HD Channel goes off-air before game is over

[Mstroh55]

On several occasions, the FSNOhio HD coverage of Columbus Blue Jackets NHL hockey games ends prior to the end of the game, while the FSN Ohio analog channel continues to show the game.  Is this a timing issue?  Typically, there is no programming after the game, it just goes off air.

[kryptonite]

Both feeds of FSN Ohio are part-time channels, as i'm sure you've long-since realized.  I just put a call in to someone at FSN Ohio.  Hopefully, they'll be able to tell me what's going on.

[kryptonite]

Ok... here's the deal, as told to me by an employee of Fox Sports Ohio.

Whereas other affiliates may be HD 24/7, FS Ohio is HD only during live pro events.  This is the case for all providers, such as DirecTV, Dish Network, Time Warner, and AT&T U-Verse.

FSN Ohio provides the HD feed to all providers for the entire pregame, game, and postgame.  AT&T is cutting the HD off at the end.  This may be to accomodate for an HD program on another channel.

The employee of Fox Sports Ohio urged me to take the issue up with AT&T.

I know it's a different situation, but those UEFA Champions League games on Tuesday afternoons are NOT blacked out.  Hopefully, we'll be able to flip it to another FSN HD to watch the rest of the postgame show in HD.

[RCSMG ACE - Master]

That's a deal breaker! That's a deal breaker!

[kryptonite]

There should be a contact us @ att u-verse member center online.  If we do that, hopefully we can raise enough ruckus that the people in charge of such things pay attention.  We can also call Tier 2 tech support on a regular basis and they'll log the problem.

A tier 2 agent could understand the problem, as I just had a long conversation with him, but he didn't know the exact answer which I easily predicted, since this problem is so unique.  He's guessing that AT&T needs to strike deals with Fox Sports Ohio to carry their live sports in HD, but they're not paying enough to carry the whole broadcast.  Instead, what they're doing is agreeing to carry the pregame show in HD as well as the entire game, PLUS a little bit of "overflow" in case the game runs long.  As we all know, games can run long due to TV timeouts, weather delays, player injuries, or any number of other circumstances.

As I already pointed out, the Tuesday afternoon UEFA Champions League matches could also help figure out what's going on.  Does AT&T cut EVERYONE off early, or is this just a "Ohio thing?"  You do need the HD fee and the HD Premium fee in order to see those non-regional channels, though.

[oufanindallas]

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kryptonite wrote:

There should be a contact us @ att u-verse member center online.  If we do that, hopefully we can raise enough ruckus that the people in charge of such things pay attention.  We can also call Tier 2 tech support on a regular basis and they'll log the problem.

A tier 2 agent could understand the problem, as I just had a long conversation with him, but he didn't know the exact answer which I easily predicted, since this problem is so unique.  He's guessing that AT&T needs to strike deals with Fox Sports Ohio to carry their live sports in HD, but they're not paying enough to carry the whole broadcast.  Instead, what they're doing is agreeing to carry the pregame show in HD as well as the entire game, PLUS a little bit of "overflow" in case the game runs long.  As we all know, games can run long due to TV timeouts, weather delays, player injuries, or any number of other circumstances.

As I already pointed out, the Tuesday afternoon UEFA Champions League matches could also help figure out what's going on.  Does AT&T cut EVERYONE off early, or is this just a "Ohio thing?"  You do need the HD fee and the HD Premium fee in order to see those non-regional channels, though.

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As the channel is out of area for those not in Ohio, all professional games are blacked out on that channel so I couldn't begin to tell you.  I've never had a game shut off before it was over on any other RSN, but I watch college sports on the RSNs except for FSSW which carries the Stars/Mavs.

[Scrogs63]

I am in Columbus and I have never had any issues with the Jackets games or post game being cut off on the HD channel.

Are you recording it and not adding extra recodring time?

[Mstroh55]

No I am watching live.  And they sometimes cut off the HD coverage prior to the end of regulation -- the game is not running long -- and there is no programming after the game -- so there's no reason to cut it off.

[Mstroh55]

I also have another issue with FSN-Ohio HD (only that channel)-- sometimes the channel is blank, no picture when there is scheduled programming (which is also on the analog channel).  Rebooting the cable box fixes the problem, but sometimes I'm not home and the DVR records a blank screen.  What the ?

[kryptonite]

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oufanindallas wrote:

As the channel is out of area for those not in Ohio, all professional games are blacked out on that channel so I couldn't begin to tell you.  I've never had a game shut off before it was over on any other RSN, but I watch college sports on the RSNs except for FSSW which carries the Stars/Mavs.

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UEFA Champions League games return in February.  FSN has games on Tuesday middays (2 PM ET pregame show, kickoff at 2:45 PM ET.)  These games are not blacked out.

I would GUESS that the other channels keep the HD the whole time.

[kryptonite]

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Mstroh55 wrote:

No I am watching live.  And they sometimes cut off the HD coverage prior to the end of regulation -- the game is not running long -- and there is no programming after the game -- so there's no reason to cut it off.

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As I said before, the only reason they would is to create the space for an HD broadcast on another channel...but this doesn't make sense, since U-Verse isn't like a typical pay-TV operator when it comes to sending TV signals through the system to the viewers.

[kryptonite]

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Mstroh55 wrote:

I also have another issue with FSN-Ohio HD (only that channel)-- sometimes the channel is blank, no picture when there is scheduled programming (which is also on the analog channel).  Rebooting the cable box fixes the problem, but sometimes I'm not home and the DVR records a blank screen.  What the ?

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FSN Ohio is only HD during live events broadcast in HD.

If something like poker or a coaches show is airing, it is only in SD and only on the SD channels.

If it is a live event broadcast only in SD, which some Blue Jackets games are, then these are only on the SD channel.

If it is a live event, and the team's website says it is supposed to be in HD, but it is NOT in HD on U-Verse, I would call technical support.