Can anyone help explain the blackout rules

[eball]

Tonight, for example, the game is listed on three channels: 627 & 634 (regional sports networks), and 768 (Center Ice feed).

 

I live in NC, so my "local" regional sports network is Fox Sports South.

 

I've been burned early this season by attempting to TiVo either the regional sports network or the Center Ice channel, only to find when I sit down to watch the replay that I have no recording because it was blacked out on the particular channel I chose to record.

 

Are there hard and fast rules here, so I don't miss any more recordings?

 

Thanks in advance to anyone who can shed some light here -- I know I'll get nowhere if I call DTV.

[bills_fan_in_raleigh]

Tonight, for example, the game is listed on three channels: 627 & 634 (regional sports networks), and 768 (Center Ice feed).

 

I live in NC, so my "local" regional sports network is Fox Sports South.

 

I've been burned early this season by attempting to TiVo either the regional sports network or the Center Ice channel, only to find when I sit down to watch the replay that I have no recording because it was blacked out on the particular channel I chose to record.

 

Are there hard and fast rules here, so I don't miss any more recordings?

 

Thanks in advance to anyone who can shed some light here -- I know I'll get nowhere if I call DTV.

If Sabres are playing the Canes the game will ALWAYS be on FSS. Otherwise I have found the games to always be on the 700 set of channels. I wish one could choose the broadcast since rather listen to rick and Jim but thank goodness for DVR so I can pause the game till either sirius or WGR feed catches up.

[BetweenThePipes00]

If it is available on a channel that is local to YOU, it will be blacked out on Center Ice. So for you, if a Canes game is on FSS and is also listed on Center Ice, it will be on FSS to protect the local advertisers. I have the same issue with Preds games here in Nashville.

Conversely, if you see Fox Sports Pacific or something showing a Sharks game on channel 600-whatever and also on Center Ice, it will be shown only on Center Ice, to protect the Center Ice package ... that is, you can't just buy that sports package and get all the games on all the Fox Sports channels, you have to buy Center Ice to get them.

[eball]

If it is available on a channel that is local to YOU, it will be blacked out on Center Ice. So for you, if a Canes game is on FSS and is also listed on Center Ice, it will be on FSS to protect the local advertisers. I have the same issue with Preds games here in Nashville.

Conversely, if you see Fox Sports Pacific or something showing a Sharks game on channel 600-whatever and also on Center Ice, it will be shown only on Center Ice, to protect the Center Ice package ... that is, you can't just buy that sports package and get all the games on all the Fox Sports channels, you have to buy Center Ice to get them.

I want to believe you -- really, I do -- but I swear that the last Sabres-Bruins game was shown on the regional sports network (NESN) in the 600s and blacked out on the Center Ice channel -- despite the fact that I live in NC and NESN is certainly not a local channel for me.

 

I'll try to record the Center Ice channel tonight and see what happens; I'm not in the Fox Sports Florida home market either.

[BetweenThePipes00]

I want to believe you -- really, I do -- but I swear that the last Sabres-Bruins game was shown on the regional sports network (NESN) in the 600s and blacked out on the Center Ice channel -- despite the fact that I live in NC and NESN is certainly not a local channel for me.

 

I'll try to record the Center Ice channel tonight and see what happens; I'm not in the Fox Sports Florida home market either.

 

yeah that's just weird I have never had that problem.

[eball]

If Sabres are playing the Canes the game will ALWAYS be on FSS. Otherwise I have found the games to always be on the 700 set of channels. I wish one could choose the broadcast since rather listen to rick and Jim but thank goodness for DVR so I can pause the game till either sirius or WGR feed catches up.

See my reply to the other post -- I thought this to also be the case, until I was surprised by the game last week.

 

I'll just try to go w/ the Center Ice channels and see what happens (unless they are playing the Canes, of course).

[shrader]

See my reply to the other post -- I thought this to also be the case, until I was surprised by the game last week.

 

I'll just try to go w/ the Center Ice channels and see what happens (unless they are playing the Canes, of course).

 

Is there any chance that you somehow set it to the wrong channel? A non-Carolina game should never be blacked out in your market on center ice.

[BetweenThePipes00]

Also, please don't think I am calling you a moron, because I did this myself once ... but you may have recorder the wrong time ... when I set it to record, I didn't move the cursor on the guide far enough and didn't record the game but the 6 hours BEFORE the game where it said "Upcoming: Sabres vs. whatever" ...

[Taro T]

See my reply to the other post -- I thought this to also be the case, until I was surprised by the game last week.

 

I'll just try to go w/ the Center Ice channels and see what happens (unless they are playing the Canes, of course).

I've seen what you are describing as well on VERY rare occasions w/ DTV CI. I can't honestly say that there was any consistant pattern it that occuring. (I can only recall having a game I've wanted to see end up in the 600's instead of the 700's maybe 8 times in 3+ seasons of having CI.)

 

I've also seen the same feed not get blacked out in the 600's and also show up in the 700's (since it is the exact same feed, it isn't that surprising). I'd say, if you know you will be away, set the Tivo to carry the CI channel and you will be ok at least 90% of the time.