So after the game against Rice, there was a news article with an interview with Chris Plonsky about how they were working throughout the game to take down illegal streams of LHN. So, my anger is being directed at her. I can't get Verizon or (insert random *** small time cable providers that carry LHN) where I live, and I've called Comcast plenty of times and given them empty threats to leave to someone who does carry LHN, even though nobody near me does. I have plenty of hate for Comcast for not picking it up, but my hate for Plonsky is almost exceeding it because of their active role in shutting down streams of LHN online. And it's all because of a 40 cent per subscriber fee that UT/ESPN wants. Well guess what, I spent 4 years at UT and over that time I gave 100,000 times that 40 cent rate. I like to believe that giving all that money and actively supporting UT gives me the right to at the very least be able to watch the UT game every week. To think that someone at UT is working their *** off to prevent me from watching when I have no other options on the table sickens me. So now I have to watch a Kansas Network broadcast of the game online, so I guess Plonsky is being succesful at what she does in preventing the LHN from being watched by alumni all over the country. Congrats.
The only thing more embarrassing than KU's offense tonight is the fact that Longhorn fans have to watch an Internet stream of a Kansas network broadcast for a game in Austin.
If they didn't shut down the streams, they would never win at the negotiation table. As long as there is a way for us to still watch the game somehow, the ESPN and Texas execs don't have enough leverage with the fans bitching.
Call my provider my ***. I have and they know perfectly well that I am not going to write a check for $600 to cover breaking my contract with 3 receivers. Getting LHN on the air is going to take UT/ESPN possibly making a little less money. AS time goes on, it's clear, that UT doesn't really give a sh** about the fans not being able to see these games.
Yeah, I raised holy hell with the service clerk at Time Warner about adding the LHN...how much good did it do? Anybody see the game last night via Time Warner? I agree to cut the business about talking to your cable carrier and let ESPN and the carriers sit down and do some serious negotiating. If that doesn't happen, the LHN is gonna be nothing but a legend in its' own mind.
Agree with all of the above. Once upon a time I thought the LHN was a good idea, but the implementation of it has been abysmal. I never did find the link to the game so congrats to those of you who did. Is there any place to go to watch a rebroadcast or maybe highlights? I was rather disappointed in the paltry amount that they showed over on ESPN. After most of the UT fans missed the game they have the nerve to only show 3 -4 plays on the highlights... Really...
Whether or not any of us ever see LHN, U of T Inc. gets the checks from ESPN. Distribution is ESPN's problem, and they tried to add HS football to broaden the appeal just enough to gain more bargaining power, and it failed. And no, I'm not going to harass a customer service rep over a programming negotiation that they have zero control over. The TV service providers already know who wants LHN and what they are willing to pay ESPN to provide it to customers.
Perhaps someone can explain what benefit is derived for the University, ESPN, or anyone by shutting down the "unauthorized" LHN feeds? The only angle I can imagine -- and it is illogical -- would be that Plonsky, Dodds and the rest believe they are losing revenue from unauthorized viewers who would otherwise be paying subscribers. In the big picture, such unauthorized viewers currently represent a tiny fraction of the market. By their actions, they (and the University) are alienating the very market that is responsible for the existence of the network. A market that is unable to access the LHN by any other means. It's like advertising a new Mercedes, creating a market, and then having buyers rush to the dealers with boatloads of cash only to learn that the vehicle is not available. Some of those buyers may never return. Go figure.
I certainly don't harass the customer service reps. I just call or chat online and ask them if there is any news on when they might have the LHN. I don't know how much I pay for: Oprah, WE, HGTV, Food Network, Planet Green, DIY Network, Big10 Network, Tennis Channel, Speed, Cartoon channel, CMT and several hundred others, but I'd much rather be watching the LHN.
I dream of a day when cable or television in general is a la carte. Pick what you want to watch and that is what you pay for. You don't pay for the **** you don't watch. I wrote down a list of channels I watched when I had cable and put a number next to them from 1 - 10 to denote how often I watched it. I realized how few channels I watched and how many I could live without. Then I realized that just about every channel I watched a lot had legal internet sites to stream to my HD television. The HD I get over the air is superior to that which comes in on satellite or cable anyways. So until I can just pay for the few channels I want on some service, I don't and won't have cable/sat tv or anything like that. I am saving well over a thousand bucks this year by this decision. Cable and Satellite corporations make suckers of people forcing them to pay for the whole packages they push on people. Rethink your watching and send them a message. The first couple of weeks of transition were weird but now it's awesome.
Would it kill you to buy a ticket? Big 12 No-Huddle, "Kansas at Texas", FOX SPORTS SOUTHWEST HD Nov 3. Noon
Belo owns the ABC stations in Dallas and Austin. Their current contract with DirecTV expires on Nov. 1 at midnight and after that, they could get dropped. Belo and DirecTV are pointing fingers. Now, let's say you live in the Dallas or Austin area and the only way you can watch ABC is through DirecTV and it causes you to miss a ABC televised UT game. Who would you yell at?
Before LHN: Can watch at home in my underwear. Wait an hour to start watching so I can FF all commercials and halftime on the TiVo. Can pause when kids cry or walk in front of the TV. Can replay any and every play in slow mo. Can pause to do whatever I want (or wipe kids' runny noses) and don't miss anything. Wife doesn't hate me because I'm home to help with kids bedtime. With LHN Wife hates me because I abandon her with 3 kids at bedtime. Have to navigate downtown Houston to find 160 West Gray which is a nightmare. Have to stand up against the wall outside at The Junction because the place is jam packed with Longhorn fans without LHN. Missed the start of the game and the first TD. Can barely see a TV. Can hear diddly poo cant ff commercials cant pause or replay waitresses are so slammed I cant even get a beer much less dinner. Have to listen to a guy in a cowboy costume shoot his cap gun every 10 seconds and his drunken guffaw. finally get a seat in the 3rd quarter still cant hear, pause, or replay anything out $25 for dinner and 2 beers Bonus - Did get to see UFC 137 and secretly fall in love with one of the sizzling hot bartenders.
2 things not mentioned on this thread. 1) If someone does pic up LHN, there is potential back lash from aggies, tech tards, etc... that don't want their bill going up just because their provider picks up the LHN. So they may gain some customers and lose some others. Aggs can be very vindictive. 2) Are we even sure the Kansas station was doing anything illegal. As I haven't seen the contract Kansas agreed to I have no idea. But my brother got the game in KC over his cable provider so as it was over the air in KC, it was probably legal for them to stream it. Finally anyone telling me I shouldn't watch a stream is well. misguided. I'll watch what I want. I'd gladly watch the LHN, but it's not within 30 miles of me. And then I'd have to fight 100s of fans crammed into a bar in Lewisville.
