NBA League Pass question

[Slomo]

This is what I found on nba.com:


NBA LEAGUE PASS Broadband
http://www.nba.com/media/nbav2/blank.gif NBA LEAGUE PASS Broadband allows active NBA LEAGUE PASS subscribers to watch every NBA LEAGUE PASS game live online. You can follow your favorite teams and players directly on your computer as well as your TV. You will need your NBA Member Name and password, and your NBA LEAGUE PASS cable or satellite provider name and account number to view the games. Has anybody ever tried this? If so what was the quality?

[boutons_]

I've got NBA LP, but watch on TV rather than online, or if I'm travelling, I watch my TV on my laptop as Slingbox viewer back to my Slingbox on my second cable box.

Watching through my Slingbox requires at least 500 Kbits/sec for the streaming video, and I don't see how watching streaming video of NBA LP through the the above would work with less that 500 Kbits/sec.

[MaNuMaNiAc]

I think you have to be a member of NBA league pass first in order to watch the games online. That means it has to be available where you are. Unfortunately for me and all the other Argies, NBA league pass isn't available in Argentina. Perhaps its available over there.

[smeagol]

I think you have to be a member of NBA league pass first in order to watch the games online. That means it has to be available where you are. Unfortunately for me and all the other Argies, NBA league pass isn't available in Argentina. Perhaps its available over there.
This is the reason why I'm not going back to Argentina.

Once those idiots at Direct TV or the cable companies decide to put NBA LP again . . . Argentina, here I come!!!!!

[mikejones99]

By next year the NBA should be available almost anywhere in the world. Some local blackouts may happen when not enuff tickets are sold though.

[Slomo]

boutons: Your solution with the slingbox is of course better. Provided you have the technical capabilities that you mention in your post - the pic quallity is simply amazing (you could actually put it on a TV and have almost the original pic quality)

MaNuMaNiA: Yes you have to have LP. And no it's not available over here. The reason I'm asking is that I'm curious how serious NBA is about the whole thing and if this is a usable option for those who have access to it.


By next year the NBA should be available almost anywhere in the world. Some local blackouts may happen when not enuff tickets are sold though. mikejones99: What is the base of your claim? I specially do not understand the blackout comment. What would this service be? Internet streaming of live games on a subscription base?

[mikejones99]

Direct TV or cable should be available in most areas to watch all the games for anyone in the world that wants it. Technology is improving and Stern wants everyone in the world to see the NBA. Blackouts only happen in the 100 mile area of the game itself so most likely would not be a problem for other countries. Do you get the NFL games there?

[smeagol]

Direct TV or cable should be available in most areas to watch all the games for anyone in the world that wants it. Technology is improving and Stern wants everyone in the world to see the NBA. Blackouts only happen in the 100 mile area of the game itself so most likely would not be a problem for other countries. Do you get the NFL games there?
Isn't it a question of cost?

Otherwise, why the hell doesn't Direct TV have the NBA League Pass when the have something similar for te NFL? (who the hell watches American Football in Argentina?)

[Gummi]

Yeah, I watch every game I can. I lived in the States for about three years and I bought the NBA league pass through DirecTV. My parents have a house in Florida which has the DirecTV and NBA league pass and I'm watching almost every game online through that service. I LOVE IT!.

Great quality too.

[leemajors]

i imagine it would depend on the quality of your internet connection. if you have a bit of packet loss i imagine it would stutter or pixellate a lot. it would also depend quite a bit how many hops you are away from the nba server hosting the live feed - a live game would hog a lot of bandwidth and would either have to be delayed probably at least by 30 seconds or a minute to cut down on lagginess. steaming video has improved by leaps and bounds but i still think watching a live sporting event and just hosting one would involve a lot of cost and effort.

[boutons_]

Slingox is very viewable when reporting 500 Kbits/sec, and the delay is 3 - 5 seconds.

Slingbox image is frozen on a 56 Kbits/sec dial-up. Completely useless.

[Gummi]

No it's live action through my DirecTV satellite in Florida. No delays according to the live updates from both NBA.com and espn.com. Yes, you have to have a good connection, nothing less then DSL would work, I think.

I'm going to renew my league pass package for next season and watch it on the web. Guaranteed.

[alamo50]

Can't wait for this to happen!

:elephant

[Slomo]

Direct TV or cable should be available in most areas to watch all the games for anyone in the world that wants it. Technology is improving and Stern wants everyone in the world to see the NBA. Blackouts only happen in the 100 mile area of the game itself so most likely would not be a problem for other countries. Do you get the NFL games there?NFL is not a problem, beside decent local coverage there's the online streaming thing so that's OK.

I have my doubts about how serious the NBA is about it. I mean the technology is widely available and the cost is ridiculous compared to the profit that could be made. I know of a few pirate sites who do it for a few bucks a month, have a few hundred viewers online at any time and are making a killing profit.
At the same time the NBA has made a huge deal about the Google video thing which is only a recording of the game (no live games), cost more per game than the full LP package and is still not available outside the US.

Even providing LP subscriber with what seems to be a good quality service (according to Gummi) shows they have the technology and probably a very realistic knowledge of what is required - yet makes no effort to market this abroad.

So frankly whenever I hear the commish talking about opening the NBA to international fans, I want to kick him in the .....

I hate those pirate sites because I have a real problem with people not respecting copyrights (you start understanding it when it happens to you) and because you are left to the good will of the people running the site as far as game selection is concerned (the Spurs are boring - remember). But if a couple of teenagers can do it (and although the quality is not great it's watcheable) why not the NBA?

[Solid D]

Major League Baseball mlb.com has MLB.TV that is available to any paying customer. Click here for an example and then click on watch a FREE SAMPLE of MLB.TV.
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/subscriptions/mlbtv.jsp?partnerId=300x60_mlbtv_generic

I know this is baseball and I know there are various restrictions on viewing, but in general this is something all major sports should offer.

I think the Free Sample runs at 350Kb. It's not HDTV or anything like that but for the purpose of seeing a game, it works. The Full Screen mode loses clarity, but that's to be expected. $79.95 for the season or 14.95 monthly.