HDTV Devil Ray's 2007 Broadcast Schedule

[Bschneider]

All games shown on channel 651 - BHN HD Sports 2. Click here (http://tampabay.mybrighthouse.com/uploadedFiles/Divisions/Tampa_Content/Devil_Rays_2007_Schedule.pdf) for a printable version.

From: http://tampabay.mybrighthouse.com/products_and_pricing/digital_cable/HDTV/default.aspx

http://www.tampahdtv.com/schedules/hdtv_ray_2007schedule.JPG

[Resco]

It is not true HD...just stretched SD??

[Bschneider]

Don't know for sure since I have FiOS... Ive heard streched. If it is, I'll work with BHN to resolve it.

[Resco]

It may be an ION issue as opposed to a BHN issue.

Either way, it is not HD.

[FTBoomerIII]

None of those have ever been in HD. I think it is an ION issue

[Bschneider]

I think I know what the problem is, that schedule that BHN provided IS the ION schdule which doesnt do HD. I'll talk to Greg about it.

[Bschneider]

Here is the updated schedule that Greg sent to me this afternoon..

http://www.tampahdtv.com/schedules/hdtv_ray_2007schedule_revised.JPG

[Resco]

B,

Thanks for getting this clarified!

[JayMunOne]

Six games. 6 games. SIX games. 6 games. SIX games.

No matter how I type it, it still winds up as 6 games.

Pathetic.

[h8makingbogey]

Six games. 6 games. SIX games. 6 games. SIX games.

No matter how I type it, it still winds up as 6 games.

Pathetic.

I could not have said it any better.

[gmclaughlin]

Exactly why we don't give it a whole channel. They just don't have the content.

[JayMunOne]

Mr. McLaughlin:

I beg to differ, please read below. The following press release was the catalyst to a posting I wrote in this forum several weeks ago.

39 broadcasts sounds a lot different than SIX. Why is Bright House choosing to upconvert 33 of them instead of simulcasting those Devil Rays HD broadcasts (ION OR FSN) in HD? Forty games in HD is respectable. SIX games in HD by the primary cable provider in the team's HOME MARKET is ridiculous. Pathetic really. According to the press release below, areas as far away as THE FLORIDA KEYS and DADE COUNTY will receive 39 Devil Rays games in HD.

I live five miles from Tropicana Field. I will get SIX games in HD through my Bright House Networks subscription. Am I the only person who finds this INCREDIBLY problematic?

I've been waiting for an explanation for a long time. Still don't have one.

And as for NOT providing an entire HD channel to FSN/Sun Sports, this is still a mystery to me. There is plenty of network content in HD, both in local team broadcasts and from the Fox Sports NATIONAL network feed (Big 12 college football, college basketball, etc.). As a subscriber, I refuse to do another college season without Fox Sports Net in HD.

The argument that there isn't enough content is without merit and, quite frankly, contradictory. Case in point - the new Golf/VS. Network on 694. There hasn't been much content in HD on this network--EVERY primetime Stanley Cup playoff game has, thus far, been in crystal clear STANDARD definition. The only HD content I've seen is taped Senior PGA events...hardly programming worth devoting an entire channel to when there are bigger fish to fry (Sun Sports/FSN HD/NFL Network), no?

I'm a very concerned $150 a month subscriber.

###

Devil Rays 2007 High Def Telecast Schedule
FSN FLORIDA TO OFFER 39 HIGH-DEFINITION
TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS GAME TELECASTS THIS SEASON

First HD Telecast Scheduled for Monday, April 9, Devil Rays @ Rangers

HD Telecasts Will Be Available in Select Areas to HD Customers of Participating Florida Cable & Satellite Systems

ORLANDO – Continuing to expand viewing enhancements for Florida sports fans, FSN Florida will produce 39 Tampa Bay Devils Rays games in high-definition (HD) this season, up from 30 last year.

The first locally produced HD telecast is scheduled for Monday, April 9, as the Devil Rays travel to Arlington, TX to take on the Rangers at 8:00PM (ET). The 39 games that will be produced in HD are part of FSN Florida’s 75-game regular season Tampa Bay Devil Rays telecast schedule for 2007.

