Living in Florida, it's tough to see all of the Red Sox that I need. The Red Sox are on TV nationally about ten times, add that in with the ten or so times FSN Florida shows them when they play the Devil Rays, and the Red Sox are on TV 20 times; which we all know is not nearly enough. So last year I decided to purchase the MLB TV package from MLB.com for $79.99 or $89.99. I was generally satisfied except for the fact that the games were on my computer so every once in a while it would skip. This year I am thinking of purchasing MLB Extra Innings. The price is $139.99 for the "Early Bird Special". So here are my questions:

1a) Does anyone have MLB Extra Innings?
1b) Is it worth it?
2) What is the better value, MLB TV for $80 or $90 with the games on the computer, or MLB Extra Innings for $140 with games on TV?

1a) Does anyone have MLB Extra Innings?

1a) Yes.

1b) Is it worth it?

1b) Depends on what you consider "worth it." I enjoyed having it last year and will get it again, not just for the Red Sox games.

2) What is the better value, MLB TV for $80 or $90 with the games on the computer, or MLB Extra Innings for $140 with games on TV?

2) I think you have to decide that one yourself.

you know about the computer issue.... that's the main difference.

I'd go for the TV...

I've had both, and while I defeinitely liked MLB.tv, I think EI blows it out of the water. Once, there's no buffering or lost connections, two, the quality is much better, three, you are free to use your computer during the game, and four, the game isn't on a delay as it is with MLB.tv. The latter two are key if you like utilizing the RSN.net chatroom as I do during the game.

While the mlb.tv feed is acceptable, it doesn't compare to the digital quality of watching Extra Innings on your TV. There's a big difference as well in being able to sit in a nice chair or on the couch to enjoy the game, rather than being in front of your computer. Also, you can watch the games on every TV in your house.

Unfortunately, I can't get Extra Innings with the Red Sox in my town because the local cable company blacks out the Red Sox, even though I'm not in the blackout area. I have no choice but to go with mlb.tv. I'm glad to be able to see every game, but I think I am going to make another attempt to get Dish Network or DirecTV this year so I can get EI. Incredibly tall trees surrounding my property are the problem for satellite TV.

I'm in this same dilemma, I am leaning towards Extra Innings, though.

I'm a strong proponent of EI. You get 99% of Sox games (you miss one or two Fox saturday games) . Worth the extra 50$ as the computer can have spotty coverage sometimes.

Where do you live?

I've had mlb.tv during the past three years, and have been generally satisfied with the product. However, I have problems with WMP that prevent me from watching the games on full-screen without having spend 5 minutes fixing the thing each time. I can watch on Real Player without a problem, but I can't watch the archives using RP.

If you buy the "complete" mlb package, you get all of the radio broadcasts, plus the condensed game highlight packages. This can be particularly useful.

Here is how I justify getting mlb.tv over EI: I don't have digital cable, and would rather not spend the additional $10/month for that, PLUS another $23/month for EI. With the computer, I'm already paying for the cable modem, so I don't need to subscribe to anything else. Plus, if I am at work, I can listen to the games in the office, and if I'm there really late, I could watch the games on my work computer.

Has anyone used MLB.TV on a Macintosh?

As a transplanted New Englander, I've had MLB EI for the past few years & I love it. The blackout dates/ teams can be frustrating (they blackout Baltimore, Atlanta, DC, & Cincinati in my area), but I still enjoy it. I catch all sox games I can & as many Pedro starts as possible.

Does mlb.tv have the same blackout restictions as EI?

i have, works good

anyone know if i can get sox games in syracuse?

MLB EI hands down. Best thing ever. Especially if you are also into fantasy baseball.

I live in DC and have only been blacked out from O's, Nats, and national games on EI or MLB.tv.

I am in DC as well and was wondering if Extra Innings is available on RCN down here. I'm really hoping it is. Anyone have any idea? RSN Diaspora, I'm looking at you here.

anyone know when sign ups are being taken for MLB EI?

Another way of looking at it is, how much money would you spend on tickets each season at Fenway if you lived locally? If you were to go to a few games figure the cost of the tix, gas, parking, souviniers and food/drink. My bet is you'd spend a lot more than $140.00 for something you really enjoy. For $140 you get the whole season. Add a tivo & you can even watch the games at your convienience,

Stevie B

Good question, does anyone know?

If you have Direct TV, sign ups are available now for $159.99. If you want it on digital cable, no word yet.

Yeah, I have digital cable.

Thanks For the info though.

I thought it was $140.

Yeah, that's what I thought as well. It could be a case of Direct TV bumping up the price because they're Direct TV. Here's the link for the Direct TV:
http://www.directvsports.com/Subscriptions/MLBExtraInnings/

If you want to keep tabs on when it opens up for Digital Cable here's the link for that too:
http://www.indemand.com/sports/mlb2005/index.jsp

I've had mlb.tv for the past two years and was generally very happy with it. It really depends on your situation. For me, I didn't have cable/dish and didn't want to pay for it. Plus, since I'm a software engineer I spend an inordinate amount of time in front of a computer. Until recently I telecommuted and having mlb.tv meant I could always watch or listen to a game where ever and when ever I was working -- home/office/coffee shop/airport. I often made a point of "working" during games.

(It doesn't hurt to have three monitors connected to my main machine -- one devoted to mlb.tv at full screen and one for mlb gameday/rsn game thread which made it easy to ignore whatever work I had up on the third monitor.)

The quality is good but doesn't compete with a digital signal. I was never able to figure out how to play the video broadcast and radio broadcast at the same time so it was hard to avoid bad announcers from other local markets.

There are a couple blackout periods each week during national broadcasts. I think it was wednesday and sunday nights. I don't know how that compares to EI.


