DirecTV: Losing subscriptions from Steeler fans?
Musings From Eric: Last night I received an email from my nearly lifelong friend, Joe.Eric,
As one of the more powerful bloggers on the subject (don't let your head grow), I must express my extreme dissatisfaction with DirecTV this Steeler Sunday. At the end of the third quarter, the local channels were lost, including KDKA, to the horror of all steeler fans. two hours later, I got to watch the post game on KDKA, but the NFL game on Fox still wasn't working.
As a DirecTV customer, I want to kill someone.
As a human being, however, I still want to dump DirecTV.
Joe
Well Joe, many feel your pain undoubtedly. Obviously this isn't like a few weeks back when WPGH lost the audio signal during the game.
For what it's worth, we here at the PBRTV World Headquarters (located not far from Joe) noticed that our DirecTV local channels were a little screwy over the weekend. Instead of showing the program which was airing on the TV Guide, it showed "To Be Announced" or something like "Upcoming: Jeopardy" throughout much of the weekend.
Perhaps DirecTV needs to learn more about Pittsburgh and Steeler games. Then again, they could have been saving you from watching the agony of defeat!
Readers’ Forum
Something similar happened to DISH Network subscribers (like myself) Sunday. The local channels (2, 4, 11, 13, 16, 19, 22 and 53) dropped out sometime during the 3rd quarter of the Steeler game, and didnt come back until well after the game was over.
The locals also went dark sometime around 7:30pm, and didnt come back on until about 8:10pm or so, causing concern for many Survivor views (like my wife).
Rick - December 17, 2007 at 11:47 am
If you’re dropping DirecTV, make sure you don’t switch to Armstrong Cable. Last Sunday the cable went out 3 minutes into the game against the Patriots. We subscribe to DirecTV here in Butler Co. but were watching the game in New Castle with some friends. My next door neighbor called in a panic soon after the game started and said Armstrong was off the air and could they move their party over to my house since we have DirecTV. So, they partied at our house and we weren’t even there. I didn’t even notice the local DirecTV channels were out because we also subscribe to HDTV programming and all was fine. It wasn’t until we wanted to watch Survivor that we found out that the local channels went out. So, to the person who is cancelling DirecTV, spend an extra $5 bucks a month and you might be able to watch a game during an ice storm.
Scott - December 17, 2007 at 7:35 pm
I was told one time that both Directv & Dish Network share the same satellites for local channels. I wouldn’t drop Directv or Dish, but I’d get a receiver that can also receive local digital stations over the air. I actually watched the Steelers game on KDKA DT because two other stations closer to me carried the Bills / Browns game. KDKA did break up for me but it was pretty windy which moved the outdoor antenna occasionally.
Tom Lavery (URL) - December 18, 2007 at 06:34 am
Wow. It’s too bad that the Steelers don’t offer some sort of low-tech, inexpensive way to follow the games.
Like an analog audio feed, broadcast through the air, that could be picked up with inexpensive, portable receivers.
It would be widely distributed on a network of transmitters that covered Pennsylvania and surrounding states.
Hmm. What could we call it?
http://news.steelers.com/gameday/broadca..
Jason T. - December 18, 2007 at 11:25 am
Hey, I will be the first to say that the Steelers RADIO broadcasts are top notch. Bill, Tunch & Craig do a great job making the games entertaining, win or lose. It sounds like three guys sitting at a bar just enjoying the game. I have endured weekends when living up in Waterford listening to the Steelers on the radio. Now that I am near Cochranton, I can watch the games from 3 different CBS affiliates & 3 Fox affiliates. I laugh at that very expensive “Sunday Ticket.” I just wish that the TV could sync up to the Radio so that radio isn’t ahead of what’s on the TV side.
Tom Lavery (URL) - December 18, 2007 at 12:49 pm
Hey, it just wasn’t DirecTV that went out…Dish Network went out as well. My wife and I were watching the game until it went out and we resorted to finish listening to the game on the radio. Also, as in the first comment from Rick, the locals did go out again around 7:30.
Ken - December 19, 2007 at 12:29 am