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Some Shows Blacked Out On Select Sling TV Channels
Some channels you think you're buying when you pay $20 a month for Dish's new Sling TV Internet video service, may not quite be the channels you thought they were. Reddit users recently discovered that some of SlingTV's new channel additions, including A&E, Lifetime, and LMN network, included some shows that were blacked out. Dish confirms to TechHive that some "select channels" may feature blacked out content but that "when possible, these channels will offer other programming in place of the restricted content." Just when you think broadcasters are loosening their licensing grip for Internet video...
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ITALIAN926
join:2003-08-16

ITALIAN926

Member

Well heres an idea

Use your in place satellites, that cover like 99% of the subscribers in this country, to offer these ala carte packages.

Stop clogging up the internet unnecessarily.

Really cant understand the type of venture for THIS company, really.

ctaranto
join:2011-12-14
MA

2 recommendations

ctaranto

Member

Re: Well heres an idea

said by ITALIAN926:

Stop clogging up the internet unnecessarily.

The internet is clogged up? Way to start rumors, FUD, etc.

My ISP consistently delivers more bandwidth, both up and down, than what my subscription level is supposed to. Day, night, weekend.

We pay for internet connectivity at a particular speed. We sure as heck should be using it. All the time. It is no longer a luxury for most - it is now a necessity (*cough*utility*cough).

ITALIAN926
join:2003-08-16

1 recommendation

ITALIAN926

Member

Re: Well heres an idea

Hey, you must think that all these peak hour complaints across multiple ISP's is due to web browsing, and NOT video streaming.

and I say "unnecessary" because they have Satellite line- of- site for like 99% of country.

ctaranto
join:2011-12-14
MA

2 recommendations

ctaranto

Member

Re: Well heres an idea

Those are mostly peering issues that need to be resolved. ISPs, like Verizon, have *plenty* of bandwidth.

Line of site, yes. But requires a satellite dish mounted on a roof, coax running down the side of the house, splitters, satellite receivers, etc. I had both Dish and DirecTV at various times. It worked relatively well, but did require realignments every so often. Not worth the hassle.

SlingTV is an app on a device. No installation, drilling holes, running wires.

IPTV is how everything is going to be delivered. Eventually.

hamburglar
join:2002-04-29
united state

hamburglar to ITALIAN926

Member

to ITALIAN926
My guess would be that with Sling they are saving install and equipment costs... While it would make sense to offer these smaller packages as part of retention, it may not be cost effective to install a new customer for it.

xirian
Premium Member
join:2003-01-26
Beacon, NY

xirian

Premium Member

Re: Well heres an idea

This also allows them to sell to customers that they otherwise wouldn't be able to (people with too many trees, living in an apartment where they don't have a balcony or anywhere that isn't a public space to put a dish / no line of site from where they can put the dish, etc).

MovieLover76
join:2009-09-11
Cherry Hill, NJ
(Software) pfSense
Asus RT-AC68
Asus RT-AC66

MovieLover76 to ITALIAN926

Member

to ITALIAN926
because satellite tv sucks, I've had it a couple times.
works good for awhile but then as the wind blows it around the satellite gets just a hair loose or sways more in the wind. and before you know it every time it drizzle's the tv goes out.

If OTT video providers provide a good package (they aren't their yet)
I as a cord cutter might be interested.
on satelite? no thanks.

This offering is no more bandwidth intensive than any other OTT video provider, netflix, hulu etc.

hamburglar
join:2002-04-29
united state

hamburglar

Member

Re: Well heres an idea

You must have had a really bad install... My DIRECTV may be out for a total of 10-20 minutes a year, if that. That includes late nights when no one is watching and there is a storm, and only for a heavy storm to the southwest. Wind should not affect anything if you have a proper install. The PQ is 100x better than most cable providers that I've seen... let alone online streaming.

That said, I'm considering cutting loose in August when the contract is up, unless they deal.

RoboBohannon

Anon

Re: Well heres an idea

As a former installer, hamburglar_ is correct, with a properly installed system you should only lose signal during the strongest of strong storms that prevent microwave transmissions from penetrating the clouds.
devolved
join:2012-07-11
Rapid City, SD

devolved

Member

Re: Well heres an idea

Exactly. My DISH Network service was only out during heavy downpours, and that's typical for any satellite TV setup.

The Beer
I Love It When A Plan Comes Together
Premium Member
join:2001-07-24
Lincoln, NE

The Beer

Premium Member

And I thought the guide was just wrong

We have seen this. Thought we were going to watch one thing but something else completely different was on. Makes much more sense now. I thought the guide was just out of whack!

swintec
Premium Member
join:2003-12-19
Alfred, ME

swintec

Premium Member

LMN??

What the heck could Lifetime Movie Network possibly feel is so important that they have to black out?

maartena
Elmo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-10
Orange, CA

maartena

Premium Member

Re: LMN??

said by swintec:

What the heck could Lifetime Movie Network possibly feel is so important that they have to black out?

The problem here is that it gets much deeper then we think. The money flows from customer ---> Dish ---> Channel owner ---> Content Owner. Even though the Channel Owner may negotiate carriage with Dish for their channel, the Content Owner may have negotiated that no internet streaming will be allowed for their show on the channel with the Channel Owner. And perhaps that was INTENDED for day-after showing on websites, but may in LEGALESE also prevent them from broadcasting over the internet altogether, resulting in a blackout.

SysOp
join:2001-04-18
Atlanta, GA

SysOp

Member

Bait N' Swtich

I'm sure it's in the tos. With that said, nope nope nope. Thanks but no thanks.

Paying for broadcast tv is just not appealing anymore, VOD is where it's at. I'll pay to get what I want, when I want it, how I want it, where I want it. Or I'll just go with out.
biochemistry
Premium Member
join:2003-05-09
92361

1 recommendation

biochemistry

Premium Member

Hmm

I don't recall them mentioning this in any of their press releases. Fraud much?

Flyonthewall
@teksavvy.com

Flyonthewall

Anon

I hope they didn't disclose this when offering the product.

I can imagine the swearing going on right now. I'd be pissed if I wasn't advised that the channel I paid for wasn't really what I was getting.

zanr
@wideopenwest.com

zanr

Anon

Re: I hope they didn't disclose this when offering the product.

signed up for slingtv found out they were blocking content ,canceled slingtv never to go back
mgamer20o0
join:2003-12-01
Norwalk, CA

1 recommendation

mgamer20o0

Member

sink a new start up

great way to sink a new start up. finally there might be another option but oh wait you really cant get what you are paying for since they are blacking out shows. they should have had that worked out ahead of time.

Flyonthewall
@teksavvy.com

Flyonthewall

Anon

Re: sink a new start up

Maybe they did ...