Customers of participating Florida cable and satellite systems, with FSN Florida and with an agreement to deliver FSN Florida’s HD product, will have access to the 39 HD MLB Tampa Bay Devil Rays games this season on a channel separate from FSN Florida’s (check local listings for HD channel number).

Participating systems confirmed as of today are:
Advanced Cable Communications – Coral Springs/Weston (Ch. 656)
Comcast – Sarasota (Ch. 212; scheduled to begin late April)
Comcast South Florida - Dade, Broward, Keys (Ch. 200)
Comcast Southwest Florida – Naples (inHD Ch. 206)
Comcast Treasure Coast – Vero Beach/Ft. Pierce (Ch. 199)
Comcast – Jacksonville (Ch. 181; changes to Ch. 443 on 4/10)
Comcast - Lake City/Live Oak (Ch. 443)
Comcast – Tallahassee (Ch. 401)
Comcast – St. Augustine/Palatka (Ch. 443; scheduled to begin 4/24)
Home Town Cable – Port St. Lucie (scheduled to begin 4/15)
Verizon FiOS TV – Florida Gulf Coast region (Ch. 830)


DirecTV - Miami, Orlando & Tampa markets only (Ch. 96 or Ch. 97); select games statewide (Ch. 95)

Cable/satellite systems offering this enhanced package of high def games to their HD customers will provide them at no additional charge. FSN Florida and its affiliates also continue to offer standard definition telecasts of each of these games to customers as part of the core FSN Florida regional service distributed statewide.

FSN Florida, the exclusive regional cable/satellite television partner of the Florida Marlins and Tampa Bay Devil Rays, provides baseball fans in Florida with the most comprehensive access to their favorite hometown teams. With a deep local programming lineup that includes statewide coverage of 225 regular season games, plus the network's popular original series such as Inside the Marlins, Inside the Devil Rays, In My Own Words and more, FSN Florida's commitment to showcasing baseball in Florida is unparalleled. The network will provide more than 1,100 hours of Marlins and Devil Rays-related programming this season, including an unprecedented 113 games in stunning high-definition (HD), a 13% increase from last season. In addition, FSN Florida partners locally with both teams on community relations initiatives such as the FSN Reading All-Stars program, the Marlins and Devil Rays Home Run Challenges, and the FSN Florida Fantasy Auction, benefiting team charities.

Packed with a roster of marquee professional and college sports events, FSN’s regional sports networks collectively offer live high-definition telecasts of more than 1000 games showcasing the NBA, MLB, NHL, and NCAA football and basketball. Over the course of the 2006-’07 seasons, FSN’s 18 owned-and-operated regional sports networks produce more than 2,500 hours of live, event programming in high definition, making them the most prolific producers of HD sports programming in the country.

FSN FLORIDA’S 2007 TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS HD SCHEDULE
Pre- and post-game coverage for all games will also be offered in HD

Mon Apr-9 8:00PM Tampa Bay @ Texas
Thu Apr-12 8:00PM Tampa Bay @ Minnesota
Fri Apr-20 7:00PM Cleveland @ Tampa Bay
Tue Apr-24 7:00PM NY Yankees @ Tampa Bay
Wed May-2 7:00PM Minnesota @ Tampa Bay
Thu May-3 7:00PM Minnesota @ Tampa Bay
Tue May-15 7:00PM Texas @ Tampa Bay
Thu May-17 7:00PM Texas @ Tampa Bay
Sat May-19 7:00PM Florida @ Tampa Bay
Wed May-23 7:00PM Seattle @ Tampa Bay
Mon May-28 7:00PM Detroit @ Tampa Bay
Tue May-29 7:00PM Detroit @ Tampa Bay
Mon Jun-4 3:00PM Kansas City @ Tampa Bay
Wed Jun-13 7:00PM San Deigo @ Tampa Bay
Tue Jun-19 9:30PM Tampa Bay @ Arizona
Wed Jun-20 3:30PM Tampa Bay @ Arizona
Fri Jun-22 7:00PM LA Dodgers @ Tampa Bay
Mon Jun-25 7:00PM Chi. White Sox @ Tampa Bay
Thu Jun-28 7:00PM Chi. White Sox @ Tampa Bay
Sat Jun-30 7:00PM Tampa Bay @ Cleveland
Thu Jul-12 7:00PM NY Yankees @ Tampa Bay
Sun Jul-15 1:30PM NY Yankees @ Tampa Bay
Wed Jul-18 7:00PM LA Angels @ Tampa Bay
Thu Jul-19 12:00PM LA Angels @ Tampa Bay
Sun Jul-29 1:30PM Boston @ Tampa Bay
Mon Jul-30 7:00PM Toronto @ Tampa Bay
Wed Aug-1 3:00PM Toronto @ Tampa Bay
Sat Aug-4 7:00PM Baltimore @ Tampa Bay
Wed Aug-8 7:00PM Tampa Bay @ Detroit
Thu Aug-9 1:00PM Tampa Bay @ Detroit
Sat Aug-11 8:30PM Tampa Bay @ Texas
Sat Aug-25 7:00PM Oakland @ Tampa Bay
Sun Aug-26 1:30PM Oakland @ Tampa Bay
Thu Aug-30 7:00PM Tampa Bay @ Baltimore
Wed Sep-5 7:00PM Baltimore @ Tampa Bay
Sun Sep-16 4:00PM Tampa Bay @ Seattle
Wed Sep-19 3:30PM Tampa Bay @ LA Angels
Thu Sep-27 7:00PM NY Yankees @ Tampa Bay

