Tampa Bay Lightning HD games

[billyd88]

:mad: Turned my set on last night to watch the Lightning v. Devils game in HD and found I couldn't get the game in HD. I called D* and they say sun sports and FSN HD channel is currently on channel 96. I tuned to 96 and found the Fl. Panthers game was being broadcast on it. Why not the Lightning game? D* has no answer for me. I ran into this problem last season when I had the HD TIVO and couldn't get anything on 96 because they said it was one of their MPEG4 channels. I was assured by someone in technical that if I had the HR20 this would no longer be an issue. Well I'm here to tell anyone who will listen that IT IS A FREAKIN ISSUE!!!! With a limited number of games being shown in HD, Its just a little frustrating when Rick And Chief say the game is "being broadcast in HD" and your not able to get it....

FWIW, the Panthers game was blacked out on CH 96 but it was on HDNET and in its full HD glory. Go figure.....

[Roger 9]

I watched the game on 96 last night (DirecTV) and the Panthers were on HDNet. I don't know where you are in Florida but I was shown that I should get the Panthers regularly (along with the Heat though both in SD) because I simply live in the state but have yet to see one.

Strange setup.

[Dknow]

It will all be a mute point after the middle of this month when D* launches Sun Sports HD and Fox Sports FL HD fulltime.

[billyd88]

It will all be a mute point after the middle of this month when D* launches Sun Sports HD and Fox Sports FL HD fulltime.

I really hope you are right. I asked D* about this with no real explanation given. They said it has something to do with blackout rules. Why is it ok to have the standard def feed available but they blackout the Tampa market on the HD feed for some unknown reason. For instance, the Nov. 3rd game against Florida was available on t he SD channel but Ch. 96 was blacked out for Tampa but not in Miami. Now how can this be a "Blackout Rules" issue as I was told if its available in Sd. My feeling is that the HD channel is being made available for the Miami market when there is a competing Panthers game. No Panther game and assuming the Lightning game is being broadcast in HD then Tampa will "see" it on Ch. 96.
Any thoughts?

[bdraw]

It depends who has the rights to the game. Sometimes it's Sunshine and sometimes it's Fox Sports Net. I've seen some that were blacked out on D*, on FIOS Sunshine HD.

[Dknow]

Directv launched 23 more HD channels yesterday including Sun Sports HD channel 632-1 and Fox Sports Florida channel 634-1. Problem solved! Enjoy!