Re: Comcast Sportsnet Plus (DC)
psumatt1
Contributor - Level 2

Caps-

Even though I live in Delaware and am a Flyers fan (heh) - it's been interesting to watch this thread evolve.

I agree with you on the whole "silence" around channel adds. I mean, come on - of course we realize the cable co's are in competition, but if I were running it - i'd be putting out PR's left and right stating what channels i'm adding.

I think they all know who's adding what and so forth, so sometimes I find it mind-boggling why it seems to be so secretive.

Good luck getting CSN+ finally on the air. We may have to go through the same process with TCN here out of VHO8 - which will probably turn into the Philly version of CSN+ soon.

Re: Comcast Sportsnet Plus (DC)
Caps09
Specialist - Level 2

Thanks Matt.

I wanted to post some info I saw on an undisclosed message board. The author knows who he is, so thank you.

The "grooming" into the lineup thing is a term used for getting the channel assigned to a QAM, then sending it to the central offices near the customers. This has to be done anytime a new channel is added, but we usually don't hear about anything about it until we see the channels in our homes, so there's no way to tell how long it takes. This poster also mentions that this is "quite a bit of infrastructure work", so it takes longer than just flipping a switch, like most of us would think. This sounds like what needs to be done anytime a linear channel is added, since it's currently delivered by QAM and not IP. Cable companies can add a part time channel faster in this case since they use shared feeds with something like C-SPAN2 or COX11, which already have a QAM channel. I don't know if it's easier for DirecTV or Dish to add channels, but I suspect it would be easier for them too.

With this info, and the tweets we've heard from @fiostv on Twitter, I feel like Verizon is really moving forward with this. They wouldn't be going through all this trouble if they weren't serious about adding these games for us. I wonder where the channel will appear, but I hope to see it soon. Maybe we'll see CSN+ and MASN2 in the 70's next to their linear channels instead of channel 1, but that might be what @fiostv meant about "business & franchise stuff".

Outside of Verizon, no one knows what the future holds, but once they get this straight, FiOS will be the leader in every category over every cable company here. Just PLEASE make sure MASN2 HD is on your lineup when it's launched in April!!!

Re: Comcast Sportsnet Plus (DC)
grackle6
Enthusiast - Level 3

I use zap2it  online to see my channel listings. They give a guide based on zip code and provider and I have found it to be pretty reliable. After the channel shake-up below channel 8 last fall they listed nothing below ch 8 for Howard/ AA counties. Now for the last couple days they show MASN2 on ch 1.For programming it just says "Sign Off."

If I try to go there on my TV it doesn't exist but maybe it's a sign of things to come.

I've always wondered - Since baseball and hockey/basketball are at opposite times of the year can't MASN2 and CSN+ share a channel, switching from one to the other between seasons?

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Re: Comcast Sportsnet Plus (DC)
Caps09
Specialist - Level 2

Hey Grackle,

Who knows what the future holds. The reason for my speculation is that we now know that Verizon doesn't like fooling around with switching back and forth between feeds. I thought that channel 1 would be a good idea to rotate between CSN+ and MASN2, but then I noticed on the New York lineup that MSG, MSG2, MSG+, and MSG+2 are all together. Also, as long as it takes to get a channel "groomed" into a QAM position, we know that MASN2 is taking up QAM space somewhere until Verizon turns it on for us again. If they will be carrying both MASN2 and CSN+, it might make sense for each one to have its own channel number.

We'll have to wait and see what happens. There was another tweet from @fiostv last night that said there are still "a few more weeks" to go.

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Re: Comcast Sportsnet Plus (DC)
grackle6
Enthusiast - Level 3

"...a few more weeks to go..."

Only the Caps' 1/26 and 2/5 games remain scheduled for CSN+ per the schedule I'm using. If I speculate they bring CSN+ online on 2/1 then they will salvage 1 Caps and 5 Wiz games. Maybe there's Terps bball games too, I don't know. Or maybe the schedule I'm using isn't accurate.

It seems odd they'd go to all this trouble for one and maybe two games because Caps fans complained. I've seen virtually no complaints from Wizards fans. Maybe they're making their voice heard elsewhere. Or maybe this is all part of a larger plan and our complaints made no difference.

Oh well. i benefitted. I sold my VZ stock a little above 33 on 1/5 partly due to my frustration over this. It's at 30.60 as I type this. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good!