Schedule Subject to Change. All Times Eastern.

-FSN FLORIDA/SUN SPORTS-

[Resco]

Jay,

Good points...however the discussion was about ION not FSN.

I agree, BHN needs to add the FSN HD programming asap!

[Resco]

Greg,

Any comment on Jay's post?

[Roger 9]

Six games. 6 games. SIX games. 6 games. SIX games.

No matter how I type it, it still winds up as 6 games.

Pathetic. The e-mail I got from BHN (it was sort of those mass e-mails they occasionally send out) said there would be nearly a half season of HD games between FSN and ION. That's HD, as in high-definition, not stretched out versions of a pathetic SD upconvert. :confused:

Friday was the FIRST that actually had an HD logo on the bottom right of the screen. They had better cough up more than six. :mad:

[Palmateer]

To sum it up:

Here in Pinellas County (and perhaps in other Florida locations), Bright House Networks has set up an HD channel (651) which they labeled "Rays HD Games."

You would think that all the Rays games shown on this HD channel would be in High Definition, right?

You might assume that this channel would include the 39 HD games announced by FSN for this season, right?

Wrong. Most are Faux HD, Phony HD, High Definition for the Stupid!

Channel 651 only presents the ION games. Even worse, most of the games shown on channel 651 are SD (4:3 ratio) games that are upconverted and then stretched horizontally to fill the 16:9 ratio. Roger 9 and I have bombarded BHN with complaints about this so-called "Rays HD Games" channel, so Bright House responded by adding the following qualifiers to channel 651’s menu:

"Games brought to you by ION Media" and
"HD Carriage subject to change."

The only Rays HD Games being shown on channel 651 are the six ION games that are in real HD. The first of these was shown on May 4, and it looked terrific! The rest of the true HD games are scheduled to be shown on June 23, July 13, July 14, July 27, and July 28.

[Resco]

Palm,

Excellent post!

I have been complaining about this as well for at least a month!

It is deceptive on BHN's part to even have channel 651 and mentioning it as HD!

If they have no intention of showing the FSN HD games, they should just go ahead and take down the channel ( except for the remaining 5 games set for later this year)

What is even worse, we are the HOME market for the Rays and no HD.

Still no response from Greg!

[JayMunOne]

I reiterate ALL my previous posts. I've wasted enough time complaining.

I'm glad people's eyebrows are finally wrinkling to this matter.

[Roger 9]

I reiterate ALL my previous posts. I've wasted enough time complaining.

I'm glad people's eyebrows are finally wrinkling to this matter. Jay, sadly the only ones wrinkling are the consumer. Don't give up the ship. Put enough pressure on BHN, your local pols and even Charlie "I'm proud to be from Tampa Bay" Crist. Eventually someone, anyone, will have to answer for this mess.

Remember, there are contracts with cities and towns and can be revoked if they don't perform. With new competition popping up they may have to put up or shut down.

At least we can hope, right?