkFanToo blacked out clear down to NW Arkansas. Did have some success previously with a IP Blicker add on.
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The truth is that most KU fans/viewers don’t have a clue on how to use a VPN and would prefer to tune in directly via their local cable provider. TW/Spectrum Metro Sports has a monopoly on several basketball games, a few football games and most women’s basketball and volleyball games. KU fans in the city with the largest fan base should not have to jump through hoops to watch their favorite teams; I have better and easier access to all of KSU and MU games than I do KU…that is not right by any stretch of the imagination. Blacking our the entire state and giving broadcast monopoly to one station and not even getting any money in return equates to a lousy deal any way you look at it.
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I will watch the games. The casual fans, like my parents, won’t. And that sucks as it took me years to get them to watch KU in the first place, as of right now their interest is fair, but waining.
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I don’t mind when they don’t let competing outlets in an area carry games, because they have an interest in trying to use unique programming to attract customers. And blackouts to protect attendance make sense.
But blackouts when an arena is sold out, and refusing to sell an event to other providers in areas where they are not competitors, makes no sense.
Worse for Dodgers fans in LA. Half the population cannot see their regular season games.
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My annual rant. I don’t live anywhere near Kansas and I can watch all of these games on ESPN3. How dumb is that? And we can’t even blame our most hated sports network either. It’s our own AD. It makes my blood boil to be honest knowing how difficult it is for KU fans to watch their teams games.
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@JayHawkFanToo Didn’t Time Warner pay KU for the right to be exclusive on some of this? The whole Tier 3 rights? You said they are “not even getting any money in return”? I assume you mean KU isn’t getting paid, which I guess I’m not following.
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@JayHawkFanToo Never said otherwise. Just helping to provide options until something changes.
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KU did not get any money out of the deal with TW/Spectrum Metro Sports, they got “in kind” programming in return that broadcasts minor sports such as rowing and women’s soccer and KU sports news. I bet that in the KC Metro area alone more people would watch the upcoming exhibition game against Pitt State than the combined audience of all other sports (not including football) combined in an entire year. Realistically, other than the families and close friends, how many people would you say watch the women’s rowing team? 100? Less?
There are two sports that make money football and men’s basketball, all other sports do not cover their own expenses and only exits because of the two money makers.
Here is a write upwith some details. This story describes the procedure for other providers to get the programming. I contacted SureWest at the time and subsequently and was told that TW made it so expensive to get the programming that made it impossible for them or any of the other providers to get it and sure enough, none has gotten it to date.
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@JayHawkFanToo Thanks for the info. Your first link didn’t work, fyi. Could you double check that? I’d seen that second one and it didn’t mention the money part. I am really shocked that KU didn’t get money out of this. Did not know that. So we get black outs for no compensation? Yikes.
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Link should be working now. Zenger really alienated the fan base in KC big time.
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@JayHawkFanToo but at least you have the option of getting it. My relatives in western ks don’t. If they did they would pay for it.
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I hear you, I would have to switch to Comcast since TW is not quite yet available in my area. If you have internet you can always get something like Sling, Hulu, DirectTV, PSVue or one of the streaming TV providers that carries ESPN3 and get it this way. As you know, I have been against this contract from the beginning since I don’t believe is in the best interest of Kansans living in Kansas.
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Does anyone know when this contract is up? I’d love to see the blackout restrictions for ESPN3 removed…
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@JayHawkFanToo Thanks. I didn’t see where there was a statement that KU didn’t get compensated, though.
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It was discussed at the time and that is what did it for many of us. I will try to find an article that spells it out. You can see that all the talk is about all the extra programming KU will be getting and not one mention of money.
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@JayHawkFanToo for myself, I love it. Get hawk talk, Jayhawk insider, vb, KU relays, press pass, pre and postgame interviews, all I need. Well worth it.
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I’ve got a fixed antenna set up in the attic, but I like the looks of this one. I may be able to pick up a couple more channels with it. I know in/near KC you can get a ton of channels over the air.
Mostly we use netflix and vudu. Other than KU games it’s rare that the tv is on to entertain the adults.