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Re: Comcast Sportsnet Plus (DC)
Caps09
Specialist - Level 2

The good thing is that once it's "groomed" on to a QAM, it will be there forever and it will be on in the coming years. Until now, there was indifference about this on Verizon's part, but in 2008-2009 there (a) weren't as many "plus" games since the Wizards were still on DC50 a lot, and (b) Verizon didn't have as many subscribers as they do now. Hockey fans are known as the most loyal sports fans, and you can see it here. There were a few complaints about not being able to see college games, but I don't think anyone compained about not seeing Wizards games. Maybe basketball fans are just as content seeing another team play on TNT or something.

I wanted to add- across the street from where I wait for the bus in the morning, there is a new sub shop ready to open. In the time since Verizon has started working on getting the CSN+ signal, this place has gone from dilapidated vacant building to being totally renovated into a national chain eatery. I think about that every time I look at it, and how long it takes to get a cable channel added.

At least we know they're working on it!

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Re: Comcast Sportsnet Plus (DC)
Caps09
Specialist - Level 2

I just found a couple great reads. Ted Leonsis has a few chioce comments at http://www.tedstake.com/2009/12/24/dont-look-back-someone-might-be-gaining-on-you/ including telling CSN-

  1. Get more HD as promised. Why isn’t every Capitals game shot and broadcast in HD?
  2. Fix the quality of CSN Plus. The picture shouldn’t look like 1970’s circa production value.
  3. Iron out all issues with Verizon FiOS. I am tired of answering those questions about rebroadcast from our fans.

I love it that Ted's not being silent about this.

Here's another good one from Dan Steinberg, a regular on CSN's "Washington Post Live"-

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2010/01/masn_vs_csn_in_hd.html

Re: Comcast Sportsnet Plus (DC)
HokieDave
Contributor - Level 2

Is CSN+ available to Verizon FIOS subscribers in the Norfolk/Chesapeake/VA Beach area?  I'm honestly becoming increasingly annoyed with Verizon and not being able to see Tech play tonight is likely to be the straw that broke the camel's back.

Re: Comcast Sportsnet Plus (DC)
grackle6
Enthusiast - Level 3

Updated tally of CSN+ requests made by (mostly) Caps fans for the suburban Washington DC area.

 

From the "Suggest Channels" thread:

 

Howard/AA Counties MD (24 requestors)

bkb  10/30

scraff  11/04

grackle6  11/06

Padow  11/06

jsaint625  11/06 12/12

eat1820  11/07

devonwood  11/10

chrsmi142  11/12

caps81737  11/07  11/12 12/19

jotot  11/13

Preston16  11/13

slacker  11/13

PLEASEGiveMeCSN 11/13

Howard_Co_Caps_ 11/13

b1974 11/13

wazlo21 11/13

shaft103 11/21 

MS19 AA County 12/9

uncbrooke AA County  12/19

afterp AA County  12/22 (Terps)

Xristafer Howard County 12/22 (Caps and Terps)

mjcapsfan Howard County  1/5

Smirkman Howard County  1/5

tjcapfan AA/HoCo  1/5

CByrd17 Howard County  1/12

 

Baltimore and Harford County MD (2)

BmoreCapsFan  11/04  11/19

zombiereign  11/28

 

Virginia (5)

elicea  11/14  Newport News

annandaleva  11/16  Northern VA

Benjammin  11/19  Richmond

Caps09  10/17  11/01  11/06  11/18, 11/21  Richmond

HokieDave Chesapeake VA 1/16 (ACC BBall)

 

no location given (6)

esproul  9/27

joek443  11/06

hockeytool  11/21

MoreCapsonTV  11/21

levi1864  11/22

Caps1958  11/28

 

Add to those the following requestors in the "Comcast Sportsnet Plus (DC)" thread (and other misc. threads) who have not posted in the "Suggest Channels" thread. (11)

 

capsfan78  AA County, 11/06

gdw10  AA County, 11/06

Terps1984  AA County, 11/11

cparks  AA County, 11/12

angrycapsfan  AA County  11/13 (from a misc. thread)

hockeygene  PG County, 11/14

spbbp09  Howard County  11/14

zsportsman28  AA County 11/28

Gocaps No Loc given  12/10 (misc. thread)

jfacch Howard County  1/5

brian64k Howard County  1/5

 

 

The new total is 48 requests for CSN+ in the MD and VA suburbs of DC made by fans since 9/27/2009.

Re: Comcast Sportsnet Plus (DC)
Caps09
Specialist - Level 2

I noticed that "FiOS TV info" is now duplicated on channel 1952, and I was thinking that maybe someone liked my idea and CSN+ would be on it. It's not.

@fiostv is dropping hints on Twitter about looking forward to next week. I hope that means something for our little splinter group.

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