True enough. There is also much to be said for taking the laptop w/wireless out to the deck, onto the shitter,
etc.

I live in Shelton, Connecticut

I cannot watch sporting events if it's not live. Even if I don't know the outcome.

I'm the same way. The only exception being the final game of the '04 WS, which I will gladly watch over, and over, and over, and over..

That said, I have MLB EI on DirecTV and I love it. The only thing is that I get screwed out of seeing any games against the Rangers, even though I live like.. 6 hours away from their home base and the local channels here don't air the games.

Here in Southern Connecitcut, NESN is a rare thing--I'm in whats considered "Yankee Territory." RIght on the border, actually.

I use MLB Extra Innings to get the RedSox, but the worst part is that when the RedSox play the Yankees, guess what channel I have to watch it on?

YES Network.

Blugh.

Here's hoping that MLB EI follows the same formula that they use for the NHL package, and let you choose which broadcast you want to watch, the home or away broadcast. There are some awful announcers out there.......

White Sox games (rolleyes)

MLB TV is now on sale for $79.95. A nice little bonus is they have all of the WBC games and some spring training games (50 or so) included in the MLB TV package.

I wonder what's holding up the digital cable package.

mlb.tv is doing away with realplayer, so now I have to watch with windows media player and the quality is awful. I encourage you to call to complain about them doing away with real player.

I guess they're going to have a new multigame player but I think they're going to charge extra for it. I guess that's what you have to put up with when dealing with MLB.

I had EI last year (and will do it again this year) and don't recall having that option. Was that just new to NHL this year?

Does anyone know when they started offering EI last year? I want to get the early special if possible.

I have tried out MLB.TV for Spring Training and the quality definatly isn't as good as EI. If you travel alot it's good I guess, but otherwise definatly get EI. They just came out with the Schedule too!

http://www.directvsports.com/Packages/MLBE...dule/2006_4.htm

Schillondahill

As much as this pains me to say, I'm cancelling my MLB EI package because they always "auto-renew" it - only if...

I can pick up NESN on the sports packages. I know I probably won't get the away games, but I'll get the Sox on Comcast for the O's and I don't watch all of the other teams like I used to.

My question is whether or not I'll get the games on NESN - I don't see why I wouldn't as they are broadcast twice using EI on both the MLB channel and the NESN channel sometimes. I just really don't feel like shelling out 80 a month for DirecTV (split between the housemates) since I just got back from vaca. Worst comes to worst I pick it up once the price goes down.

Huh how is this working? Where do you live?

From the sound of it, it seems like RSNL04 is from the Washington/Baltimore area, and is refering to Comcast SportsNet, which broadcasts the O's games.

It sounds like he wants to subscribe to the super-sports package that some carriers offer, which gives you access to all of the local sports channels, such as MSG, NESN, Fox Sports - Bay Area, etc. The problem is that the "premium" sports programs that these channels offer, such as MLB, NHL, and NBA are blocked out and force you to get those sports-specific packages, like MLB-EI.

RSNL04 - I don't know if I addressed your issue, but from what I know, if you want to watch non-Orioles or Nationals games, you will need to get MLB-EI. You can't watch NESN (without a subscription to MLB-EI) in Maryland and catch the Sox, although it sounds like you may have been able to in the past. I hope this makes sense.

I was working underneath that assumption also about NESN. It's why I couldn't figure out how he got games before. At least it sounds like he did from his description, but it might have just been ambiguous.

Just ordered EI today. Can't wait to follow not only the sox but all my fantasy players. About to kick my addiction up a notch.

Yeah, I have a feeling I can't get NESN when the Sox games are on because of EI, which is BS.

I don't know, I just hate paying 80 a month after 4 way split for TELEVISION. It's starting to piss me off.

You can only watch Red Sox games on NESN if you reside within the NESN broadcast territory. That territory is all of New England, with the exception of Fairfield County, CT. If you live outside the NESN territory, and buy the Sports Pack on DirecTV, you will be able to watch NESN, but it goes blank as soon as the Red Sox game comes on, UNLESS you buy the EI package. If you buy EI, DirecTV's computers know you have bought access to the game on the EI package, so they don't black out the game if you are watching NESN. As soon as you no longer subscribe to EI, the games will be blacked out on NESN.

Does this make sense?

Crystal clear Tommy, thanks bro'.

RSN.
You can't get ANY Red Sox games BUT what is Comcast--so you will get Red Sox-O's and that is it.

You can order NESN, but all Red Sox games will be blacked out. I have a Dish that has the regional sports network package, as well as MLB EI. If you turn on NESN during a Red Sox game, you get literally nothing--black out.

As soon as the game is over (actually 3 hours after gametime), NESN comes back on and you can watch the postgame show.

Trust me, I had your thought when I first moved to NoVA--I'll just order NESN and be set. Uh huh. They want you to shell out for MLB EI and that's the only way you get games.

Is there any additional content offered with EI other than the games - i.e., postgame shows, etc.?

Nope.

Its rather maddening, actually...the game ends, and BOOM. End of broadcast.

One of the reasons I picked up a dish so I can get NESN.

Yeah I had EI last year and it blacks out immediately afterwards. I wish I could get the dish because I have COX cable and they suck but I cant because I live in an apartment complex. EI is great but its just missing the extra content that would make it better.

The lack of postgame coverage doesn't bother me (RSN and SoSH will post anything interesting from it anyway), but the inability to choose which feed I have to watch annoys me with EI. At the very least, give us an alternative when the Red Sox and White Sox play!

I'll agree with you there though - listening to the White Sox broadcast is the worst. That would be awesome if they could let you choose which feed you hear so I can listen to the RemDawg.

There's a decent chance that I will die during a White Sox-Red Sox game, because listening to those ass clowns raises my blood pressure at least 50 points.